‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
Here are explanations of the Questions of passage named ‘Saving the Soil’, which is from the Cambridge 13 book. The Questions that have been asked are ‘finding information, Blanks and Sentence completion. You will find the locations of the Reading Answers, Keywords(highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 2: Saving the soil
| Question | Answer |
| 14 | MINERALS |
| 15 | CARBON |
| 16 | WATER |
| 17 | AGRICULTURE |
| 18 | C |
| 19 | E |
| 20 | A |
| 21 | D |
| 22 | E |
| 23 | C |
| 24 | F |
| 25 | G |
| 26 | F |
Questions 14-17
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
Why soil degradation could be a disaster for humans
Healthy soil contains a large variety of bacteria and other microorganisms, as well as plant remains and 14 ………………………..
Location: B section
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the last line of paragraph. ‘A single gram of healthy soil might contain 100 million bacteria, as well as other microorganisms such as viruses and fungi, living amid decomposing plants and various minerals…’Here, ‘plant remains’ and ‘decomposing plants’ means the same. Thus, it contains plant remains and minerals.
Answer: Minerals
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
It provides us with food and also with antibiotics, and its function in storing 15 …………………………. has a significant effect on the climate.
Location: B section (2nd part)
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the second line of the paragraph. ‘. Soil is also an ally against climate change: as microorganisms within soil digest dead animals and plants, they lock in their carbon content…’Here, ‘storing’ and ‘lock’ are synonyms. Furthermore, ‘it provides with food…’ defines that it act as an ally which means support. Thus, the answer is clear.
Answer: Carbon
In addition, it prevents damage to property and infrastructure because it holds 16……………………………
Location: B section (2nd part)
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the second last line of the paragraph. ‘Soils also store water, preventing flood damage: in the UK, damage to buildings…’Here, ‘store’ and ‘hold’ are synonyms. The writer states it can prevent the damage caused by floods to infrastructure. Here, infrastructure = buildings, roads…’
Answer: Water
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
If these microorganisms are lost, soil may lose its special properties. The main factor contributing to soil degradation is the 17………………………….. carried out by humans.
Location: C section (second part)
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the first two lines of the paragraph ‘Agriculture is by far the biggest problem. In the wild, when plants grow they remove nutrients…Humans… soil to enrich it, meaning that the soil gradually becomes less fertile.’ Here, ‘soil degradation’ has been written as ‘ soil become less fertile’ Moreover, biggest problem= the main factor.
Answer: Agriculture
Questions 18-21
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 18-21 on your answer sheet.
18 Nutrients contained in the unused parts of harvested crops
Location: C section (2nd part)
Explanation: The main keyword ‘harvested crops’ helps to locate the answer in the third line of the second part of the paragraph. ‘Humans tend not to return unused parts of harvested crops directly to the soil to enrich it, meaning that the soil gradually becomes less fertile…’Here, ‘humans tend not to return unused parts…’ means ‘may not be put back into soil’.
Answer: C
19 Synthetic fertilisers produced with Haber-Bosch process.
Location: D section
Explanation: The main keyword is ‘Haber-Bosch’ helps to locate the answer in the third line of the paragraph. ‘Chemical fertilisers can release polluting nitrous oxide into the atmosphere and excess is often washed away with the rain, releasing nitrogen into rivers…indiscriminate use of fertilisers hurts the soil itself…’Here, in this way they may cause damage to environment.
Answer: E
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
20 Addition of a mixture developed by Pius Floris to the soil Location: E section
Explanation: The main keyword ‘Pius Floris’ is there in the second line of the paragraph. ‘When they applied Floris’s mix to the desert-like test plots, a good crop of plants emerged that were not just healthy at the surface, but had roots strong enough to pierce dirt as hard as rock…’ Here, the Floris mixture improves the quality of the soil. Hence, the answer is A.
Answer: A
21 The idea of zero net soil degradation
Location: G section
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the first line of the paragraph. ‘need ways of presenting the problem that bring it home to governments and the wider public, proposed a goal of ‘zero net land degradation’. Here, this proposed goal of ‘zero net land degradation’ is idea.
Answer: D
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
A may improve the number and quality of plants growing there.
B may contain data from up to nine countries.
C may not be put back into the soil.
D may help governments to be more aware of soil-related issues.
E may cause damage to different aspects of the environment.
F may be better for use at a global level.
Questions 22-26
Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Which section contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
22 a reference to one person’s motivation for a soil-improvement project
Location and Answer: E
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the first two lines of the paragraph. ‘One of the people looking for a solution to his problem is Pius Floris… running a tree-care business in the Netherlands, and now advises some of the world’s top soil scientists. Here, Pius Floris refers to that one person. Thus, the answer is clear.
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
23 an explanation of how soil stayed healthy before the development of farming
Location and Answer: C
Explanation: Then location of the answer is in the second and third line of the paragraph. ‘In the wild, when plants grow they remove nutrients from the soil, but then when the plants die and decay these nutrients are returned directly to the soil. Humans tend not to return unused parts of harvested…meaning that the soil gradually becomes less fertile.’ Here, the writer states that nutrients returned to the soil before farming means it stayed healthy. Hence, the answer is C.
24 examples of different ways of collecting information on soil degradation
Location and Answer: F
Explanation: The answer to this question is in the middle line of the paragraph. ‘Researchers… to create a map linked to a database that can be fed measurements from field surveys, drone surveys, satellite imagery, lad analyses and so on to provide real-time data on the state of the soil…’ Here, ‘field surveys, drone surveys…’ are examples of ways of collecting information. Furthermore, ‘provide real time data’ means ‘collecting information’.
‘Saving the Soil’-Reading Answer Explanation -CAM- 13
25 a suggestion for a way of keeping some types of soil safe in the near future
Location and Answer: G
Explanation: The location of the answer is in the last line of the paragraph. ‘Chasek and her colleagues have proposed a goal of ‘zero net land degradation’ Here, ‘proposed’ and ‘suggested’ are synonyms. ‘goal’ means ‘target for future’. Thus, ‘zero net land degradation’ helps to keep some soils safe.
26 a reason why it is difficult to provide an overview of soil degradation
Location and Answer: F
Explanation: To assess our options on a global scale we first need an accurate picture of what types of soil… That’s not easy. For one thing, there is no agreed international system for classifying soil. Here, no agreed international system for classifying is a reason. In addition, the writer says, that’s no easy that means it is difficult.
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