Trees in Trouble Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Sample

Persistent practice is the quickest way to ace your IELTS Reading preparation. Let us start with the Trees in Trouble Reading answers. 

The topic “Trees in Trouble” is a common passage in the  IELTS Reading test. The passage discusses the crucial role of big trees in supporting biodiversity, producing energy, and storing carbon to influence climate. It discusses the specific conditions needed for their growth and the threats they face—like invasive plants, rising temperatures, logging, and disease—which impact their survival worldwide. The decline of these trees could worsen climate change due to the release of stored carbon.

This passage is useful for IELTS Reading preparation as it covers complex ecological topics, testing your comprehension of cause-effect relationships, vocabulary, and ability to summarise key points concisely—essential skills for achieving a high band score in IELTS Reading section.

Check out the Trees in Trouble Reading answers below, with references and detailed explanations.

Trees in Trouble Reading Passage 

In the IELTS Reading test, you’ll get 60 minutes to tackle three passages, each with increasing difficulty. You’ll face different types of questions, like matching headings and note completion.

Time management is key to ensuring you read each passage thoroughly and answer all questions within the allotted time.

Check out the IELTS syllabus before beginning your IELTS exam preparation!

Trees In Trouble Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 – 13 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam.

Paragraph 1

Big trees are incredibly important ecologically. For a start, they sustain countless other species. They provide shelter for many animals, and their trunks and branches can become gardens, hung with green ferns, orchids and bromeliads, coated with mosses and draped with vines. With their tall canopies (leaves and branches that form a cover high above the ground) basking in the sun, they capture vast amounts of energy. This allows them to produce massive crops of fruit, flowers and foliage that sustain much of the animal life in the forest.

Paragraph 2

Only a small number of tree species have the genetic capacity to grow really big. The mightiest are native to North America, but big trees grow all over the globe, from the tropics to the boreal forests of the high latitudes. To achieve giant stature, a tree needs three things: the right place to establish its seedling, good growing conditions and lots of time with low adult mortality(no. of deaths within a particular group). Disrupt any of these, and you can lose your biggest trees.

Paragraph 3

In some parts of the world, populations of big trees are dwindling because their seedlings cannot survive or grow. In southern India, for instance, an aggressive non-native shrub, Lantana camara, is invading the floor of many forests. Lantana grows so thickly that young trees often fail to take root. With no young trees to replace them, it is only a matter of time before most of the big trees disappear. Across much of northern Australia, gamba grass from Africa is overrunning native savannah woodlands. The grass grows up to four metres tall and burns fiercely, creating super-hot fires that cause catastrophic tree mortality.

Paragraph 4

Without the right growing conditions, trees cannot grow really big, and there is some evidence to suggest tree growth could slow in a warmer world, particularly in environments that are already warm. Having worked for decades at La Selva Biological Station in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, David and Deborah Clark and colleagues have shown that tree growth there declines markedly in warmer years. “During the day, their photosynthesis shuts down when it gets too warm, and at night, they consume more energy because their metabolic rate increases, much as a reptile’s would when it gets warmer,” explains David Clark. With less energy produced in warmer years and more being consumed just to survive, there is even less energy available for growth.

Paragraph 5 

The Clarks’ hypothesis, if correct, means tropical forests would shrink over time. The largest, oldest trees would progressively die off and tend not to be replaced. According to the Clarks, this might trigger a destabilisation of the climate; as older trees die, forests would release some of their stored carbon into the atmosphere, prompting a vicious cycle of further warming, forest shrinkage and carbon emissions.

Paragraph 6

Big trees face threats from elsewhere. The most serious is increasing mortality, especially of mature trees. Across much of the planet, forests of slow-growing ancient trees have been cleared for human use. In western North America, most have been replaced by monocultures of fast-growing conifers. Siberia’s forests are being logged at an incredible rate. Logging in tropical forests is selective, but the timber cutters usually prioritise the biggest and oldest trees. In the Amazon, my colleagues and I found the mortality rate for the biggest trees had tripled in small patches of rainforest surrounded by pasture land. This happens for two reasons. First, as they grow taller, big trees become thicker and less flexible: when winds blow across the surrounding cleared land, there is nothing to stop their acceleration. When they hit the trees, the impact can snap them in half. Second, rainforest fragments dry out when surrounded by dry, hot pastures, and the resulting drought can have devastating consequences: one four-year study has shown that death rates will double for smaller trees but will increase 4.5 times for bigger trees.

Paragraph 7

Particular enemies of large trees are insects and disease. Across vast areas of western North America, increasingly mild winters are causing massive outbreaks of bark beetles. These tiny creatures can kill entire forests as they tunnel their way through the inside of trees. In both North America and Europe, fungus-causing diseases such as Dutch elm disease have killed off millions of stately trees that once gave beauty to forests and cities. As a result of human activity, such enemies reach even the remotest corners of the world, threatening to make the ancient giants a thing of the past.

Trees in Trouble Reading Questions and Answers 

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Trees in Trouble Reading Questions 1-7

The reading passage has seven paragraphs: A-G.

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-x, as your answer to each question.

List of Headings

i. How Deforestation Harms Isolated Trees

ii. How other plants can cause harm

iii. Which big trees support the most diverse species

iv. Impact of big tree loss on the wider environment

v. Measures to prevent further decline in big tree populations

vi. How wildlife benefits from big trees

vii. Risk from pests and infection

viii. Ways in which industry uses big tree products

ix. How higher temperatures slow the rate of tree growth

x. Factors that enable trees to grow to significant heights

1. Paragraph 1
2. Paragraph 2
3. Paragraph 3
4. Paragraph 4
5. Paragraph 5
6. Paragraph 6
7. Paragraph 7

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Trees in Trouble Reading Answers with Explanations 1-4

Type of question: Matching Headings

In this question type, you will be asked to choose the correct heading for each paragraph from a list of headings provided. This type of question assesses your ability to understand the main idea or theme of each paragraph.

How to best answer: 

• Familiarise yourself with the list of headings before reading the paragraphs. This helps you know what to look for.
• Identify the main idea or theme of each paragraph by looking for topic sentences or recurring themes.
• Find keywords or phrases that are similar to those in the headings. This can help you make connections.
• Eliminate incorrect options that don’t match any paragraphs to narrow down your choices.
• Skim and Scan each paragraph efficiently to get a context about the content.
  

1. vi – How wildlife benefits from big trees

Reference: 

From paragraph 1: “Big trees are incredibly important ecologically. For a start, they sustain countless other species. They provide shelter for many animals, and their trunks and branches can become gardens, hung with green ferns, orchids and bromeliads, coated with mosses and draped with vines.”

Explanation: 

The above lines explain the importance of big trees and the environmental threat they face. The passage begins by explaining the importance of big trees and how they influence other organisms in an ecosystem. They shelter and assist the growth of other plants and animals surrounding them. So, the given title, “How Wildlife Benefits from Big Trees”, matches paragraph 1. 

2.  x – Factors that enable trees to grow to significant heights

Reference: 

From paragraph 2: “To achieve giant stature, a tree needs three things: the right place to establish its seedling, good growing conditions and lots of time with low adult mortality(no. of deaths within a particular group).”

Explanation: 

According to the passage, trees need three different elements to help them grow into big trees. The first condition is to receive a proper place for the seedlings to grow. Secondly, they require appropriate growing conditions. Finally, they need to get enough time without dying out. So, paragraph 2 matches with the title “Factors that Enable Trees to Grow to Significant Heights”.

3. ii – How other plants can cause harm

Reference: 

From paragraph 3: “In southern India, for instance, an aggressive non-native shrub, Lantana camara, is invading the floor of many forests. Lantana grows so thickly that young trees often fail to take root. With no young trees to replace them, it is only a matter of time before most of the big trees disappear. Across much of northern Australia, gamba grass from Africa is overrunning native savannah woodlands. The grass grows up to four metres tall and burns fiercely, creating super-hot fires that cause catastrophic tree mortality.”

Explanation: 

The given paragraph explains how other plants can cause harm to the growth of a particular plant. The passage provides two examples of this. Lantana camara of southern India and the gama grass of Australia. Both these plants are replacing the native species. So, the title “How Other Plants Can Cause Harm” matches paragraph 3. 

4. ix – How higher temperatures slow the rate of tree growth

Reference: 

From paragraph 4: “Without the right growing conditions, trees cannot grow really big, and there is some evidence to suggest tree growth could slow in a warmer world, particularly in environments that are already warm. Having worked for decades at La Selva Biological Station in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, David and Deborah Clark and colleagues have shown that tree growth there declines markedly in warmer years.”

Explanation: 

According to the given passage, the studies conducted by David and Deborah Clark and their colleagues show that warmer climatic conditions can reduce the growth rate of plants. According to this four-year study, during summers, the energy expenditure of plants is reserved for survival. So, they lack energy for growth. So, the title “How Higher Temperatures Slow the Rate of Tree Growth” matches paragraph 4. 

5. iv – Impact of big tree loss on the wider environment

Reference: 

From paragraph 5: “According to the Clarks, this might trigger a destabilisation of the climate; as older trees die, forests would release some of their stored carbon into the atmosphere, prompting a vicious cycle of further warming, forest shrinkage and carbon emissions.”

Explanation: 

According to the passage, the death of bigger plants can destabilise the climatic conditions. Plants are carbon reservoirs. So, when a plant dies, carbon emission takes place. This increases the temperature and results in the death of more plants. So, paragraph 5 explains how the death of bigger trees causes further environmental losses. The given paragraph matches the title “Impact of Big Tree Loss on the Wider Environment”.

6.  i – How deforestation harms isolated trees

Reference: 

From paragraph 6:  “Logging in tropical forests is selective, but the timber cutters usually prioritise the biggest and oldest trees. In the Amazon, my colleagues and I found the mortality rate for the biggest trees had tripled in small patches of rainforest surrounded by pasture land. This happens for two reasons. First, as they grow taller, big trees become thicker and less flexible: when winds blow across the surrounding cleared land, there is nothing to stop their acceleration. When they hit the trees, the impact can snap them in half. Second, rainforest fragments dry out when surrounded by dry, hot pastures, and the resulting drought can have devastating consequences: one four-year study has shown that death rates will double for smaller trees but will increase 4.5 times for bigger trees.”

Explanation: 

The above-given lines explain that isolated trees are worst affected by deforestation. A major reason is that when storms hit isolated big trees, they do not have other nearby trees for support. So, the impact is doubled. Another reason is that, as the nearby forest cover disappears, the ground is drying out easily. So, paragraph 6 matches with the title “How Deforestation Harms Isolated Trees”. 

7. vii – Risk from pests and infection

Reference: 

From paragraph 7: “Particular enemies to large trees are insects and disease. Across vast areas of western North America, increasingly mild winters are causing massive outbreaks of bark beetles. These tiny creatures can kill entire forests as they tunnel their way through the inside of trees.  In both North America and Europe, fungus-causing diseases such as Dutch elm disease have killed off millions of stately trees that once gave beauty to forests and cities.”

Explanation: 

The concluding paragraph of the passage explains how insects and infections destroy forests. An example given here is the case of beetles in western North America. An example of infection is fungus-causing diseases such as Dutch elm disease in North America and Europe. This denoted that paragraph 7 matches the title “Risk from Pests and Infection”. 

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Trees in Trouble Reading Questions 8-13

Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

8. The biggest trees in the world can be found in ___________

9. Some trees in Northern Australia die because of __________ made worse by gamba grass.

10. The Clarks believe that the release of __________ from dead trees could lead to the death of more trees.

11. Strong ____________ are capable of damaging tall trees in the Amazon.

12. ____________ has a worse impact on tall trees than smaller ones.

13. In western Northern America, a species of ___________ has destroyed many trees.

Trees in Trouble Reading Answers with Explanations 8-13

Type of question: Sentence Completion

In this question type, you are required to fill in the blanks in a given sentence with words or phrases taken directly from the passage. These questions test your ability to understand specific details and information presented in the text.

How to best answer: 

• Read the sentence carefully to understand the context.
• Identify keywords or clues that can help you find the answer in the passage.
• Scan the passage for relevant information, focusing on the area around the blank.
• Choose the answer that fits grammatically and contextually.
• Verify your answers and finalise them.

8. North America

Reference: 

From paragraph 2: “Only a small number of tree species have the genetic capacity to grow really big. The mightiest are native to North America, but big trees grow all over the globe, from the tropics to the boreal forests of the high latitudes.”

Explanation: 

According to the given paragraph, North America is home to the mightiest big trees in the world. Besides North America, bigger trees are also found across the globe, from tropical regions to high latitudes. Hence, “North America” is the correct answer.

9. Super-hot Fires

Reference: 

From paragraph 3: “Across much of northern Australia, gamba grass from Africa is overrunning native savannah woodlands. The grass grows up to four metres tall and burns fiercely, creating super-hot fires that cause catastrophic tree mortality.”

Explanation: 

As the above lines suggest, the trees of Northern Australia are dying due to the fires. The African plant gamba grass is a major factor that adds to the fires. Hence, “super-hot fires” is the correct answer.

10. Stored Carbon

Reference: 

From paragraph 5: “According to the Clarks, this might trigger a destabilisation of the climate; as older trees die, forests would release some of their stored carbon into the atmosphere, prompting a vicious cycle of further warming, forest shrinkage and carbon emissions.”

Explanation: 

As mentioned in the above lines, old plants release their stored carbon as they die. The release of carbon results in rising climatic temperatures, resulting in the death of more plants. Hence, “stored carbon” is the correct answer.

11. Winds

Reference: 

From paragraph 6: “In the Amazon, my colleagues and I found the mortality rate for the biggest trees had tripled in small patches of rainforest surrounded by pasture land. This happens for two reasons. First, as they grow taller, big trees become thicker and less flexible: when winds blow across the surrounding cleared land, there is nothing to stop their acceleration. When they hit the trees, the impact can snap them in half.”

Explanation: 

According to the passage, strong winds can uproot big plants. As plants grow taller, they become less flexible. As a result, huge storms can affect them easily. So, taller trees are more affected than smaller trees. Hence, “winds” is the correct answer.

12. Drought

Reference: 

From paragraph 6: “Second, rainforest fragments dry out when surrounded by dry, hot pastures, and the resulting drought can have devastating consequences: one four-year study has shown that death rates will double for smaller trees but will increase 4.5 times for bigger trees.”

Explanation: 

According to the given paragraph, drought is a major problem that affects trees. As the study suggests, the effect of drought on bigger plants is 4.5 times greater than that on smaller trees. Hence, “drought” is the correct answer.

13. Beetle

Reference: 

From paragraph 7: “Particular enemies to large trees are insects and disease. Across vast areas of western North America, increasingly mild winters are causing massive outbreaks of bark beetles. These tiny creatures can kill entire forests as they tunnel their way through the inside of trees.”

Explanation: 

According to the final paragraph of the passage, tiny insects called beetles have caused a major destruction of trees in western North America. These small insects tunnel through the trees, causing the trees to die out. Hence, “beetle” is the correct answer.

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Conclusion 

The IELTS Reading test can be easier for you with proper guidance and regular practice. Try to attempt as many IELTS Reading sample papers as possible. You can get free IELTS resources online. However, make sure you rely on credible sources. 

For IELTS Reading preparation, try to cultivate a regular reading practice. Read different types of texts such as newspapers, magazines and novels. Focus on the grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and other focus points of language. 

Leap’s IELTS experts can deliver you the right IELTS aids. Reach out to our experts for detailed classes, IELTS resources and practice sessions. 

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