“Plant 'Thermometer' Triggers Springtime Growth by Measuring Night-time Heat” is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Reading Test 3. This page gives the answers for Questions 27–40 with a short explanation of why each answer is right, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The question types are: True / False / Not Given, Matching Information, Sentence Completion.
Quick answers: Questions 27–40
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 27 | NOT GIVEN |
| 28 | TRUE |
| 29 | TRUE |
| 30 | NOT GIVEN |
| 31 | FALSE |
| 32 | FALSE |
| 33 | H |
| 34 | D |
| 35 | G |
| 36 | C |
| 37 | A |
| 38 | warm |
| 39 | summer |
| 40 | mustard plant |
Questions 27–32: True / False / Not Given
| Q | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | The Cambridge scientists’ discovery of the ‘thermometer molecule’ caused surprise among other scientists. | NOT GIVEN | The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement. |
| 28 | The target for agricultural production by 2050 could be missed. | TRUE | The passage agrees with this statement. |
| 29 | Wheat and rice suffer from a rise in temperatures. | TRUE | The passage agrees with this statement. |
| 30 | It may be possible to develop crops that require less water. | NOT GIVEN | The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement. |
| 31 | Plants grow faster in sunlight than in shade. | FALSE | The passage contradicts this statement. |
| 32 | Phytochromes change their state at the same speed day and night. | FALSE | The passage contradicts this statement. |
Questions 33–37: Matching Information
| Q | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | mention of specialists who can make use of the research findings. | H | This information is found in paragraph H. |
| 34 | a reference to a potential benefit of the research findings. | D | This information is found in paragraph D. |
| 35 | scientific support for a traditional saying. | G | This information is found in paragraph G. |
| 36 | a reference to people traditionally making plans based on plant behaviour. | C | This information is found in paragraph C. |
| 37 | a reference to where the research has been reported. | A | This information is found in paragraph A. |
Questions 38–40: Sentence Completion
| Q | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Daffodils are likely to flower early in response to ___ weather. | warm | Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit. |
| 39 | If ash trees come into leaf before oak trees, the weather in ___ will probably be wet. | summer | Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit. |
| 40 | The research was carried out using a particular species of ___ . | mustard plant | Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit. |
Tips for these question types
- True / False / Not Given: TRUE means the passage says the same thing, FALSE means it says the opposite, and NOT GIVEN means it does not say. Never use your own knowledge.
- Matching information: find the paragraph that contains the idea, not the same words. The same letter can be used more than once.
- Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
- Review every mistake. Find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.
FAQ
How many questions does this passage have? Plant 'Thermometer' Triggers Springtime Growth by Measuring Night-time Heat covers Questions 27–40, which is 14 questions.
Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS 16, Academic Test 3.
How should I use these answers? Attempt the passage under timed conditions first, then check your answers here and read the reason for every mistake.
Part 1: Roman Shipbuilding and Navigation | Part 2: Climate Change Reveals Ancient Artefacts in Norway's Glaciers | Part 3: Plant 'Thermometer' Triggers Springtime Growth by Measuring Night-time Heat (you are here)
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