The Megafires of California IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“The Megafires of California” is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Reading Test 4. This page gives the answers for Questions 1–13 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: Note Completion, True / False / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 1–13

Question	Answer
1	spread
2	10 / 10 times / ten times
3	below
4	fuel
5	seasons
6	homes / housing
7	TRUE
8	FALSE
9	TRUE
10	TRUE
11	NOT GIVEN
12	FALSE
13	FALSE

Questions 1–6: Note Completion

Q	Question	Answer	Why
1	—	spread	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
2	—	10 / 10 times / ten times	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
3	—	below	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
4	—	fuel	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
5	—	seasons	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
6	—	homes / housing	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 7–13: True / False / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
7	The amount of open space in California has diminished over the last ten years.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
8	Many experts believe California has made little progress in readying itself to fight fires.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
9	Personnel in the past have been criticised for mishandling fire containment.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
10	California has replaced a range of firefighting tools.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
11	More firefighters have been hired to improve fire-fighting capacity.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
12	Citizens and government groups disapprove of the efforts of different states and agencies working together.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
13	Randy Jacobs believes that loss of life from fires will continue at the same levels, despite changes made.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
• 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.
• 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? The Megafires of California covers Questions 1–13, which is 13 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 1 in Cambridge IELTS 10, Academic Test 4.

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.

Cambridge IELTS 10 Reading Test 4: all passages
Part 1: The Megafires of California (you are here)  |  Part 2: Second Nature  |  Part 3: When Evolution Runs Backwards

Next: Part 2 answers →

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