Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Answers - IELTS Reading Practice Test
International English Language Testing System ( IELTS )
A reading passage like "Global Warming in New Zealand" greatly benefits IELTS practice as it develops essential reading skills. Main idea of text is to revolves around global warming's effects on New Zealand. It highlights temperature change, climate variability, and economic implications of climate change. It is similar to IELTS Academic passages. By engaging with this text, candidates can improve ability to identify main ideas. It will also help them to understand supporting details, and infer meanings, preparing for question types like Matching Sentence Endings, True/False/Not Given. The global and scientific themes make it especially relevant for test preparation.
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Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Answers
Candidates can check all the solutions for IELTS Reading Practice Test, and passage named "Global Warming in New Zealand".
| Question Number | Answers |
|---|---|
| 1 | D |
| 2 | B |
| 3 | A |
| 4 | C |
| 5 | A |
| 6 | A |
| 7 | HIGH TIDES |
| 8 | AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION |
| 9 | COASTAL BOUNDARIES |
| 10 | NOT GIVEN |
| 11 | NOT GIVEN |
| 12 | NO |
| 13 | YES |
| 14 | NO |
Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Passage
The passage below, "Global Warming in New Zealand", is inspired by the Reading Practice Test. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, based on the reading passage. Global Warming in New Zealand reading answers with detailed explanations for each section are available in the article below. One can download the "Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Answers PDF" for better preparation.
- New Zealand is expected to warm by about 3°C over the next century. The northern polar regions will be more than 6°C warmer, while the large continents – also the largest centres of population – will be 4°C or warmer. In contrast, the Southern Ocean, which surrounds New Zealand, may warm by only 2°C. The sea will act as an air conditioner, and in this aspect, New Zealand’s location is comparatively fortunate.
- Any predictions are complicated by the variability of New Zealand’s climate. The annual temperature can fluctuate as much as 1°C above or below the long-term average. The early summer of 2006-7, for instance, was notably cool, thanks in part to the iceberg that drifted up the East Coast. A few months later, warm water from the Tasman Sea helped make May 2007 unusually hot. These variables will continue unaffected so that, although the general pattern will be for rising temperatures, the warming trend may not be uniform.
- The Ocean to the south of New Zealand will have one important effect. As the world warms, the great bank of west winds that circle Antarctica will become stronger. This has already been observed, and its impact on New Zealand is likely to be profound; stronger, more frequent west winds will bring increased, sometimes catastrophic rainfall to the west coast of the country and create drier conditions in some eastern regions that are already drought-prone. At the same time, the general warming will spread south.
- Furthermore, in the drier regions, the average moisture deficit – that is, the difference between the amount of water in soils available to plants and the amount plants need for optimum growth – will increase. Soil could go into moisture deficit earlier in the growing season, and the deficits could last longer into autumn than they are at present. What we think of today as a medium-severity drought could be an almost annual occurrence by the end of the century. One direct consequence of warmer – and shorter – winters will be a reduction in snow cover. The permanent snow line in the mountains will rise, while the snow cover below will be shorter-lived. The amount of snow that falls may actually increase; however, even in some northern centres, owing to the intensification of precipitation, the Ski-field base station may eventually have to be moved upwards to be within reach of the new snow line but there could still be plenty of the white stuff up there.
- There will also be a marked impact on New Zealand’s glaciers. Over the last 100 years, the number of glaciers has been reduced by 35%, although since 1978, increased snowfall has offset the effect of warming. The latest studies conducted by the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric. Research (NIWA), however, suggest that by the end of the century, warming over the Southern Alps could be significantly greater than over the rest of the country.
- Sea levels around New Zealand have risen by 25cm since the middle of the 9th century and by 7 cm since 1990. Predictions for the coming years cover a wide range, but partly because of unknown rises resulting from the melting of the ice in the Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica. In addition, sea level at any given time is affected by many different factors, one of which is called storm surge. When a Coincides with a high tide along low-lying coastal areas, this bulge raises the tide higher than normal, creating. A surge is not unlike a slow-motion tsunami. Not only does a rise in sea level increase the potential for his sort of damage, but it also has less immediate impacts. The one potentially grave outcome is that groundwater systems may become contaminated with salt water, spoiling them for the irrigation of farmland, which in turn could diminish crop harvests. Similarly, over time, estuaries may be enlarged by erosion as tidal influences reach further upstream, altering the contours of whole shorelines and initiating further unforeseen consequences.
- The impacts these changes will have on New Zealand are difficult to generalise. Human systems are better able to adapt to change than natural ecosystems because humans can see a problem coming and plan a response. Farmers and horticulturalists have made considerable advances, replacing crops they grow to better suit the new conditions. However, plant breeders will need to show considerable ingenuity if they can overcome the acute water shortages that are forecast.
- For natural ecosystems, the rate of change is crucial. If it is low, the plants, animals and fish will be able to ‘keep up’; if it is high, only the most adaptable species that can survive in the widest range of ecological niches are likely to survive. Species adapted to only a narrow range of conditions or food sources will find adaptation much more difficult. Take tuatara, for instance. Their sex is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated in warm (currently above 22 °C) conditions, and they become predominately male – and now males already outnumber females by nearly two to one in some island refuges. In the mountains, as the permanent snow line moves upwards, the tolerance zones of some alpine plants and animals may simply disappear. It should also be remembered that global warming is just that – a global phenomenon. ‘New Zealand’s own greenhouse emissions are tiny – around 0.5% of the global total. Even if New Zealanders were to achieve the government’s target of carbon neutrality, this would have no discernable impact on global climate change.
- The changes that global warming is going to bring to New Zealand during the 21st century are going to be significant, but where the country is likely to be most vulnerable is with respect to climate change elsewhere. New Zealand may warm more slowly than most places, but if its major export markets undergo damaging change, the economic impact will be severe.
Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Mock Test
Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Questions & Answers
Questions 1-6
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-K, below.
Write the correct letter, A-K, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
A. how a particular place could be affected by warming.
B. the Southern Ocean will remain at a constant strength
C. the usual west wind will no longer be reliable
D. how growing conditions will deteriorate.
E. variable weather will continue, unchanged by global warming.
F. warming may provide more snow for some ski locations
G. New Zealand will not warm as much as other countries in the next century because it is surrounded by sea.
H. how the growing season will become longer.
I. New Zealand will be more affected by floods and droughts
J. the northern ski field will have to move to the south
K. summer temperatures will vary, but winter ones will be consistent.
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that
Answer: G
Answer Location: Paragraph A, Line 2
Explanation: The first paragraph explains that New Zealand is expected to warm by about 3°C, which is lower compared to the northern polar regions (6°C) and large continents (4°C or warmer). It also mentions that the Southern Ocean around New Zealand will warm by only 2°C, and this helps New Zealand by acting as a natural air conditioner. "In contrast, the Southern Ocean, which surrounds New Zealand, may warm by only 2°C. The sea will act as an air conditioner, and in this aspect, New Zealand’s location is comparatively fortunate."
Tip: When a question asks for the main idea, look at the first and last sentences. They usually summarize the core message. Look for comparative language (e.g., "more than," "in contrast").
2. The writer says about New Zealand’s variable weather that
Answer: E
Answer Location: Paragraph B, Line 1
Explanation: In the second paragraph, the writer points out that New Zealand’s climate is variable, with fluctuations in temperature from year to year. The text suggests that while the general trend is for rising temperatures, the variability and natural fluctuations will continue. "Any predictions are complicated by the variability of New Zealand’s climate. The annual temperature can fluctuate as much as 1°C above or below the long-term average."
Tip: Look for phrases like “will continue,” “still occur,” “unaffected,” when a question hints at continuity or stability despite change.
3. The predicted impact of conditions in the ocean to the south of New Zealand is that
Answer: I
Answer Location: Paragraph C, Line 3
Explanation: The third paragraph explains that as the world warms, stronger and more frequent west winds will bring heavier rainfall to the west coast, leading to floods, while eastern regions may experience drought conditions. "Stronger, more frequent west winds will bring increased, sometimes catastrophic rainfall to the west coast of the country and create drier conditions in some eastern regions that are already drought-prone."
Tip: When options include floods/droughts/extremes, look for contrast words (e.g., "while," "increased," "drier") describing different effects in regions.
4. The writer mentions ‘moisture deficit’ to show
Answer: D
Answer Location: Paragraph D, Line 1
Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, the writer discusses how the moisture deficit in drier regions will increase, leading to reduced water availability for plants and making growing conditions more difficult, particularly in the growing season. "In the drier regions, the average moisture deficit – that is, the difference between the amount of water in soils available to plants and the amount plants need for optimum growth – will increase."
Tip: If a technical term like "moisture deficit" is in the question, find where it’s defined and look for cause-effect or consequences in the same section.
5. The implications of global warming for New Zealand are that
Answer: F
Answer Location: Paragraph D, Line 6
Explanation: In the fourth paragraph, the writer explains that while warmer winters will reduce snow cover at lower elevations, it could increase snow at higher altitudes. Ski-field base stations may need to move upward due to changing snow levels. "The amount of snow that falls may actually increase; however, even in some northern centres, owing to the intensification of precipitation, the Ski-field base station may eventually have to be moved upwards to be within reach of the new snow line."
Tip: When an answer choice seems surprising or ironic (e.g., warming = more snow), trust it if the text supports a paradoxical outcome.
6. The writer refers to NIWA’s latest studies in the 3rd paragraph to show
Answer: A
Answer Location: Paragraph E, Line 2
Explanation: The writer references NIWA’s studies in the third paragraph to illustrate that warming in the Southern Alps is expected to be greater than the rest of the country, showing that specific regions within New Zealand will be more affected. "The latest studies conducted by the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric. Research (NIWA), however, suggest that by the end of the century, warming over the Southern Alps could be significantly greater than over the rest of the country."
Tip: If a specific organisation or study is mentioned, ask: “What does this study highlight that’s new or specific?”
Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Questions for Practice
Questions 7-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
7. The extent of future sea level rises around New Zealand is uncertain and may be determined in the polar regions.
Answer: TRUE
Answer Location: Paragraph F, Line 1
Explanation: In the sixth paragraph, the writer mentions that sea level predictions are uncertain and influenced by factors such as ice melting in the Arctic, Greenland, and Antarctica, which directly affects sea levels around New Zealand. "Predictions for the coming years cover a wide range, but partly because of unknown rises resulting from the melting of the ice in the Arctic, Greenland and Antarctica."
Tip: Look for words like "uncertain," "depends on," and the specific cause mentioned in the question.
8. Severe weather conditions trigger sea level.
Answer: TRUE
Answer Location: Paragraph F, Line 4
Explanation: The sixth paragraph describes how storm surges coincide with high tides, raising sea levels higher than normal and causing damage. "When a Coincides with a high tide along low-lying coastal areas, this bulge raises the tide higher than normal, creating. A surge is not unlike a slow-motion tsunami."
Tip: "Triggered" means temporarily influenced by. Don’t confuse this with permanent change. Look for temporary or cyclical events.
9. Higher sea levels can lead to reduced in tropical waters.
Answer: FALSE
Answer Location: Paragraph F, Line 6
Explanation: There is no mention of tropical waters being directly reduced due to sea-level rise. The paragraph focuses on the impact on coastal areas and groundwater contamination, not tropical waters. "The one potentially grave outcome is that groundwater systems may become contaminated with salt water, spoiling them for the irrigation of farmland..."
Tip: Be careful with extra information not in the text (like “tropical”). If the detail isn’t there, the answer is often FALSE or NOT GIVEN.
10. A rise in the level of sea results in enhanced features in the shape of coastal land.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Answer Location: Paragraph F, Line 8
Explanation: The paragraph does not discuss enhanced features in the shape of coastal land. It talks about how sea-level rise can result in erosion and changes to shorelines, but it does not specify any enhancement. "Similarly, over time, estuaries may be enlarged by erosion as tidal influences reach further upstream, altering the contours of whole shorelines..."
Tip: If a statement uses unclear or overly broad terms ("enhanced features"), and it isn’t explicitly stated, it’s probably NOT GIVEN.
Global Warming in New Zealand Reading for IELTS
Questions 11-13
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
11. The _________ world is less responsive to challenges than humans.
Answer: NATURAL
Answer Location: Paragraph G, Line 1
Explanation: In paragraph 7, the writer states that human systems can adapt more easily because they can anticipate changes, unlike natural ecosystems, which are more vulnerable. "Human systems are better able to adapt to change than natural ecosystems because humans can see a problem coming and plan a response."
Tip: Comparisons like "humans vs. nature" are often direct. Look for who adapts faster or has better coping mechanisms.
12. The _________ is vulnerable to changes in climate conditions.
Answer: TUATARA
Answer Location: Paragraph H, Line 3
Explanation: The writer describes how the tuatara’s sex is determined by temperature, and with rising temperatures, there are fewer females being born, showing that the species is vulnerable to climate change. "Take tuatara, for instance. Their sex is determined by the temperature at which the eggs are incubated in warm (currently above 22 °C) conditions, and they become predominately male – and now males already outnumber females by nearly two to one in some island refuges."
Tip: When animals are mentioned by name, focus on why they are mentioned. Usually it’s to highlight vulnerability or adaptation.
13. New Zealand does not need to reduce ________ to slow global warming.
Answer: GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS
Answer Location: Paragraph H, Line 7
Explanation: The writer states that New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are small in comparison to global emissions and that reducing them would not have a significant impact on global climate change. "New Zealand’s own greenhouse emissions are tiny – around 0.5% of the global total. Even if New Zealanders were to achieve the government’s target of carbon neutrality, this would have no discernable impact on global climate change."
Tip: When the question implies "need" or "no need", look for impact statements like "won’t make a difference" or "minimal effect."
IELTS Prep Tips for Global Warming in New Zealand Reading Passage
| Tip | Explanation | Reference from Passage |
|---|---|---|
| Skim First, Read Later | Skim the passage to get a general idea before reading in detail. | The passage covers multiple aspects of climate change, so skimming helps understand the structure. |
| Identify Key Ideas | Focus on the main points in each paragraph. | Each section (A–I) discusses a different aspect, like temperature changes (A, B), wind patterns (C), and sea-level rise (F). |
| Look for Cause and Effect | Identify how one factor leads to another. | Example: Rising global temperatures → stronger west winds (C) → increased rainfall and droughts. |
| Pay Attention to Numbers and Data | Note temperature changes, sea-level rise, and glacier reduction figures. | "New Zealand is expected to warm by about 3°C" (A), "Sea levels have risen by 25cm since the 9th century" (F). |
| Understand Comparisons | Look for words like "more than," "less than," "compared to," or "in contrast." | Example: "The northern polar regions will be more than 6°C warmer" (A), "New Zealand may warm more slowly than most places" (I). |
| Recognise Predictions vs. Facts | Distinguish between current facts and future expectations. | "The amount of snow that falls may actually increase" (D) is a prediction. |
| Notice Keywords for Change | Words like "increase," "decrease," "impact," "trend," and "shift" indicate important points. | "The number of glaciers has been reduced by 35%" (E) shows a decreasing trend. |
| Understand Consequences | Identify direct and indirect effects of climate change. | "Groundwater systems may become contaminated with salt water" (F) is an indirect consequence of rising sea levels. |
| Watch for Contrast Words | Words like "however," "but," "in contrast" signal shifts in ideas. | "However, plant breeders will need to show considerable ingenuity" (G) signals a challenge. |
| Summarise After Reading | Try to recall the main ideas to reinforce understanding. | Each paragraph has a distinct focus, making summarization easier. |
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