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Cambridge IELTS 20 | Academic Reading
Academic Test 4 answers with clear explanations
These Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic Test 4 Reading answers explain all 40 questions. Review Georgia O'Keeffe, climate adaptation and livestock guard dogs.
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Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic Test 4 Reading answer key
Use these cards for quick marking. Read the detailed explanations when an answer needs more review.
1. Georgia O'Keeffe
Questions 1 to 13
1teacher
2charcoal
3skyscrapers
4flowers
5bones
6landscape
7rivers
8FALSE
9TRUE
10FALSE
11TRUE
12NOT GIVEN
13NOT GIVEN
2. Adapting to the effects of climate change
Questions 14 to 26
14C
15A
16D
17F
18pumps
19dams
20float
21crops
22trees
23B
24E
25A
26C
3. A new role for livestock guard dogs
Questions 27 to 40
27D
28G
29B
30C
31B
32D
33E
34B
35C
36A
37jackals
38diseases
39food
40foxes
Passage 1: Georgia O'Keeffe
Passage 1 examines the life and artistic development of Georgia O'Keeffe. It covers her education, influences, working methods and important stages in her career.
Question types: Note completion, True, False, Not Given.
Review strategyComplete the notes with exact passage words. For True, False, Not Given, check whether each detail is confirmed, contradicted or absent.
1Studied art, then worked as a ____ in various places in the USA.teacher
Why: The passage uses "teacher" to complete this answer accurately.
2Created drawings using ____ which were exhibited in New York City.charcoal
Why: The passage uses "charcoal" to complete this answer accurately.
3Moved to New York and became famous for her paintings of the city's ____.skyscrapers
Why: The passage uses "skyscrapers" to complete this answer accurately.
4Produced a series of innovative close-up paintings of ____.flowers
Why: The passage uses "flowers" to complete this answer accurately.
5Went to New Mexico and was initially inspired to paint the many ____ that could be found there.bones
Why: The passage uses "bones" to complete this answer accurately.
6Continued to paint various features that together formed the dramatic ____ of New Mexico for over forty years.landscape
Why: The passage uses "landscape" to complete this answer accurately.
7Travelled widely by plane in later years, and painted pictures of clouds and ____ seen from above.rivers
Why: The passage uses "rivers" to complete this answer accurately.
8Georgia O'Keeffe's style was greatly influenced by the changing fashions in art over the seven decades of her career.FALSE
Why: The passage gives information that contradicts this statement.
9When O'Keeffe finished high school, she had already made her mind up about the career that she wanted.TRUE
Why: The passage directly confirms the information in this statement.
10Alfred Stieglitz first discovered O'Keeffe's work when she sent some abstract drawings to his gallery in New York City.FALSE
Why: The passage gives information that contradicts this statement.
11O'Keeffe was the subject of Stieglitz's photographic work for many years.TRUE
Why: The passage directly confirms the information in this statement.
12O'Keeffe's paintings of the patio of her house in Abiquiu were among the artist's favourite works.NOT GIVEN
Why: The passage does not provide this specific information.
13O'Keeffe produced a greater quantity of work during the 1950s to 1970s than at any other time in her life.NOT GIVEN
Why: The passage does not provide this specific information.
Passage 2: Adapting to the effects of climate change
Passage 2 explores how communities and organisations can adapt to climate change. It reviews planning methods, practical responses and examples from different locations.
Review strategyTrack each example and location before matching. Use grammar and meaning together when completing sentences.
14how a type of plant functions as a natural protection for coastlinesC
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph C.
15a prediction about how long it could take to stop noticing the effects of climate changeA
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph A.
16a reference to the fact that a solution is particularly cost-effectiveD
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph D.
17a mention of a technology used to locate areas most in need of interventionF
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph F.
18The stormwater-management programme in Miami Beach has involved the installation of efficient ____.pumps
Why: The passage uses "pumps" to complete this answer accurately.
19The construction of ____ was the first stage of a project to ensure the success of mangroves in Indonesia.dams
Why: The passage uses "dams" to complete this answer accurately.
20As a response to rising floodwaters in the Mekong Delta, a not-for-profit organisation has been building houses that can ____.float
Why: The passage uses "float" to complete this answer accurately.
21Rising sea levels in Bangladesh have made it necessary to introduce various ____ that are suitable for areas of high salt content.crops
Why: The passage uses "crops" to complete this answer accurately.
22A project in LA has increased the number of ____ on the city's streets.trees
Why: The passage uses "trees" to complete this answer accurately.
23It is essential to adopt strategies which involve and help residents of the region.B
Why: The passage links this detail to Susanna Toi.
24Interventions which reduce heat are absolutely vital for our survival in this location.E
Why: The passage links this detail to Greg Spotts.
25More work will need to be done in future decades to deal with the impact of rising water levels.A
Why: The passage links this detail to Yanira Pineda.
26The number of locations requiring action to adapt to flooding has grown in recent years.C
Why: The passage links this detail to Elizabeth English.
Passage 3: A new role for livestock guard dogs
Passage 3 explains changing uses for livestock guard dogs. It covers traditional protection work, conservation projects, research and relationships with predators.
Review strategyMatch every claim to the correct person or example. For the summary, keep strictly within the stated word limit.
27an example of how one predator has been protected by the introduction of livestock guard dogsD
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph D.
28an optimistic suggestion about the possible positive developments in the use of livestock guard dogsG
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph G.
29a description of how the methods used by livestock guard dogs help to keep predators awayB
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph B.
30claims by different academics that the use of livestock guard dogs is a successful way of protecting farmers' herdsC
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph C.
31a reference to how livestock guard dogs gain their skillsB
Why: The passage links this detail to Paragraph B.
32The use of guard dogs may save the lives of both livestock and wild animals.D
Why: The passage links this detail to Julie Young.
33Claims of a change in behaviour from those using livestock guard dogs may not be totally accurate.E
Why: The passage links this detail to Bethany Smith.
34There may be negative results if the use of livestock guard dogs is not sufficiently widespread.B
Why: The passage links this detail to Silvia Ribeiro.
35Livestock guard dogs are the best way of protecting farm animals, as long as the dogs are appropriately handled.C
Why: The passage links this detail to Linda van Bommel.
36Teaching a livestock guard dog how to do its work needs a different focus from teaching a house guard dog.A
Why: The passage links this detail to Dan Macon.
37In Namibia, livestock guard dogs have been used to protect domestic animals from attacks by cheetahs. This has led to a rise in the deaths of other predators, particularly ____.jackals
Why: The passage uses "jackals" to complete this answer accurately.
38In addition, it has been suggested that the dogs could have ____ which may affect other species.diseases
Why: The passage uses "diseases" to complete this answer accurately.
39The dogs may reduce the amount of ____ available to certain wild animals.food
Why: The passage uses "food" to complete this answer accurately.
40On the other hand, these dogs may help birds by protecting their nests, which might otherwise be threatened by predators such as ____.foxes
Why: The passage uses "foxes" to complete this answer accurately.
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