Cambridge 20 Test 1 Reading Answers & Explanations

This post provides the complete answers and clear explanations for Cambridge IELTS 20 Academic Reading Test 1.

Each answer includes:

• Strategy
• Keywords
• Exact paragraph and line location
• Explanation
• Correct answer

> Location note: The locations below refer to the relevant passage paragraph or section and the corresponding source lines.

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How This Guide Is Structured

Strategy

The strategy explains the best method for solving each IELTS Reading question type.

Keywords

Keywords are the important words or phrases that help you locate the answer quickly.

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Each answer includes the relevant passage paragraph or section and the exact line range containing the evidence.

Explanation

The explanation shows how the passage agrees with, contradicts or paraphrases the question.

Correct Answer

The final answer appears after the explanation.

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Reading Passage 1

The Kakapo

Questions 1–6: TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN

Strategy

For TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN questions:

• TRUE = the statement agrees with the passage.
• FALSE = the passage says the opposite.
• NOT GIVEN = the passage does not provide enough information.

Do not answer from your own knowledge. Compare only the statement with the passage.

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Question 1

There are other parrots that share the kakapo's inability to fly.

Keywords

other parrots, inability to fly, flightless

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 1, lines 5–10

Explanation

The passage describes the kakapo as the world’s only flightless parrot.

Here:

• only flightless parrot = no other parrot shares this characteristic
• The question says other parrots are also flightless.

The statement directly contradicts the passage.

So, the answer is: FALSE

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Question 2

Adult kakapo produce chicks every year.

Keywords

produce chicks, every year, breed

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 3, lines 16–20

Explanation

The passage says kakapo breed in summer and autumn only in years when food is plentiful.

Here:

• only in years when food is plentiful ≠ every year

Therefore, the statement is incorrect.

So, the answer is: FALSE

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Question 3

Adult male kakapo bring food back to nesting females.

Keywords

adult male, food, nesting females, chick-rearing

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 3, lines 16–20

Explanation

The passage says:

• males play no part in incubation;
• males play no part in chick-rearing;
• females alone incubate the eggs and feed the chicks.

This contradicts the idea that males bring food to females at the nest.

So, the answer is: FALSE

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Question 4

The Polynesian rat was a greater threat to the kakapo than Polynesian settlers.

Keywords

Polynesian rat, greater threat, settlers

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 21–24

Explanation

The passage says:

• Polynesian settlers hunted kakapo;
• they ate the bird;
• they used its feathers;
• Polynesian dogs and rats also preyed on kakapo.

However, the passage does not compare which threat was greater.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

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Question 5

Kakapo were transferred from Rakiura Island because they were at risk from feral cats.

Keywords

Rakiura Island, transferred, feral cats

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 8, lines 45–50

Explanation

The passage says predation by feral cats caused a rapid decline in kakapo numbers on Rakiura.

As a result, surviving birds were evacuated to three island sanctuaries.

Here:

• predation by feral cats = danger from cats
• evacuated = transferred to other locations

The statement agrees with the passage.

So, the answer is: TRUE

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Question 6

One Recovery Plan initiative that helped increase the population was caring for struggling young birds.

Keywords

Recovery Plan, population increase, young birds, caring

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 52–61

Explanation

The Recovery Plan included:

• moving birds between islands;
• supplementary feeding;
• rescuing and hand-raising failing chicks.

After these measures, the population began to rise.

Here:

• failing chicks = struggling young birds
• rescuing and hand-raising = caring for them

So, the answer is: TRUE

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Questions 7–13: Note Completion

Strategy

For note-completion questions:

1. Read the notes first.
2. Predict the grammatical type of each missing answer.
3. Scan the passage for the relevant keywords.
4. Look for paraphrases.
5. Copy the exact word or number from the passage.
6. Follow the word limit.

The instruction says:

Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER ONLY from the passage.

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Question 7

Diet consists of fern fronds, various parts of a tree and ______.

Keywords

diet, fern fronds, tree parts

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 2, lines 12–15

Explanation

The passage lists the kakapo’s diet as:

• leaves;
• roots;
• bark;
• bulbs;
• fern fronds.

The notes already mention fern fronds and tree parts.

The remaining item is bulbs.

So, the answer is: bulbs

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Question 8

Nests are created in ______ where eggs are laid.

Keywords

nests, eggs, laid

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 3, lines 16–20

Explanation

The passage says the eggs are laid in soil, which is repeatedly turned over during incubation.

So, the answer is: soil

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Question 9

The ______ of the kakapo were used to make clothes.

Keywords

Polynesian settlers, make clothes, kakapo

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 21–24

Explanation

The settlers used kakapo feathers to make soft cloaks.

Here:

• cloaks = clothes
• The material used was feathers.

So, the answer is: feathers

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Question 10

______ were animals introduced by European colonisers that ate the kakapo’s food sources.

Keywords

European colonisers, introduced animal, ate food

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 25–29

Explanation

The passage says introduced species such as deer depleted the remaining forests of food.

Here:

• depleted the forests of food = reduced the kakapo’s food supply

So, the answer is: deer

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Question 11

A definite sighting of female kakapo on Rakiura Island was reported in ______.

Keywords

female kakapo, Rakiura Island, confirmed

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 7, lines 40–44

Explanation

The passage says a large male population was discovered in 1977, but females were confirmed later.

It states that females were confirmed to be present in 1980.

So, the answer is: 1980

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Question 12

The Recovery Plan included an increase in ______.

Keywords

Recovery Plan, increase

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 52–55

Explanation

The new Recovery Plan was launched in 1996 together with a specialist advisory group and a higher amount of funding.

Here:

• higher amount = increase
• The item increased was funding.

So, the answer is: funding

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Question 13

A current goal is to maintain the involvement of ______ in kakapo protection.

Keywords

current goal, maintain involvement, protection

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 1, final paragraph, lines 67–70

Explanation

One of the current Recovery Plan goals is to ensure that stakeholders remain fully engaged in preserving the species.

Here:

• continue to be fully engaged = maintain involvement

So, the answer is: stakeholders

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Reading Passage 2

Reintroducing Elms to Britain

Questions 14–18: Matching Information

Strategy

For matching-information questions:

1. Read all statements first.
2. Identify unusual keywords.
3. Skim paragraphs A–G for their main ideas.
4. Scan for the exact information.
5. Remember that the same paragraph may be used more than once.

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Question 14

Research problems caused by there being only a few surviving large elms

Keywords

research problems, few survivors, mature elms

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 153–164

Explanation

Karen Russell says researchers need to study mature surviving elms to understand why they survived.

However, research opportunities are limited because there are relatively few mature survivors.

So, the answer is: C

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Question 15

A difference of opinion about the value of reintroducing elms

Keywords

difference of opinion, reintroducing elm, value

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph G, lines 191–199

Explanation

Karen Russell believes the environmental case for reintroducing elm is strong because the trees support wildlife.

Matt Elliot is more cautious because:

• hybrid trees may not be fully native;
• new diseases could be introduced;
• natural recovery may be preferable.

Two contrasting opinions are clearly presented.

So, the answer is: G

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Question 16

How Dutch elm disease was brought into Britain

Keywords

disease, brought into Britain, shipments

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph B, lines 147–152

Explanation

The second major epidemic was triggered by shipments of elm from Canada.

The bark on the logs carried elm bark beetles that spread the fungus.

So, the answer is: B

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Question 17

Conditions that enabled a British location to escape Dutch elm disease

Keywords

location, escape disease, conditions

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph E, lines 176–183

Explanation

Brighton has around 17,000 elms.

Strong winds from the sea make it difficult for elm bark beetles to attack the city’s trees.

These local coastal conditions helped the elms survive.

So, the answer is: E

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Question 18

The stage when young elms become vulnerable to Dutch elm disease

Keywords

young elms, vulnerable, size

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 153–158

Explanation

The beetles target the elms once the trunks reach approximately 10–15 centimetres in diameter.

At that size, the tree becomes suitable for beetles to lay eggs and for the fungus to infect it.

So, the answer is: C

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Questions 19–23: Matching People

Strategy

For matching-people questions:

1. Identify each person in the passage.
2. Underline the central claim in the question.
3. Match the claim to the speaker’s direct opinion.
4. Do not match only because the person appears in the same paragraph.

List of People

• A — Matt Elliot
• B — Karen Russell
• C — Peter Bourne

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Question 19

If a tree becomes infected, damage rapidly becomes visible.

Keywords

infected tree, damage, rapidly visible

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph F, lines 184–190

Explanation

Karen Russell says the effects are very quick.

Within four to six weeks:

• resistant trees show no symptoms;
• susceptible trees lose leaves or may die.

So, the answer is: B — Karen Russell

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Question 20

It may be better to wait and see whether mature surviving elms continue to flourish.

Keywords

wait, mature survivors, nature recover

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph G, lines 194–199

Explanation

Matt Elliot says the Woodland Trust prefers giving existing surviving elms space.

He says sometimes the best action is simply to give nature time to recover.

So, the answer is: A — Matt Elliot

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Question 21

There must be an explanation for the survival of some mature elms.

Keywords

explanation, survival, mature elms

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph C, lines 160–164

Explanation

Karen Russell questions whether surviving trees avoided infection, tolerated it or resisted it.

She says she does not believe their survival can be entirely due to luck.

So, the answer is: B — Karen Russell

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Question 22

We need to remember that disease-carrying insects are still nearby.

Keywords

insects, disease, nearby, threat

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph E, lines 180–183

Explanation

Peter Bourne says elm bark beetles could enter Brighton if people are not careful because the threat is “right on our doorstep”.

Here:

• right on our doorstep = very close

So, the answer is: C — Peter Bourne

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Question 23

Old evidence helps us understand how important elms once were.

Keywords

old evidence, prominent, effect of disease

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph A, lines 140–146

Explanation

Matt Elliot says the scale of the disease is difficult to understand unless you see what existed before.

Old photographs from the 1960s reveal how large and important elm trees once were.

So, the answer is: A — Matt Elliot

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Questions 24–26: Summary Completion

Strategy

For summary completion:

1. Read the entire summary.
2. Predict the missing word type.
3. Locate the relevant paragraph.
4. Copy the exact word from the passage.
5. Follow the one-word limit.

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Question 24

For hundreds of years, the only tree more popular than elm was ______.

Keywords

more popular, elm, centuries

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph D, lines 168–175

Explanation

The passage says elm ran a close second to oak as Britain’s preferred hardwood tree.

Therefore, oak was more popular.

So, the answer is: oak

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Question 25

In the 18th century, elm was used for boxes and ______.

Keywords

18th century, boxes, wood

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph D, lines 171–175

Explanation

The passage says elm wood was used for:

• storage crates;
• flooring.

Here:

• storage crates = boxes
• The other item is flooring.

So, the answer is: flooring

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Question 26

The Cutty Sark’s ______ was constructed from elm.

Keywords

Cutty Sark, constructed, elm

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 2, Paragraph D, lines 173–175

Explanation

The passage says elm was used to build the keel of the nineteenth-century sailing ship Cutty Sark.

So, the answer is: keel

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Reading Passage 3

How Stress Affects Our Judgement

Questions 27–30: Multiple Choice

Strategy

For multiple-choice questions:

1. Locate the paragraph mentioned.
2. Identify its main purpose.
3. Predict the answer before checking the options.
4. Eliminate options that are too narrow or unsupported.
5. Choose the answer matching the complete meaning.

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Question 27

How does the writer introduce the topic in the first paragraph?

Keywords

first paragraph, introduce topic, decisions, stress

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 1, lines 261–264

Explanation

The writer says everyone sometimes needs to make important medical, financial or professional decisions while stressed.

The paragraph therefore introduces a challenge that affects everyone.

Option Analysis

• A: No definitions are given.
• B: The writer does not challenge a common belief.
• C: Correct — everyone sometimes makes decisions under stress.
• D: The writer does not identify one particular situation as the most stressful.

So, the answer is: C

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Question 28

What point is made about firefighters in the second paragraph?

Keywords

firefighters, stress levels, study subjects

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 265–271

Explanation

Firefighters experience both:

• relaxed working days;
• highly stressful emergencies.

These natural changes in pressure made them ideal participants for studying how stress affects information processing.

So, the answer is: A — Their changing stress levels make them ideal study subjects.

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Question 29

What is the writer doing in the fourth paragraph?

Keywords

fourth paragraph, experiment, estimate, good news, bad news

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 4, lines 274–278

Explanation

The writer describes exactly what researchers asked firefighters to do:

• estimate the likelihood of 40 negative events;
• receive good or bad information;
• provide revised estimates.

This is a description of the experimental method.

So, the answer is: D — Describing their methodology

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Question 30

What does the brain mechanism described in the seventh paragraph do?

Keywords

brain mechanism, neural switch, warnings, threats

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 7, lines 293–296

Explanation

Stress triggers a physiological change that makes people pay closer attention to warning signals and possible dangers.

Brain imaging links this change to a neural signal that becomes stronger in response to unexpected warnings.

So, the answer is: C — Produces heightened sensitivity to indications of external threats

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Questions 31–35: Matching Sentence Endings

Strategy

For matching sentence endings:

1. Read each sentence beginning.
2. Locate the related evidence.
3. Summarise it in your own words.
4. Compare it with the available endings.
5. Check grammar after joining the two parts.

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Question 31

When relaxed, the firefighters usually ______.

Keywords

relaxed, firefighters, bad news

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 5, lines 279–285

Explanation

People are usually optimistic and tend to ignore bad news.

The firefighters showed this normal pattern when they were relaxed.

So, the answer is: B — took relatively little notice of bad news

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Question 32

When stressed, the firefighters ______.

Keywords

stressed, bad news, likelihood

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 5, lines 280–284

Explanation

Under stress, the firefighters became hyper-vigilant to negative information and changed their beliefs accordingly.

They therefore judged negative events as more likely.

So, the answer is: G — thought it more likely that they would experience something bad

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Question 33

When firefighters were told good news, they always ______.

Keywords

good news, stress, response

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 5, lines 283–285

Explanation

Stress changed their response to bad news but did not change how they responded to good news.

Their reaction to positive information remained the same whether relaxed or stressed.

So, the answer is: F — behaved in a similar manner, regardless of the circumstances

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Question 34

The students’ cortisol and heart rates changed when researchers ______.

Keywords

students, cortisol, heart rate, public speech

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 6, lines 286–292

Explanation

Students were told that they had to give an unexpected public speech that would be judged, recorded and posted online.

This stressful situation caused:

• cortisol levels to rise;
• heart rates to increase.

So, the answer is: E — put them in a stressful situation

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Question 35

In both experiments, negative information was processed better when subjects ______.

Keywords

both experiments, negative information, processed better

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraphs 5–6, lines 279–292

Explanation

Both firefighters and students became better at processing alarming information when their stress levels increased.

So, the answer is: D — were feeling under stress

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Questions 36–40: YES, NO, NOT GIVEN

Strategy

For YES / NO / NOT GIVEN:

• YES = agrees with the writer’s claim.
• NO = contradicts the writer’s claim.
• NOT GIVEN = the writer does not provide enough information.

Focus on the writer’s argument, not your own opinion.

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Question 36

The tone of our social-media posts tends to reflect the posts we see in our feeds.

Keywords

social media, posts, tone, feeds

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 9, lines 304–309

Explanation

The passage says:

• positive posts encourage us to produce uplifting posts;
• negative posts encourage us to create more negative posts.

Therefore, the tone of what we see influences the tone of what we post.

So, the answer is: YES

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Question 37

Phones have a greater impact on stress than other electronic media devices.

Keywords

phones, greater impact, stress, other devices

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Closest related location: Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 10, lines 310–316

Explanation

The passage says repeatedly checking a phone is related to stress.

However, it does not compare phones with other electronic media devices.

No evidence is given that phones have a greater effect.

So, the answer is: NOT GIVEN

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Question 38

The more we read about a stressful event on social media, the less able we are to take the information in.

Keywords

stressful event, less able, information

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraphs 11–12, lines 317–328

Explanation

The writer says stress temporarily enhances the likelihood that people will absorb negative reports.

The statement says the opposite: that people become less able to absorb information.

So, the answer is: NO

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Question 39

Stress caused by social-media posts can lead to unnecessary precautions.

Keywords

stress, social media, unnecessary precautions

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, Paragraph 12, lines 325–328

Explanation

The passage gives examples of people responding unnecessarily to alarming information:

• cancelling trips even when a disaster occurred far away;
• selling stocks even when holding them would be better.

These are unnecessary reactions caused by fear and stress.

So, the answer is: YES

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Question 40

Our tendency to be affected by other people’s moods can be used positively.

Keywords

moods, positive, emotions, solutions

Exact Paragraph and Line Location

Reading Passage 3, final paragraph, lines 329–332

Explanation

The writer says positive emotions such as hope are also contagious.

These emotions can motivate people to act and find solutions.

Therefore, emotional influence can be used positively.

So, the answer is: YES

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Cambridge 20 Test 1 Reading Answer Key

Reading Passage 1

1. FALSE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. NOT GIVEN
5. TRUE
6. TRUE
7. bulbs
8. soil
9. feathers
10. deer
11. 1980
12. funding
13. stakeholders

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Reading Passage 2

14. C
15. G
16. B
17. E
18. C
19. B — Karen Russell
20. A — Matt Elliot
21. B — Karen Russell
22. C — Peter Bourne
23. A — Matt Elliot
24. oak
25. flooring
26. keel

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Reading Passage 3

27. C
28. A
29. D
30. C
31. B
32. G
33. F
34. E
35. D
36. YES
37. NOT GIVEN
38. NO
39. YES
40. YES

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Bonus IELTS Reading Tips

Understand TRUE, FALSE and NOT GIVEN

A common mistake is confusing FALSE with NOT GIVEN.

FALSE

The passage gives the opposite information.

Example:

> Other parrots can also be flightless.

The passage says the kakapo is the only flightless parrot.

Therefore: FALSE

NOT GIVEN

The passage does not provide the comparison or detail needed.

Example:

> Polynesian rats were more dangerous than Polynesian settlers.

Both are mentioned as threats, but the passage never compares them.

Therefore: NOT GIVEN

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Look for Paraphrases

IELTS rarely copies passage wording exactly.

Question wording	Passage wording
every year	only in years when food is plentiful
transferred	evacuated
struggling young birds	failing chicks
clothes	cloaks
ate the kakapo’s food	depleted the forests of food
maintain involvement	continue to be fully engaged
few surviving large elms	mature survivors relatively small in number
brought into Britain	triggered by shipments from Canada
not very far away	right on our doorstep
rapidly becomes visible	effects are very quick
boxes	storage crates
stressful situation	surprise public speech
more sensitive to threats	take in warnings and focus on what might go wrong

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Watch for Comparison Words

Words such as these can completely change the answer:

• only
• more
• greater
• less
• most
• every
• always
• never

Question 4 is a good example.

The passage tells us both settlers and rats were dangerous, but it never says which was greater.

That makes the answer NOT GIVEN.

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Follow the Word Limit

For Questions 7–13 and 24–26, copy only the required number of words.

For example:

• Correct: funding
• Incorrect: higher amount of funding

If the instruction says ONE WORD ONLY, extra words make the answer wrong.

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Use Paragraph Structure

IELTS Reading questions often follow passage order.

In Passage 1:

• Questions 1–3 come from the early paragraphs.
• Questions 5–6 come later in the conservation history.
• Questions 7–13 follow the passage chronologically.

After finding one answer, continue scanning from that point.

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Pay Attention to Speaker Opinions

For matching-people questions, focus on exactly who expresses the opinion.

For example:

• Karen Russell discusses why mature trees survived.
• Peter Bourne warns that beetles remain nearby.
• Matt Elliot argues that natural recovery may sometimes be better.

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Identify the Purpose of a Paragraph

For multiple-choice questions asking what the writer is doing, focus on the paragraph’s function.

For Question 29, the writer describes:

• what participants were asked;
• what information they received;
• what they did afterwards.

That is methodology, so the answer is D.

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Read Around the Matching Sentence

Do not stop when you see one matching keyword.

Read the sentence before and after because the passage may contain:

• a contradiction;
• an exception;
• a qualification;
• a comparison;
• the real answer after a distractor.

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Review Every Wrong Answer

After the test, identify why you made each mistake.

Common reasons include:

• confusing FALSE with NOT GIVEN;
• overlooking a comparison word;
• missing a paraphrase;
• exceeding the word limit;
• choosing a person because their name appears nearby;
• selecting a multiple-choice option that contains passage vocabulary but not the correct meaning.