Giải đề Cambridge IELTS 19, Test 3, Reading Passage 2: The global importance of wetlands

The global importance of wetlands

A     Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil, for all or part of the year. These are complex ecosystems, rich in unique plant and animal life. But according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1990 — converted or destroyed for commercial development, drainage schemes and the extraction of minerals and peat (Q15). Many of those that remain have been damaged by agricultural pesticides and fertilisers, industrial pollutants, and construction works.

B     Throughout history, humans have gathered around wetlands, and their fertile ecosystems have played an important part in human development. Consequently, they are of considerable religious, historical and archaeological value to many communities around the world (Q17). ‘Wetlands directly support the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people,’ says Dr Matthew McCartney, principal researcher and hydrologist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). ‘In many developing countries, large numbers of people are dependent on wetland agriculture for their livelihoods.’

C     They also serve a crucial environmental purpose. ‘Wetlands are one of the key tools in mitigating climate change across the planet,’ says Pieter van Eijk, head of Climate Adaptation at Wetlands International (WI), pointing to their use as buffers that protect coastal away from sea-level rise and extreme weather events such as hurricanes and flooding. Wetland coastal forests provide food and water, as well as shelter from storms, and WI and other agencies are working to restore those forests which have been lost. ‘It can be as simple as planting a few trees per hectare to create shade and substantially change a microclimate,’ he says (Q26). ‘Implementing climate change projects isn’t so much about money.’

D     The world’s wetlands are, unfortunately, rich sources for in-demand commodities, such as palm oil and pulpwood. Peatlands — wetlands with a waterlogged organic soil layer — are particularly targeted. When peatlands are drained for cultivation, they become net carbon emitters instead of active carbon(Q18) stores, and, according to Marcel Silvius, head of Climatesmart Land-use at WI, this practice causes six percent of all global carbon emissions. The clearance of peatlands for planting also increases the risk of forest fires (Q19), which release huge amounts of C02. ‘We’re seeing huge peatland forests with extremely high biodiversity value being lost for a few decades of oil palm revenues,’ says Silvius (Q20).

E     The damage starts when logging companies arrive to clear the trees. They dig ditches (Q21) to enter the peat swamps by boat and then float the logs out the same way. These are then used to drain water out of the peatlands to allow for the planting of corn, oil palms or pulpwood trees. Once the water has drained away, bacteria and fungi then break down the carbon in the peat and turn it into C02 and methane. Meanwhile, the remainder of the solid matter in the peat starts to move downwards, in a process known as subsidence (Q22). Peat comprises 90 per cent water, so this is one of the most alarming consequences of peatland clearances. ‘In the tropics, peat subsides at about four centimeters a year, so within half a century, very large landscapes on Sumatra and Borneo will become flooded as the peat drops below water level,’ says Silvius. ‘It’s a huge catastrophe that’s in preparation. Some provinces will lose 40 per cent of their landmass. ‘

F     And while these industries affect wetlands in ways that can easily be documented, Dr Dave Tickner of the WWFN believes that more subtle impacts can be even more devastating. ‘Sediment run-off and fertilisers can be pretty invisible,’ says Tickner. ‘Over-extraction of water is equally invisible. You do get shock stories about rivers running red, or even catching fire, but there’s seldom one big impact that really hurts a wetland.’ Tickner does not blame anyone for deliberate damage, however. ‘I’ve worked On wetland issues for 20 years and have never met anybody who wanted to damage a wetland,’ he says. ‘It isn’t something that people generally set out to do. Quite often, the effects simply come from people trying to make a living. ‘(Q26)

G     Silvius also acknowledges the importance of income generation. ‘It’s not that we just want to restore the biodiversity of wetlands — which we do — but we recognise there’s a need to provide an income for local people. ‘ This approach is supported by IWMI. ‘The idea is that people in a developing country will only protect wetlands if they value and profit from them,’ says McCartney (Q14).  ‘For sustainability, it’s essential that local people are involved in wetland planning and decision making and have clear rights to use wetlands (Q23)‘

H     The fortunes of wetlands would be improved, Silvius suggests, if more governments recognised their long-term value. ‘Different governments have different attitudes,‘ he says, and goes on to explain that some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands (Q16), while others still deny the issue. McCartney is cautiously optimistic, however. ‘Awareness of the importance of wetlands is growing, ‘ he says. ‘It’s true that wetland degradation still continues at a rapid pace, but my impression is that things are slowly changing.’

GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT ĐỀ The global importance of wetlands

Questions 14—17

Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A—H.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A—H, in boxes 14—17 on your answer sheet.

14. G reference to the need to ensure that inhabitants of wetland regions continue to benefit from them

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: ‘It’s not that we just want to restore the biodiversity Of wetlands — which we do — but we recognise there’s a need to provide an income for local people.’ This approach is supported by IWMI. ‘The idea is that people in a developing country will only protect wetlands if they value and profit from them,’ says McCartney.

Giải thích: Đoạn G có đề cập về việc đảm bảo thu nhập có lợi cho người dân sinh sống tại các khu vực có đất ngập nước.

15. A The proportion of wetlands which have already been lost

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: But according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWN), half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1990 – converted or destroyed for commercial development, drainage schemes and the extraction of minerals and peat”.

Giải thích: Đoạn A có chỉ ra 50% lượng đất ngập nước đã biến mất từ năm 1990.

16. H reference to the idea that people are beginning to appreciate the value of wetlands

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands

Giải thích: Đoạn H có thông tin liên quan việc một vài quốc gia hiện đặt ưu tiên cho việc cải tạo đất ngập nước

17. B mention of the cultural significance of wetlands

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Consequently, they are of considerable religious, historical and archaeological value to many communities around the world

Giải thích: Đoạn B có bàn về tầm quan trọng về các mặt như tín ngưỡng, lịch sử, khảo cổ học (đây chính là các khía cạnh khác nhau của văn hoá) của đất ngập nước.

Questions 18—22

Complete the sentences below.

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 18—22 on your answer sheet.

18     Peatlands which have been drained begin to release ____carbon______ instead of storing it.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: When peatlands are drained for cultivation, they become net carbon emitters instead of active carbon stores, and, according to Marcel Silvius, head of Climate-smart Land-use at WI, this practice causes six per cent of all global carbon emissions.

Giải thích: Đoạn D có bàn về việc khi đất ngập nước bị khô hạn, chúng sẽ thải ra khí carbon thay vì lưu trữ nó. Vậy đáp án là carbon.

19     Once peatland areas have been cleared, _____fires_____ are more likely to occur.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The clearance of peatlands for planting also increases the risk of forest fires, which release huge amounts of C02.

Giải thích: Đoạn D có bàn về việc làm biến mất đất ngập nước sẽ kéo theo rủi ro cháy rừng cao hơn. Vậy đáp án là fires.

20     Clearing peatland forests to make way for oil palm plantations destroys the __biodiversity__ of the local environment.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: We’re seeing huge peatland forests with extremely high biodiversity value being lost for a few decades of oil palm revenues,’ says Silvius.

Giải thích: Cuối đoạn D có bàn về việc tính đa dạng sinh thái của rừng ngập nước bị mất đi do chạy theo lợi nhuận từ việc khai thác dầu cọ. Vậy đáp án là biodiversity.

21     Water is drained out of peatlands through the ____ditches______ which are created by logging companies.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The damage starts when logging companies arrive to clear the trees. They dig ditches to enter the peat swamps by boat and then float the logs out the same way.

Giải thích: Đầu đoạn E có bàn về việc các công ty khai thác gỗ có đào các con mương để dẫn nước ra khỏi khu rừng ngập nước. Vậy đáp án là ditches.

22     Draining peatlands leads to _____subsidence_____: a serious problem which can eventually result in coastal flooding and land loss.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Meanwhile, the remainder of the solid matter in the peat starts to move downwards, in a process known as subsidence. Peat comprises 90 per cent water, so this is one of the most alarming consequences of peatland clearances. ‘In the tropics, peat subsides at about four centimetres a year, so within half a century, very large landscapes on Sumatra and Borneo will become flooded as the peat drops below water level,’ says Silvius

Giải thích: Cuối đoạn E có bàn về thiệt hại tiềm tàng của việc đốn hạ cây trong rừng ngập nước như lũ lụt hay mất đất. Vậy đáp án là subsidence.

Questions 23—26

Look at the following statements (Questions 23—26) and the list of experts below.

Match each statement with the correct expert, A—D.

Write the correct letter, A—D, in boxes 23—26 on your answer sheet.

23     Communities living in wetland regions must be included in discussions about the future of these areas.

24     Official policies towards wetlands vary from one nation to the next.

25     People cause harm to wetlands without having any intention to do so.

26     Initiatives to reverse environmental damage need not be complex.

List of Experts

A.  Matthew McCartney

B.  Pieter van Eijk

C.  Marcel Silvius

D.  Dave Tickner

Q23: A Matthew McCartney

Từ khóa trong đáp án: Communities living in wetland regions must be included in discussions about the future of these areas

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: For sustainability, it’s essential that local people are involved in wetland planning and decision-making and have clear rights to use wetlands

Giải thích: Cuối đoạn G, McCartney cho rằng để duy trì tính bền vững, người dân địa phương nên tham gia vào hoạt động quy hoạch các vùng đất ngập nước cũng như có quyền hạn rõ ràng trong việc sử dụng đất. Vậy đáp án là A.

Q24: C  Marcel Silvius

Từ khóa trong đáp án: Official policies towards wetlands vary from one nation to the next.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: The fortunes of wetlands would be improved, Silvius suggests, if more governments recognised their long-term value. ‘Different governments have different attitudes,‘ he says, and goes on to explain that some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands, while others still deny the issue.

Giải thích: Đầu đoạn H, Silvius có đề xuất về sự khác nhau trong các chính phủ khi có những chính phủ thì đặt ưu tiên & có những chính phủ thì chối bỏ vấn đề. Vậy đáp án là C.

Q25: D  Dave Tickner

Từ khóa trong đáp án: People cause harm to wetlands without having any intention to do so.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: Tickner does not blame anyone for deliberate damage, however. ‘I’ve worked on wetland issues for 20 years and have never met anybody who wanted to damage a wetland, ‘ he says. It isn’t something that people generally set out to do. Quite often, the effects simply come from people trying to make a living.’

Giải thích: Cuối đoạn F, Tickner có chia sẻ về việc chưa gặp ai cố tình gây thiệt hại cho các khu đất ngập nước. Hầu hết mọi người vô tình gây thiệt hại cho rừng ngập nước khi cố gắng kiếm sống từ nó. Vậy đáp án là D.

Q26: B  Pieter van Eijk

Từ khóa trong đáp án: Initiatives to reverse environmental damage need not be complex.

Từ đồng nghĩa trong bài: It can be as simple as planting a few trees per hectare to create shade and substantially change a microclimate,’ he says.

Giải thích: Cuối đoạn C, Pieter van Eijk có nói về giải pháp bảo tồn rừng ngập nước chỉ đơn giản là trồng 1 vài cái cây/héc ta để tạo bóng dâm cũng như duy gì vi khí hậu khu vực. Vậy đáp án là C.

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