The IELTS Reading section is a critical part of the IELTS exam, aiming to evaluate your reading comprehension abilities. This segment comprises three sections, each escalating in difficulty and featuring various question types. Today, we’ll focus on the subject “What are the effects of climate change on global tourism?”—a topic that’s not only timely but also often features in IELTS materials due to its global significance.
Climate change is an issue gaining increasing prominence across all sectors, including tourism. Understanding its implications can serve you well in the IELTS Reading test due to both its current relevance and frequent appearance in past examinations.
Main Content
Reading Passage: Medium Text
Climate change significantly affects global tourism in a variety of ways. From changes in weather patterns to the degradation of natural attractions, the repercussions are vast and multifaceted.
Natural disasters, more frequent due to climate change, pose a considerable threat to tourism destinations. Hurricanes, wildfires, and floods can devastate popular tourist areas, leading to temporary or even permanent loss of tourism revenue. For instance, the Caribbean, a region heavily reliant on tourism, faces increasingly severe hurricanes that disrupt both local economies and global travel patterns.
Rising temperatures and sea levels are also altering the geographical landscape. Many coastal destinations are at risk of disappearing due to erosion and submergence. Islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, like the Maldives, face existential threats from rising sea levels, jeopardizing their tourism-dependent economies.
Maldives Sea Level Rise
The natural beauty of destinations is likewise at risk. Coral reefs, a significant attraction for divers and marine enthusiasts, are suffering from bleaching caused by higher ocean temperatures. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s Seven Natural Wonders, faces unprecedented degradation, impacting tourism activities.
Moreover, the changing climate is shifting tourist seasons. In regions dependent on winter sports, such as the Alps, shorter and warmer winters result in reduced snow cover, impacting ski resorts and related businesses. Conversely, longer and hotter summers can lead to heatwaves, discouraging travel to traditionally popular summer destinations.
Questions
Multiple Choice
- What is one of the main impacts of more frequent natural disasters on tourism?
- A. Increased tourism revenue
- B. Temporary or permanent loss of tourism revenue
- C. More robust local economies
- D. Enhanced tourist experiences
True/False/Not Given
- Coral reefs are unaffected by higher ocean temperatures.
Yes/No/Not Given
- The Maldives are not threatened by rising sea levels.
Matching Information
- Match the following impacts to their corresponding effect:
- Great Barrier Reef:
- Mild winters in the Alps:
- Heatwaves during summer:
Sentence Completion
- Climate change is causing the geographical landscape to alter due to and ____.
Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words in the box below:
[severe, shorter, bleaching, revenues, tourism]
“Climate change is impacting tourism through more natural disasters, leading to significant loss of . Coral reefs are suffering from _____, which impacts underwater tourism. Additionally, warmer winters result in ____ winter sports seasons.”
Answer Key
Multiple Choice
- B. Temporary or permanent loss of tourism revenue
True/False/Not Given
- False. Coral reefs are suffering from bleaching caused by higher ocean temperatures.
Yes/No/Not Given
- No. The Maldives are indeed threatened by rising sea levels.
Matching Information
- Great Barrier Reef: Degradation impacting tourism
- Mild winters in the Alps: Reduced snow cover
- Heatwaves during summer: Discouraging travel
Sentence Completion
- Climate change is causing the geographical landscape to alter due to erosion and submergence.
Summary Completion
- “Climate change is impacting tourism through more severe natural disasters, leading to significant loss of revenues. Coral reefs are suffering from bleaching, which impacts underwater tourism. Additionally, warmer winters result in shorter winter sports seasons.”
Common Mistakes
- Misinterpreting Questions: Ensure you fully understand what each question asks. For example, true/false is different from identifying views (Yes/No/Not Given).
- Vocabulary Trap: Pay attention to keywords that could trick you. Words like “unaffected” might completely flip the meaning of a sentence.
- Overlooking Details: Small details often have significant importance. Look at numerical data, dates, and specific terms.
Vocabulary
| Word | Type | Phonetic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erosion | Noun | /ɪˈroʊ.ʒən/ | The gradual destruction of something |
| Submergence | Noun | /səbˈmɜr.dʒəns/ | Becoming covered or flooded with water |
| Degradation | Noun | /ˌdɛɡ.rəˈdeɪ.ʃən/ | A decline to a lower condition or quality |
| Bleaching | Noun | /ˈbliː.tʃɪŋ/ | The process of becoming white or colorless |
| Revenue | Noun | /ˈrɛv.əˌnu/ | Income generated from normal business activities |
Grammar Focus
- Passive Voice: Often used in reading passages to emphasize the action rather than the doer. Example: “Coral reefs, which are often visited by divers, are suffering from bleaching.”
- Complex Sentences: Important for demonstrating advanced language skills. Example: “Natural disasters, which have become more frequent due to climate change, pose significant threats to tourist areas.”
Conclusion
To excel in the IELTS Reading section, practice is paramount. Focus on understanding the context and main ideas of passages, and work on your ability to identify specific information quickly. Remember to pay attention to recurring themes like climate change, which are not only topical but also likely to appear in real exam scenarios.
For more resources and similar exercises, visit How Is Climate Change Impacting Global Tourism.