Dust and the American West
Read Dust and the American West and check the IELTS Reading answers. Images of deserts in the United States show dusty, barren landscapes, but the land may not always have been this way. Ever since settlers moved west across the US there has been dust-clouds of it everywhere. It was part of the lan…
Passage preview
Images of deserts in the United States show dusty, barren landscapes, but the land may not always have been this way. Ever since settlers moved west across the US there has been dust-clouds of it everywhere. It was part of the landscape, or so it seemed to them. But there were no records of the landscape of the West until the settlers arrived. Now evidence is starting to emerge which suggests that before the settlers, there was very little dust.
Vocabulary from this passage
9 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- attribute verb
To regard a quality or feature as characteristic of or possessed by someone or something
Scientists frequently attribute the loss of glaciers to global warming.
- barren adjective
Too poor to produce much or any vegetation; bleak and lifeless
Overgrazing transformed the fertile grassland into a barren landscape.
- composition noun
The nature of something's ingredients or constituents; the way in which a whole is made up
Researchers studied the chemical composition of the dust to determine its origin.
- deposition noun
The geological process in which sediments, soil, and rocks are added to a landform or land mass
The rate of dust deposition increased significantly during the industrial era.
- ecological adjective
Relating to or concerned with the relation of living organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings
The introduction of invasive species often has devastating ecological effects.
- incentive noun
A thing that motivates or encourages one to do something
There is little economic incentive for companies to reduce pollution voluntarily.
- sediment noun
Matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; material deposited by water, wind, or glaciers
Geologists analyze river sediment to understand historical water flow patterns.
- solar radiation noun
Radiant energy emitted by the sun, particularly electromagnetic energy that affects climate
Darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation, causing ice to melt more rapidly.
- speculative adjective
Involving a high risk of loss with potential for considerable financial gain
The housing market crash was precipitated by a bubble of speculative investment.
Answers with explanations
- 1. TRUE
The statement claims a **dramatic rise** in dust levels occurred in the **second half of the nineteenth century**. The text confirms that from **1860 to 1900** (which covers the second half of the 19th century), dust rates **shot up** (dramatic rise). The dates and the description of the increase match exactly. Answer: TRUE.
- 2. FALSE
The statement claims the Anasazi disappeared due to the **impact of dust**. The text states they were destroyed by a **drought** and explicitly notes that the evidence shows it was **not dusty**. This directly contradicts the claim that dust was the cause. Answer: FALSE.
- 3. FALSE
The statement claims **large numbers of bison** occupied the Southwest before cattle introduction. The text explicitly states there were **No bison** in the American Southwest until Europeans came. This is a direct contradiction. Answer: FALSE.
- 3-4: NOT GIVEN
3: The statement claims **large numbers of bison** occupied the Southwest before cattle introduction. The text explicitly states there were **No bison** in the American Southwest until Europeans came. This is a direct contradiction. Answer: FALSE.
4: The text mentions that **bison roamed in vast herds** in the **Great Plains**. However, it does not provide any information about their population **diminishing** due to **hunting** by European settlers in this specific context (the passage focuses on the cattle invasion in the Southwest). Since the reason for their decline is not mentioned here, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 4. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions that **bison roamed in vast herds** in the **Great Plains**. However, it does not provide any information about their population **diminishing** due to **hunting** by European settlers in this specific context (the passage focuses on the cattle invasion in the Southwest). Since the reason for their decline is not mentioned here, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The text mentions that **money went into railroads** and that there was **speculative investment**. However, it does not compare the **actual cost** of the railroads to the **expected cost**. There is no information regarding whether it was 'more expensive than originally expected'. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 6. FALSE
The statement claims the company **worked hard to take care** of the land. The text states they had **little incentive to protect** the soils and were only interested in **quick profits**. This directly contradicts the idea of working hard to care for the land. Answer: FALSE.
- 7. TRUE
The statement claims most of the land **remains infertile today**. The text confirms that **even now few of the pastures have recovered**, which logically implies that the majority have not recovered (remain damaged/infertile). Answer: TRUE.
- 8. cattle herds
The question requires a noun phrase completing what laws controlled the size of. The text mentions the **1930s** and laws (Taylor Grazing Act) to **limit** (control) **cattle herds**. The phrase 'cattle herds' fits grammatically and contextually.
- 9. winds
The question asks what the soil was *not* affected by (high _____). The text states the hard crusts can **survive** (are not affected by) **winds** of up to 100mph. 'Winds' is the correct noun.
- 10. lake sediments
The question asks what Neff found dust *in*. The text states Neff discovered dust in **Colorado lake sediments**. The answer 'lake sediments' fits the two-word limit and indicates the location of the dust discovery.
- 11. size
The question asks what Neff examined besides chemical content. The text mentions investigating the **size** and **chemical composition**. Therefore, 'size' is the missing factor.
- 12. nutrients
The question asks what dust brings in that is not normally found there. The text states dust clouds **carry nutrients** into areas that survived **without them**. 'Nutrients' fits grammatically as the plural noun.
- 13. glaciers
The question asks what dust is partly to blame for the disappearance of (along with snow). The text links dust to the **shrinking** (disappearance) of **glaciers** and loss of snow. 'Glaciers' is the correct noun.