Effect and Cause
Read Effect and Cause and check the IELTS Reading answers. In the sixth century Gregory of Tours, a chronicler of the Germanic people known as the Rhone River spills into Lake Geneva. He wrote of a big rockfall in the year 563 AD in the vicinity of a place called Tauredunum. The debris plunged into…
Passage preview
In the sixth century Gregory of Tours, a chronicler of the Germanic people known as the Rhone River spills into Lake Geneva. He wrote of a big rockfall in the year 563 AD in the vicinity of a place called Tauredunum. The debris plunged into the river, and a great mass of water overwhelmed with a sudden and violent flood all that was demolished, and several people inside the city walls of Geneva were killed. Historians and scientists have long believed that Gregory and another chronicler, Marius of Avenches, who told a similar tale, were describing a tsunami that raced across the lake. But there has not been any direct evidence of it until now.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- accumulated verb
Gathered together or acquired an increasing number or quantity of something over a period of time
Soft sediments had accumulated at the river mouth due to the slowing of the water's flow.
- chronicler noun
A person who writes accounts of important or historical events in the order in which they happened
The sixth-century chronicler provided a detailed narrative of the devastating flood in the Geneva region.
- computer simulation noun
A program that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system to predict outcomes
Multiple computer simulations demonstrated how the sediment collapse would have produced an eight-meter-high wave.
- corroborated verb
Confirmed or gave support to a statement, theory, or finding with evidence or authority
Scientists suggest that findings could be corroborated by careful mapping of the shoreline for erosion signs.
- destabilized verb
To upset the stability of a region or system; to make something unsteady or prone to failure
Falling rocks hit the delta and destabilized the sediments, causing the deep underwater canyons to collapse.
- jumbled adjective
Mixed up in a confused or untidy way; lacking a clear order or organized structure
The researchers found a jumbled mess of sediment that indicated rapid deposition from a sudden event.
- landlocked adjective
Almost or entirely surrounded by land; having no direct access to the open ocean or sea
The study serves as a reminder that even landlocked nations are not immune to catastrophic waves.
- seismic soundings noun
A technique used to determine the thickness and composition of underground or underwater layers using sound waves
Researchers used seismic soundings to search for thin sediment layers representing evidence of pre-historic flooding.
- underwater delta noun
A landform created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as it enters slower-moving water
The collapse of the underwater delta triggered a tsunami that traveled across the entire lake.
- vicinity noun
The area near or surrounding a particular place; the physical proximity of a specific location
The massive rockfall occurred in the vicinity of Tauredunum, leading to catastrophic local consequences.
Answers with explanations
- 1. TRUE
The statement claims the landslide happened **near Tauredunum**. The text supports this by stating that Gregory of Tours wrote of a big rockfall 'in the **vicinity** of a place called **Tauredunum**'. 'Vicinity' is a direct synonym for 'near'. Thus, the text perfectly agrees with the statement. Answer: TRUE.
- 2. FALSE
The statement claims the city was **undamaged**. However, the passage explicitly states that a flood demolished everything and **several people inside the city walls of Geneva were killed**. This direct evidence of severe damage and loss of life contradicts the claim that it was undamaged. Answer: FALSE.
- 2-3: aphids
2: The statement claims the city was **undamaged**. However, the passage explicitly states that a flood demolished everything and **several people inside the city walls of Geneva were killed**. This direct evidence of severe damage and loss of life contradicts the claim that it was undamaged. Answer: FALSE.
3: The question asks if **Marius of Avenches supported the idea** of a tsunami. The text states that Marius 'told a similar tale' and that both men were **describing a tsunami**. This explicitly confirms that Marius's work supported the tsunami theory. Answer: TRUE.
- 3. TRUE
The question asks if **Marius of Avenches supported the idea** of a tsunami. The text states that Marius 'told a similar tale' and that both men were **describing a tsunami**. This explicitly confirms that Marius's work supported the tsunami theory. Answer: TRUE.
- 3-4: C
3: The question asks if **Marius of Avenches supported the idea** of a tsunami. The text states that Marius 'told a similar tale' and that both men were **describing a tsunami**. This explicitly confirms that Marius's work supported the tsunami theory. Answer: TRUE.
4: The statement claims the falling rocks were **very hard and dense**. While the passage mentions that 'large boulder crashed down onto soft sediments', it never describes the physical composition, hardness, or density of the falling rocks themselves. Since this specific information is completely missing from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 4. NOT GIVEN
The statement claims the falling rocks were **very hard and dense**. While the passage mentions that 'large boulder crashed down onto soft sediments', it never describes the physical composition, hardness, or density of the falling rocks themselves. Since this specific information is completely missing from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 5. NOT GIVEN
The statement asserts that **Schweickert has published studies** on tsunamis in multiple **countries**. While the passage introduces him and mentions he cites evidence from Lake Tahoe (USA), it never mentions whether he has formally 'published studies' on the topic or if his work spans multiple 'countries'. We only know he cited one example. Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- 6. FALSE
The statement asserts the shoreline of Lake Tahoe has remained **unchanged** for 20,000 years. The passage directly contradicts this by describing a **collapse of part of the shoreline** of Lake Tahoe within the past 20,000 years. A collapse clearly constitutes a change. Answer: FALSE.
- 7. TRUE
The statement says people now live **closer to the lake** than in the sixth century. The text confirms that in the sixth century they lived 'behind walls **on a hill**', whereas today many live in '**low-lying areas near the water**'. This confirms the population has moved closer to the lake. Answer: TRUE.
- 8. floods
The sentence requires a plural noun describing what Kremer was looking for before the sixth-century event. The text states she was searching for sediment layers that might be evidence of **major floods** in pre-historic times. Grammatically and contextually, 'floods' is the correct fit.
- 9. leaves
The sentence needs a noun indicating the type of organic material carbon-dated by researchers. The passage states they used carbon-dating techniques on 'remains of **leaves** and other organic matter'. Therefore, 'leaves' perfectly completes the blank.
- 10. ["7th","seventh"]
The blank requires an ordinal number indicating a specific century. The passage states the carbon-dating narrowed the deposit's formation to a period ending in the 'early **seventh** century'. The word 'seventh' or '7th' correctly fills the blank to define this timeframe.
- 11. ["estimated","calculated"]
The sentence describes the determination of the deposit's volume. The passage explicitly states that 'The researchers **estimated**' the dimensions and total volume. Later, the text also mentions it was '**calculated** by the Swiss researchers'. Either 'estimated' or 'calculated' works grammatically as a past participle verb.
- 12. height
The sentence requires a noun relating to a measurable aspect of the tsunami established by computer modelling. The text mentions they 'ran multiple computer simulations' that revealed a tsunami with an 'estimated **height** of 7.9 metres'. Therefore, 'height' is the correct word.
- 13. earthquake
The blank requires a noun identifying a significant event that likely caused the rockfall. The passage explicitly states that the rockfall 'may have been set off by a major **earthquake**'. Thus, 'earthquake' is the exact word needed.