Single correct option
The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
Cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside, a phenomenon long attributed to the heat absorbed by asphalt and concrete. Recent studies, however, suggest that the distribution of heat within a city is as unequal as the distribution of income. Neighbourhoods with fewer trees, often poorer ones, can be several degrees warmer on a summer afternoon than leafy districts a few kilometres away. Since heat is among the deadliest of weather hazards, tree cover is not merely an aesthetic amenity but a question of public health and fairness.
Cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside, a phenomenon long attributed to the heat absorbed by asphalt and concrete. Recent studies, however, suggest that the distribution of heat within a city is as unequal as the distribution of income. Neighbourhoods with fewer trees, often poorer ones, can be several degrees warmer on a summer afternoon than leafy districts a few kilometres away. Since heat is among the deadliest of weather hazards, tree cover is not merely an aesthetic amenity but a question of public health and fairness.
- A. Heat within cities is unequally distributed, falling hardest on poorer, less-shaded neighbourhoods, which makes tree cover an issue of health and equity.
- B. Asphalt and concrete are the main reasons cities are hotter than the countryside, so they should be replaced with trees.
- C. Wealthy neighbourhoods stay cooler in summer because their residents can afford better cooling.
- D. Heat is the deadliest weather hazard, so cities should plant more trees to become more attractive.
Show answer and solution
Answer: (A) Heat within cities is unequally distributed, falling hardest on poorer, less-shaded neighbourhoods, which makes tree cover an issue of health and equity.
The passage moves from 'cities are hotter' to its main point: heat *within* a city is unequal, falling hardest on poorer, less-shaded neighbourhoods. It concludes that tree cover is therefore 'a question of public health and fairness'. Option 1 keeps all three elements: unequal heat, the link to poverty and tree cover, and the health and equity conclusion.
- Option 2 fixes on the background point about asphalt and adds a replacement proposal the passage never makes.
- Option 3 brings in air-conditioning, which the passage does not mention.
- Option 4 says trees make cities 'more attractive', which is the 'aesthetic amenity' view the passage rejects.
- Option 2 fixes on the background point about asphalt and adds a replacement proposal the passage never makes.
- Option 3 brings in air-conditioning, which the passage does not mention.
- Option 4 says trees make cities 'more attractive', which is the 'aesthetic amenity' view the passage rejects.
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