Part: You will hear a short extract about the roles of trees in cities.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each blank.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zarll9bx6FI

 This is the tale of two ancient cities. In 3000 BC, Uruk was more populous than modern NY. This
capital had to constantly expand their (1) ______________________________. 2500 years later
in Sri Lanka, the city Anuradhapura has the same problem.
 In Uruk, farmers cut down trees to make space for crops, while in Sri Lanka, trees were sacred.
(2) ______________________________ prevented farmers from cutting down trees and led to
more trees in city.
 At first, Uruk’s expansion worked well. Yet, due to the absence of trees, water became polluted.
Evaporating water left (3) ______________________________, which made the soil to salty to
grow crops. Meanwhile, Anuradhapura grew to twice Uruk’s population.
 Trees have always been an important part of the success of the cities. They act like a (4)
______________________________, absorbing water before releasing back into the air.
 Their roots protect against (5) ______________________________, retain water and filter out
poisons. Roots prevent floods, reducing the need for (6) ______________________________
and water treatment plants.
 Beside benefits to the city’s infrastructure, trees are also vital to the citizens’ health. In 1870,
Manhattan had few trees. Without shade, buildings absorb more (7)
_________________________ during the hot summer. This together with poor (8)
____________________________, Manhattan became the breeding ground for bacteria like
cholera.
 Trees improve our mental health as well. Trees increase (9) ______________________________
and reduce stress levels.
 More than that, trees preserve the region’s (10) ______________________________, making it
home to many plants, bird species and mammals.

KEY

1. Irrigation system
2. Religious reverence
 Reverence: a feeling of admiring and respecting somebody/something very much
3. Mineral deposits
4. Natural sponge
5. Mudslides
 Mudslide: a large amount of mud sliding down a mountain, often destroying buildings and
injuring or killing people below
6. Storm drains
7. Solar radiation
8. Sanitation standards
9. Attention spans
10. Natural biodiversity