GREEN ROOFS
Paragraph A
Roofs with grass, plants, and even vegetables are now common in many
cities. Both companies and city governments are choosing green roofs
because they have many benefits. These include saving energy, reducing
flood risk, helping city animals, cleaning the air, and even growing food.
These creative roof ideas can help cities deal with problems like not having
enough green space. But to make green roofs work well, support from
governments, businesses, and researchers is needed. In the UK, green roofs
are still new. But in London, the government has created rules like the
London Plan, which helped double the number of green roofs in the city.
Paragraph B
Research shows that green roofs can work well with other green ideas, like
living walls (walls with plants). They can also be used with systems like street
trees to manage water better. Green roofs also help people’s health. For
example, doctors suggest outdoor gardening to help with anxiety or
depression. And even small green areas can improve life for people with
memory problems and help stop problems like obesity.
Paragraph C
In North America, green roofs are very popular. Cities like San Francisco have
laws that say new buildings must have green roofs. Toronto has supported
rooftop farming since the 1990s. These countries have newer buildings,
which are better for green roofs. That’s because new buildings are stronger,
so they can hold the weight of water and soil. This is especially important for
green roofs that grow food. Stronger buildings also allow deeper soil, which
helps grow more kinds of plants.
Paragraph D
For green roofs to become common in new buildings, support from the
government and private companies is needed. Building managers may need
new skills, like landscaping, and volunteers may sometimes help. There are
also things to think about, like drainage systems, safety rules, public access,
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and building plans. To get companies to invest in green roofs, it’s important
to show how they can save money. A new idea called natural capital means
showing how nature can help save money by reducing flood damage or
helping people stay healthy.
Paragraph E
As people learn more about green roofs, new rules have been made to help
them work well. Science and technology have helped create new types of
green roofs. Blue roofs can hold water longer during heavy rain. Some green
roofs include solar panels, and brown roofs focus on nature and animals. If
green roofs keep growing in popularity, they could create more jobs and help
build strong local food systems. There are still problems to solve, but the
results so far are promising. Cities around the world could copy these
successful examples and make green, blue, brown, and food roofs a normal
part of city life.
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QUESTIONS 1–5
Reading Passage 1 has five paragraphs: A–E.
Which paragraph contains the following ideas?
Write the correct letter A–E in the answer sheet.
Note: You may use the same letter more than once.
1. Some problems that need to be solved before building a green roof
2. A city that has supported green roofs for many years
3. The idea that green roofs today can be used as examples for new ones
4. Examples of green roofs working together with other eco-friendly city
ideas
5. The importance of showing that green roofs can save money
QUESTIONS 6–9: COMPLETE THE SUMMARY
Fill in the blanks below using ONE word only from the passage.
Write your answers in boxes 6–9 on your answer sheet.
Benefits of green roofs
Green roofs have many good points. They help reduce the chance of (6️)
________, save money on (7) ________, and give a home to animals. Some of
them also grow (8) ________.
Green roofs also help with health. Doctors often suggest doing (9) ________
outside to help people feel better mentally. Green areas can also help stop
physical health problems.
QUESTIONS 10–11: CHOOSE TWO LETTERS
Choose two correct letters from A–E.
Write your answers in boxes 10–11 on your answer sheet.
Which two benefits of newer buildings for green roofs are mentioned in
Paragraph C?
A. Longer time to grow food
B. Better way to use water
C. Stronger roof that can hold more water
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D. Can grow more types of plants
E. More space to grow things on top
QUESTIONS 12–13: CHOOSE TWO LETTERS
Choose two correct letters from A–E.
Write your answers in boxes 12–13 on your answer sheet.
Which two goals of new green roof types are mentioned in Paragraph E?
A. To support many kinds of animals
B. To grow plants even in very rainy places
C. To control temperature near the roof
D. To make electricity in a green way
E. To collect water for use in other buildings
