IELTS Academic
Listening Part 4: Urban heat islands (lecture)
Part 4 · Note completion. Read the questions first, then play the recording. The transcript appears after you submit.
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Today’s topic is the urban heat island — the fact that cities are often warmer than the surrounding countryside.
The difference is usually small during the day but can reach as much as ten degrees at night, because buildings and roads release the heat they have stored.
Why does this happen? First, dark surfaces like asphalt roads absorb sunlight rather than reflecting it.
Second, cities have few plants. In the countryside, water evaporating from leaves and soil cools the air. Replace fields with concrete and you lose that cooling.
Third, heat from cars, air conditioners and factories adds to the problem.
What can be done? One simple measure is the cool roof: painting roofs white so that they reflect sunlight. Studies suggest this can lower indoor temperatures noticeably in top-floor flats.
Trees are even more effective, because they provide shade and also release water vapour through their leaves. However, they need space, water and maintenance, which not every city can afford.
Urban heat islands
Cities can be up to (1) ___ degrees warmer than the countryside at night.
Dark surfaces such as roads absorb (2) ___.
Few (3) ___ means less cooling from evaporation.
Solution: ‘cool roofs’ painted (4) ___.
Trees give shade and release (5) ___ vapour.
1.Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
2.Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
3.Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
4.Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
5.Write ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER.
6.What limitation of trees does the lecturer mention?
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