I’m Hiroshi Tanaka, an IELTS Reading expert with nine years of experience teaching Cambridge passages, including Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 2 – Can the Planet’s Coral Reefs Be Saved? At IELTS Zone, I focus on helping learners recognise paragraph structure, interpret research contexts, and master matching headings questions for Band 7+.
The Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 2 – Can the Planet’s Coral Reefs Be Saved? discusses the urgent global effort to preserve coral reefs. The text highlights London Zoo’s new research centre, explains threats like climate change and pollution, and showcases conservation strategies. This passage tests your ability to match headings, complete sentences, and identify multiple-choice answers—crucial skills for IELTS Reading success.
Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 2
Questions 14–19 | Matching Headings
This question type does not always follow passage order. To learn how to analyse paragraph focus and locate key ideas quickly, see our guide on Matching Headings in IELTS Reading.
- Section A → v – Two clear educational goals
Location: Paragraph A — Lines 5–12 (“…to show people how wonderful they are… and highlight the research and conservation efforts…”)
Explanation: The zoo’s coral reef exhibit aims to both educate the public and raise awareness about conservation efforts—two main objectives.
Answer: v - Section B → ii – Cooperation beneath the waves
Location: Paragraph B — Lines 1–8 (“Corals are composed of tiny animals… algae that live within them… provide nutrients…”)
Explanation: The paragraph describes the symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and algae, a perfect example of cooperation in nature.
Answer: ii - Section C → iv – Disagreement about the accuracy of a certain phrase
Location: Paragraph C — Lines 1–6 (“…often described as the ‘rainforests of the sea’… though the comparison is dismissed by some naturalists…”)
Explanation: Attenborough disagrees with the term “rainforests of the sea,” challenging its accuracy.
Answer: iv - Section D → vii – A warning of further trouble ahead
Location: *Paragraph D — Throughout (“…reefs under serious threat… vast areas destroyed… 90% could be lost by 2050…”) *
Explanation: The section issues a strong warning about coral decline and environmental danger.
Answer: vii - Section E → iii – Working to lessen the problems
Location: Paragraph E — Lines 1–10 (“…scientists are trying to pinpoint hardy types of coral… increase coral breeding rates…”)
Explanation: It explains research efforts to make corals more resilient and increase spawning frequency.
Answer: iii - Section F → vi – Promoting hope
Location: Paragraph F — Lines 1–9 (“…progress we make… can be shown to the public and encourage them to believe…”)
Explanation: This final section focuses on sharing scientific progress to inspire public optimism.
Answer: vi
If you want to learn how we scan and skim efficiently for keywords and numbers, explore our detailed guides on Scanning for Details and Summary Completion.
Questions 20–21 | Multiple Choice – Causes of Damage
This question type follows passage order. To understand how to eliminate wrong options efficiently, review our guide on Multiple Choice Questions in IELTS Reading.
20 & 21. C & E
Keywords: pollution, changes in ocean currents
Location: *Paragraph D — Lines 5–9 (“…pollution by humans, deoxygenation and ocean current changes…”) *
Explanation: The text lists these two causes explicitly as part of the threats damaging coral reefs.
Answers: C and E
Questions 22–23 | Multiple Choice – London Zoo Research
22 & 23. B & D
Keywords: coral survival, breeding rates
Location: *Paragraph E — Lines 4–10 (“…find those that can survive best in warm, acidic waters… aquarium-based research has enabled some corals to spawn artificially…”) *
Explanation: Researchers are identifying hardy coral species (B) and testing ways to speed up spawning (D).
Answers: B and D
Questions 24–26 | Sentence Completion
This question type follows passage order. For extra help, see our guide on Sentence Completion in IELTS Reading.
- tentacles
Location: *Paragraph B — Line 2 (“…polyps, with tentacles for capturing small marine creatures…”) *
Explanation: Polyps use their tentacles to catch food.
Answer: tentacles - protection
Location: Paragraph B — Lines 4–5 (“…algae… get protection, while… provide nutrients for the polyps.”)
Explanation: Algae benefit from living inside coral because they gain protection.
Answer: protection - colour
Location: Paragraph D — Lines 3–5 (“…bleaching events that strip reefs of their colour and eventually kill them.”)
Explanation: Rising sea temperatures remove the coral’s colour, leading to bleaching.
Answer: colour
Practice & Further Resources
Excellent work! You’ve completed the Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 2 – Coral Reefs passage. Continue practising with our 👉 IELTS Reading Practice Tests. To master the full test set, complete the Cambridge IELTS 20 series — Reading Test 3, Listening Test 3, Writing Test 3, and Speaking Test 3.
Tips for Success
- For Matching Headings, underline topic sentences in each paragraph.
- For Multiple Choice, note that several threats or actions may appear in one sentence.
- Read actively — focus on “problem → solution” or “cause → effect” structures.
- Practise science and environment passages in our 👉 IELTS Reading Strategies for Band 7–9.
New Vocabulary
To expand your IELTS Reading vocabulary, visit our IELTS Vocabulary page. Here are key words from Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 – Coral Reefs:
- Polyps – tiny marine animals forming coral structures.
- Symbiotic – a mutually beneficial relationship between two organisms.
- Bleaching – loss of coral colour due to heat stress.
- Spawn – to release eggs for reproduction.
- Acidification – a chemical change that increases ocean acidity.
- Conservation – protection of natural environments and species.
Understanding these words will help you decode environmental and scientific IELTS passages confidently.
Final Thoughts
The Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 2 – Can the Planet’s Coral Reefs Be Saved? passage highlights both the fragility of ocean ecosystems and the global research aiming to restore them. It teaches you to connect environmental problems with scientific responses — a core IELTS Reading skill.
Next, continue with Cambridge 20 Reading Test 3 Passage 3 – Robots and Us, where you’ll explore how technology continues to shape human life and relationships.
FAQ
Q1. What threatens coral reefs the most?
Rising ocean temperatures and pollution are key causes of coral bleaching and death.
Q2. What research is being done at London Zoo?
Scientists are breeding hardier coral species and improving spawning methods to restore reefs.
Q3. How do corals and algae support each other?
Algae provide nutrients through photosynthesis and gain protection inside coral polyps.
Q4. What IELTS skills does this passage improve?
Recognising main ideas, matching headings, and scanning for cause-and-effect details.
External References
For official IELTS guidance, visit the British Council, IDP IELTS, and IELTS.org.
To enhance your preparation with structured learning, explore expert-led courses on Course Line – IELTS Preparation Courses.
