The reading passage has eleven paragraphs A-K. Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B-K from the list of headings below.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them. You may use any of the headings more than once.
It Never Rains
A. Weather forecasts on Hurricane Floyd, which has just hit North Carolina, persuaded state governors along the southeastern seaboard to urge more than 2 million people to evacuate inland. Since 1854, when state-sponsored meteorology was born, weather forecasting has always been recognized as a valuable business — one dollar invested in meteorology is said to yield about $15 in terms of casualties avoided, harvests saved and so on. But now that the Internet has made selling weather information so easy, the market is being fought over as never before.
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B. Weather forecasts have become much more accurate over the past 20 years. Today’s three-day forecasts are as good as one-day forecasts were in 1981. Ten-day forecasts are fast becoming the standard.
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C. The more accurate the forecasts, the more they are worth. Sales of iced tea multiply by five each time the thermometer rises above 15°C. With a three-day forecast, retailers can send their orders to their sunniest outlets and soft-drinks companies can adjust their rate of production. Movie audiences, medicine consumption and toll receipts all vary according to the sky. In winter, power companies can save up to $100,000 a day if they know in advance how high users will turn up their heating.
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D. Throughout most of its history, weather forecasting has been done by national governments, although, since any rain forecast for London incorporates data collected from as far away as Fiji, they have to cooperate. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), part of the United Nations, organizes the free exchange of data among 185 member states. But the more accurate — and therefore valuable — the weather forecasts become, the more commercial companies want to get into the business.
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E. By some estimate, Europe’s weather forecasting market is currently worth $150m and it may soon be worth $700m. The state-owned weather forecasters are keen to cash in, but they remain heavily dependent on their governments. Britain’s meteorological office earns more in commercial revenues than any of its European counterparts, but it brings in only £24m of its £155m budget.
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F. One reason is that commercial companies have been taking an increasing slice of the weather business in Europe; over the past five years, global companies, such as Japan’s Weather news, or national forecaster, such as the Netherlands’ Meteor Consult, have captured 20% of the market from government weather services. Accuweather, an American company, has been courting European media, businessmen, mariners and mountain-climbing fanatics.
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G. Europe’s state-owned weather services complain that the commercial companies have unfair advantages. Unlike them, the American Weather Service — which, according to the rules that govern it, is not allowed to sell information — passes on without charge the data it receives from the WMO to private companies. Thus, private forecaster can stock up on free American data and resell it to other markets without investing in costly satellites or supercomputers.
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H. In 1995, European weathermen, supported by the South Americans, made the WMO adopt a new rule — Regulation 40 — that identifies two categories of products. Raw data needed by meteorologists all over the world remain at everybody’s disposal. But weather services may not sell the data that have the greatest economic value — forecasts for a particular city, for instance — outside their national markets.
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I. So naturally everybody sets about circumventing Regulation 40. Universities, which still enjoy free access to all weather data, are under suspicion, but the main way around the rules is to use the Internet, where the notion of national markets, used by Regulation 40, simply does not apply.
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J. Private companies have also complained about government weather services to the European Commission, claiming that the absence of competition between them proves collusion. And they say that those services dump weather data. In France, for example, the government weather service, Meteo France, gets FFr 2m a year from selling forecasts to TF1, the biggest commercial television station. TFl, meanwhile, gets FFr 1.7 billion in revenue from advertising spots around the weather report.
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K. So far, the commission has turned a deaf ear and the WMO has managed to persuade its members to take a united stand. Too much competition from the private sector would jeopardize the free exchange of data that allows any country to formulate forecasts. But the amounts at stake may soon change this.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Question Focus: Main idea - improvement in accuracy over time
Why this is correct: This paragraph is completely about how forecasts have improved in accuracy over time. Every sentence compares past forecasts with today's better forecasts.
Passage Reference: . Weather forecasts have become much more accurate over the past 20 years. Today's three-day forecasts are as good as one-day forecasts were in 1981. Ten-day forecasts are fast becoming the standard.
Tips: If all sentences describe improvement over time, choose a heading about change or development.
Why the other options are wrong:
- How scientists get accurate Forecasts: This talks about methods or technology, but the paragraph does not explain how accuracy is achieved. This is a context shift trap.
- A profitable market: Money or profit is not discussed here at all. This is a wrong section trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- accurate = correct
- standard = normal
Question Focus: Main idea - economic value of accuracy
Passage Reference: C. The more accurate the forecasts, the more they are worth. Sales of iced tea multiply by five each time the thermometer rises above 15°C. With a three-day forecast, retailers can send their orders to their sunniest outlets and soft-drinks companies can adjust their rate of production. Movie audiences, medicine consumption and toll receipts all vary according to the sky. In winter, power companies can save up to $100,000 a day if they know in advance how high users will turn up their heating.
Why this is correct: The paragraph explains how accurate forecasts save or make money for many businesses. Examples all support the same idea of financial value.
Tips: When a paragraph gives many examples, ask what all examples are proving.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A profitable market: This is broader and about market size, not how accuracy creates value. This is an example-as-main-idea trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- worth = valuable
- adjust = change
Question Focus: Main idea - commercial interest in forecasting
Passage Reference: D. Throughout most of its history, weather forecasting has been done by national governments, although, since any rain forecast for London incorporates data collected from as far away as Fiji, they have to cooperate. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), part of the United Nations, organizes the free exchange of data among 185 member states. But the more accurate - and therefore valuable - the weather forecasts become, the more commercial companies want to get into the business.
Why this is correct: The paragraph explains how forecasting was once government-run but is now attracting commercial companies because it is valuable.
Tips: Do not choose a history heading if history is only used as background.
Why the other options are wrong:
- The history OF weather forecasting: History is mentioned, but only as background. The main point is commercial interest. This is an example-as-main-idea trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- coveted = wanted
- incorporates = includes
Question Focus: Main idea - limited earnings despite big market
Passage Reference: s. E. By some estimate, Europe's weather forecasting market is currently worth $150m and it may soon be worth $700m. The state-owned weather forecasters are keen to cash in, but they remain heavily dependent on their governments. Britain's meteorological office earns more in commercial revenues than any of its European counterparts, but it brings in only £24m of its £155m budget.
Why this is correct: Although the market is large, state forecasters earn relatively little from it. This contrast is the key idea.
Tips: Watch for contrast words like but or only. They often show the main idea.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A profitable market: This ignores the important point that profits are actually small. This is a partial truth trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- estimate = guess
- counterparts = similar organizations
Question Focus: Main idea - private companies gaining market share
Passage Reference: get. F. One reason is that commercial companies have been taking an increasing slice of the weather business in Europe; over the past five years, global companies, such as Japan's Weather news, or national forecaster, such as the Netherlands' Meteor Consult, have captured 20% of the market from government weather services. Accuweather, an American company, has been courting European media, businessmen, mariners and mountain-climbing fanatics.
Why this is correct: The paragraph shows how private companies are successfully taking business from government services.
Tips: Percentages often signal market share or business success.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Commercial companies enjoyed unfair advantages: Unfairness is discussed later, not here. This is a wrong section trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- slice = share
- courting = trying to attract
Question Focus: Main idea - complaints about unfair access
Passage Reference: atics. G. Europe's state-owned weather services complain that the commercial companies have unfair advantages. Unlike them, the American Weather Service - which, according to the rules that govern it, is not allowed to sell information - passes on without charge the data it receives from the WMO to private companies. Thus, private forecaster can stock up on free American data and resell it to other markets without investing in costly satellites or supercomputers.
Why this is correct: State services argue that private companies get free data, giving them an unfair advantage.
Tips: Always check who is complaining. Do not assume.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Complaints made by private companies: Here, the complaints come from state-owned services, not private ones. This is a reverse meaning trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- advantage = benefit
- resell = sell again
Question Focus: Main idea - introduction of Regulation 40
Passage Reference: mputers. H. In 1995, European weathermen, supported by the South Americans, made the WMO adopt a new rule - Regulation 40 - that identifies two categories of products. Raw data needed by meteorologists all over the world remain at everybody's disposal. But weather services may not sell the data that have the greatest economic value - forecasts for a particular city, for instance - outside their national markets.
Why this is correct: This paragraph explains what Regulation 40 is and what it restricts.
Tips: When a paragraph introduces a named rule, the heading usually mentions regulation.
Why the other options are wrong:
- How people avoid complying with the rule: Avoiding the rule is discussed in the next paragraph. This is a wrong section trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- regulation = rule
- disposal = availability
Question Focus: Main idea - ways to bypass Regulation 40
Passage Reference: l markets. I. So naturally everybody sets about circumventing Regulation 40. Universities, which still enjoy free access to all weather data, are under suspicion, but the main way around the rules is to use the Internet, where the notion of national markets, used by Regulation 40, simply does not apply.
Why this is correct: The paragraph explains methods used to get around the regulation.
Tips: Words like avoid or get around clearly signal this type of heading.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A new regulation enforced by European weathermen: This paragraph is about avoiding the rule, not creating it. This is a context shift trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- circumventing = avoiding
- notion = idea
Question Focus: Main idea - accusations against government services
Passage Reference: s not apply. J. Private companies have also complained about government weather services to the European Commission, claiming that the absence of competition between them proves collusion. And they say that those services dump weather data. In France, for example, the government weather service, Meteo France, gets FFr 2m a year from selling forecasts to TF1, the biggest commercial television station. TFl, meanwhile, gets FFr 1.7 billion in revenue from advertising spots around the weather report.
Why this is correct: Private companies accuse government services of collusion and dumping data.
Tips: If the paragraph starts with complained, look for a complaint heading.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Commercial companies enjoyed unfair advantages: This paragraph shows private companies complaining, not benefiting. This is a reverse meaning trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- collusion = secret cooperation
- dump = sell cheaply
Question Focus: Main idea - possible future change
Passage Reference: ather report. K. So far, the commission has turned a deaf ear and the WMO has managed to persuade its members to take a united stand. Too much competition from the private sector would jeopardize the free exchange of data that allows any country to formulate forecasts. But the amounts at stake may
Why this is correct: The paragraph looks to the future and suggests the current balance may not last.
Tips: Future language like may soon usually signals a change heading.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A profitable market: This focuses on outcomes, not future change. This is a time/tense trap.
Key Vocabulary:
- jeopardize = put at risk
- united stand = act together
General Tips:
- Read all headings first and underline key words like improve, profit, complaints, regulation.
- Match the heading to the paragraph's main idea, not one example.
- Headings usually follow paragraph order in IELTS Reading.
- If two headings seem similar, choose the one that covers more of the paragraph.
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