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B2 Upper-intermediate Reading Environment 20 minutes 12 questions

The Hidden Trade-Offs of Urban Rewilding

About this practice test

An explanatory article examines how urban rewilding can support wildlife, reduce heat and absorb rain while requiring careful maintenance, fair planning and realistic budgeting.

What you’ll practice

Finding detail

Locate specific information and evidence.

Interpreting ideas

Connect main points and inferences.

Evaluating arguments

Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.

What to expect: 12 questions with explanations to review after submission.

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level
B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
Question formats
Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

The Hidden Trade-Offs of Urban Rewilding

In many cities, urban rewilding means letting selected corners grow in a more varied way: mowing less, planting native shrubs, adding wet hollows, and leaving some dead wood in place. Supporters say it saves money and gives insects and birds a foothold. Yet the most interesting results are not always the most visible ones. A site that looks wonderfully untidy in June may be thriving, or it may simply be neglected. The difference matters, because rewilding only works when it is planned rather than accidental. At first, residents of the Riverside district welcomed a string of former car parks turned into meadow strips. Bees returned, and the soil absorbed heavy rain more easily. On hot afternoons, the taller plants also cooled the pavement. But the benefits were uneven. The city had started in newer neighbourhoods, where land was cheaper and wider, while denser blocks waited longer for attention. In those places, people who had the least private green space saw the changes last. The maintenance team soon found that wild growth did not remove work; it changed it. Tall vegetation could hide litter and make paths feel less open, so staff had to check sightlines around benches, corners and crossings. They also had to remove invasive plants before they took over. Not every patch could be treated the same way. Near playgrounds and flood drains, for instance, the team kept clearer edges so parents could see children and water could still move after storms. Rewilding was never a matter of simply walking away. Biodiversity brought its own trade-off. Some managers assumed that stopping mowing entirely would be best for wildlife, but that was too simple. A few species need short turf, bare soil or low, sunny margins. When every area grows tall, one group can dominate and another disappears. In the city garden, volunteers left a small section cut short for ground-nesting bees and beetles, while nearby beds were allowed to flower higher. The lesson was not that wild is better than neat, but that different forms of structure help different creatures. Money also proved complicated. Less mowing reduced fuel use and machine wear, yet the council had to spend more on initial planting, staff training and public signs. The savings were real, but they arrived slowly and were easy to overstate in a budget meeting. If officials promised that rewilding was a cheap fix, residents would notice the extra costs long before any long-term savings appeared. Several people who lived beside the new meadows accepted the idea in principle but still asked for tidier edges along footpaths and house fronts. That is why the strongest case for urban rewilding is cautious rather than romantic. A wilder city can hold more life, shade streets and soften floods, but only if planners accept trade-offs instead of ignoring them. The most successful projects are those that choose where to let nature lead, where to keep control, and where to revise the plan after watching what actually grows. In other words, the goal is a designed landscape, not abandonment.

  1. Question 1 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What is the passage mainly about?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. The passage argues that rewilding should be abandoned because it is messy.
    2. The passage shows that rewilding helps cities but requires careful management.
    3. The passage mainly describes parks in older neighbourhoods.
    4. The passage explains why one park project failed.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    The passage shows that rewilding helps cities but requires careful management.

    The passage argues that urban rewilding can bring useful environmental benefits, but it also creates practical trade-offs that planners must manage. The other options are too extreme or too narrow: the writer does not reject rewilding, focus only on one city, or present the topic as a simple success story.

    A site that looks wonderfully untidy in June may be thriving, or it may simply be neglected
    the goal is a designed landscape, not abandonment

  2. Question 2 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What does the passage suggest about rewilding's less visible trade-offs?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. They may appear indirectly or only after the project begins.
    2. They are easy for everyone to see immediately.
    3. They are understood only by wildlife experts.
    4. They are deliberately kept secret from residents.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    They may appear indirectly or only after the project begins.

    The writer suggests that the costs or limits of rewilding may not be obvious at first and may show up indirectly, later, or in other places. The other options add ideas that are not in the passage, such as secrecy or immediate visibility.

    the most interesting results are not always the most visible ones
    The savings were real, but they arrived slowly and were easy to overstate in a budget meeting

  3. Question 3 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Why did staff have to check sightlines around benches, corners and crossings?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. Plants needed extra water there.
    2. Residents wanted more shade.
    3. The council needed room for signs.
    4. Tall plants could hide litter and reduce visibility.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    Tall plants could hide litter and reduce visibility.

    The passage says tall vegetation could hide litter and make paths feel less open, so staff had to monitor those areas. The other options mention issues the text does not connect to sightlines.

    Tall vegetation could hide litter and make paths feel less open, so staff had to check sightlines around benches, corners and crossings

  4. Question 4 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    In the passage, 'sightlines' most nearly means ...

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. the amount of light on a path
    2. the lines of view across an area
    3. the rules for public access
    4. the distance between buildings
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    the lines of view across an area

    Here, 'sightlines' refers to what people can see across an area. The other options are plausible in a city context, but they do not match the way the word is used in the sentence about benches, corners and crossings.

    staff had to check sightlines around benches, corners and crossings

  5. Question 5 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Why were the benefits of the project described as uneven?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. Newer areas had drier weather.
    2. Older blocks already had enough parks.
    3. Bees lived only in newer areas.
    4. Newer areas offered cheaper, wider land.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    Newer areas offered cheaper, wider land.

    The text explains that the city began in newer neighbourhoods where land was cheaper and wider, while denser blocks had to wait longer. The other options invent reasons the passage does not give.

    The city had started in newer neighbourhoods, where land was cheaper and wider, while denser blocks waited longer for attention

  6. Question 6 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What is the writer's view of calling rewilding 'a cheap fix'?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. It accurately describes the overall cost.
    2. It is true when residents support the plan.
    3. It applies only to native-shrub projects.
    4. It is too simple because savings come slowly and extra costs arise.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    It is too simple because savings come slowly and extra costs arise.

    The writer thinks that description is too simple. The passage says savings can be overstated and that extra costs appear too, so rewilding is not just a quick budget-saving trick. The other options are either too supportive or unrelated.

    If officials promised that rewilding was a cheap fix, residents would notice the extra costs long before any long-term savings appeared
    The savings were real, but they arrived slowly and were easy to overstate in a budget meeting

  7. Question 7 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Why did the city garden keep a small section cut short?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. To keep rain away from flower beds.
    2. To create space for children's games.
    3. To reduce the need for signs.
    4. To support ground-nesting bees and beetles.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    To support ground-nesting bees and beetles.

    The passage states that the short section was left for ground-nesting bees and beetles. The other options may sound possible in a park, but they are not what the text says.

    volunteers left a small section cut short for ground-nesting bees and beetles

  8. Question 8 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What lesson does the writer draw from the biodiversity example?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. Different creatures need different kinds of habitat structure.
    2. A site should be left entirely alone once plants start to grow.
    3. Wildlife always prefers tall vegetation to short turf.
    4. Beetles are more important than birds in urban areas.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    Different creatures need different kinds of habitat structure.

    The example shows that different species need different habitat conditions, so management matters. The incorrect options either exaggerate one kind of vegetation or misread the point as total non-intervention.

    The lesson was not that wild is better than neat, but that different forms of structure help different creatures

  9. Question 9 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What does the phrase 'a designed landscape, not abandonment' imply?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. Residents should design the landscape themselves.
    2. City planners should decide where nature leads and where control stays.
    3. Only abandoned sites can become rich habitats.
    4. The council should abandon all parks to save money.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    City planners should decide where nature leads and where control stays.

    The phrase means planners should choose where to let nature lead and where to keep control. The other options turn the idea into complete neglect or put the responsibility in the wrong place.

    The most successful projects are those that choose where to let nature lead, where to keep control, and where to revise the plan after watching what actually grows
    the goal is a designed landscape, not abandonment

  10. Question 10 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What extra spending did the council face?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. Benches, lighting and a visitor centre
    2. Fences, playground repairs and bus stops
    3. Tree removal, road widening and drains
    4. Planting, staff training and public signs
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    Planting, staff training and public signs

    The passage clearly lists initial planting, staff training and public signs as extra costs. The other options mention items that are not part of the text's budget discussion.

    the council had to spend more on initial planting, staff training and public signs

  11. Question 11 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    What can be inferred about some people who lived beside the new meadows?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. They did not notice any change at all.
    2. They wanted the meadows removed because bees were noisy.
    3. They only cared about budget savings.
    4. They accepted the idea but wanted cleaner edges near homes and paths.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    They accepted the idea but wanted cleaner edges near homes and paths.

    The passage says they accepted the idea in principle but still wanted neater edges close to homes and paths. That shows cautious support, not rejection or indifference.

    Several people who lived beside the new meadows accepted the idea in principle but still asked for tidier edges along footpaths and house fronts

  12. Question 12 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Which statement best describes the writer's overall attitude?

    Return to the passage, recording or visual
    1. The writer is neutral about rewilding.
    2. The writer supports leaving every project untouched.
    3. The writer wants cities to stop rewilding.
    4. The writer supports cautious, planned rewilding.
    Check answers and explanations
    Answer
    The writer supports cautious, planned rewilding.

    The writer is supportive but careful. The passage praises the benefits of rewilding, yet repeatedly stresses planning, limits and compromise. The other options are too negative, too unconditional, or too detached.

    That is why the strongest case for urban rewilding is cautious rather than romantic
    A wilder city can hold more life, shade streets and soften floods, but only if planners accept trade-offs instead of ignoring them

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.

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