New Mexico’s Alien Throne Rock Formation Collapses After Heavy Rain

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.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the main point of the article?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. A New Mexico pillar collapsed after heavy rain, highlighting how landmarks can change.
   2. Researchers identified the exact process that caused the pillar to fall.
   3. Officials announced a plan to protect all exposed rock formations.
   4. Visitors described the pillar’s exact shape before it disappeared.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A New Mexico pillar collapsed after heavy rain, highlighting how landmarks can change.

   It reports the collapse and places it in a wider context of change.

   The recent losses also offer a reminder that natural landmarks are not permanent.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention that the formation stood 15 feet tall?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To provide a specific detail about the fallen pillar’s size.
   2. To explain how rain created the pillar’s shape.
   3. To compare the pillar with other formations in New Mexico.
   4. To show that the pillar was taller than nearby terrain.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To provide a specific detail about the fallen pillar’s size.

   The measurement gives readers a concrete sense of its scale.

   The formation stood 15 feet tall.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about the two recent losses?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The region has experienced two notable formation losses within a short period.
   2. Both formations collapsed during the same storm.
   3. The two formations were located in the same park.
   4. The second collapse was caused by visitors.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The region has experienced two notable formation losses within a short period.

   Their closeness in time makes the repeated change noticeable.

   Its collapse marks the second loss of a striking rock formation in the region in less than a month.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In paragraph two, what does “Those” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The general ways rain can affect exposed rock.
   2. The confirmed details about the pillar’s location.
   3. The recent losses of two rock formations.
   4. The reasons visitors remember unusual landmarks.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The general ways rain can affect exposed rock.

   The pronoun points back to the general effects just described.

   Those are broad ways weather can shape landscapes; the specific process behind Alien Throne’s collapse is not established here.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the second paragraph organized?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It introduces landscape change, gives general examples, then limits the claim.
   2. It lists three confirmed causes of Alien Throne’s collapse.
   3. It compares the pillar’s height with other formations.
   4. It describes the name’s origin and then identifies its location.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It introduces landscape change, gives general examples, then limits the claim.

   It moves from a broad observation to possible weather effects and a limitation.

   In general, rain can affect exposed rock by running over its surface, carrying loose material away, or adding pressure to weakened areas.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the relationship between the name “Alien Throne” and the pillar’s appearance?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The name suggests a distinctive look, though its exact shape is unknown.
   2. The name confirms that the pillar resembled an alien figure.
   3. The name was given because rain shaped the pillar like a throne.
   4. The name identifies the visitors who first discovered the formation.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The name suggests a distinctive look, though its exact shape is unknown.

   The name hints at appearance, but the article leaves its form unspecified.

   The name Alien Throne suggests a distinctive appearance, but the available facts do not describe its exact shape or explain how it received that name.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which statement best reflects the article’s level of certainty?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It reports established details while acknowledging what remains unknown.
   2. It argues that heavy rain always destroys natural pillars.
   3. It presents a detailed scientific explanation for the collapse.
   4. It suggests that the landmark’s disappearance was expected.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It reports established details while acknowledging what remains unknown.

   It separates confirmed facts from broader possibilities about weather.

   For Alien Throne, the confirmed account is brief: a 15-foot pillar in New Mexico fell after heavy rain, and it was the region’s second striking rock formation lost in less than a month.

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.