El Niño is intensifying heavy rain and flash-flood risks in the Southwest, scientists say

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

C1. 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 article’s central claim about El Niño and Southwestern flooding?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. El Niño is solely responsible for every recent Southwestern storm.
   2. El Niño is increasing conditions favorable to heavier rain and flooding.
   3. El Niño has already ended across the Pacific Ocean.
   4. El Niño affects only Peru and Ecuador.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   El Niño is increasing conditions favorable to heavier rain and flooding.

   The article presents El Niño as an intensifying factor, not an exclusive explanation.

   The climate phenomenon is not the only cause of the recent storms, but it is making intense precipitation more likely across the Southern United States.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention shifting winds?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To explain why storms can draw moisture toward the Southwest.
   2. To show that winds have prevented flooding in Arizona.
   3. To establish that El Niño is caused by atmospheric winds.
   4. To compare Southwestern winds with those near Ecuador.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To explain why storms can draw moisture toward the Southwest.

   The winds help explain how storms can access additional atmospheric moisture.

   Atmospheric winds are also shifting toward the Southwest, creating a more favorable path for passing storms to draw on that moisture.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred from the reference to higher baseline temperatures?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Climate change has eliminated natural climate variability.
   2. Long-term warming may amplify El Niño’s effects.
   3. Baseline temperatures determine exactly when El Niño peaks.
   4. El Niño directly causes human-caused climate change.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Long-term warming may amplify El Niño’s effects.

   The wording suggests long-term warming may amplify an already powerful natural cycle.

   The world’s oceans have also warmed over time because of human-caused climate change, and researchers say that higher baseline temperatures can make El Niño conditions more intense.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “its” refer to in “its influence could continue”?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The Southwest’s
   2. The river’s
   3. The El Niño’s
   4. The storm’s
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The El Niño’s

   The possessive pronoun refers to the El Niño event discussed in the preceding clause.

   The El Niño is expected to reach its peak in December, but its influence could continue for months afterward.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article primarily organized?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Chronologically, from ancient climate cycles to modern policy
   2. By comparing two unrelated natural disasters
   3. From mechanism and evidence toward implications and advice
   4. By presenting official advice before describing any risks
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   From mechanism and evidence toward implications and advice

   It moves from explanation to regional evidence, global context, and practical guidance.

   Experts have advised residents in vulnerable areas to monitor forecasts, prepare in advance, and follow evacuation warnings issued by local authorities.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does the water estimate chiefly demonstrate?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The geographical and quantitative scale of the rainfall
   2. The exact amount of water stored in Pacific seawater
   3. The number of residents evacuated throughout Nevada
   4. The annual precipitation average for the Four Corners
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The geographical and quantitative scale of the rainfall

   The estimate quantifies the extraordinary scale of recent precipitation across several states.

   More than 20 trillion gallons of water fell across the Four Corners states and Nevada during the past two weeks, according to calculations by Ryan Maue, a former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article mention Peru and Ecuador?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To identify where El Niño originated
   2. To show that related flooding has international dimensions
   3. To explain why Southwestern winds changed direction
   4. To contrast flooding with drought in South America
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To show that related flooding has international dimensions

   Those examples broaden the discussion beyond the Southwest’s regional impacts.

   In other parts of the world, including Peru and Ecuador, shifting weather patterns have contributed to record-breaking floods.

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.