The passage typically explains that while climate change and rising sea levels are factors, the primary cause of sinking cities is human activity—specifically, . When cities drill wells to access aquifers for drinking water, washing, and industry, they remove water from the porous sediment layers below. Without that water to provide pressure support, the sediment compresses like a dry sponge. This process, called subsidence , causes the land surface to drop. In Jakarta, parts of the city are sinking up to 10 inches per year. The passage concludes with solutions: building sea walls, artificial recharge of aquifers, and reducing reliance on private wells.
| Question # | Type | Correct Answer | |------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------| | 1 | Multiple Choice | B (Groundwater extraction) | | 2 | Multiple Choice | C (Lack of piped water infrastructure) | | 3 | True/False/NG | False | | 4 | True/False/NG | True | | 5 | True/False/NG | Not Given | | 6 | Matching Headings | iv (The physics of sinking) | | 7 | Matching Headings | i (Jakarta’s emergency) | | 8 | Matching Headings | vi (Historic solutions) | | 9 | Sentence Completion | aquifers | | 10 | Sentence Completion | compress | | 11 | Summary Completion | sea walls | | 12 | Short Answer | 10 inches (per year) | | 13 | Short Answer | Tokyo / Japan | sinking cities reading answers
Local subsidence often outpaces sea-level rise by a factor of ten. In cities like Jakarta, Houston, and Mexico City, the primary culprit is groundwater extraction . When underground aquifers are depleted to support growing populations, the earth above them compacts and sinks. City-Specific Case Studies The passage typically explains that while climate change