TSIA2 Practice Test 9

Early draft

(1) On a July afternoon, the asphalt on an unshaded street can become hot enough to burn bare feet. (2) Just a few blocks away, a street lined with mature oaks and elms may feel noticeably cooler, and neighbors there are more likely to sit outside or walk to the corner store. (3) Our city has spent heavily on new roads in recent years, but it has planted few trees along them, and many older trees that died during recent droughts were never replaced. (4) City leaders should make street trees a priority in every neighborhood, not just in the wealthiest ones.

(5) Street trees offer several benefits that more than repay the cost of planting them. (6) Trees also trap dust and soot on their leaves, which improves the air that people breathe. (7) First, their leaves block sunlight before it reaches pavement and roofs, and the trees release water vapor that cools the surrounding air. (8) It can lower residents’ electricity bills during the hottest months of the year. (9) Finally, trees make streets more inviting to walkers, and some studies suggest that shoppers linger longer on tree-lined blocks.

(10) Some residents worry that tree roots will crack sidewalks or that falling leaves will clog storm drains and cause flooding on their streets. (11) These concerns are reasonable, but they can be managed with planning that many cities already use. (12) Choosing species with deep, noninvasive roots and leaving wide planting strips between the curb and the sidewalk helps protect the pavement. (13) My neighbor’s cat likes to nap in the shade beneath our maple tree. (14) A seasonal leaf-collection program, like the one many cities already run each autumn, can keep storm drains clear.