뉴토플 Read an Academic Passage 공략 (2026): 문제 유형과 풀이 전략

On a summer evening, the center of a large city can be several degrees warmer than the countryside around it. Scientists call this difference the urban heat island effect. It is usually strongest after sunset, when rural areas cool quickly but cities do not.

The main cause is the materials cities are built from. Asphalt roads and concrete buildings absorb a great deal of sunlight during the day and give that heat back slowly at night. Cities also have fewer trees and plants, which cool the air by releasing water through their leaves. In addition, cars, air conditioners, and factories add their own waste heat.

Because the effect can make heat waves more dangerous, many cities are trying to reduce it. Some paint roofs white or light gray so that they reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it. Others plant trees along streets or cover roofs with gardens. These changes cannot remove the effect entirely, but they can lower temperatures in the neighborhoods that need it most.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

(A) Why cities are warmer than nearby areas, and what cities do about it(B) How heat waves form in the summer(C) The history of building materials in cities(D) Why rural areas cool quickly after sunset

2. The word "absorb" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to

(A) take in(B) reflect(C) produce(D) lose

3. According to paragraph 2, how do trees and plants cool the air?

(A) By releasing water through their leaves(B) By blocking the wind(C) By absorbing heat from roads(D) By reflecting sunlight

4. All of the following are mentioned as causes of the effect EXCEPT

(A) materials that hold heat from the sun(B) a lack of trees and plants(C) heat from vehicles and machines(D) pollution in the air

5. Why does the author mention roofs painted white or light gray?

(A) To give an example of how cities reduce the effect(B) To explain why buildings absorb heat(C) To compare cities with the countryside(D) To show that the effect cannot be reduced