The felling of trees contributes to environmental …

Analyze the question

The sentence is: "The felling of trees contributes to environmental ___." We need the word that best fits with "environmental" and the idea of cutting down trees.

Explain the concept

This is a test of collocation, meaning words that naturally go together. In English, "environmental degradation" is a fixed, standard phrase. It refers to the gradual deterioration of the environment through loss of resources such as forests, soil and water. Deforestation (the felling of trees) is one of the classic causes of it.

Go through the options

• A. pollution: This means contamination of air, water or soil by harmful substances (smoke, chemicals, waste). Felling trees does not directly pollute, so it is not the best fit.
• B. damage: This is grammatically possible, but it is general and vague. "Environmental damage" is used, but it is less precise than the standard term.
• C. degradation: This is the standard phrase. Tree felling leads to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and desertification, which together are environmental degradation.
• D. destruction: This suggests total wiping out. Felling trees "contributes to" a process, and "contributes to" fits a gradual process (degradation) better than complete ruin. "Environmental destruction" is also less common.

Identify the answer

The best answer is C. degradation.

Tip

Learn common collocations for the exam: environmental degradation, environmental pollution, soil erosion, global warming. The phrase "contributes to" signals a gradual process, so pick a word that describes a gradual decline (degradation) over a word that suggests total, sudden ruin (destruction).