IELTS - Reading Passage 1 - Destruction

In IELTS Reading Passage 1, topics related to history and ancient civilisations frequently appear. Since destruction, conflict, and natural disasters were common throughout history, it is essential to familiarise yourself with vocabulary related to these events.

One useful expression is to wreak havoc or to play havoc, both of which describe causing serious damage, disruption, or chaos.

1. To wreak havoc / to play havoc

Definition: To cause widespread damage, destruction, or serious disruption to something.

Examples:

• The invading army wreaked havoc on the ancient city, destroying buildings and killing thousands of people.
• Repeated floods played havoc with agricultural production, leaving local communities without sufficient food.
• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the region's infrastructure, reducing entire settlements to rubble.
• Wars and political instability played havoc with trade routes, disrupting economic activity across the region.

Common collocations:

• wreak havoc on a city
• wreak havoc on the economy
• wreak havoc on the environment
• play havoc with agricultural production
• play havoc with trade and commerce

IELTS tip: Pay attention to the prepositions. Wreak havoc on is common when referring to something that suffers damage, while play havoc with is often used when something is seriously disrupted.

2. Related vocabulary

• To devastate — to destroy a place or cause severe damage.
• The invading forces devastated the surrounding villages.
• To lay waste to — to destroy or severely damage a large area.
• The conflict laid waste to vast areas of fertile land.
• To raze to the ground — to completely destroy a building or settlement.
• The ancient fortress was razed to the ground during the invasion.
• To reduce something to rubble — to destroy something so that only broken pieces of stone or other materials remain.
• The powerful earthquake reduced much of the city to rubble.
• To plunder — to steal valuable goods by force, particularly during a war or riot.
• The invaders plundered the city and took its most valuable treasures.
• To obliterate — to destroy something completely, leaving little or no trace of it.
• Centuries of erosion and repeated conflicts obliterated many traces of the ancient settlement.
• To succumb to — to be unable to survive or resist something harmful.
• Many early settlements succumbed to prolonged drought and food shortages.

Remember

Learning vocabulary in context is far more effective than memorising isolated words. Pay attention to the nouns and prepositions that commonly accompany each expression, as these combinations can help you understand unfamiliar vocabulary in IELTS Reading.