Mistakes in practice material

[mogo]

Hi guys,

has anybody found the supposedly correct answers provided in the official IELTS preparation books to be incorrect?

Specifically I am referring to Cambridge Practice Tests 3, Academic Reading One.

Especially the Yes, No, Not given type of questions are sometimes answered in a way I would not agree with.

I will post an excerpt of the article, I hope this is not against forum rules.

"In addition to being responsible for more than 85 per cent of lung cancers, smoking is
associated with cancers of, amongst others, the mouth, stomach and kidneys, and is
thought to cause about 14 per cent of leukemia and cervical cancers. In 1990, smoking
caused more than 84,000 deaths, mainly resulting from such problems as pneumonia,
bronchitis and influenza. Smoking, it is believed, is responsible for 30 per cent of all
deaths from cancer and clearly represents the most important preventable cause of
cancer in countries like the United States today".

Now the statement in question is: 18 "Thirty per cent of deaths in the United States are caused by smoking-related diseases." As much as I think about it, the right answer appears to be Not Given. My reasoning here is that while the author says that smoking causes 30 percent of cancer related deaths, he does not say whether this amounts to 30 percent of all deaths, as statement No. 18 suggests. Even more, smoking does not necessarily have to cause deaths through cancer, it can also cause deaths through for example influenza (as the article suggests).

So, in conclusion, it seems entirely plausible that smoking is not only to blame for 30 percent of all cancer deaths, but also for 30 percent of deaths in total. However, the solutions in the back give "NO" as the right answer, which I feel is simply wrong.

Does anybody agree with my train of thought here? If no, please point out the mistake in my reasoning.

Thanks

[bridgetbones]

30% of deaths in US are caused by smoking-related diseases.
"Smoking-related diseases" is not same as" the smoking-related disease"(cancer).If so,it would be Yes.
Why No is correct?
84 thousand of deaths don't tell us what is a corresponding percentage.

[bridgetbones]

30% of deaths in US are caused by smoking-related diseases.
"Smoking-related diseases" is not same as" the smoking-related disease"(cancer).If so,it would be Yes.
Why No is correct?
84 thousand of deaths don't tell us what is a corresponding percentage.