Cambridge IELTS Academic 20 Reading Test 3 Answers with Explanation / IELTS Academic Reading: Cambridge 20 Test 3 Answer / Cambridge IELTS 20 Reading Test 3 Answers with Explanation

Cambridge 20 IELTS Reading  Test -3

Reading Passage 1: Frozen Food

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
1	potatoes	conserved nutritional value, 2000 years ago, freezing then drying	Passage 1, Paragraph 1, lines 3–6	The text explains that 2,000 years ago, Andean inhabitants froze and then dried "potatoes" in the sun, which "preserved their nutritional value" (conserved).
2	butter	1851, kept cool, adapted trains	Passage 1, Paragraph 2, lines 4–6	The passage states that in 1851, railroads put blocks of ice in insulated rail cars (adapted trains) to transport "butter" from New York to Boston.
3	meat	Two kinds of, shipped to England	Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 2–4	Australian cattlemen realized they could "export meat across the oceans," sending a shipment of "beef and mutton" (which represent two kinds of meat) to England in 1880.
4	crystals	quick-freezing methods, did not spoil	Passage 1, Paragraph 7, lines 1–3	Birdseye developed quick-freezing techniques that "reduced the damage that crystals caused" (Paragraph 4 explains that these crystals previously burst cells and spoilt the flavor).
5	cellophane	packaging products, product was visible	Passage 1, Paragraph 7, lines 4–6	The prompt asks for the material used to keep the product visible. Birdseye introduced "cellophane, the first transparent material... which allowed consumers to see the quality."
6	tin	popular, shortage of	Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 1–3	The passage explains that frozen food boomed in the 1940s because canned foods were rationed "to save tin for the war effort." Rationing implies a shortage of this material.
7	refrigerator	1950s, large number of homes had a	Passage 1, Paragraph 9, lines 4–6	By the 1950s, the technology became affordable, and specifically by 1953, "33 million US families [a large number of homes] owned a refrigerator."
8	NOT GIVEN	ice transportation, made Boston ship owners very wealthy	Passage 1, Paragraph 2, lines 2–4	The text mentions that Boston ship owners "had enormous blocks of Arctic ice towed all over the Atlantic," but it never comments on their financial status or whether this made them "very wealthy."
9	TRUE	disadvantage, freezing process, affected the taste	Passage 1, Paragraph 4, lines 5–7	The text confirms this negative effect, explaining that when crystals expanded and burst cells, it "spoilt the flavor and texture of the food" (flavor = taste).
10	FALSE	travelled to Labrador, in order to learn, Inuit froze fish	Passage 1, Paragraph 5, lines 2–4	The text states Birdseye "went to Labrador in Canada to trap and trade furs." While he was there, he happened to become fascinated by the Inuit freezing fish, but that was not his initial purpose for traveling.
11	TRUE	Swanson Foods invested, great deal of money, promotion	Passage 1, Paragraph 10, lines 4–5	The passage confirms this by stating Swanson launched the TV Dinner "with the help of a clever name and a huge advertising budget" (invested a great deal of money in promotion).
12	FALSE	Swanson Foods developed, new style of container	Passage 1, Paragraph 10, lines 6–7	The text contradicts this by stating the TV Dinner was "served in the same segmented aluminum tray that was used by airlines," meaning they reused an existing design, rather than developing a new one.
13	NOT GIVEN	US frozen food industry, currently the largest	Passage 1, Paragraph 11	The text provides extensive financial figures about the US frozen food industry today ($67 billion annually), but it never compares it to other countries to definitively claim it is the "largest in the world."

Reading Passage 2: Can the planet’s coral reefs be saved?

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
14	v	Section A	Passage 2, Section A, Paragraph 2	Paul Pearce-Kelly outlines two distinct goals for the exhibit: 1) "we want to show people how wonderful they are" and 2) "we also want to highlight the research and conservation efforts" (Two clear educational goals).
15	ii	Section B	Passage 2, Section B, lines 3–6	The paragraph describes how algae provide nutrients and coral provides protection. The writer explicitly calls this a "comfortable symbiotic relationship," aligning with the heading "Cooperation beneath the waves."
16	iv	Section C	Passage 2, Section C, lines 1–4	The section highlights how the phrase 'rainforests of the sea' is "dismissed by some naturalists, including David Attenborough." This represents a clear disagreement about the accuracy of a certain phrase.
17	vii	Section D	Passage 2, Section D, lines 4–8	The section lists ongoing menaces and issues a stark warning: "scientists advise that more than 90% of reefs could be lost by 2050 unless urgent action is taken" (A warning of further trouble ahead).
18	iii	Section E	Passage 2, Section E, lines 1–8	This paragraph details actions scientists are taking to mitigate damage: pinpointing hardy corals, increasing breeding rates, and spawning artificially to "help in restoring blighted reefs" (Working to lessen the problems).
19	vi	Section F	Passage 2, Section F, lines 5–8	The text focuses on the psychological aim of the displays: to "encourage them to believe that we can do something to save the planet's reefs," which perfectly matches the goal of "Promoting hope."
20/21	C, E	TWO, causes of damage	Passage 2, Section D, lines 4–6	The text explicitly lists multiple threats. "Pollution by humans" matches C (contamination from waste), and "ocean current changes" matches E (alterations in the usual flow of water). A, B, and D are not listed.
22/23	B, D	TWO, true of researchers at London Zoo	Passage 2, Section E, lines 4–8	Researchers aim to find species that "can survive best in warm, acidic waters," matching B (identify corals that can cope well). They also aim to "try to increase coral breeding rates," matching D (speed up reproduction).
24	tentacles	Corals have a number of, collect their food	Passage 2, Section B, lines 1–2	The text explains that corals consist of polyps "with tentacles for capturing small marine creatures" (capturing = collect their food).
25	protection	Algae gain, inside the coral	Passage 2, Section B, lines 3–4	The text notes that the algae living within the polyps "in turn get protection."
26	colour	Increases in the warmth, remove	Passage 2, Section D, lines 2–3	The passage explains that "Rising ocean temperatures [increases in warmth] are triggering bleaching events that strip reefs of their colour" (strip = remove).

Reading Passage 3: Robots and us

Q	Answer	Keywords	Location	Analytical Explanation
27	A	Martin Rees, humans will need to restrict, abilities	Passage 3, Paragraph 7, lines 6–8	Rees states: "we should ensure that robots remain as no more than 'idiot savants' lacking the capacity to outwit us..." Ensuring they lack capacity means artificially restricting their abilities for our safety.
28	C	Kathleen Richardson, risk of robots harming us, less serious	Passage 3, Paragraph 9, lines 3–5	Richardson notes that "as robots have never shown themselves to be a threat to humans, it seems unlikely that they ever will." She implies human fear exaggerates the actual risk, making it less serious than believed.
29	B	Daniel Wolpert, many decades, as imaginative	Passage 3, Paragraph 5, lines 5–7	Wolpert argues: "Expecting a machine close to the creative intelligence [imaginative] of a human within the next 50 years [many decades] would be highly ambitious."
30	A	Martin Rees, start considering, treating robots fairly	Passage 3, Paragraph 4, lines 6–8	Rees ponders the future moral questions: "Should we feel guilty about exploiting [sophisticated robots]? Should we fret if they are underemployed, frustrated, or bored?" This is the essence of considering fair treatment.
31	B	Daniel Wolpert, more help to us on Earth than in space	Passage 3, Paragraph 2, lines 4–6	Wolpert explicitly states: "Using robots to gather resources nearer to home [on Earth] would seem to be a better use of our robotic tools" than sending them to colonise other planets.
32	A	Martin Rees, high-quality science fiction, accurate	Passage 3, Paragraph 10, lines 2–4	Rees advises students to read "first-rate science fiction" instead of "second-rate science," concluding it is "perhaps no more likely to be wrong" (meaning the high-quality fiction may be just as accurate).
33	C	Kathleen Richardson, look forward to robots developing greater intelligence	Passage 3, Paragraph 9, lines 5–6	Richardson notes that fear is not universal: "Not all fear [robots]; many people welcome machine intelligence" (meaning they look forward to its development).
34	C	Richardson and Rees, similar views, ethical aspect	Passage 3, Paragraphs 1 & 3	Rees argues colonised planets should be "preserved" rather than modified ("terraforming"). Richardson thinks "colonisation" is morally dubious and we shouldn't "impose a particular model." Both argue ethically against making major changes to other planets for our benefit.
35	B	Rees and Wolpert, share an opinion, extent of	Passage 3, Paragraphs 4 & 5	Rees points out robots can beat humans at chess but lack sensory awareness. Wolpert notes machines can navigate better but lack visual/speech reliability. Both are outlining the exact limits (extent) of the advances made in machine intelligence so far.
36	D	Wolpert disagrees with Richardson, question of	Passage 3, Paragraphs 8 & 9	Wolpert argues "we have already seen the damaging effects... in the form of computer viruses" (harm already done). Richardson argues "none have in fact risen up and challenged human supremacy." They directly disagree on whether AI has already caused harm.
37	B	Richardson, fear of machines	Passage 3, Paragraph 6, lines 3–5	Richardson believes the fear stems from "humans' tendency to personify inanimate objects: we create machines based on representations of ourselves." This perfectly matches attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.
38	C	Rees, cause for concern	Passage 3, Paragraph 7, lines 3–5	Rees worries that computer networks "could behave like a single 'brain' with a mind of its own, and with goals that may be contrary to human welfare." This describes AI developing independent thought.
39	B	Wolpert emphasise, science fiction	Passage 3, Paragraph 11, lines 4–5	Wolpert notes: "Interestingly, almost no science fiction envisages a future without robots." This emphasizes how essential and fundamental robots are to the very existence of the sci-fi genre.
40	C	Richardson doing, comment about reality and fantasy	Passage 3, Paragraph 12, lines 7–10