Cambridge IELTS Academic 8 Reading Test 3 Answers with Explanation / IELTS Academic Reading: Striking back at lightning with lasers , The nature of genius , How does the biological clock tick

READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1.

Striking back at lightning with lasers

Question	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text/Explanation
1	D	main topic, laser technique, control lightning strikes	Paragraphs 1-10	The main topic discussed in the text is ‘A laser technique that may work to control lightning strikes.’ The passage explores the research, development, and potential applications of this laser technique.
2	A	every year, lightning, considerable damage, buildings, thunderstorms	Last lines of paragraph A	According to the passage, lightning does considerable damage to buildings during thunderstorms, costing American power companies more than $100 million a year.
3	A	Researchers, University of Florida, University of New Mexico, receive funds, EPRI	Paragraphs 3 and 5	Researchers at the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico receive funds from the same source, which is EPRI (Electrical Power Research Institute).
4	power companies	EPRI receives, financial support	Paragraph 3	EPRI, which is funded by power companies, provides financial support.
5	safely	advantage, technique, Diels, can be used	Paragraph 5	The advantage of the technique being developed by Diels is that it can be used safely, ensuring the safety of individuals and equipment.
6	size	main difficulty, laser equipment, related to	Paragraph 7	The main difficulty associated with using the laser equipment is related to its size, as the current laser is large and takes up a whole room.
7	B	laser, create, line of ionisation, removing electrons from	Paragraph 6	In this method, a laser is used to create a line of ionisation by removing electrons from atoms.
8	C	laser, directed, control electrical charges, less dangerous than	Paragraph 6	The laser is directed at storm clouds in order to control electrical charges, which is a less dangerous method compared to using rockets.
9	G	laser, directed, control electrical charges, less dangerous than	Paragraph 6	The laser is directed at rockets in order to control electrical charges, but using rockets is considered more dangerous in populated areas.
10	D	protection, lasers, beams, aimed firstly	Paragraph 6	As a protection for the lasers, the beams are aimed firstly at mirrors, which deflect the beams into the sky.
11	NO	power companies, given, Diels, enough money, develop his laser	Paragraph 8	Power companies have not yet given Diels enough money to develop his laser, although they show interest in his system.
12	YES	obtaining money, improve the lasers, depend on, tests, real storms	Paragraph 8	Obtaining money to improve the lasers will depend on tests in real storms, and the results of these tests will determine the support and interest from various sources.
13	NOT GIVEN	Weather forecasters, intensely interested, Diels’s system	Not mentioned	There is no information provided in the passage about the level of interest weather forecasters have in Diels's system.

 

 

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14–26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 .

The nature of genius

Question Number	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
14	B	intellectuals, prodigies burn out	Paragraph B, lines 4-5	"..that intellectuals are impractical, that prodigies burn too brightly too soon and burn out..."
15	C	people with gifts, have a responsibility, use them	Paragraph B, lines 10-11	"...that people with gifts have a responsibility to use them..."
16	F	genius runs in families	Paragraph B, lines 6-7	"...that genius runs in families..."
17	H	genius goes unrecognized and unrewarded	Paragraph B, line 9	"...that genius goes unrecognized and unrewarded..."
18	J	adversity, develop their greatness	Paragraph B, line 10	"...that adversity makes men wise..."
19	TRUE	Nineteenth-century studies, uniqueness, person's upbringing	Paragraph 3, lines 7-9	"...the difficulty with the evidence produced by these studies...is that they are not what we would today call norm-referenced."
20	TRUE	Nineteenth-century studies, objectivity, scientific approach	Paragraph 3, last sentence	"It was only with the growth of paediatrics and psychology in the twentieth century that studies could be carried out on a more objective, if still not always very scientific, basis."
21	FALSE	true genius, general powers, excellence in any area	Paragraph 4, lines 9-10	"The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to particular direction..."
22	TRUE	skills, ordinary individuals, same as, prodigies	Paragraph 5, lines 1-2	"...the achievements of prodigies are the manifestations of skills or abilities which are similar to, but also much superior to, our own."
23	TRUE	ease, truly great ideas, accepted and taken for granted, lessen, significance	Paragraph 5, lines 4-8	"...the hard-won discoveries of scientists like Kepler or Einstein become the commonplace knowledge of schoolchildren...This does not minimize the supremacy of their achievements..."
24	NOT GIVEN	Giftedness and genius, proper scientific research, true nature, all talent, retained for the human race	No information found	N/A
25	TRUE	Geniuses, pay, high price, achieve greatness	Paragraph 6, lines 7-10	"We may envy their achievements and fame, but we should also recognize the price they may have paid in terms of perseverance, single-mindedness, dedication..."
26	NOT GIVEN	To be a genius, worth, high personal cost	No information found	N/A

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27–40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 .

How does the biological clock tick

Question Number	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
27	ix	ageing, laws of physical chemistry, thermodynamics	Paragraph B, lines 2-7	"‗older‘. Ageing in this case must occur according to the laws of physical chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the same law holds for a living organism, the result of this law is not inexorable in the same way. At least as long as a biological system has the ability to renew itself it could actually become older without ageing."
28	ii	restricted life span, ageing, death, adapt or replaced by new types	Paragraph C, lines 4-7	"system to age and die. Nevertheless, a restricted life span, ageing, and then death are basic characteristics of life. The reason for this is easy to recognise: in nature, the existent organisms either adapt or are regularly replaced by new types"
29	vii	average duration of human life, hardly changed, upper limit, medical care, nutrition	Paragraph D, lines 4-8	"constant. For example, the average duration of human life has hardly changed in thousands of years. Although more and more people attain an advanced age as a result of developments in medical care and better nutrition, the characteristic upper limit for most remains 80 years"
30	i	genetically determined biological characteristic, internal clock	Paragraph E, first 3 lines	"If a life span is a genetically determined biological characteristic, it is logically necessary to propose the existence of an internal clock, which in some way measures"
31	viii	sparing use of energy reserves, hibernation, lethargy, metabolic rate, hunger diet, women older than men	Paragraph F, lines 5-10	"captivity. Animals which save energy by hibernation or lethargy (e.g. bats or hedgehogs) live much longer than those which are always active. The metabolic rate of mice can be reduced by a very low consumption of food (hunger diet). They then may live twice as long as their well-fed comrades. Women become distinctly (about 10 per cent) older than men"
32	iv	sparing use of energy reserves, extreme high-performance sports	Paragraph G, first 2 lines	"It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend life. Extreme high-performance sports"

Question Number	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
33	physical chemistry	N/A	Paragraph B, line 4-5	"Ageing in this case must occur according to the laws of physical chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the"
34	thermodynamics	N/A	Paragraph B, line 4-5	"Ageing in this case must occur according to the laws of physical chemistry and of thermodynamics. Although the"
35	adapt	N/A	Paragraph C, lines 9-10	"characteristics and in the course of their individual lives they are tested for optimal or better adaptation to the environmental conditions"
36	Immortality	N/A	Paragraph C, last 3 lines	"conditions. Immortality would disturb this system — it needs room for new and better life. This is the basic problem of evolution"

Question Number	Answer	Keywords	Location	Text
38	YES	biological system, renew itself, become older without ageing	Paragraph B, line 7-9	"is not inexorable in the same way. At least as long as a biological system has the ability to renew itself it could actually become older without ageing"
39	NOT GIVEN	N/A	N/A	N/A
40	YES	sparing use of energy reserves, extend life, extreme high-performance sports	Paragraph G, first 2 lines	"It follows from the above that sparing use of energy reserves should tend to extend life. Extreme high-performance sports"