Carbon’s New Math- IELTS Reading Answers
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The Reading Module of the IELTS can be the top-scoring category with diligent practice. To achieve the best results in this section, you must understand how to approach and answer the different Question types in the Reading Module. By solving and reviewing Sample Reading Questions from past IELTS papers, you can ensure that your reading skills are up to the mark.
The Academic passage, ‘Carbon’s New Math‘, is a reading passage that appeared in an IELTS Test. Ideally, you should not spend more than 20 minutes on a passage. Let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.
Carbon’s New Math is part of an IELTS Academic reading test. The question types found in this passage are:
- Summary Completion (Q. 1 – 8)
- True/False/Not Given (Q.9 – 13)
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27, which are based on the Reading Passage below.
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Carbon’s New Math
To deal with global warming, the first step is to do the numbers.
A Here’s how it works. Before the industrial revolution, the Earth’s atmosphere contained about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. That was a good amount “good” defined as “what we were used to.” Since the molecular structure of carbon dioxide traps heat near the planet’s surface that would otherwise radiate back out to space, civilization grew up in a world whose thermostat was set by that number. It equated to a global average temperature of about 57 degrees Fahrenheit (about 14 degrees Celsius), which in turn equated to all the places we built our cities, all the crops we learned to grow and eat, all the water supplies we learned to depend on, even the passage of the seasons that, at higher latitudes, set our psychological calendars.
B Once we started burning coal and gas and oil to power our lives, that 280 number started to rise. When we began measuring in the late 1950s, it had already reached the 315 level. Now it’s at 380, and increasing by roughly two parts per million annually. That doesn’t sound like very much, but it turns out that the extra heat that CO2 traps, a couple of watts per square meter of the Earth’s surface, is enough to warm the planet considerably. We’ve raised the temperature more than a degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degrees Celsius) already. It’s impossible to precisely predict the consequences of any further increase in CO2 in the atmosphere. But the warming we’ve seen so far has started almost everything frozen on Earth to melting; it has changed seasons and rainfall patterns; it’s set the sea to rising.
C No matter what we do now, that warming will increase some—there’s a lag time before the heat fully plays out in the atmosphere. That is, we can’t stop global warming. Our task is less inspiring: to contain the damage, to keep things from getting out of control. And even that is not easy. For one thing, until recently there’s been no clear data suggesting the point where catastrophe looms. Now we’re getting a better picture~the past couple of years have seen a series of reports indicating that 450 parts per million CO2 is a threshold we’d be wise to respect. Beyond that point, scientists believe future centuries will likely face the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets and a subsequent rise in sea level of giant proportion. Four hundred fifty parts per million is still a best guess (and it doesn’t include the witches’ brew of other, lesser, greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide). But it will serve as a target of sorts for the world to aim at. A target that’s moving fast. If concentrations keep increasing by two parts per million per year, we’re only three and a half decades away.
D So the math isn’t complicated—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t intimidating. So far only the Europeans and Japanese have even begun to trim their carbon emissions, and they may not meet their own modest targets. Meanwhile, U.S. carbon emissions, a quarter of the world’s total, continue to rise steadily. China and India are suddenly starting to produce huge quantities of CO2 as well.
E Everyone involved knows what the basic outlines of a deal that could avert catastrophe would look like: rapid, sustained, and dramatic cuts in emissions by the technologically advanced countries, coupled with large-scale technology transfer to the developing world so that they can power up their emerging economies without burning up their coal. Everyone knows the big question, too: Are such rapid cuts even possible?
F The question~is it even possible?—is usually addressed by fixating on some single new technology (hydrogen! ethanol!) and imagining it will solve our troubles. But the scale of the problem means we’ll need many strategies. Most people have heard of some of them: more fuel-efficient cars, better-built homes, wind turbines, biofuels like ethanol. Others are newer and less sure: plans for building coal-fired power plants that can separate carbon from the exhaust so it can be “sequestered” underground.
G These approaches have one thing in common: They’re more difficult than simply burning fossil fuel. They force us to realize that we’ve already had our magic fuel and that what comes next will be more expensive and more difficult. The price tag for the global transition will be in the trillions of dollars. Of course, along the way it will create myriad new jobs, and when it’s complete, it may be a much more elegant system. And since we’re wasting so much energy now, some of the first tasks would be relatively easy. If we replaced every incandescent bulb that burned out in the next decade anyplace in the world with a compact fluorescent, we’d make an impressive start on one of the 15 wedges. But in that same decade we’d need to build 400,000 large wind turbines—clearly possible, but only with real commitment. We’d need to follow the lead of Germany and Japan and seriously subsidize rooftop solar panels; we’d need to get most of the world’s farmers plowing their fields less, to build back the carbon their soils have lost. We’d need to do everything all at once.
H As precedents for such collective effort, people sometimes point to the Manhattan Project to build a nuclear weapon or the Apollo Program to put a man on the moon. But those analogies don’t really work. They demanded the intense concentration of money and intelligence on a single small niche in our technosphere. Now we need almost the opposite: a commitment to take what we already know how to do and somehow spread it into every corner of our economies, and indeed our most basic activities. It’s as if NASA’s goal had been to put all of us on the moon.
I Not all the answers are technological, of course—maybe not even most of them. Many of the paths to stabilization run straight through our daily lives, and in every case they will demand difficult changes. Air travel is one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions around the world, for instance, but even many of us who are noble about changing lightbulbs and happy to drive hybrid cars chafe at the thought of not jetting around the country or the world. By now we’re used to ordering take-out food from every corner of the world every night of our lives—according to one study, the average bite of food has traveled nearly 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) before it reaches an American’s lips, which means it’s been marinated in (crude) oil. We drive alone, because it’s more convenient than adjusting our schedules for public transit. We build ever bigger homes even as our family sizes shrink, and we watch ever bigger TVs, and~well, enough said. We need to figure out how to change those habits.
J Probably the only way that will happen is if fossil fuel costs us considerably more. If what we paid for a gallon of gas reflected even a portion of its huge environmental cost, we’d be driving small cars to the train station, just like the Europeans. And we’d be riding bikes when the sun shone.
K The most straightforward way to raise the price would be a tax on carbon. But that’s not easy. Since everyone needs to use fuel, it would be regressive— you’d have to figure out how to keep from hurting poor people unduly. And we’d need to be grown-up enough to have a real conversation about taxes— say, about switching away from taxes on things we like (employment) to taxes on things we hate (global warming).
L In the end, global warming presents the greatest test we humans have yet faced. Are we ready to change, in dramatic and prolonged ways, in order to offer a workable future to subsequent generations and diverse forms of life? If we are, new technologies and new habits offer some promise. It’s our coming-of-age moment, and there are no certainties or guarantees. Only a window of possibility, closing fast but still ajar enough to let in some hope.
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Questions 1 – 8
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet. |
Several hundred years ago, the amount of carbon dioxide contained in the Earth’s atmosphere was 1 ………………. parts per million. However, with a growth of about 2 ………………. parts per million every year, the number has risen from 3 ………………. in late 1950s to the current 4 ………………. . As scientists believe, the figure should not exceed 5 ………………. parts per million; otherwise, humans will be faced with a significant rise of sea level. Considering the severity of the problem, various approaches are needed to tackle it. Parts of the solutions are 6 ………………. , like fuel-efficient cars and wind turbines, but many other ways to cut down carbon dioxide emission lie in our 7 ………………. . In other words, it is necessary for us to change some of our habits, such as to reduce our reliance on air travel and car use. Perhaps the most direct way will be to impose a 8 ………………. on carbon to discourage people to use fossil fuel by increasing the price.
Questions 9-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage? In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this |
9 There has already been explicit evidence showing 450 parts per million CO2 is the point beyond which disasters will take place.
10 The developing countries have contributed the most to the total CO2 emission around the world.
11 Humans will have to pay a heavy price for the awful mess after their ease to burn fossil fuel.
12 The collective effort to cut down carbon emission is just like that of the Manhattan project or the Apollo Program.
13 Many people are reluctant to accept the idea of not travelling around by plane.
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Answers for Carbon’s New Math Reading Answer With Location and Explanations:
1 Answer: 280
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph A
Answer Explanation: Paragraph A states, “Before the industrial revolution, the Earth’s atmosphere contained about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide.” From these lines we can infer that several hundred years ago, the amount of carbon dioxide contained in the Earth’s atmosphere was 280 parts per million. Hence, the correct answer is 280.
2 Answer: 2
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph B
Answer Explanation: Paragraph B states, “Once we started burning coal and gas and oil to power our lives, that 280 number started to rise. When we began measuring in the late 1950s, it had already reached the 315 level. Now it’s at 380, and increasing by roughly two parts per million annually.” These lines indicate that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere started to increase significantly when humans began using fossil fuels, and it has been steadily rising since the late 1950s, with an annual increase of about two parts per million. Hence, the correct answer is 2.
3 Answer: 315
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph B
Answer Explanation: Paragraph B discusses Once we started burning coal and gas and oil to power our lives, that 280 number started to rise. When we began measuring in the late 1950s, it had already reached the 315 level. These lines indicate that the use of coal, gas, and oil for energy production led to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. By the late 1950s, when scientists started measuring CO2 levels, it had already risen to 315 parts per million. Thus, the correct answer is 315.
4 Answer: 380
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph B
Answer Explanation: Paragraph B states, “Once we started burning coal and gas and oil to power our lives, that 280 number started to rise. When we began measuring in the late 1950s, it had already reached the 315 level. Now it’s at 380, and increasing by roughly two parts per million annually.” These lines indicate that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere started to increase significantly when humans began using fossil fuels, and it has been steadily rising since the late 1950s, with the CO2 concentration standing at 380 ppm and continuing to climb at an approximate rate of two ppm annually. Hence, the correct answer is 380.
5 Answer: 450
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph C
Answer Explanation: Paragraph C explains, “Now we’re getting a better picture~the past couple of years have seen a series of reports indicating that 450 parts per million CO2 is a threshold we’d be wise to respect.” These lines imply that recent reports and scientific findings suggest that a concentration of 450 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is a critical threshold that we should be cautious not to exceed. Hence, the answer is 450.
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6 Answer: technological
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph I
Answer Explanation: The initial lines of paragraph I states, “Not all the answers are technological, of course—maybe not even most of them. Many of the paths to stabilization run straight through our daily lives, and in every case they will demand difficult changes.” These lines convey that not all the solutions to environmental problems are reliant on technology; in fact, many of them involve changes in our daily lives. In each case, these solutions will require us to make challenging adjustments. Hence, the correct answer is technological.
7 Answer: daily lives
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph I
Answer Explanation: The opening lines of paragraph I state, “Not all the answers are technological, of course—maybe not even most of them. Many of the paths to stabilization run straight through our daily lives, and in every case they will demand difficult changes.” We understand from these lines that not all the solutions to environmental problems are reliant on technology; in fact, many of them involve changes in our daily lives. In each case, these solutions will require us to make challenging adjustments. Hence, the correct answer is daily lives.
8 Answer: tax
Question type: Summary Completion
Answer Location: Paragraph K
Answer Explanation: Paragraph K states, “The most straightforward way to raise the price would be a tax on carbon. But that’s not easy.” These lines indicate that the simplest and most direct method to increase the cost associated with carbon emissions would be to implement a carbon tax. However, the implementation of such a tax is not a straightforward or easy task. Hence, the correct answer is tax.
9 Answer: False
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph C
Answer Explanation: Paragraph C discusses, “Now we’re getting a better picture~the past couple of years have seen a series of reports indicating that 450 parts per million CO2 is a threshold we’d be wise to respect.” These lines indicate that recent reports and scientific findings suggest that a concentration of 450 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is a critical threshold that we should be cautious not to exceed. However, it’s important to note that this statement doesn’t align with the author’s perspective, making the answer False.
10 Answer: Not Given
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph D, last line
Answer Explanation: In the last line of Paragraph D, it is mentioned that U.S. carbon emissions, a quarter of the world’s total, continue to rise steadily. China and India are suddenly starting to produce huge quantities of CO2 as well. We understand from these lines that carbon emissions from the United States, which constitute 25% of the world’s total, are continuing to increase steadily. Furthermore, both China and India have recently started emitting substantial quantities of CO2. However, there is no information provided regarding whether developing countries are the primary contributors to the world’s total CO2 emissions. Therefore, the answer is Not Given.
11 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph J
Answer Explanation: Paragraph J states, “Probably the only way that will happen is if fossil fuel costs us considerably more.” These lines suggest that the most likely scenario for reducing our use of fossil fuels is if they become significantly more expensive. Hence, the statement clearly agrees that Humans will have to pay a heavy price for the awful mess after their ease to burn fossil fuel. Hence, the answer is True.
12 Answer: False
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph H
Answer Explanation: Paragraph H states, “As precedents for such collective effort, people sometimes point to the Manhattan Project to build a nuclear weapon or the Apollo Program to put a man on the moon. But those analogies don’t really work.” These lines convey that using historical projects like the Manhattan Project or the Apollo Program as examples of collective efforts to address current challenges, such as climate change, is not an accurate or suitable comparison. Therefore, these comparisons are not accurate or appropriate. As a result, the answer is False.
13 Answer: True
Question type: True/False/Not Given
Answer Location: Paragraph I
Answer Explanation: Paragraph I highlights, “Air travel is one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions around the world, for instance, but even many of us who are noble about changing light bulbs and happy to drive hybrid cars chafe at the thought of not jetting around the country or the world.” These lines convey that while many people are willing to make eco-friendly choices like using energy-efficient lightbulbs and driving hybrid cars, they may be reluctant to reduce their air travel even though it’s a major source of carbon emissions and contributes to environmental issues. The statement clearly agrees with the given question, so, the answer is True.
Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Carbon’s New Math Reading Passage
Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the Carbon’s New Math Answers passage.
Summary Completion:
Summary Completion IELTS Reading is a question type that tests your ability to understand the main points of a text and to identify key information. You will be asked to fill in the blanks in a summary of that section using words or phrases from the text. To answer Summary Completion IELTS Reading questions, you should:
- Carefully read the instructions to make sure you understand what you are being asked to do.
- Skim read the summary to get a general understanding of what it is about.
- Read the summary in more detail and try to predict the type of word or phrase needed to fill in each blank.
- If you are given a list of words or phrases, try to eliminate any that you know are not correct.
- Scan the text for the information you need to fill in the blanks.
- Pay attention to the context of the surrounding words and phrases to make sure that your answer makes sense.
True/False/Not Given:
In IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given questions, test takers must determine whether information in the given text matches the statements (True), contradicts the statements (False), or has no information regarding the statements (Not Given). Here are some tips to ace IELTS reading True/False/Not Given questions:
- Read the question carefully: Make sure you understand what the statement is asking about and what kind of answer you are looking for (true, false, or not given).
- Identify the keywords: These are the words that will help you find the relevant information in the passage.
- Skim & Scan the passage for the keywords: Don’t read the entire passage at this point. Just look for the specific information that you are looking for.
- Read the relevant section of the passage carefully: Make sure you understand the meaning of the information and how it relates to the statement.
- Be careful of paraphrases: The IELTS reading passages often paraphrase the information that is being tested. This means that the information in the passage may not be exactly the same as the information in the statement, but it will still have the same meaning.
To answer True/False/Not Given questions, you need to be able to read the passage carefully and understand the main points. You also need to be able to identify the specific information that is being tested, and distinguish between statements that are directly stated, contradicted, or not mentioned at all.
Check out: How to Finish 3 IELTS Reading Comprehension in Less Than 60 Mins?
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