Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers

This article provides the Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers, which is an authentic reading passage that has appeared in a real IELTS test. With consistent practice, the Reading Module can become the highest-scoring section for IELTS candidates. To achieve a strong score, it is essential to understand how to approach and tackle different question types effectively.

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Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Passage

Our perception of the Arctic region is that its distance from industrial centers keeps it pristine and clear from the impact of pollution. However, the Arctic is the recipient of contaminants whose sources are thousands of miles away through a process known as transboundary pollution. Large quantities of pollutants pour into our atmosphere, as well as our lakes, rivers, and oceans on a daily basis. In the last two decades, scientists have detected an increasing variety of toxic contaminants in the North, including pesticides from agriculture, chemicals and heavy metals from industry, and even radioactive fall-out from Chernobyl. These are substances that have invaded ecosystems virtually worldwide, but they are especially worrisome in the Arctic.

Initially, Chemical spills were primarily attributed for Arctic contamination which were also believed to be “small and confined”. Pollutants from all across the world are now considered to be transferred north by rivers, ocean currents, and atmospheric circulation. Moreover, Contaminants break down significantly more slowly in the Arctic than in warmer climates due to harsh conditions such as reduced sunlight, extensive ice cover, and frigid temperatures. Due to their lengthened lifespan in the Arctic, contaminants can also become significantly concentrated.

Problems of spring run-off into coastal waters during the growth period of marine life are of critical concern. Spring algae blooms easily, absorbing the concentrated contaminants released by spring melting. These algae are in turn eaten by zooplankton and a wide variety of marine life. The accumulation of these contaminants increases with each step of the food chain or web and can potentially affect northerners who eat marine mammals near the top of the food chain. Pollutants respect no borders; transboundary pollution is the movement of contaminants across political borders, whether by air, rivers, or ocean currents. The eight circumpolar nations, led by the Finnish Initiative of 1989, established the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) in which participants have agreed to develop an Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP).  AMAP establishes an international scientific network to monitor the current condition of the Arctic with respect to specific contaminants. This monitoring program is extremely important because it will give a scientific basis for understanding the scope of the problem.

In the 1950s, during the springtime bands of haze were reported by pilots traveling on weather reconnaissance flights in the Canadian high Arctic. During this period, the term "Arctic haze" was first used, referring to this mist of uncertain origin. Dr. Glenn Shaw of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska was the first to put forth theories on the nature and long-distance origin of Arctic haze in 1972. The notion that the source was distant was difficult for many to support. Each winter, air that is frigid and dense descends over the Arctic. Mid-latitude emissions from fossil fuel combustion, smelting, and other industrial operations seem to be accumulating in the Arctic in the darkness, causing an increase in pollution. By late winter, the Arctic has been blanketed in a layer of this haze the size of Africa. When spring light arrives in the Arctic, there is a haze that resembles smog, which gives the region an appearance of pollution over places like Los Angeles. This polluted air is a well-known and well-distinctive feature of the late winter Arctic environment. In the Arctic of North America, instances of brown or black snow have been linked to continental storm tracks that transport gaseous and particulate-associated contaminations from Asian deserts and agricultural regions. The contaminants are now thought to have originated primarily in Europe and Asia.

Arctic haze has been studied most extensively in Point Barrow, Alaska, across the Canadian Arctic and in Svalbard (Norway). Evidence from ice cores drilled from the ice sheet of Greenland indicates that these haze particles were not always present in the Arctic, but began to appear only in the last century. The Arctic haze particles appear to be similar to smog particles observed in industrial areas farther south, consisting mostly of sulfates mixed with particles of carbon. It is believed the particles are formed when gaseous sulfur dioxide produced by burning sulfur-bearing coal is irradiated by sunlight and oxidized to sulfate, a process catalyzed by trace elements in the air. These sulfate particles or droplets of sulfuric acid quickly capture the carbon particles, which are also floating in the air. Pure sulfate particles or droplets are colorless, so it is believed the darkness of the haze is caused by the mixed-in carbon particles.

The impact of the haze on Arctic ecosystems and the global environment, has not been adequately researched. The pollutants have only been studied in their aerosol form over the Arctic. However, a brief is known about what eventually happens to them. It is known that they are removed somehow. There is a good degree of likelihood that the contaminants end up in the ocean, likely into the North Atlantic, the Norwegian Sea and possibly the Bering Sea — all three very important fisheries.
Currently, the major issue among researchers is to understand the impact of Arctic haze on global climate change. The contaminants absorb sunlight and, in turn, heat up the atmosphere. The global impact of this is currently unknown but the implications are quite powerful.

Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Questions

Questions 15 – 20

15 Arctic conditions mean that the breakdown of pollutants is much accelerated

16 Pollution absorbed by Arctic algae can eventually affect humans.

17 The AEPS has set up scientific stations in the Arctic to monitor pollution.

18 Arctic pollution can sometimes resemble US urban pollution.

19 Evidence that this smog has only occurred in the 20th Century has been found in the ice on the polar ice cap.

20 Research has shown that aerosol arctic pollutants remain in the air indefinitely.

Questions 21 – 26

NB There are more words than spaces, so you will not use them at all.

(eg) ______________________ that the origins of spring, arctic haze, first seen over the ice cap in the 1950s, came from far away were at first not 21 _______________ _______. This haze is a smog formed in the dark, arctic winter by pollution delivered to the Arctic by storms 22 ______________________ in Europe and Asia. It is known to be a recent phenomenon as proof from 23 ______________________ shows it only starting to occur in the 20th Century. The smog consists of sulphates and carbon, the latter creating the 24______________________ of the haze. Due to lack of research, the final destination of the pollution is unknown but it probably ends up in the 25 ______________________ and therefore into the food chain. Scientists are presently more worried about the 26______________________ effect it has on climate change.

Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

Let’s now review the answers to the questions from the passage in the reading section, Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers, and assess your improvement for a high IELTS Reading band score.

15 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph B, lines 4-7

Answer explanation: “Due to extreme conditions in the Arctic, including reduced sunlight, extensive ice cover, and cold temperatures, contaminants break down much more slowly than in warmer climates. Contaminants can also become highly concentrated due to their significantly lengthened life span in the Arctic.” This suggests that the contaminants are broken down slowly and with much time as compared to the warmer climates.

16 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph C, lines 2-6

Answer explanation: “Spring algae bloom easily, absorbing the concentrated contaminants released by spring melting. These algae are in turn eaten by zooplankton and a wide variety of marine life. The accumulation of these contaminants increases with each step of the food chain or web and can potentially affect northerners who eat marine mammals near the top of the food chain.” This suggests that the contaminants consumed/absorbed by the algae eventually reach the topmost level of the food chain and hence, affect human beings (as human beings are the eventual consumers of the marine food chain).

17 Answer: Not given

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: N/A

Answer explanation: There is no such reference given in the passage where the AEPS has set up scientific stations in the Arctic to monitor pollution.

18 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph D, last 3 lines

Answer explanation: “When the spring light arrives in the Arctic, there is a smog-like haze, which makes the region, at times, look like pollution over such cities as Los Angeles.” This suggests that the pollution of LA (US urban city) is similar to that of the Arctic haze (smog-like).

19 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 7-9

Answer explanation: “Evidence from ice cores drilled from the ice sheet of Greenland indicates that these haze particles were not always present in the Arctic, but began to appear only in the last century.” This suggests that the Evidence that this smog has only occurred in the 20th Century (the last century) was found from the ice sheet of Greenland and not from the polar ice caps.

20 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not given

Answer location: Paragraph F, lines 2-4

Answer explanation: “The pollutants have only been studied in their aerosol form over the Arctic. However, little is known about what eventually happens to them. It is known that they are removed somehow.” This suggests that the aerosol arctic pollutants do not remain in the air indefinitely and are rather removed somehow.

21 Answer: CERTAIN

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph C, lines 1-4

Answer explanation: “In the 1950s, pilots traveling on weather reconnaissance flights in the Canadian high Arctic reported seeing bands of haze in the springtime in the Arctic region. It was during this time that the term “Arctic haze” was first used, referring to this smog of unknown origin.” This suggests that at the time of the observation of the Arctic haze, its origin was unknown and unestablished. Therefore, the origin was not certain.

22 Answer: ORIGINATING

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 4-5

Answer explanation: “It is now known that the contaminants originate largely from Europe and Asia.” It suggests that the pollutants and the contaminants of the Arctic region chiefly originate from Europe and Asia.

23 Answer: ICE CORES

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 7-9

Answer explanation: “Evidence from ice cores drilled from the ice sheet of Greenland indicates that these haze particles were not always present in the Arctic, but began to appear only in the last century.” This suggests that the origin of the Arctic haze was determined by investigating and studying the ice core taken out from the ice sheet.

24 Answer: DARKNESS

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, lines 13-16

Answer explanation: “These sulfate particles or droplets of sulfuric acid quickly capture the carbon particles, which are also floating in the air. Pure sulfate particles or droplets are colorless, so it is believed the darkness of the haze is caused by the mixed-in carbon particles.” This clearly explains the reason behind the darkness of the Arctic haze, and that is due to carbon particles being entrapped by the sulfates.

25 Answer: SEA

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph F, lines 4-6

Answer explanation: “There is a good degree of likelihood that the contaminants end up in the ocean, likely into the North Atlantic, the Norwegian Sea, and possibly the Bering Sea — all three very important fisheries.” This suggests that as per the speculations, the contaminants end up getting into the sea and that’s how they are removed.

26 Answer: UNKNOWN

Question type: Summary completion

Answer location: Paragraph F, last line

Answer explanation: “The global impact of this is currently unknown but the implications are quite powerful.” This line clearly suggests that the impact of the Arctic haze is yet to be discovered and investigated and the effect on the environment is unknown.

Tips to Ace the Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers

Let us check out some quick IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ to answer the types of questions in the Reading Answers. 

True/False/Not Given (T/F/NG)

• Understand the statement carefully, noting absolute words like “all,” “always,” “never,” or “only.”
• Find the part of the passage that relates to the statement and read carefully.
• Use True if the statement matches the passage exactly, False if it contradicts, and Not Given if no information is provided.
• Watch for paraphrasing; the passage may use different words than the question.
• Avoid guessing; if information is missing, select Not Given rather than assuming.

Summary Completion  

• Read instructions carefully: Check the number of words allowed and follow the word limit strictly.
• Identify keywords in the summary: Look for nouns, dates, or names that link to the passage.
• Scan the passage: Locate the section related to the summary instead of reading the whole text.
• Use synonyms and paraphrasing: The words in the passage may be different from the ones in the summary.
• Check grammar and meaning: Ensure your answer fits grammatically and conveys the correct meaning in context.

Mastering passages like Contaminating the Arctic - IELTS Reading Answers requires careful attention to keywords, paraphrasing, and logical connections in the text. Using this guide’s answers, explanations, and tips, you can strengthen your reading strategies, boost accuracy, and enhance your overall IELTS Reading performance. Keep practising with more IELTS Reading Recent Actual Tests  and answers on IELTSMaterial.com to improve your speed, accuracy, and overall performance.

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