Jupiter’s Bruises- IELTS Reading Answers

The IELTS Reading Section can be one of the top scoring modules in the test. To make the most out of the Reading Section and improve your overall score, practice the various Reading type questions to hone your skills. Below is a solved sample Reading Passage with the corresponding questions. By going through the solved paper, you can better understand how to prepare for this Module of the IELTS.

Reading Passage

Jupiter’s Bruises

Questions 1-7

1 Evidence so far indicates that further study of Shoemaker-Levy will be worthwhile

2 There are no physical differences between asteroids and comets

3 The observation of Shoemaker-Levy was an immensely expensive undertaking

4 David Levy, being an amateur astronomer, was not taken seriously

5 The dark points of impact indicate there is water on Jupiter

6 It is now possible to perform detailed studies of Jupiter’s internal structure

7 It is possible that more impacts have occurred since this article was written

Questions 8-12

8 The comet was observed using the _______________.

9 A comet’s tail is usually made up of substances that evaporate quickly such as ______.

10 Researchers had expected to see evidence of _________ at the impact site, showing the composition of the comet.

11 The presence of sulfur compounds may account for the ______ of Jupiter’s clouds.

12 The destabilized atmosphere may lead to the formation of another permanent ______ on Jupiter.

Reading Answer

1 Answer: Yes

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 3

Answer explanation: In paragraph 3, it is mentioned that Scientists studying the chemical composition of the spots on Jupiter where Shoemaker-Levy 9 (S-L 9) hit thought they might see evidence of water and oxygen, two of the expected products when an icy comet vaporizes. These lines suggest that the researchers believed to have witnessed the evidence of water and oxygen at the impact side, showing the chemical composition of the comet. Thus, the further study of Shoemaker-Levy 9 will be worthwhile. Hence, the statement agrees with the information, so, the answer is Yes.

2 Answer: No

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 4

Answer explanation: Paragraph 4 states that asteroids are rockier than comets. Yet an asteroid can have a halo or a tail, made mostly of dust. These lines indicate a difference between asteroids and comets, that is the asteroids are rockier than the comets. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is No.

3 Answer: Not Given

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 1 – 9

Answer explanation: Paragraph 1 – 9 in the reading passage discusses the comet named Shoemaker-Levy 9, that collided with the planet Jupiter, causing great excitement in the Astronomy world. However, there’s no reference to the fact that the observation of the Shoemaker-Levy was an immensely expensive undertaking. As a result, the answer is Not Given.

4 Answer: No

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 5

Answer explanation: The initial lines of the 5th paragraph states that amateur astronomer David Levy, who with Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker discovered SL-9, points out that comets were originally distinguished by their appearance. These lines suggest that the comet, Shoemaker-Levy was discovered by David Levy, along with Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker. They were the ones who originally distinguished the comets by their appearance. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is No.

5 Answer: No

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 6

Answer explanation: In paragraph 6, it is mentioned that the apparent absence of water at the impact sites provides a clue about how far the SL-9 fragments penetrated Jupiter’s atmosphere before exploding. These lines suggest that the absence of water provides evidence of how far the SL9 fragments would have penetrated the planet’s atmosphere before the explosion. Therefore, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is No.

6 Answer: No

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 8

Answer explanation: The last line of paragraph 8 reveals that there are also hints of seismic waves – ripples that may have traveled to a dense layer of liquid hydrogen thousands of kilometers down and then bounced back up to the surface, creating rings half the size of the planet’s visible face. These waves may offer clues to Jupiter’s internal structure. These lines indicate that there was a hint of seismic waves that might have traveled all the way to a dense layer of liquid hydrogen and bounced back again to the surface. These waves might offer evidence to the internal structure of Jupiter. Thus, the statement contradicts the information, so, the answer is No.

7 Answer: Yes

Question type: Yes/ No/ Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph 9

Answer explanation: We can understand from the introductory lines of 9th paragraph that it’s also possible that the show isn’t quite over, which means that it is possible that more impacts would have occurred since the article was written. Thus, the statement agrees with the information, so, the answer is Yes.

8 Answer: Hubble space telescope

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 2

Answer explanation: Paragraph 2 illustrates that Shoemaker-Levy 9 has plunged into Jupiter, and the Hubble Space Telescope has moved away to look at other objects in space. These lines indicate that the Hubble space telescope was used to look at other objects in space. Thus, the telescope was used to observe the comet too. So, the answer is a Hubble space telescope.

9 Answer: carbon monoxide

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3

Answer explanation: In the 3rd paragraph, it is mentioned that the comets tend to be a mixture of ice, rock, and dust, along with other substances, like carbon monoxide, that evaporate quickly to form a halo and a tail. These lines suggest that a comet tail is usually made up of substances that evaporate quickly such as carbon monoxide and a mixture of ice, rock, and dust. Thus, the answer is Carbon monoxide.

10 Answer: water and oxygen

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 3

Answer explanation: The 3rd line of paragraph 3 states, “Scientists studying the chemical composition of the spots on Jupiter where Shoemaker-Levy 9 (S-L 9) hit thought they might see evidence of water and oxygen, two of the expected products when an icy comet vaporizes.” We can deduce from these lines that the chemical composition of the spots on Jupiter where S-L 9 hit expected to see the evidence of water and oxygen at the impact site which are the two products expected when an icy comet vaporizes. Thus, the answer is water and oxygen.

11 Answer: colour

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 6

Answer explanation: In paragraph 6, Astronomer Roger Yelle says, “We’ve always believed that much of the color in Jupiter’s clouds comes from sulfur compounds, but we’ve never detected them.” These lines indicate Astronomer Yelle saying that they’ve believed that much of the colourthe color of Jupiter’s cloud isis due to sulfur compounds, however, they have never detected them. Thus, the presence of sulfur compounds may account for the color of Jupiter’s clouds. So, the answer is color.

12 Answer: cyclone/ great red spot

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph 8, line 2

Answer explanation: The 2nd line of paragraph 8 reveals that there is still every chance that the impacts, especially from the four fragments that hit in nearly the same place, will destabilize the atmosphere and create a new, permanent cyclone like Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. We can understand that the destabilized atmosphere might lead to the formation of another permanent cyclone or a great red spot on Jupiter. Thus, the answer is Cyclone/Great red spot.

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