Private Space Reading Answers

Private Space Reading Answers, is a IELTS Academic Reading passage that consists of 17 questions.

With diligent practice, the Reading Module can be the top-scoring category for IELTS aspirants. To score well, 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 question types found in this IELTS Reading  passage are:

• Matching Information (Q. 1-6)
• Multiple choice Question (Q. 7-11)
• Summary Completion (Q. 12-17)

If you are worried about how to solve the Matching Information questions, check out the video given below.

Reading Passage 

Private Space 

A It’s a remarkable achievement: the question is no longer ‘How can we send humans into space?’ but ‘How can we keep them there?’. Spaceflight is reaching a turning point where new technologies in engine development, better understanding of aerodynamics and materials for body construction are making spaceflight possible for private industry.

B The history of space exploration, until relatively recently, has been one of big government-backed projects like the Space Shuttle, Mars Landers and Long March rockets. But the most recent launches to the International Space Station (ISS) have been very special for at least three reasons. Firstly, along with 450 kg of scientific equipment, food and clothes, the rocket was carrying ice cream for the three space station astronauts. Secondly, the rocket was unmanned, being guided into docking position and back to earth again by remote control and automated systems. Finally, the rocket was commissioned from a private company by NASA.

C When the privately owned rocket delivered its goods to the ISS, it marked a milestone in the evolution of space flight and vindicated NASA’s decision to delegate routine supply flights to the space station. The flight has been a long time in development. It started with President George W Bush announcing his Vision for Space Exploration, calling for the ISS to be completed. Under the next President, America’s Space Shuttles were retired, leaving NASA with no other choice but to look for alternative methods of supplying the ISS. The initiative was part of an effort to commercialise the space industry in order to decrease costs and spread the investment in the industry across a wider group than governments.

D The initiative had many attractions for NASA. By outsourcing to the private sector the routine business of taking food and equipment to and from low-earth orbit, NASA can theoretically free up money to do things that it really wants to prioritise: missions such as sending astronauts to Mars and landing on asteroids by the 2030s. Now that the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (spaceX) has proved that private enterprise can be players in space exploration, firms are pouring money into developing new spacecraft built to transport cargo, to mine asteroids and to carry passengers into space.

E In the last half of the twentieth century only government-backed agencies like NASA and Russia’s ROSCOSMOS were capable of running space programmes due to the gigantic investment costs and uncertain payoffs. However, SpaceX and similar companies are proving that the former conditions are no longer relevant as new solutions are coming to light. Commercial companies like Boeing are able to raise large sums of money to run these projects.

Furthermore, as the firms are running cargo and taxi services to lower orbits, the break-even point is lower, the technology is cheaper and they have the benefit of years of experience in commercial aviation and space flight. Opening space programmes to the commercial sector has the additional advantage of generating more solutions to old problems. An analogy is the invention of the Internet. When the technology went into the commercial sector, no one could have envisioned the development of social network sites. Likewise, no one can predict where commercial enterprise will take the space industry.

F The uncertainty surrounding where the space industry will end up is a problem as well as an asset and it is unsettling private investors who like to invest in relatively certain prospects. At the moment the industry is dominated by big-spending billionaires like the owner of SpaceX. In addition, the relatively small number of companies in the area could pose a problem in the future. The commercial space industry is still very new and there is no guarantee that progress will be smoother. For one thing, no one is sure that the business model is sound: government is still the major, if not only, customer available to the private space companies.

The other problem is that space travel is high risk: the loss of space shuttles Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003 illustrates that even the most carefully planned launches have unavoidable risks associated with them. The question is what would happen to the industry if another accident occurred. Finally, many space experts are doubtful that, even if private industry takes over the ‘taxi’ role for low-orbit missions, NASA will be able to achieve its ambitions, given its squeezed budgets and history of being used for political purposes. Furthermore, NASA may have created another space race, this time between government and private industry. If NASA doesn’t go to Mars or the asteroid belt, its private competitors certainly have plans to do so.

G In spite of all of these risks, many argue that it is critical for the private sector and federal government to work together to push further into space.

Book a FREE Online Webinar with Our IELTS Experts to Learn More Tips and Techniques for IELTS Reading!

Questions 1-6

1 NASA being able to spend money on important projects ……….

2 events leading to the commercialisation of spaceflight ……….

3 new developments that have made spaceflight more accessible ……….

4 an automated rocket that successfully completed a mission ……….

5 the great dangers of space travel ……….

6 new answers being found to previous questions ……….

Questions 7-11

7 Which is NOT mentioned as making private space flight possible?

A new methods of constructing the rockets

B modern substances from which to build the rockets

C understanding better how air moves round objects

D new methods of making space suits

8 Why are the recent launches special?

A Their destination was the International Space Station.

B They carried clothes.

C They were not managed by a private company.

D The rocket is not owned by a government.

9 In order to make NASA look for other spaceflight providers, the US government

A invested in private space companies.

B started to build the international space station.

C stopped using the Space Shuttle.

D allowed private companies to fly into space.

10 Private companies

A need to reduce the cost of space projects.

B have social network sites.

C are able to fly rockets at high orbits.

D act as ferries to and from the space station.

11 At present, the private space industry is characterised by

A uncertainty about how to make profits.

B companies controlled by individuals.

C companies too small to raise the amount of money needed.

D government interference.

Questions 12-17

There are a number of problems with commercial space projects. To start with, the 12……… might not be sound. There is also great 13……….. attached to space flight – what would happen if there was another 14……..? Experts doubt whether NASA can fulfil its 15……….. as it has often been under 16…………. pressure. Moreover, the development may lead to a 17………… between NASA and the private space industry.

Want to improve your IELTS Academic Reading score?

Grab Our IELTS Reading Ebook Today!

Private Space IELTS Reading Answer Key

Private Space IELTS Reading Answer with Explanation 

1 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 2

Answer explanation: In the mentioned line, it is given “By outsourcing to the private sector the routine business of taking food and equipment to and from low-earth orbit, NASA can theoretically free up money to do things that it really wants to prioritise: missions such as sending astronauts to Mars and landing on asteroids by the 2030s.”. It shows that by outsourcing certain things to the private sector, NASA has freed up some capital to spend on important projects like sending astronauts to Mars and landing on asteroids by the 2030s. Hence, the answer is D.

2 Answer: C

Question type: Matching Information

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 4 – line 5

Answer explanation: In the third paragraph, it is stated that “Under the next President, America’s Space Shuttles were retired, leaving NASA with no other choice but to look for alternative methods of supplying the ISS. The initiative was part of an effort to commercialise the space industry…”. It can be pointed out that when America’s Space Shuttles retired under America’s thethen President, which was a step towards commercialisation of spaceflight. Hence, the answer is C.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Private Space Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick tips to answer the types of questions in the ‘Private Space’ Reading passage.

Matching Information

In the Matching Information task, test takers need to match specific pieces of information (such as examples, reasons, descriptions, comparisons, summaries, or explanations) to paragraphs or sections in a reading passage.

• Read Instructions Carefully: Understand what type of information you need to find (examples, reasons, descriptions, etc.).
• Skim and Scan the Text: Skim the passage to get an overview of its structure and content.
• Identify Keywords: Highlight or underline unique keywords in the questions and Look for synonyms or paraphrases of these keywords in the text.
• Understand the Context: Carefully read the sentences around the keywords to ensure the information matches exactly.
• Practice Time Management: Don’t spend too much time on one question. If you’re unsure, move on and return to it later if time permits.

Multiple Choice Questions:

You will be given a reading passage followed by several questions based on the information in the paragraph in multiple choice questions. Your task is to understand the question and compare it to the paragraph to select the best solution from the available possibilities.

• Before reading the passage, read the question and select the keywords. Check the keyword possibilities if the question statement is short on information.
• Then, using the keywords, read the passage to find the relevant information.
• To select the correct option, carefully read the relevant words and match them with each option.
• You will find several options with keywords that do not correspond to the information.
• Try opting for the elimination method mostly.
• Find the best option by matching the meaning rather than just the keywords.

Summary Completion:

Summary Completion is a type of IELTS reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a sentence with a word or phrase from the passage.

To answer these questions, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the sentence carefully, hence this will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
• Scan the passage for the keywords in the sentence as they can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
• Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase, hence this will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
• Check your answer once you have filled in the gaps. Make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.

Also check:

• IELTS Reading Tips and Techniques to Increase your Reading Speed
• How to Do Short Answer Type of Questions in IELTS Reading? | IELTSMaterial.com
• Emigration to the US, How bugs hitch-hike across the galaxy, Finding out about the world from television news – Reading Answers
• What Cookbooks Really Teach Us, Is There More To Video Games Than People Realize?, Seed Vault Guards Resources For The Future – IELTS Reading Answers
• The Loch Ness Monster, Co- Educational Versus Single Sex Classrooms – IELTS Reading Answers