The life Cycle of a Star- IELTS Reading Answer
This article is based on the IELTS reading answer topic 'The Life Cycle of a Star.'
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‘The Life Cycle of a Star’ is a good resource for anyone who is preparing for IELTS Academic Reading. This passage will help you understand what kind of reading passages you will encounter and the questions that you will be asked to solve.
By taking the ‘The Life Cycle of a Star’ IELTS Reading Answer, you can acquaint yourself with the types of questions that you will be asked and the level of difficulty that you can expect. For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS reading practice tests.
The question types in this Reading Passage include:
- IELTS Matching Features (Q. 1-6)
- IELTS Sentence Completion (Q. 7-13)
Reading Passage
| You should spend about 20 minutes on questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below. |
The Life Cycle of a Star
It has been conservatively estimated that there are some 10,000 billion stars in the universe. It is difficult to know the exact age of a star (astronomers have identified stars as young as 25,000 years old and others are thought to be over 10 billion years old), but what astronomers do know is that there are many different kinds.
How each star is formed, and its mass, influences its type and longevity. A star is born in a nebula, which is a giant cloud of gas and dust. The larger the amount of matter that is into the nebula, the greater the mass of the star that is created. Inside these nebulae are dense areas of gas, which, due to their density, have a stronger gravitational pull than the rest of the nebula. Gradually, gravity drags the gas in the nebula together and it begins to spin and become increasingly hotter.
Once the temperature reaches 15,000,000°C, nuclear fusion occurs in the center of the cloud and it begins to glow brightly. It stabilizes at this temperature, contracts slightly, and becomes what is known as a main-sequence star (an example of this is our own Sun). It can remain in this stage for millions or billions of years.
As it glows, hydrogen in the center (through nuclear fusion) becomes helium. Eventually, the hydrogen supply in the core diminishes and the core of the star becomes unstable, contracting more. However, the outer parts of the star (which are still mainly hydrogen) expand and cool, and in doing so, the star starts to glow red.
It is at this stage that the star becomes a red giant. It is anticipated that it will take the Sun another 5 billion years to reach this stage. By then it will have grown large enough to engulf the three closest planets (Mercury, Venus, and Earth) and glow 2,000 times brighter than it currently does.
Exactly how a star will react in the red giant phase depends on its mass. Throughout the red giant phase, the hydrogen in the outer parts carries on burning, and the center gets hotter and hotter. On reaching 200,000,000°C, the helium atoms fuse forming carbon atoms. The remainder of the hydrogen explodes and forms a ring around the core called a planetary nebula.
With medium-sized stars, once the final helium atoms have fused into carbon atoms, the star starts to die. The gravitational pull leads to the last of the star's matter collapsing inwards and compacting to become extremely dense. A star like this is called a white dwarf. It will shine white- hot until the remaining energy (thermal energy trapped in its interior) has been exhausted after which it will no longer emit light. This can take in excess of several billion years. It is then termed a black dwarf (a cold, dark star, perhaps replete with diamonds) and remains in that stage forever.
When the larger red giants (massive stars) collapse, which happens in an instant, so much planetary nebula is created that this gas and dust can be used as a building material for planets in developing solar systems. In addition, with massive stars, as the temperature increases, the Carbon atoms get pulled together to form increasingly heavier elements like oxygen, nitrogen, and finally iron. Once this happens, fusion ceases and the iron atoms begin absorbing energy. At some point in the future, this energy is released in a huge explosion called a supernova. A supernova can have a core temperature of up to 1,000,000,000°C and the explosion can light up the sky for weeks, outshining an entire galaxy. Astronomers believe that Earth is made up of elements formed from the inside of stars, in particular, red giants that explode as supernovas. These massive stars have an average lifespan of one million years.
After becoming a supernova, the remaining core of a massive star that is 1.5 to 4 times as massive as the Sun becomes a neutron star. It starts to spin and often emits radio waves. If these waves occur in pulses, the neutron star is referred to as a pulsar. When a massive star has eight or more times the mass of the Sun, it will remain massive after the supernova. It has no nuclear fusion at the core and becomes engulfed by its own gravity. This results in a black hole, which sucks in any matter or energy that passes close to it. The gravitational field of a black hole is powerful enough to prevent the escape of light and is so dense that it cannot be measured. The phrase ‘black hole’ originated from the physicist John Archibald Wheeler; before this, black holes were known as ‘frozen stars.’ Wheeler came up with this name two years before the proof of the existence of the first black hole, X-ray binary star Cygnus X-1, in 1971. Astronomers think that there may be a black hole at the center of each galaxy.
The life cycle of a star is really that — the materials from an exploded star mix with the hydrogen of the universe. This mixture, in turn, will be the starting point of the next star. The Sun is a case in point, containing the debris from numerous other stars that exploded long before the Sun was born.
Questions 1 – 6:
- nebula
- main-sequence star
- red giant
- white dwarf
- black dwarf
- supernova
- neutron star
- black hole
Example: hottest, brightest point of a star Answer: F
1 the Sun _________
2 birthplace of a star _________
3 a dying star _________
4 sometimes has pulsating waves _________
5 its size is immeasurable _________
6 its supply of energy has run out _________
Questions 7 – 13:
7 Hydrogen will turn into helium after _____ occurs.
8 The color of the red giant is formed as the ___ becomes smaller and the outer areas cool.
9 At 200,000,000°C the star’s helium atoms fuse into carbon atoms, and then the star____.
10 Unlike small and medium-sized stars, large stars ______quickly.
11 A black hole’s ________ stops light from being emitted.
12 Astronomers knew about _______ before they were able to confirm their existence.
13 Planets and stars are likely to consist of _______ from exploded celestial bodies.
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Answer For The Life Cycle of a Star – IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanation
1 Answer: B
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 3, line 3
Answer explanation: Paragraph 3 reveals that when the temperature reaches 15,000,000°C, nuclear fusion occurs in the center of the cloud and it begins to glow brightly. It stabilizes at this temperature, contracts slightly, and becomes what is known as a main-sequence star (an example of this is our own Sun). These lines suggest that the nuclear fusion occurs in the center of the cloud beginning to glow brightly and when it stabilizes and contracts, it becomes a main-sequence star. Thus, the sun is the main-sequence star. So, the answer is B.
2 Answer: A
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 2, line 2
Answer explanation: The 2nd line of the 2nd paragraph states that a star is born in a nebula, which is a giant cloud of gas and dust. We understand that the birthplace of a star is a nebula, which is a giant cloud of gas and dust. Thus, the answer is A.
3 Answer: D
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 7
Answer explanation: Paragraph 7 illustrates the fact that with medium-sized stars, once the final helium atoms have fused into carbon atoms, the star starts to die. The gravitational pull leads to the last of the star’s matter collapsing inwards and compacting to become extremely dense. A star like this is called a white dwarf. These lines suggest that the medium-sized stars start to die when the helium atoms are fused into carbon atoms. Therefore, a star like this is called a white dwarf. So, the answer is D.
4 Answer: G
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 9
Answer explanation: The 9th paragraph reveals that after becoming a supernova, the remaining core of a massive star that is 1.5 to 4 times as massive as the Sun becomes a neutron star. It starts to spin and often emits radio waves. These lines suggest that once the star becomes a supernova, the core of the star is as large as the Sun, making it become a neutron star, which spins and emits radio waves. Thus, neutron stars have pulsating waves sometimes. So, the answer is G.
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5 Answer: H
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 9, line 8
Answer explanation: The 8th line of the 9th paragraph states that the gravitational field of a black hole is powerful enough to prevent the escape of light and is so dense that it cannot be measured. These lines suggest that the gravitational field of a black hole is extremely powerful to prevent the escape of light and is very dense making it unable to measure. Thus, the size of the black hole is immeasurable. So, the answer is H.
6 Answer: E
Question type: Matching Features
Answer location: Paragraph 7, line 4
Answer explanation: The 4th line of paragraph 7 states that the white star will shine white-hot until the remaining energy (thermal energy trapped in its interior) has been exhausted after which it will no longer emit light. This can take in excess of several billion years. It is then termed a black dwarf (a cold, dark star, perhaps replete with diamonds) and remains in that stage forever. These lines indicate that the white star will brightly shine until the energy gets trapped after which it doesn’t emit light. This takes a billion years and is referred to as a black dwarf, which remains in the same stage forever. Thus, the answer is E.
7 Answer: nuclear fusion
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 4
Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph 4 reveals that as it glows, hydrogen in the center (through nuclear fusion) becomes helium. These lines indicate that hydrogen will turn into helium after nuclear fusion occurs. Thus, the answer is nuclear fusion.
8 Answer: core
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 6
Answer explanation: Paragraph 6 states that throughout the red giant phase, the hydrogen in the outer parts carries on burning, and the center gets hotter and hotter. On reaching 200,000,000°C, the helium atoms fuse forming carbon atoms. The remainder of the hydrogen explodes and forms a ring around the core called a planetary nebula. We can understand from these lines that the hydrogen in the outer parts throughout the red giant phase carries on burning, resulting in the center becoming hot and when it reaches a greater temperature, the helium atoms fuse forming carbon atoms and the remaining hydrogen explodes and forms a ring around the core called a planetary nebula. Thus, the color of the red giant is formed as the core becomes smaller and the outer areas cool. So, the answer is core.
9 Answer: starts to die
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 6 – 7
Answer explanation: Paragraph 6 reveals that the helium atoms fuse forming carbon atoms when it reaches 200,000,000°C and the remainder of the hydrogen explodes and forms a ring around the core called a planetary nebula. While the initial lines of the 7th paragraph state that when the final helium atoms have fused into carbon atoms with medium-sized stars, the star starts to die. These lines indicate that when the temperature reaches 200,000,000 C, the star’s helium atoms fuse into carbon atoms, and then the star starts to die. Thus, the answer is, starts to die.
10 Answer: collapse
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 8
Answer explanation: Paragraph 8 states that when the larger red giants (massive stars) collapse, which happens in an instant, so much planetary nebula is created that this gas and dust can be used as a building material for planets in developing solar systems. These lines suggest that unlike small and medium-sized, large stars collapse instantly that several planetary nebulae are created. Thus, the answer is collapse.
11 Answer: the gravitational field
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 7, line 8
Answer explanation: The 8th line of the 7th paragraph illustrates that the gravitational field of a black hole is powerful enough to prevent the escape of light and is so dense that it cannot be measured. We can deduce from these lines that a black hole’s gravitational field is so powerful that it prevents the escape of light and is very dense, making it immeasurable. Thus, the answer is the gravitational field.
12 Answer: black holes
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 7,last line
Answer explanation: The last line of paragraph 7 reveals that Wheeler came up with this name two years before the proof of the existence of the first black hole, X-ray binary star Cygnus X-1, in 1971. Astronomers think that there may be a black hole at the center of each galaxy. These lines suggest that Wheeler came up with the name before the proof of the existence of the first black hole. As a result, the Astronomers believe that there might be a black at the center of each galaxy. Thus, Astronomers knew about the black hole before they were able to confirm its existence. Therefore, the answer is a black hole.
13 Answer: debris/ materials
Question type: Sentence Completion
Answer location: Paragraph 10
Answer explanation: Paragraph 10 illustrates the fact that the life cycle of a star is really that — the materials from an exploded star mix with the hydrogen of the universe. This mixture, in turn, will be the starting point of the next star. The Sun is a case in point, containing the debris from numerous other stars that exploded long before the Sun was born. We can understand from these lines that the materials from an exploded star are mixed with the hydrogen of the universe, which in turn will be the initial point of the next star. In this case, the Sun contains debris from several other stars that exploded long before the existence of the Sun. Therefore, the planets and stars are likely to consist of debris/ materials from exploded celestial bodies. So, the answer is debris/materials.
Tips to Solve the Question Types in The Life Cycle of a Star IELTS Reading Answers
Now that you have the answers and explanations for Jargon Reading Answers, let’s explore some IELTS exam preparation tips for answering the three question types.
Matching Features
You must match the features in this type of question to the appropriate paragraph or reading segment in the text to score a high IELTS band score. Your ability to figure out the paragraph’s key concept and its supporting ideas will be put to the test.
- Skim the text first: Quickly read through the passage to get a general idea of its content and structure. This will help you locate information more efficiently when answering the questions.
- Analyze the features list carefully: Pay close attention to the wording of the features you need to match. Look for synonyms or paraphrases of these features in the text, as they may not appear word-for-word.
- Use elimination: As you find matches, cross out both the feature and the corresponding paragraph or section. This helps you focus on the remaining options and saves time.
- Watch for distractors: Be aware that some information in the text may seem relevant but not actually match any of the given features. Stay focused on finding exact matches for the listed items.
Sentence Completion
Sentence Completion is a type of IELTS Reading question that requires you to fill in a gap in a paragraph with a word or phrase from the passage. To answer sentence completion questions, you can use the following strategies:
- Read the sentences carefully: This will give you an idea of the type of word or phrase that is missing.
- Scan the passage for the keywords: The keywords in the sentence can help you to identify the correct word or phrase.
- Read the sentence with the missing word or phrase: This will help you to see how the word or phrase fits into the sentence.
- Check your answer: Once you have filled in the gap, make sure that your answer makes sense in the context of the sentence.
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