The Ozone Hole IELTS Reading Answers

In the Academic Reading practice passage “The Ozone Hole,” you will encounter a range of question types commonly asked in the IELTS Reading exam. Ideally, you should spend no more than 20 minutes on this passage. Attempt the questions to see how manageable the text is and whether you can complete it within the time limit. If not, practise further with more IELTS Reading tests from IELTSMaterial.com to improve your speed and accuracy.

The Ozone Hole IELTS Reading Passage

Paragraph A

Ozone is a bluish gas that is harmful to breathe. Nearly 90% of the Earth's ozone is in the stratosphere and is referred to as the ozone layer. Ozone absorbs a band of ultraviolet radiation called UVB that is particularly harmful to living organisms. Stratospheric ozone is constantly being created and destroyed through natural cycles. Various ozone-depleting substances, however, accelerate the destruction processes, resulting in lower than normal ozone levels. Reductions in ozone levels will lead to higher levels of UVB reaching the Earth's surface. The sun's output of UVB does not change; rather, less ozone means less protection, and hence more UVB reaches the Earth. Studies have shown that in the Antarctic, the amount of UVB measured at the surface can double during the annual ozone hole. Laboratory and epidemiological studies demonstrate that UVB causes non-melanoma skin cancer and plays a major role in malignant melanoma development. In addition, UVB has been linked to cataracts.

Paragraph B

Dramatic loss of ozone in the lower stratosphere over Antarctica was first noticed in the 1970s by a research group from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) who were monitoring the atmosphere above Antarctica from a research station. Folklore has it that when the first measurements were taken in 1975, the drop in ozone levels in the stratosphere was so dramatic that at first, the scientists thought their instruments were faulty. Replacement instruments were built and flown out and it wasn't until they confirmed the earlier measurements, several months later, that the ozone depletion observed was accepted as genuine. Another story goes that the BAS satellite data didn't show the dramatic loss of ozone because the software processing the raw ozone data from the satellite was programmed to treat very low values of ozone as bad readings. Later analysis of the raw data when the results from the British Antarctic Survey team were published, confirmed their results and showed that the loss was rapid and large-scale; over most of the Antarctica continent.

Paragraph C

Ozone occurs naturally in the atmosphere. The earth's atmosphere is composed of several layers. We live in the Troposphere, ground level up to about 10km high, where most of the weather occurs such as rain, snow, and clouds. Above that is the Stratosphere, an important region in which effects such as the Ozone Hole and Global Warming originate. The layer next to space is the Exosphere and then going inwards there are the Thermosphere and the Mesosphere. Supersonic passenger jets fly just above the troposphere whereas subsonic commercial airliners are usually well in the troposphere. The narrow region between these two parts of the atmosphere is called the Tropopause. Ozone forms a layer in the stratosphere, thinnest in the tropics and denser towards the poles. The amount of ozone above a point on the earth's surface is measured in Dobson units (DU) - typically ~260 DU near the tropics and higher elsewhere, though there are large seasonal fluctuations. It is created when ultraviolet radiation in the form of sunlight strikes the stratosphere, splitting oxygen molecules into atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen quickly combines with further oxygen molecules to form ozone.

Paragraph D

The Ozone Hole often gets confused in the popular press and by the general public with the problem of global warming. Whilst there is a connection because ozone contributes to the greenhouse effect, the Ozone Hole is a separate issue. Over Antarctica (and recently over the Arctic), stratospheric ozone has been depleted over the last 15 years at certain times of the year. This is mainly due to the release of man-made chemicals containing chlorine such as CFCs (ChloroFluorocarbons) but also compounds containing bromine, other related halogen compounds, and also nitrogen oxides. CFCs are a common industrial product, used in refrigeration systems, air conditioners, aerosols, solvents, and in the production of some types of packaging. Nitrogen oxides are a by-product of combustion processes, for example, aircraft emissions.

Paragraph E

The ozone depletion process begins when CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances are emitted into the atmosphere where winds efficiently mix and evenly distribute the gases. CFCs are extremely stable, and they do not dissolve in rain. After several years, natural gases in the stratosphere combine with CFCs and this releases chlorine atoms, halons, and methyl bromide. These in turn all release bromine atoms and it is these atoms that destroy ozone. It is estimated that one chlorine atom can destroy over 100,000 ozone molecules before it is removed from the stratosphere.

Paragraph F

The first global agreement to restrict CFCs came with the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 ultimately aiming to reduce them by half by the year 2000. Two revisions of this agreement have been made in the light of advances in scientific understanding, the latest being in 1992. An agreement has been reached on the control of industrial production of many halocarbons until the year 2030. The main CFCs will not be produced by any of the signatories after the end of 1995, except for a limited amount for essential uses, such as medical sprays. The countries of the European Community have adopted even stricter measures. Recognizing their responsibility to the global environment they have agreed to halt production of the main CFCs from the beginning of 1995. It was anticipated that these limitations would lead to a recovery of the ozone layer within 50 years of 2000. The World Meteorological Organisation estimated 2045 but recent investigations suggest the problem is perhaps on a much larger scale than anticipated.

The Ozone Hole IELTS Reading Questions

Questions 14 – 19

i –The Destruction Process

ii –How Is Ozone Formed?

iii– How Technology Can Help

iv –Artificial Emissions

v –What Is Being Done?

vi –The Function of the Ozone Layer

vii– Empirical Analysis

viii– Initial Identification

ix –Hospitalisation

14 Paragraph A

15 Paragraph B

16 Paragraph C

17 Paragraph D

18 Paragraph E

19 Paragraph F

Questions 20 – 25

There are more sentence endings (A – H) than questions so you will not need to use

them all.

20 International agreements will eventually lead to…

21 An apocryphal BAS story cites that equipment was changed to measure…

22 It is a common mistake to associate the Ozone Hole problem with…

23 The thickness of the Ozone layer varies with…

24 The Ozone layer is destroyed by a by-product of CFCs reacting with…

25 Common household appliances contribute to…

A …the location of the layer relative to the earth.

B …the discharge of synthetic chemicals into the atmosphere.

C…the satellite orbiting the earth.

D …the normal components of the earth’s atmosphere.

E …the anomalous readings taken earlier.

F…the issue of the heating up of the earth’s atmosphere.

G…recent investigations into the strength of Dobson Units.

H …the cessation of the release of most CFC gases into the atmosphere.

Questions 26 and 27

26 In which atmosphere layer would you find the Ozone layer and hole?

27 In which atmosphere layer would you find a conventional passenger airliner usually flying?

The Ozone Hole IELTS Reading Answers Explanation

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

14 Answer: vi

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph A

Answer explanation: Paragraph A illustrates a brief explanation of the Ozone hole. Ozone is a bluish gas that is harmful to breathe. Nearly 90% of the Earth’s ozone is in the stratosphere and is referred to as the ozone layer. Ozone absorbs a band of ultraviolet radiation called UVB that is particularly harmful to living organisms. Stratospheric ozone is constantly being created and destroyed through natural cycles. Various ozone-depleting substances, however, accelerate the destruction processes, resulting in lower than normal ozone levels. Reductions in ozone levels will lead to higher levels of UVB reaching the Earth’s surface. We understand from these lines that the paragraph elucidates the Ozone hole and the function of the ozone layer. Hence, the answer is vi.

15 Answer: viii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: Paragraph B elucidates the dramatic loss of the ozone in the lower stratosphere. “Dramatic loss of ozone in the lower stratosphere over Antarctica was first noticed in the 1970s by a research group from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) who were monitoring the atmosphere above Antarctica from a research station. Folklore has it that when the first measurements were taken in 1975, the drop in ozone levels in the stratosphere was so dramatic that at first, the scientists thought their instruments were faulty. Replacement instruments were built and flown out and it wasn’t until they confirmed the earlier measurements, several months later, that the ozone depletion observed was accepted as genuine.” We understand from these lines that paragraph B illustrates the initial identification of the ozone layer. Thus, the answer is viii.

16 Answer: ii

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: In paragraph C, it is mentioned how the ozone layer occurs naturally in the atmosphere, which is composed of multiple layers. In the 9th line, it is stated that the Ozone forms a layer in the stratosphere, thinnest in the tropics, and denser towards the poles. The amount of ozone above a point on the earth’s surface is measured in Dobson units (DU) – typically ~260 DU near the tropics and higher elsewhere, though there are large seasonal fluctuations. It is created when ultraviolet radiation in the form of sunlight strikes the stratosphere, splitting oxygen molecules into atomic oxygen. The atomic oxygen quickly combines with further oxygen molecules to form ozone. These lines indicate how ozone is formed. Hence, the answer is ii.

17 Answer: iv

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph D

Answer explanation: In paragraph D, line 3, it is mentioned that over Antarctica (and recently over the Arctic), stratospheric ozone has been depleted over the last 15 years at certain times of the year. This is mainly due to the release of man-made chemicals containing chlorine such as CFCs (ChloroFluoroCarbons) but also compounds containing bromine, other related halogen compounds, and also nitrogen oxides. CFCs are a common industrial product, used in refrigeration systems, air conditioners, aerosols, solvents, and in the production of some types of packaging. Nitrogen oxides are a by-product of combustion processes, for example, aircraft emissions. These lines elucidate the artificial emissions resulting in the depletion of ozone. Hence, the answer is iv.

18 Answer: i

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: Paragraph E explains the process of ozone depletion. It is stated that the ozone depletion process begins when CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances are emitted into the atmosphere where winds efficiently mix and evenly distribute the gases. CFCs are extremely stable, and they do not dissolve in rain. After several years, natural gases in the stratosphere combine with CFCs and this releases chlorine atoms, halons, and methyl bromide. These in turn all release bromine atoms and it is these atoms that destroy ozone. It is evident from these lines that paragraph E discusses the destruction process of ozone. Hence, the answer is i.

19 Answer: v

Question type: Matching Headings

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: Paragraph F discusses the first agreement that restricted CFCs. It is mentioned that recognizing their responsibility to the global environment they have agreed to halt production of the main CFCs from the beginning of 1995. It was anticipated that these limitations would lead to a recovery of the ozone layer within 50 years of 2000. The World Meteorological Organisation estimated 2045 but recent investigations suggest the problem is perhaps on a much larger scale than anticipated. We understand from the last line of the paragraph that it talks about what is being done. Thus, the answer is v.

20 Answer: H

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph F

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph F states that the first global agreement to restrict CFCs came with the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 ultimately aiming to reduce them by half by the year 2000. Two revisions of this agreement have been made in the light of advances in scientific understanding, the latest being in 1992. We can deduce from these lines that international agreements were made to restrict the release of CFCs into the atmosphere. Therefore, it is evident that the international agreements will eventually lead to the cessation of the release of most CFC gases into the atmosphere. Hence, the answer is H.

21 Answer: E

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph B

Answer explanation: We find a reference for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in paragraph B, which states that the BAS was monitoring the atmosphere above Antarctica from a research station. Folklore has it that when the first measurements were taken in 1975, the drop in ozone levels in the stratosphere was so dramatic that at first, the scientists thought their instruments were faulty. Replacement instruments were built and flown out and it wasn’t until they confirmed the earlier measurements, several months later, that the ozone depletion observed was accepted as genuine. These lines suggest that the initial measurements didn’t reveal the expected results, leading the scientists to believe that the instruments were faulty. However, after the replacement instruments were built, they were able to confirm the previous measurements. Thus, it is clear that an apocryphal BAS story states that equipment was changed to measure the anomalous readings taken earlier. Thus, the answer is E.

22 Answer: F

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: Paragraph C states that ozone occurs naturally in the atmosphere, which is composed of several layers. In the 4th line, it is mentioned that above that is the Stratosphere, an important region in which effects such as the Ozone Hole and Global Warming originate. These lines suggest that it is a common mistake to associate the ozone hole problem with the issue of the heating up of the earth’s atmosphere. Hence, the answer is F.

23 Answer: A

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 9

Answer explanation: The 9th line of paragraph C states that the Ozone forms a layer in the stratosphere, thinnest in the tropics, and denser towards the poles. These lines indicate that the thickness of the ozone layer varies with the location of the layer relative to the Earth. Thus, the answer is A.

24 Answer: D

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph E

Answer explanation: We find a reference for CFC in paragraph E, which states that the ozone depletion process begins when CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances are emitted into the atmosphere where winds efficiently mix and evenly distribute the gases. These lines indicate that the depletion of ozone starts when CFC and other depleting substances are emitted into the atmosphere where winds blend and distribute. Thus, it is clear that the ozone layer is destroyed by a by-product of CFCs reacting with the normal components of the Earth’s atmosphere. Hence, the answer is D.

25 Answer: B

Question type: Matching Sentence Ending

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 3

Answer explanation: The 3rd line of paragraph D states that over Antarctica (and recently over the Arctic), stratospheric ozone has been depleted over the last 15 years at certain times of the year. This is mainly due to the release of man-made chemicals containing chlorine such as CFCs (ChloroFluoroCarbons) but also compounds containing bromine, other related halogen compounds, and also nitrogen oxides. CFCs are a common industrial product, used in refrigeration systems, air conditioners, aerosols, solvents, and in the production of some types of packaging. These lines suggest that the common household products contribute to the release of synthetic chemicals into the atmosphere. Hence, the answer is B.

26 Answer: D

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: The initial lines of paragraph C states that Ozone occurs naturally in the atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere is composed of several layers. We live in the Troposphere, ground level up to about 10km high, where most of the weather occurs such as rain, snow, and clouds. Above that is the Stratosphere, an important region in which effects such as the Ozone Hole and Global Warming originate. These lines indicate that the ozone layer and hole will be found in layer D, 40 KMs above the ground. Hence, the answer is D.

27 Answer: E

Question type: Diagram Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C

Answer explanation: We find a reference for a conventional passenger airliner usually flying in paragraph C, which states that the supersonic passenger jets fly just above the troposphere whereas subsonic commercial airliners are usually well in the troposphere. The narrow region between these two parts of the atmosphere is called the Tropopause. As per the highlighted lines and the diagram of the earth, the conventional passenger airliner (supersonic passenger jets fly) can be found just above the troposphere. Hence, the answer is E.

Tips to Ace The Importance of Children's Play 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. 

Matching Headings

• Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph to understand the main idea.
• Focus on the overall message of the paragraph, not supporting details.
• Beware of headings that match only one line or example.
• Use the process of elimination to narrow down the best option.
• Look for paraphrasing, as headings rarely use the same words as the passage.

Matching Sentence Endings

• Read the sentence beginnings carefully and predict the type of information needed in the ending.
• Scan the passage for paraphrased ideas, not exact word matches.
• Check grammar carefully—the completed sentence must be grammatically correct and logical.
• Eliminate endings that change the meaning of the sentence or sound too general.
• Watch out for distractors; some endings may fit grammatically but not match the passage meaning.

Diagram Completion

• Read the instructions carefully and check the word limit before answering.
• Study the diagram labels to understand the process or structure shown.
• Scan the passage to locate the section that describes the diagram.
• Use words directly from the passage and ensure they fit grammatically.
• Check spelling and singular/plural forms, as incorrect forms can lose marks.

Mastering passages like The Importance of Children's Play 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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