The Ozone Hole – IELTS Reading Answer

In the Academic Reading practice passage, “The Ozone Hole”, there are various question types, each of which are asked in the IELTS Reading exam. Ideally, you should not spend more than 20 minutes on a passage. Let’s see how easy this passage is for you and if you’re able to make it in 20 minutes. If not, try more IELTS reading practice tests from IELTSMaterial.com.

Reading Passage

The Ozone Hole

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?

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.

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