Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems - IELTS Reading Answers

Want to improve your IELTS Reading score without burning out? Build a consistent daily reading and practice habit. It is recommended that you start with single passages, like Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading Answers, from IELTS recent actual tests. They not only help you build your exam strategy according to your skill level but also boost your reading skills systematically. 

So, in this blog, we will solve Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems Reading Answers from Cambridge 10 Test 1, Reading passage 2, provide explanations, locations for the answers, and tips to help you handle the two different types of reading question types given with this passage.

Passage for Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading Answers

Go through the Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading Answers passage given below and prepare yourself for the different IELTS Reading question types with examples.

Trends And Prospects For European Transport Systems

A It is difficult to conceive of vigorous economic growth without an efficient transport system. Although modern information technologies can reduce the demand for physical transport by facilitating teleworking and teleservices, the requirement for transport continues to increase. There are two key factors behind this trend. For passenger transport, the determining factor is the spectacular growth in car use. The number of cars on European Union (EU) roads saw an increase of three million cars each year from 1990 to 2010, and in the next decade the EU will see a further substantial increase in its fleet.

B As far as goods transport is concerned, growth is due to a large extent to changes in the European economy and its system of production. In the last 20 years, as internal frontiers have been abolished, the EU has moved from a ”stock” economy to a ”flow” economy. This phenomenon has been emphasised by the relocation of some industries, particularly those which are labour intensive, to reduce production costs, even though the production site is hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the final assembly plant or away from users.

C The strong economic growth expected in countries which are candidates for entry to the EU will also increase transport flows, in particular road haulage traffic. In 1998, some of these countries already exported more than twice their 1990 volumes and imported more than five times their 1990 volumes. And although many candidate countries inherited a transport system which encourages rail, the distribution between modes has tipped sharply in favour of road transport since the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1998，road haulage increased by 19.4%, while during the same period rail haulage decreased by 43.5%, although – and this could benefit the enlarged EU – it is still on average at a much higher level than in existing member states.

D However, a new imperative-sustainable development – offers an opportunity for adapting the EU，s common transport policy. This objective, agreed by the Gothenburg European Council, has to be achieved by integrating environmental considerations into Community policies, and shifting the balance between modes of transport lies at the heart of its strategy. The ambitious objective can only be fully achieved by 2020, but proposed measures are nonetheless a first essential step towards a sustainable transport system which will ideally be in place in 30 years‟ time, that is by 2040.

E In 1998, energy consumption in the transport sector was to blame for 28% of emissions of CO2，the leading greenhouse gas. According to the latest estimates, if nothing is done to reverse the traffic growth trend, CO2 emissions from transport can be expected to increase by around 50% to 1,113 billion tonnes by 2020，compared with the 739 billion tonnes recorded in 1990. Once again, road transport is the main culprit since it alone accounts for 84% of the CO2 emissions attributable to transport. Using alternative fuels and improving energy efficiency is thus both an ecological necessity and a technological challenge.

F At the same time greater efforts must be made to achieve a modal shift. Such a change cannot be achieved overnight, all the less so after over half a century of constant deterioration in favour of road. This has reached such a pitch that today rail freight services are facing marginalisation, with just 8% of market share, and with international goods trains struggling along at an average speed of 18km/h. Three possible options have emerged.

G The first approach would consist of focusing on road transport solely through pricing. This option would not be accompanied by complementary measures in the other modes of transport. In the short term it might curb the growth in road transport through the better loading ratio of goods vehicles and occupancy rates of passenger vehicles expected as a result of the increase in the price of transport. However, the lack of measures available to revitalise other modes of transport would make it impossible for more sustainable modes of transport to take up the baton.

H The second approach also concentrates on road transport pricing but is accompanied by measures to increase the efficiency of the other modes (better quality of services, logistics, technology). However, this approach does not include investment in new infrastructure, nor does it guarantee better regional cohesion. It could help to achieve greater uncoupling than the first approach, but road transport would keep the lion‟s share of the market and continue to concentrate on saturated arteries, despite being the most polluting of the modes. It is therefore not enough to guarantee the necessary shift of the balance.

I The third approach, which is not new, comprises a series of measures ranging from pricing to revitalising alternative modes of transport and targeting investment in the trans-European network. This integrated approach would allow the market shares of the other modes to return to their 1998 levels and thus make a shift of balance. It is far more ambitious than it looks, bearing in mind the historical imbalance in favour of roads for the last fifty years, but would achieve a marked break in the link between road transport growth and economic growth, without placing restrictions on the mobility of people and goods.

Questions for Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems Reading Answers

The ‘Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems’ is an IELTS Academic Reading passage is a good resource for anyone preparing for the reading module. The question types in this reading passage include:

• IELTS Reading Matching Heading (Q. 1-8)
• IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given (Q. 9-13)

Now set your timer and solve the questions given with the passage!

Questions 1-8

List of Headings

i A fresh and important long-term goal

ii Charging for roads and improving other transport methods

iii Changes affecting the distances goods may be transported

iv Taking all the steps necessary to change transport patterns

v The environmental costs of road transport

vi The escalating cost of rail transport

vii The need to achieve transport rebalance

viii The rapid growth of private transport

ix Plans to develop major road networks

x Restricting road use through charging policies alone

xi Transport trends in countries awaiting EU admission

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C 

4 Paragraph D 

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph G

7 Paragraph H

8 Paragraph I 

Questions 9-13

9 The need for transport is growing, despite technological developments.

10 To reduce production costs, some industries have been moved closer to their relevant consumers.

11 Cars are prohibitively expensive in some EU candidate countries.

12 The Gothenburg European Council was set up 30 years ago.

13 By the end of this decade, CO2 emissions from transport are predicted to reach 739 billion tonnes.

Answers and Explanations of Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading Passage

Don’t miss the answer key for the Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading passage, complete with detailed explanations, and prepare to score a high IELTS band score.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems Reading Passage

Now let’s get started with the IELTS exam preparation tips for band score of 8+ that will help you to solve each question type of Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems Reading Answers!

Matching Heading

• Read the paragraph’s first and last sentence VERY carefully: Most headings match the topic sentence or the concluding sentence. These sentences often reveal the topic focus, the purpose or the direction of the argument. Never choose a heading based on only one keyword in the middle.
• Identify the paragraph’s main idea, not examples or details: Headings summarize the core message. Ignore statistics, years, examples and case studies. Choose the heading that captures what the whole paragraph is about, not what appears once.
• Watch out for distractor headings with similar keywords: The passage include traps like: ‘restricting road use’/‘charging for roads’ or ‘improving transport methods’/’developing major road networks’. If the paragraph mentions charging but criticizes or questions it, the heading is not about charging.
• Eliminate headings that are too narrow or too broad: A heading must match the entire paragraph, not just one idea. If the heading is too specific, discard it.
• Underline keywords in each heading before reading paragraphs: It helps you know exactly what to scan for and reduces confusion with synonyms.
• Use the “reverse match” technique for tricky paragraphs: After reading the paragraph, ask “What can this paragraph NOT be referring to?”. Eliminate those headings first; choose from the remaining 2–3.
• Remember headings test meaning, not vocabulary matching: Paraphrasing is almost guaranteed. For example: ‘spectacular growth in car use’ is paraphrased as ‘rapid growth of private transport. Match meaning, not words.
• Leave the hardest paragraph for last: Start with the clearest paragraphs (usually A, C, or E). A process of elimination will make the toughest one easier.

True/False/Not Given

• TRUE = The passage says exactly the same idea. It is not similar or not close. It must fully match the meaning of the statement. 
• FALSE = The passage says the opposite. So, look for direct contradiction. For example: If the statement says ‘increase’, and the passage says ‘decrease’, it is FALSE. In short, opposites = clear FALSE.
• NOT GIVEN = The passage doesn’t answer the statement fully. If one detail is missing, the answer is NOT GIVEN. Common missing details include numbers, dates, cause-and-effect, opinions, specific conditions, etc. Never guess based on your knowledge.
• Read the statement word by word: Look at each word carefully. If even one key word or idea is incorrect or exaggerated, the answer may be FALSE.
• Locate the section of the passage: Use keywords to locate where this topic is mentioned in the passage.
• Don't make assumptions: Only base your answer on what is directly stated in the text. Do not use your background knowledge or logical guesses.

To conclude, IELTS reading samples, such as ‘Trends and Prospects for European Transport Systems IELTS Reading Answers’ are crucial. In addition to helping you improve your reading speed and recognize your weakest areas, they will help you become more familiar with the various types of questions on reading tests. Thus, keep taking these IELTS Reading practice tests and get your desired reading band score.

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