A Range of New Technologies IELTS Reading Answers

Aug 10, 2023

A Range of New Technologies IELTS Reading Answers is a topic of the IELTS academic reading topic which includes 13 questions. The specified IELTS topic generates 2 types of questions: true/ false/ not given, and choose the appropriate headings. Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. Candidates can further enhance their reading skills by going through IELTS reading practice papers available on the website. Candidates can use IELTS reading topics like A Range of New Technologies IELTS Reading Answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

A Range of New Technologies

A
The history of human civilization is entwined with the history of ways we have learned to manipulate water resources. As towns gradually expanded, water was brought from increasingly remote sources, leading to sophisticated engineering efforts such as dams and aqueducts. At the height of the Roman Empire, nine major systems, with an innovative layout of pipes and well-built sewers, supplied the occupants of Rome with as much water per person as is provided in many parts of the industrial world today.

B
During the industrial revolution and population explosion of the 19th and 20th centuries, the demand for water rose dramatically.
Unprecedented construction of tens of thousands of monumental engineering projects designed to control floods, protect clean water supplies, and provide water for irrigation and hydropower brought great benefits to hundreds of millions of people. Food production has kept pace with soaring populations mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems that makes possible the growth of 40% of the world's food. Nearly one-fifth of all the electricity generated worldwide is produced by turbines spun by the power of falling water.

C
Yet there is a dark side to this picture: despite our progress, half of the world's population still suffers, the water services are inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. As the United Nations report on access to water reiterated in November 2001, more than one billion people lack access to clean drinking water: some two and half billion do not have adequate sanitation services. Preventable water-related diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day, and the latest evidence suggests that we are falling behind in efforts to solve their problems.

D
The consequences of our water policies extend beyond jeopardizing human health. Tens of millions of people have been forced to move from their homes - often with little warning or compensation - to make way for the reservoirs behind dams. More than 20% of all freshwater fish species are now threatened or endangered because dams and water withdrawals have destroyed the free-flowing river ecosystems where they thrive.
Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality and reduce agricultural productivity. Groundwater aquifers are being pumped down faster than they are naturally replenished in part of India, China, the USA and elsewhere. And disputes over shared water resources have led to violence and continue to raise local, national and even international tensions.

E
At the outset of the new millennium, however, the way resource planners think about water is ginning to change. The focus is slowly shifting back to the provision of basic human and environmental needs as a top priority - ensuring 'some for all,' instead of 'more for some'. Some water experts are now demanding that existing infrastructure be used in smarter ways rather than building new facilities, which is increasingly considered the option of last, not first, resort.
This shift in philosophy has not been universally accepted, and it comes with strong opposition from some established water organizations. Nevertheless, it may be the only way to successfully address the pressing problems of providing everyone with clean water to drink, adequate water to grow food and a life free from preventable water-related illness.

F
Fortunately - and unexpectedly - the demand for water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted. As a result, the pressure to build water infrastructures has diminished over the past two decades. Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lacks has slowed. And in a few parts of the world, demand has actually fallen.

G
What explains this remarkable turn of events? Two factors: people have figured out how to use water more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use.
Throughout the first three-quarters of the 20th century, the quantity of freshwater consumed per doubled on average; in the USA, water withdrawals increased tenfold while the population quadrupled. But since 1980, the amount of water consumed per person has actually decreased, thanks to a range of new technologies that help to conserve water in homes and industry.

In 1965, for instance, Japan used approximately 13 million gallons* of water to produce $1 million of commercial output; by 1989 this had dropped to 3.5 million gallons (even accounting for inflation) - almost a quadrupling of water productivity. In the USA, water withdrawals have fallen by more than 20% from their peak in 1980.

H
On the other hand, dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built, particularly in developing countries where basic human needs have not been met. But such projects must be built to higher specifications and with more accountability to local people and their environment than in the past. And even in regions where new projects seem warranted, we must find ways to meet demands with fewer resources, respecting ecological criteria and to a smaller budget.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Question 14-20

Reading Passage 65 has seven paragraphs, A-H Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A and CH from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-xi, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings

Scientists' call for revision of policy
An explanation for reduced water use
How a global challenge was met
Irrigation systems fall into disuse
Environmental effects
The financial cost of recent technological improvements
The relevance to health
Addressing the concern over increasing populations
A surprising downward trend in demand for water
The need to raise standards
A description of ancient water supplies

Question 14: Paragraph A

Answer: xi
Supporting statement: “...The history of human civilization is entwined with the history of ways we have learned to manipulate water resources…”
Keywords: history, human civilization, entwined, manipulate, water resources
Keyword Location: para A, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the history of human civilization is entwined with the history of ways we have learned to manipulate water resources. As towns gradually expanded, water was brought from increasingly remote sources, leading to sophisticated engineering efforts such as dams and aqueducts.

Question 15: Paragraph C

Answer: vii
Supporting statement: “...Preventable water-related diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day…”
Keywords: Preventable, water-related, diseases, kill, 10,000 to 20,000, children
Keyword Location: para C, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, preventable water-related diseases kill an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 children every day, and the latest evidence suggests that we are falling behind in efforts to solve their problems.

Question 16: Paragraph D

Answer: v
Supporting statement: “...Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality and reduce agricultural productivity…”
Keywords: irrigation, practices, degrade, soil quality, agricultural, productivity
Keyword Location: para D, line 4
Explanation: According to the writer, the consequences of our water policies extend beyond jeopardizing human health. Certain irrigation practices degrade soil quality and reduce agricultural productivity. Groundwater aquifers are being pumped down faster than they are naturally replenished in part of India, China, the USA and elsewhere.

Question 17: Paragraph E

Answer: i
Supporting statement: “...the way resource planners think about water is ginning to change. The focus is slowly shifting…”
Keywords: shifting, back, provision, human, environmental needs, top priority, ‘some for all’, ‘more for some’
Keyword Location: para E, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the way resource planners think about water is ginning to change. The focus is slowly shifting back to the provision of basic human and environmental needs as a top priority - ensuring 'some for all,' instead of 'more for some'.

Question 18: Paragraph F

Answer: ix
Supporting statement: “...Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw…”
Keywords: population, industrial, output, economic, productivity, soar, developed nations, withdraw, water, aquifers, rivers, lakes has slowed. And in a few parts of the world, demand has actually fallEN
Keyword Location: para F, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the demand for water is not rising as rapidly as some predicted. Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lakes has slowed. And in a few parts of the world, demand has actually fallen.

Question 19: Paragraph G

Answer: ii
Supporting statement: “...people have figured out how to use water more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use. Throughout the first three-quarters of the 20th century, the quantity of freshwater consumed per year doubled…”
Keywords: people, water, efficiently, communities, rethinking, priorities, water use
Keyword Location: para G, line 2
Explanation: According to the writer, people have figured out how to use water more efficiently, and communities are rethinking their priorities for water use. Throughout the first three-quarters of the 20th century, the quantity of freshwater consumed per doubled on average; in the USA, water withdrawals increased tenfold while the population quadrupled. But since 1980, the amount of water consumed per person has actually decreased, thanks to a range of new technologies that help to conserve water in homes and industry.

Question 20: Paragraph H

Answer: x
Supporting statement: “...dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built, particularly in developing countries where basic human needs have not been met…”
Keywords: dams, aqueducts, infrastructure, built, developing, countries, basic human needs
Keyword Location: para H, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, dams, aqueducts and other kinds of infrastructure will still have to be built, particularly in developing countries where basic human needs have not been met. But such projects must be built to higher specifications and with more accountability to local people and their environment than in the past.

Question 21-26

Do the following statement agree with the information given in Reading Passage 65: In boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet, write:

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Question 21: Water use per person is higher in the industrial world than it was in Ancient Rome.

Answer: no
Supporting statement: “...half of the world's population still suffers, the water services are inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans…”
Keywords: half, world's population, suffers, water services, inferior, ancient, Greeks, Romans Keyword Location: para C, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, half of the world's population still suffers, the water services are inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. As the United Nations report on access to water reiterated in November 2001, more than one billion people lack access to clean drinking water: some two and half billion do not have adequate sanitation services.

Question 22: Feeding increasing populations is possible due primarily to improved irrigation systems.

Answer: yes
Supporting statement: “...Food production has kept pace with soaring populations mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems…”
Keywords: Food production, soaring, populations, expansion, artificial, irrigation systems, growth of 40%, world's food
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, food production has kept pace with soaring populations mainly because of the expansion of artificial irrigation systems that makes possible the growth of 40% of the world's food.

Question 23: Modern water systems imitate those of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Answer: not given
Explanation: No relevant information has been provided in the passage in order to support the said statement. Therefore, we can clearly conclude the statement as an invalid one.

Question 24: Industrial growth is increasing the overall demand for water.

Answer: no
Supporting statement: “...the water services are inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans…”
Keywords: water, services, inferior, ancient, Greeks, Romans
Keyword Location: para C, line 1
Explanation: According to the writer, the water services are inferior to those available to the ancient Greeks and Romans. As the United Nations report on access to water reiterated in November 2001, more than one billion people lack access to clean drinking water: some two and half billion do not have adequate sanitation services.

Question 25: Modern technologies have led to reduction in domestic water consumption.

Answer: yes
Supporting statement: “...Although population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations…”
Keywords: population, industrial, output, economic, productivity, continued, soar, developed nations
Keyword Location: para F, line 3
Explanation: According to the writer, population, industrial output and economic productivity have continued to soar in developed nations, the rate at which people withdraw water from aquifers, rivers and lacks has slowed