An Earth-Shaking Discovery - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation

IELTS Reading section tests the candidate’s reading ability and understanding proficiency. IELTS reading section contains a reading passage and different question types. This IELTS Reading sample answer - An Earth-Shaking Discovery is an IELTS Academic topic.

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This passage contains three question types:

1. Sentence Completion
2. Diagram Labeling
3. Fill in the blanks

There are different types of topics found in IELTS reading practice papers for practice.

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

An Earth-Shaking Discovery IELTS Reading Sample

The discovery of seafloor spreading is earth-shaking, yet those responsible are forgotten, says Anna Grayson

1. In 1963, a paper appeared in the journal Nature that radically changed the way we view this planet and its resources. The authors, Fred Vine and Drummond Matthews, did for the Earth sciences what Crick and Watson did for biology and Einstein did for physics, and new areas of scientific development are still emerging as a result.
2. Yet both men are largely forgotten and unrecognised. What Vine and Matthews did was to provide proof that continents really do drift across the surface of the globe. This understanding profoundly affects the way we use the planet today – it directs the way we prospect for resources such as oil and minerals: it has enabled us to predict most volcanic eruptions and to understand patterns of earthquakes. Incredibly perhaps, an understanding of the mobile dynamic nature of the Earth is helping an understanding of long-term global climate changes. Despite the significance of their work, neither man received great honour or fame.
3. The idea of continental drift was first proposed in a serious way by the German meteorologist Allred Wegener in 1915. People had noticed the neat jigsaw-like fit between South America and Africa, but Wegener found actual fossil evidence that the two continents were once joined. No one took him seriously; in fact, he was ridiculed by most of the geological community. This was partly because, not being a geologist, he was perceived as an outsider. But the main reason for the hostility; according to Vine, was that Wegener was unable to come up with an explanation as to how whole continents could possibly move even an inch, let alone dance to the music of time around the globe.
4. In the 1920s, the Scottish geologist Arthur Holmes hypothesised that convection currents within the Earth could become sufficiently vigorous to drag the two halves of the original continent apart! In the late 1950s, an American, Harry Hess, came up with the hypothesis that new seafloor is constantly being generated at the mid­-ocean ridges by hot material rising in a convection current. But neither man could find evidence to prove it. It was no more than just a hunch that it had to be right, and a hunch is not enough for science.
5. Vine had been fascinated by the apparent fit of the continents since the age of 14, and as a graduate student at Cambridge was assigned a project analysing one of the new magnetic surveys of the ocean floor. He found what he describes as parallel zebra swipes of normal and reversed magnetism’ around the mid-ocean ridge. Most significantly; these stripes were symmetrical either side of the ridge crests. There had to be a reason for this. The young Vine and his supervisor Matthews proposed that the magnetic stripes were caused by new ocean floor being formed as molten rock rose at the mid-ocean ridges and spread each side of the ridge.
6. As the molten rock solidified, it became weakly magnetised parallel to the Earth’s magnetic field. It was just becoming recognised in the early 1960s that the Earths magnetic field flips every so often, so magnetic north becomes a magnetic south pole and visa versa. These flips in the magnetic field were being recorded in the new seafloor. It was like a giant tape recording of the ocean floor’s history. As new seafloor was made, it pushed the last lot aside, widening the ocean and in turn pushing the continents either side further apart. In other words, they had discovered the mechanism driving drifting continents that were missing from Wegener’s work. The science of the Earth was never the same again.
7. By the end of the 1960s, confirmation of global seafloor spreading led to plate tectonics – the view of the outside of the Earth comprising just a few rigid plates which are shunted about by growing seafloor. There was a realization that mountains are formed when two plates collide, and that most volcanoes and earthquakes occur on the edges of these plates. All this was accepted as fact by all but a few diehard dinosaurs in the geological world. It is now in the impact of shifting continents on the global environment that Vine feels the most exciting and significant research lies: ‘The distribution of continents and the opening and closing of ocean gates between continents has had a profound effect on climates and has caused flips from Ice­house Earth to Green-house Earth.’
8. The recognition that the Earth’s hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere are all intimately linked with the drifting continents and the goings-on deep within the Earth has spawned the term ‘Earth Systems Science’. It is a great oak tree of science that has grown from the acorn of truth supplied by Vine and Matthews. The holistic approach of earth systems science is very much welcomed by Vine: I’m rather pleased that this has come together.’ He feels that the future for understanding the planet lies in an integrated approach to the sciences, rather than the isolated stance the geologists took throughout the 20th century: There was an incredible polarisation of science and I was caught between the boundaries. It was anathema to me – the whole of environmental science should be integrated. ’

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Section 2

Solution With Explanation 

Questions 14-17
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-Q from the box below.
Write the correct letter A-Q in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
Question 14: The work done by Vine and Matthews has had implications concerning

Answer: D- matters beyond simply the movement of continents.

Supporting Sentence: “What Vine and Matthews did was to provide proof that continents really do drift across the surface of the globe. This understanding profoundly affects the way we use the planet today - it directs the way we prospect for resources such as oil and minerals; it has enabled us to predict most volcanic eruptions and to understand patterns of earthquakes.”

Keywords: Vine, Matthews, continents, drift, movements, oil, minerals, earthquakes.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, Lines 2-4

Explanation: In lines 2-4 of paragraph 2, according to the author, their work is essential not only in terms of continent movement, but also in terms of finding oil and minerals, learning about volcanoes and earthquakes, and understanding climate change. So, the work of Vine and Matthews has far-reaching consequences that go beyond the movement of continents. Thereby, the selection of the answer is correct.

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Question 15: Wegener attempted to provide an explanation of

Answer: E- something that had already been observed.

Supporting Sentence: “The idea of continental drift was first proposed in a serious way by the German meteorologist Alfred Wegener in 1915. People had noticed the neat jigsaw-like fit between South America and Africa, but Wegener found actual fossil evidence that the two continents were once joined.”

Keywords: Wegner, South America, Africa, fossil, continents.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Lines 1-2

Explanation: In lines 1-2 of paragraph 3, it is given that people had noticed that if South America and Africa were put together, they appeared to fit quite well, and Wegener stated that they had once been connected together, citing fossil evidence he had discovered to support his claim. So, it made clear that Wegener made an attempt to explain something that had already been noticed.

Question 16: Wegener’s conclusions were greeted as

Answer: B- something which could not possibly be true.

Supporting Sentence: No one took him seriously; in fact, he was ridiculed by most of the geological community. This was partly because, not being a geologist, he was perceived as an outsider. But the main reason for the hostility, according to Vine, was that Wegener was unable to come up with an explanation as to how whole continents could possibly move even an inch, let alone dance to the music of time around the globe.

Keywords: Wegner, Outsider, geologist, Vine, continents, move.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Lines 3-5

Explanation: In lines 3-5 of paragraph 3, it is given that he was mocked (laughed at) for his views because he was an "outsider" who couldn't prove that continents actually moved. As a result, his theories were deemed untrustworthy. So, it is understood that Wegener’s conclusions were greeted as something which could not possibly be true.

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Question 17: The theories presented by both Holmes and Hess concerned

Answer: F- something arrived at by intuition that could not be demonstrated.

Supporting Sentence: In the 1920s, the Scottish geologist Arthur Holmes hypothesized that convection currents within the Earth could become sufficiently vigorous to drag the two halves of the original continent apart. In the late 1950s, an American, Harry Hess, came up with the hypothesis that new seafloor is constantly being generated at the mid-ocean ridges by hot material rising in a convection current. But neither man could find evidence to prove it. It was no more than just a hunch that it had to be right and a hunch is not enough for science.

Keywords: Holmes, Hess, seafloor, evidence, prove, continent, hypothesized, hunch, science.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Lines 1-4

Explanation: In lines 1-4 of paragraph 4, their hypothesis is referred to as "simply a hunch" (a feeling that something is true, but without any evidence to prove that it is true). They were convinced that their idea was true, but they couldn't prove it. So, the theories presented by both Holmes and Hess concerned something arrived at by intuition that could not be demonstrated.

Question 18-22:

Label the Diagram Below:
The discoveries of Vine and Matthews
The Ocean Floor

(Guide: Candidates need to study the diagram, and write down the answers to the blanks 18 to 22)

Question 18:

Answer: mid-ocean ridges/ridge crests

Supporting Sentence: He found what he describes as ‘parallel zebra stripes of normal and reversed magnetism’ around the mid-ocean ridge. Most significantly, these stripes were symmetrical on either side of the ridge crests.

Keywords: zebra stripes, mid-ocean ridges, ridge crests.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Lines 2-3

Explanation: In lines 2-3 of paragraph 5, it is given that all of the events detailed here took place on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge (an elevated area in the middle of the ocean floor), particularly on both sides of the ridge crests (the very tops of the ridges) when the stripes emerged. As a result, the correct answer is mid-ocean ridges/ridge crests.

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Question 19:

Answer: molten rock rose

Supporting Sentence: The young Vine and his supervisor Matthews proposed that the magnetic stripes were caused by the new ocean floor being formed as molten rock rose at the mid-ocean ridges and spread each side of the ridge.

Keywords: Vine, Matthews, magnetic strips, molten rock rose, mid-ocean ridges.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 4

Explanation: In line 4 of paragraph 5, they decided that molten (hot and liquid) rock rose, resulting in the formation of a new ocean floor and the stripes. So, the correct answer is molten rock rose.

Question 20:

Answer: earth’s magnetic field

Supporting Sentence: As the molten rock solidified, it became weakly magnetized parallel to the Earth’s magnetic field. It was just becoming recognized in the early 1960s that the Earth’s magnetic field flips every so often, so magnetic north becomes a magnetic south pole and vice versa. These flips in the magnetic field were being recorded on the new seafloor.

Keywords: earth’s magnetic field, south, north, flips.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Lines 1-3

Explanation: In lines 1-3 of paragraph 6, it is mentioned that when the rock resolidified, the magnetic field shifted, causing north to become south and south to become north. Changes from one side to the other are referred to as 'flips.' Therefore, the correct answer is the earth’s magnetic field.

Question 21:

Answer: parallel/symmetrical/magnetic (zebra) stripes

Supporting Sentence: He found what he describes as ‘parallel zebra stripes of normal and reversed magnetism’ around the mid-ocean ridge. Most significantly, these stripes were symmetrical on either side of the ridge crests. There had to be a reason for this.

Keywords: parallel zebra stripes, normal, reversed, symmetrical, magnetism, ridge crests.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, Line 2

Explanation: In line 2 of paragraph 5, it is given that the stripes generated have been described as "parallel zebra stripes" at first, then as "symmetrical" and "magnetic" later. So, the correct word is parallel/symmetrical/magnetic (zebra) stripes.

Question 22:

Answer: pushed aside/{further) apart

Supporting Sentence: As new sea floor was made, it pushed the last lot aside, widening the ocean and in turn pushing the continents either side further apart. In other words, they had discovered the mechanism driving drifting continents that was missing from Wegener’s work. The science of the Earth was never the same again.

Keywords: sea floor, continents, pushing, further apart, mechanism, drifting, earth.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, Lines 5-7

Explanation: In lines 5-7 of paragraph 6, it is given that the formation of new sea floors caused the continents on either side of the ocean to drift further apart. So, the right answer is pushed aside/{further) apart.

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Questions 23-26

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 18-22 on your answer sheet.
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
(Guide: Candidates need to write answers of not more than three words for questions 18 to 22 )

Question 23: What is the name of the theory concerning the structure of the Earth that developed from the demonstration of seafloor spreading?

Answer: plate tectonics

Supporting Sentence: By the end of the 1960s, confirmation of global sea floor spreading led to plate tectonics - the view of the outside of the Earth comprising just a few rigid plates which are shunted about by growing sea floor.

Keywords: sea floor, plate tectonics, earth.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, 1st line

Explanation: In the first line of paragraph 7, it is given that Plate tectonics was born out of evidence of global seafloor spreading. The view of the outside of the Earth consists of only a few hard plates that are shifted around by the developing seafloor. This word refers to the theory that emerged as a result of evidence that the seafloor spreads.

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Question 24: According to Vine, what has the movement of continents had a big influence on?

Answer: climates

Supporting Sentence: It is now in the impact of shifting continents on the global environment that Vine feels the most exciting and significant research lies: ‘The distribution of continents and the opening and closing of ocean gates between continents has had a profound effect on climates and has caused flips from Icehouse Earth to Green-house Earth.

Keywords: shifting, global, Vine, continents, ocean gates, climates.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, 1st line

Explanation: In the first line of paragraph 8, According to Vine's distribution, the movement of continents has had a "deep effect" (a big influence) on climates and has resulted in some massive climate variations.

Question 25: What branch of science has emerged as a result of the work done by Vine and Matthews?

Answer: Earth Systems Science

Supporting Sentence: The recognition that the Earth’s hydrosphere and biosphere are all intimately linked with the drifting continents and the goings-on deep within the Earth has spawned the term ‘Earth Systems Science’. It is a great oak tree of science that has grown from the acorn of truth supplied by Vine and Matthews.

Keywords: recognition, drifting continents, earth, earth systems science, Vine, Matthews.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, Lines 2-3

Explanation: In lines 2-3 of paragraph 8, The phrase "Earth Systems Science" came about as a result of the realization that the Earth's hydrosphere and biosphere are all inextricably related to the moving continents and the goings-on deep within the Earth. It is a massive oak tree of science that has sprouted from Vine and Matthews' truth acorn.

Question 26: Which word does Vine use to describe how he believes the study of the Earth should be conducted?

Answer: integrated

Supporting Sentence: The holistic approach of earth systems science is very much welcomed by Vine: ‘I’m rather pleased that this has come together.’ He feels that the future for understanding the planet lies in an integrated approach to the sciences, rather than the isolated stance the geologists took throughout the 20th century.

Keywords: Vine, holistic, integrated, approach, planet, sciences, isolated.

Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, Lines 4-5

Explanation: In lines 4-5 of paragraph 8, Vine believes in an "integrated approach," stating that "the whole of environmental science should be integrated." He claims that the concept of science is divided into wholly different sectors (the "polarisation") was "anathema" to him.