Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet Reading Answers

Oct 23, 2023

Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet Reading Answers contains a total of 13 questions to be answered in 20 minutes. This IELTS topic- Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet Reading Answers describes humanity's future due to population rise and environmental degradation. Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet Reading Answers is based on two IELTS Reading question types. These questions includes match the correct phrases and choose the correst option. Candidates must go through the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly in order to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. Candidates can use IELTS reading answers to enhance their performance in the reading section. Applicants can also check IELTS reading practice papers to improve their skills.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Are these two reporters on the same planet?

An essay by scientist, educator and environmentalist, Dr. David Suzuki A number of books, articles and television programs have disputed the reality of the claimed hazards of global warming, overpopulation, deforestation and ozone depletion.
Two newspaper commentaries show the profound differences of opinion on critical issues affecting the planet.

The first, by Robert Kaplan, has generated both fear and denial. Entitled The Coming Anarchy, the report paints a horrifying picture of the future for humanity. The author suggests that the terrible consequences of the conjunction between exploding human population and surrounding environmental degradation are already visible in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia.

As society is destabilized by the AIDS epidemic, government control evaporates, national borders crumble beneath the pressure of environmental refugees and local populations revert to tribalism to settle old scores or defend against fleeing masses and bands of stateless nomads on the move.

Kaplan believes what he has seen in Africa and Southeast Asia is the beginning of a global pattern of disintegration of social, political and economic infrastructure under the impact of ecological degradation, population pressure and disease. As ecosystems collapse, this scenario could sweep the planet, first in Eastern Europe and then the industrialized countries. It is a frightening scenario, built on a serious attempt to project the aftermath of ecological destruction. It comes from a core recognition that the planet is finite and consumption has vast social, political and economic ramifications. It has also generated a great deal of discussion and controversy.

Marcus Gee pronounces Kaplan's vision 'dead wrong' in a major article headlined Apocalypse Deferred. Attacking the 'doomsayers', Gee counters with the statistics favoured by believers in the limitless benefits and potential of economic growth. Citing the spectacular improvements in human health, levels of education and literacy, availability of food and length of life even in the developing world, Gee pronounces the fivefold increase in the world economy since 1950 as the cause of this good news. He does concede that immense problems remain, from ethnic nationalism to tropical deforestation to malnutrition to cropland losses but concludes that Kaplan has exaggerated many of the crises and thus missed the broad pattern of progress.

Focusing on statistics of the decline in child mortality and the rise in longevity, food production and adult literacy, Gee reaches the conclusion that things have never been better. Economic indicators, such as the rise in gross world product and total exports show 'remarkable sustained and dramatic progress'. Life for the majority of the world's citizens is getting steadily better in almost every category. Gee's conclusions rest heavily on economic indicators. He points out the annual 3.9 percent rise in the global economy and the more than doubling of the gross output per person, that has occurred for the past thirty years. World trade has done even better, growing by 6 percent of a product's price in 1947 to 5 percent today.

Gee skips lightly over such facts as third world debt and the daily toll of 22,000 child deaths from easily preventable disease. He also fails to mention that during this period the gulf between rich and poor countries has increased. He does acknowledge the threats of loss of topsoil and forests, pollution of the air and contamination of water.

However, he concludes that there is little evidence they are serious enough to hall or even reverse human progress. Gee challenges the notion of a population crisis since there have never been as many people so well off. Furthermore, he suggests there will never be a limit to population because more people means more Einsteins to keep making life better.

Gee's outlook rests on a tiny minority of scientists who have faith in the boundless potential of science and technology to overcome the physical constraints of air, water and soil so that a much larger population can be sustained. His final proof? -the general rise in living standards along with population growth. But the relationship between changes in living standards and population is a correlation, not proof of causal connection. Gee is ignoring basic economic as well as scientific reality. If we inherit a bank account with a thousand dollars that earns 5% interest annually, we could withdraw fifty dollars or less each year forever However, suppose we start to increase our withdrawals, say up to sixty dollars, then seventy dollars and more each year.
For many years the account would yield cash. But it would be foolish to conclude that we could keep drawing more from the account indefinitely. Yet that is what Gee believes.

As ocean fisheries around the world show, we are using up the ecological capital of the planet (biodiversity, air. water, soil) rather than living off the interest. It is a dangerous deception to believe that the human created artifice called economies can keep the indicators rising as the life support systems of the planet continue to decline. The value system that dominates most of the popular media promotes the delusion that resources and the economy can continue to expand indefinitely. It also blinds the public to the urgency and credibility of warnings that an environmental crisis confronts us.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 28-33
Use the information in the passage to match the people (A-C) with the opinions (28- 33)
listed below. There may be more than one correct answer.

Our patterns of consumption are using up the ecological capital of the planet.

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “...The author suggests that the terrible consequences of the conjunction between the exploding human population and surrounding environmental degradation are already visible in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia......”
Keywords: consequences, degradation
Keyword Location: para 2, line 2
Explanation: It is clearly mentioned by the author that the use of environmental assets has led to an ecological impact on the planet. The environmental degradation is also visible in parts of Africa and South Asia.

Crises beginning in the Third World will spread to developed countries.

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “....but concludes that Kaplan has exaggerated many of the crises and thus missed the broad pattern of progress......”
Keywords: exaggerated, broad
Keyword Location: para 5, line 8
Explanation: It is written in the passage that Kaplan mentioned the beginning of Crises in an exaggerated tone. Hence it misses the pattern of progress.

Scientific progress will enable the planet to sustain an increased population.

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “....Gee counters with the statistics favored by believers in the limitless benefits and potential of economic growth. .....”
Keywords: favored, potential
Keyword Location: para 5, line 2
Explanation: It is given that Mr. Gee argued that the statistics were in favor of economic progress and scientific progress.

Social and political infrastructure worldwide could collapse.

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “....beginning of a global pattern of disintegration of social, political and economic infrastructure under the impact of ecological degradation, population pressure and disease.....”
Keywords: disintegration, population
Keyword Location: para 4, lines 1-2
Explanation: Kaplan mentioned that he believes that what he has seen in Africa and South Asia is proof that the social and political infrastructure is moving towards ecological degradation.

Earth's life support systems are at critical risk.

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “....As ecosystems collapse, this scenario could sweep the planet, first in Eastern Europe and then the industrialized countries.....”
Keywords: sweep, industrialized
Keyword Location: para 4
Explanation: Kaplan has mentioned that when the ecosystems collapse it will lead to a huge impact on the life support systems on Earth.

Environmental problems are not a threat to progress

Answer: B
Supporting statement: “....However, he concludes that there is little evidence they are serious enough to hall or even reverse human progress....”
Keywords: concludes, progress
Keyword Location: para 8
Explanation: Mr. Gee is purely on the side of economic progress and gives a bunch of examples showing progress in the last 30 years. But at last, he concludes that the environmental problems are more exaggerated than they are.

R. Kaplan, author of The Coming Anarchy
M. Gee, author of Apocalypse Deferred
D. Suzuki, author of this passage

Questions 34-36
Choose ONE phrase from the list below (A-G) to complete each of the following
sentences. There are more phrases than questions so you will not use all of them.

The growth of world trade

Answer: G
Supporting statement: “...World trade has done even better, growing by 6 percent of a product's price in 1947 to 5 percent today.....”
Keywords: product, percent
Keyword Location: para 7, line 4
Explanation: It is given in the passage that the world trade has performed better in past years and it has been growing by 6% of the product’s price in 1947, but today it is 5%. Hence there is a downfall in tariffs.

The relationship between population and standard of living

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “...rise in living standards along with population growth. But the relationship between changes in living standards and population is a correlation, not proof of causal connection.....”
Keywords: standards, casual
Keyword Location: para 9, line 4
Explanation: It is directly given in the passage that the rise in population only has a correlation with living standards.

Natural resources and the economy

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “...For many years the account would yield cash. But it would be foolish to conclude that we could keep drawing more from the account indefinitely. Yet that is what Gee believes......”
Keywords: years, keep
Keyword Location: para 9, line 1
Explanation: It is given that even if we get 5% returns on our cash. Still, we will not be able to keep drawing the cash indefinitely. Hence it can be concluded that natural resources and the economy also cannot grow indefinitely.

List of Phrases

have most benefited developing countries
has led to a drop in the standard of living generally
cannot continue to expand indefinitely
have decreased third world debt
shows a correlation, not cause and effect
pose a threat to human progress
has been accompanied by a fall in tariffs

Questions 37-40
Choose the correct letter A-D.

37.Which of the following is NOT stated by Kaplan as a key contributing factor to potential global destabilization?

political corruption
collapse of ecosystems
population explosion
malnutrition and disease

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “....As society is destabilized by the AIDS epidemic, government control evaporates, national borders crumble beneath the pressure of environmental refugees.....”
Keywords: epidemic, crumble
Keyword Location: para 3, line 1
Explanation: Kaplan has focussed on all the environmental factors like ecosystems, population and malnutrition or food problems. But he has not focussed much on the political aspects of the countries.

38.What is the main source of Gee's optimism?

scientific and technological advances
decreasing Third World debt
the rise in the standard of living worldwide
economic growth

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “....Attacking the 'doomsayers', Gee counters with the statistics favoured by believers in the limitless benefits and potential of economic growth......”
Keywords: believers, potential
Keyword Location: para 5, line 2
Explanation: It is said that Mr. Gee believed in the statistics. And statistics say that there has been a huge growth in the economic and financial side of society.

39.Which of the following can we infer about the views of the author of this passage?

He disagrees with both Gee and Kaplan.
He supports the views of Gee.
His views are closer to those of Kaplan.
He thinks both Gee and Kaplan are right.

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “...It is a dangerous deception to believe that the human-created artifice called economies can keep the indicators rising as the life support systems of the planet continue to decline......”
Keywords: artifice, economies
Keyword Location: para 11, line 2
Explanation: The thoughts of the author and Kaplan are mostly similar. Both are alerted to the environmental impacts and ecosystem degradation. And author mentions that it is dangerous to believe that economies can increase even if life systems are declining.

40.The main purpose of the author in this passage is ...

to alert us to an environmental crisis.
to educate the media.
to create uncertainty about the future.
to challenge current economic theory.

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “.... It also blinds the public to the urgency and credibility of warnings that an environmental crisis confronts us......”
Keywords: urgency, crisis
Keyword Location: para 11, line 6
Explanation: It is clearly written by the author in the last paragraph that people should realize the urgency and warning of the environment. People must understand the crisis that is coming in the future times.

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