Can Hurricanes be Moderated or Diverted Reading Answers

May 8, 2025

Can Hurricanes be Moderated or Diverted? Reading Answers is an academic reading topic. Can Hurricanes be Moderated or Diverted? Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set, you have to choose the correct heading for the paragraph. In the next question set, you have to fill in the blank with the correct answer, only with one word. In the last question set, you have to choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

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Section 1 Can Hurricanes be Moderated or Diverted?

A. Each year, massive swirling storms bringing along winds greater than 74 miles per hour wipe across tropical oceans and land on shorelines—usually devastating vast swaths of territory. When these roiling tempests strike densely inhabited territories, they have the power to kill thousands and cause property damage worth of billions of dollars. Besides, absolutely nothing stands in their way. But can we ever find a way to control these formidable forces of nature?

B. To see why hurricanes and other severe tropical storms may be susceptible to human intervention, a researcher must first learn about their nature and origins. Hurricanes grow in the form of thunderstorm clusters above the tropical seas. Oceans in Iow-latitude areas never stop giving out heat and moisture to the atmosphere, which brings about warm, wet air above the sea surface. When this kind of air rises, the water vapour in it condenses to form clouds and precipitation. Condensation gives out heat in the process the solar heat is used to evaporate the water at the ocean surface. This so-called invisible heat of condensation makes the air more

buoyant, leading to it ascending higher while reinforcing itself in the feedback process. At last, the tropical depression starts to form and grow stronger, creating the familiar eye — the calm centre hub that a hurricane spins around. When reaching the land, the hurricane no longer has a continuous supply of warm water, which causes it to swiftly weaken.

C. Our current studies are inspired by my past intuition when I was learning about chaos theory 30 years ago. The reason why long-range forecasting is complicated is that the atmosphere is highly sensitive to small influences and tiny mistakes can compound fast in the weather-forecasting models. However, this sensitivity also made me realise a possibility: if we intentionally applied some slight inputs to a hurricane, we might create a strong influence that could affect the storms, either by steering them away from densely populated areas or by slowing them down. Back then, I was not able to test my ideas, but thanks to the advancement of computer simulation and remote-sensing technologies over the last two years, can now renew my enthusiasm in large-scale weather control.

D. To find out whether the sensitivity of the atmospheric system could be exploited to adjust such robust atmospheric phenomena as hurricanes, our research team ran simulation experiments on computers for a hurricane named Iniki that occurred in 1992. The current forecasting technologies were far from perfect, so it took us by surprise that our first simulation turned out to be an immediate success. With the goal of altering the path of Iniki in mind, we first picked the spot where we wanted the storm to stop after six hours. Then we used this target to generate artificial observations and put these into the computer model.

E. The most significant alteration turned out to be the initial temperatures and winds. Usually, the temperature changes across the grid were only tenths of a degree, but the most noteworthy change, which was an increase of almost two degrees Celsius, took place in the lowest model layer to the west of the storm centre. The calculations produced wind-speed changes of two or three miles per hour. However, in several spots, the rates shifted by as much as 20 mph due to minor redirections of the winds close to the storm's centre. In terms of structure, the initial and altered versions of Hurricane Iniki seemed almost the same, but the changes in critical variables were so substantial that the latter one went off the track to the west during the first six hours of the simulation and then travelled due north, leaving Kauai untouched.

F. Future earth-orbiting solar power stations, equipped with large mirrors to focus the sun's rays and panels of photovoltaic cells to gather and send energy to the Earth, might be adapted to beam microwaves which turn to be absorbed by water vapour molecules inside or around the storm. The microwaves would cause the water molecules to vibrate and heat up the surrounding air, which then leads to the hurricane slowing down or moving in a preferred direction.

G. Simulations of hurricanes conducted on a computer have implied that by changing the precipitation, evaporation and air temperature, we could make a difference to a storm's route or abate its winds. Intervention could be in many different forms: exquisitely targeted clouds bearing silver iodide or other rainfall-inducing elements might deprive a hurricane Of the water it needs to grow and multiply from its formidable eyewall, which is the essential characteristic of a severe tropical storm.

Questions 27-33

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of Headings

i. Hurricanes in history

ii. How hurricanes form

iii. How a laboratory exercise re-route a hurricane

iv. Exciting ways to utilise future technologies

v. Are hurricanes unbeatable?

vi. Re-visit earlier ideas

vii. How lives might have been saved

viii. A range of low-tech methods

27. Paragraph A

Answer: V

Supporting statement: “..... But can we ever find a way to control these formidable forces of nature?......”

Keywords: control, forces

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 5

Explanation: According to the text, the most important question is whether we as humans can stop or prevent a hurricane from happening by finding a way to control or alter it.

28. Paragraph B

Answer: II

Supporting statement:“.....researcher must first learn about their nature and origins......”

Keywords: researcher, nature and origins

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 2

Explanation: According to the text, before trying to divert or alter a hurricane, a researcher must learn about its nature and its origin.

29. paragraph C

Answer: VI

Supporting statement: “.....Our current studies are inspired by my past intuition when I was learning about chaos theory 30 years ago.......”

Keywords: intuition, 30 years ago

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, the writer's current studies regarding hurricanes are connected to the past intuition they had when they studied the chaos that occurred 30 years in the past due to long-range forecasting and why the atmosphere is highly sensitive to small influences and tiny errors can create quickly in the weather -forecasting models.

30. Paragraph D

Answer: III

Supporting statement:“..... our research team ran simulation experiments on computers for a hurricane named Iniki that occurred in 1992.......”

Keywords: experiments, 1992

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, the study team conducted computer simulation studies for a 1992 hurricane called Iniki to determine if the sensitivity of the atmospheric system can be used to modify hurricanes.

31. Paragraph E

Answer: VII

Supporting statement:“..... but the changes in critical variables were so substantial that the latter one went off the track to the west......”

Keywords: critical variables, track

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text the experiment conducted on the computer model had a substantial result the original and modified versions of Hurricane Iniki appeared to be nearly identical in terms of structure, but the changes in key variables were so significant that the modified version went off course to the west while on the first six hours of the computer simulation and then headed straight north, leaving Kauai unaffected.

32. Paragraph F

Answer: IV

Supporting statement:“..... which then leads to the hurricane slowing down or moving in a preferred direction.......”

Keywords: slowing down, direction

Keyword Location: Para F, Line F

Explanation: According to the text, future technology such as the earth-orbiting solar power stations, which send energy in the form of microbeams to the earth after collecting it from the sun through large mirrors and photovoltaic cells, will be able to heat up the storm from inside, eventually slowing down the hurricane.

33. Paragraph G

Answer: VIII

Supporting statement: “.....Simulations of hurricanes conducted on a computer have implied that by changing the precipitation, evaporation and air temperature......”

Keywords: Simulations, computer

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, hurricanes can be stopped or altered by only using a simple method, such as just by bringing a slight change in the precipitation, evaporation and air temperature.

Questions 34-38

Choose ONE WORD ONLY FOR each.

Hurricanes originate as groups of (34).................. over the tropical oceans. Low Latitude seas continuously provide heat and moisture to the atmosphere, producing warm, humid air above the sea surface.

Answer: THUNDERSTORM

Supporting statement:“..... Hurricanes grow in the form Of thunderstorm clusters above the tropical seas.......”

Keywords: thunderstorm, tropical seas

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 3

Explanation: The text mentions that hurricanes originate from a cluster of thunderstorms above the tropical sea.

When this air rises, the water vapour in it condenses to form clouds and precipitation. (35)..................releases heat—the solar heat it took to evaporate the water at the ocean surface.

Answer: CONDENSATION

Supporting statement: “..... Condensation gives out heat in the process the solar heat is used to evaporate the water at the ocean surface.......”

Keywords: Condensation, evaporate

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 6

Explanation: The text states that the condensation of water gives out heat in the process of solar heat, which is usually responsible for fanning the thunderstorm that can result in hurricanes.

This so-called latent (36).................. of condensation makes the air more buoyant, causing it to ascend still higher in a self-reinforcing feedback process.

Answer: HEAT

Supporting statement: “.....This so-called invisible heat of condensation makes the air more

buoyant, leading to it ascending higher while reinforcing itself in the feedback process.......”

Keywords: heat, buoyant

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 7

Explanation: The text states that the heat of condensation makes the air more breezy, enabling the air to float higher and also allowing it to enter the storm again and again.

Eventually, the tropical depression begins to organise and strengthen, forming the familiar (37).................. the calm central hub around which a hurricane spins.

Answer: EYE

Supporting statement:“..... creating the familiar eye — the calm centre hub that a hurricane spins around.......”

Keywords: eye, spins

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 9-10

Explanation: According to the text, the eye, which is the calm centre around which the hurricane spins, is caused by the strengthening of the tropical depression.

On passing over (38).................., the hurricane's sustaining source of warm water is cut off, which leads to the storm's rapid weakening.

Answer: LAND

Supporting statement:“..... When reaching the land, the hurricane no longer has a continuous supply Of warm water, which causes it to swiftly weaken.......”

Keywords: continuous, weaken

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 11

Explanation: The text states that when a hurricane reaches land, its continuous supply of warm water is discontinued, causing it to grow weaker.

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

39. What encouraged the writer to restart researching hurricane control?

A. The huge damage hurricane triggers

B. the developments in computer technologies

C the requirement of some local people

D. the chaos theory learnt as a student

Answer: B

Supporting statement: “.....but thanks to the advancement of computer simulation and remote-sensing technologies over the last two years, ......”

Keywords: advancement, remote-sensing

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 7-8

Explanation: According to the text, the writer restarted their research after the development of advanced computer simulation and remote sensing technologies.

40. What was the writer's reaction after their first experiment?

A. surprised that their intervention had not achieve a lot

B. ecstatic with the achievement the first experiment had

C. surprised that their intervention had the intended effect

D. regretful about the impending success

Answer: C

Supporting statement: “.....so it took us by surprise that our first simulation turned out to be an immediate success.......”

Keywords: first simulation, success

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the text, the writer was surprised by the result of the first stimulation as it was an immediate success.

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