Cosmic Black Hole Reading Answers

Sayantani Barman

Dec 13, 2022

Cosmic Black Hole Reading Answers contains eight paragraphs comprehension and 13 different types of questions. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Cosmic Black Hole Reading Answers comprises three types of questions: Matching heading, sentence completion, and Choose the correct option. For the Matching heading, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. For sentence completion, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords and understand the concept. To choose the correct option, candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage and understand the statement provided.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Cosmic Black Hole Reading Answers

In 1687, the English scientist Isaac Newton published his monumental work, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), containing his theory of gravitation and the mathematics to support it. in essence, Newton's law of gravitation stated that the gravitational force between two objects, for example, two astronomical bodies, is directly proportional to their masses. Astronomers found that it accurately predicted all the observable data that science at that time was able to collect, with one exception- a very slight variation in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the sun. It was 228 years before anyone was able to offer a refinement of Newton's law that accounted for the shape of Mercury's orbit. In 1915, Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity was published. Using the equations of general relativity, he calculated the shape of Mercury's orbit. The results predicted astronomical observations exactly and provided the first proof of his theory. Expressing it very simplistically, the general theory of relativity presumes that both matter and energy can distort space-time and cause it to curve. What we commonly call gravity is in fact the effect of that curvature.

Among other phenomena, Einstein's theory predicted the existence of black holes, although initially, he had doubts about their existence. Black holes are areas in space where the gravitational field is so strong that nothing can escape them. Because of the immense gravitational pull, they consume all the light that comes near them, and thus they are black." in fact, neither emitting nor reflecting light, they are invisible. Due to this, they can be studied only by inference based on observations of their effect on the matter- both stars and Gasses- around them and by computer simulation. In particular, when gases are being pulled into a black hole, they can reach temperatures up to 1,000 times the heat of the sun and becomes an intensely glowing source of X rays Surrounding each black hole is an "event horizon," which defines the area over which the gravitational force of the black hole operates. Anything passing over the lip of the event horizon is pulled into the black hole. Because observations of event horizons are difficult due to their relatively small size, even less is known about them than about black holes themselves. Black holes exist in three sizes. Compact ones, called star-mass black holes and which have been known to exist for some time, are believed to be the result of the death of a single star. When a star has consumed itself to the point that it no longer has the energy to support its mass, the core collapses and forms a black hole. Shock waves then bounce out, causing the shell of the star to explode. In a way that is not yet understood, the black hole may then reeneffize and create multiple explosions within the first few minutes of its existence. So-called supermassive black holes, also well documented, contain the mass of millions or even billions of stars. And just recently one intermediate black hole, with about 500 times the mass of the sun, has been discovered. Scientists have postulated that the intermediate black hole may provide a "missing link in understanding the evolution of black holes.

Current scientific data suggest that black holes are fairly common and lie at the center of most galaxies. Based on indirect evidence gained using X-ray telescopes, thousands of black holes

have been located in our galaxy and beyond. The blagk hole at the center of the Milky Way, known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A-star*), is a supermassive one, containing roughly four million times the mass of our sun. Astronomers suggest that orbiting around Sagittarius A*, 26,000 light-years from Earth, maybe as many as tens of thousands of smaller black holes. One possible theory to explain this is that a process called dynamical friction" is causing stellar black holes to sink toward the center of the galaxy. It is thought that the first black holes came into existence not long after the big bang. Newly created clouds of gases slowly coalesced into the first stars. As these early stars collapsed, they gave rise to the first black holes. A number of theories proposed that the first black holes were essential "seeds," which then gravitationally attracted and consumed enormous quantities of matter found in adjacent gas clouds and dust. This allowed them to grow into the supermassive black holes that now sit in the centers of galaxies. However, a new computer simulation proposes that such growth was minimal. When the simulated star collapsed and formed a black hole, there was very little matter anywhere near the black hole's event horizon. Being in essence "starved," it grew by less than 1 percent over the course of its first hundred million years. The new simulations do not definitively invalidate the seed theory, but they make it far less likely. On the other hand, it is known that black holes existed a billion times more massive than our sun did exist in the early universe. Researchers have yet to discover how these supermassive black holes were formed in such a short time, and the origin of these giants poses one of the most fundamental questions in astrophysics. It has become practically a hallmark of the research on black holes that with each new study. more is known, more theories are generated, and yet more questions are raised than answered

Section 2

Solution with Explanation
Questions 28—34:
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A—N, below.
Write the correct letter, A —N, on lines 28—34 on your answer sheet.

  1. By observing the matter around them.
  2. Suggested the presence of black holes in outer space.
  3. When a single star collapses.
  4. Difficult to study.
  5. Barely visible light.
  6. An inescapable gravitational pull.
  7. Did not apply to most astronomical bodies.
  8. By direct observation.
  9. Could not explain Mercury’s path around the sun.
  10. Caused doubt about the existence of black holes.
  11. Lose visibility.
  12. Become very hot.
  13. With large event horizons.
  14. At the center of each black hole.
  1. Newton’s law of gravitation

Answer: I
Supporting Statement: According to Newton’s law of gravitation, the gravitational force between two objects, for example, two astronomical bodies, is directly proportional to their masses. Astronomers found that it accurately predicted all the observable data that science at that time was able to collect, with one exception— a very slight variation in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the sun.
Keywords: Newton’s law, astronomers, gravitational force.
Keyword location: Paragraph 1
Explanation: These lines show that even though Newton's law of gravitation correctly anticipated every piece of information that science at the time could gather. It was unable to account for Mercury's orbital path around the sun. The solution is I, so.

  1. Einstein’s theory of relativity

Answer: B
Supporting Statement: Among the other phenomena, Einstein’s theory predicted the existence of black holes, although he initially had doubts about their existence.
Keywords: Einstein’s theory, black holes, existence.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: These statements imply that Einstein's theory contained a number of phenomena. And the existence of black holes was one of them about which he initially expressed skepticism. As a result, it is obvious that Einstein's theory of relativity predicted the existence of black holes in space, hence the correct response is B.

  1. We define black holes as areas that have

Answer: F.
Supporting Statement: Black holes are areas in space where the gravitational field is so strong that nothing can escape them.
Keywords: black holes, gravitational force.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3, line 2
Explanation: These lines unambiguously imply that black holes are places with an unavoidable gravitational pull. The solution is therefore F.

  1. Scientists study black holes

Answer: A
Supporting Statement: Due to this, they (black holes) can be studied only by inference based on observations of their effect on the matter—both stars and Gasses— around them and by computer simulation.
Keywords: stars, gasses, computer simulation.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3,line 5
Explanation: According to these ideas, black holes can be examined by drawing conclusions based on observations of their effects on the subject. Thus, it is clear that researchers learn about black holes by looking at the matter that surrounds them. As a result, the response is A.

  1. Gasses that are pulled into a black hole

Answer: L
Supporting Statement: When gasses are being pulled into a black hole, they can reach temperatures up to 1,000 times the heat of the sun and become an intensely glowing source of X rays.
Keywords: black holes, 1,000 times, X rays
Keyword location: Paragraph 3, last line
Explanation: Using these lines as a guide, we can infer that gasses drawn back into the black hole get very hot, up to 1,000 times hotter than the sun. Therefore, L is the correct response.

  1. Event horizons are

Answer: D
Supporting Statement: the observations of event horizons are difficult due to their relatively small size, even less is known about them than about black holes themselves.
Keywords: event horizon, small size, black holes.
Keyword location: Paragraph 4, last line
Explanation: The Event Horizon is described in paragraph 4 as the region that the black hole's gravitational field affects. This paragraph's final line reads, "These lines suggest that event horizons are difficult to investigate." The solution is hence D.

  1. Compact black holes occur

Answer: C
Supporting Statement: The Black holes exist in three sizes. Compact ones, called star-mass black holes and which have been known to exist for some time, are believed to be the result of the death of a single star.
Keywords: three sizes, star-mass, single star.
Keyword location: Paragraph 5
Explanation: From these lines, we can infer that there are three sizes of black holes, and that the compact ones. These are known as stars, which are what cause black holes to form whenever a single star crashes. The solution is therefore C.

Questions 35 and 36:
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C, in boxes 35 and 36 on your answer sheet.

  1. Black holes can be found
  1. Only in the Milky Way.
  2. In most galaxies.
  3. Close to the sun.

Answer: B
Supporting Statement: That current scientific data suggest that black holes are fairly common and lie at the center of most galaxies.
Keywords: scientific data, galaxies.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6
Explanation: These lines suggest that black holes are typically present in the majority of galaxies. So, B is the correct response.

  1. Sagittarius A* is
  1. A black hole located 26,000 light-years from Earth.
  2. One of the thousands of black holes orbiting Earth.
  3. A well-known compact black hole.

Answer: A
Supporting Statement
: The black hole at the center of the Milky Way, known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced “A-star”), is a supermassive one, containing roughly four million times the mass of our sun. Astronomers suggest that orbiting around Sagittarius A*, 26,000 light-years from Earth, maybe as many as tens of thousands of smaller black holes.
Keywords: milky way, supermassive one, sagittarius A*.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 3
Explanation: We may comprehend Sagittarius A* to be the Milky Way's central black hole, which holds around 4 million times the mass of the sun. According to the astronomers, Sagittarius A* is 26,000 light-years from Earth. So, B is the correct response.

Questions 37-40:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in lines 37—40 on your answer sheet, write:

True: if the statement agrees with the information.
False: if the statement contradicts the information.
Not Given: If there is no information on this.

  1. It is not certain when the big bang occurred.

Answer: Not Given
Supporting Statement
: it is thought that the first black holes came into existence not long after the big bang.
Keywords: first black holes, existence, big bang
Keyword location: Paragraph 7
Explanation: These lines demonstrate how soon after the great bang the first black holes appeared. However, no specific date is given for the huge band. Therefore, the response is Not Given.

  1. According to the “seed” theory, the first black holes eventually became supermassive black holes.

Answer: True
Supporting Statement
: a number of theories proposed that the first black holes were essential “seeds,” which then gravitationally attracted and consumed enormous quantities of matter found in adjacent gas clouds and dust. This allowed them to grow into the supermassive black holes that now sit in the centers of galaxies.
Keywords: seeds, gravitation, supermassive black holes.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7,line 3
Explanation: From these lines, we can infer that some hypotheses envisioned the initial black holes as seeds, which were later drawn by gravitation. And consumed tremendous amounts of matter, allowing them to develop into supermassive black holes which today sit in the galaxy's center. Since the information and the statement are consistent, the solution is True.

  1. The “seed” theory has been proven true by computer simulation.

Answer: False
Supporting Statement
: The computer simulation proposed such growth as minimal because when the stimulated star collapsed and formed a black hole, there was very little matter near the black hole’s event horizon. The 10th states that the new simulations do not definitively invalidate the seed theory, but they make it far less likely.
Keywords: star collapsed, black holes, 10th states.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7, line 7
Explanation: The seed theory predicts that the initial black holes eventually evolved into supermassive black holes, as seen in paragraph 7. These words imply that computer simulation did not demonstrate the accuracy of the seed theory. The response is False as a result.

  1. The black holes that existed in the early universe were all compact black holes.

Answer: False
Supporting Statement
: it is known that black holes existed a billion times more massive than our sun did exist in the early universe.
Keywords: black holes, billion times, early universe.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7,line 11
Explanation: These lines show that there were billions of times more black holes than there are today in the expansion of the universe. The answer is False because the statement conflicts with the information in the passage.

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