Deep Sea Mining Reading Answers

Jul 2, 2025

Deep Sea Mining Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Deep Sea Mining Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set, you have to choose which paragraph contains the given statement. In the next question set, you have to match the statement with the correct person or people. In the last set, you have to fill in the blank with the correct answer, only with one word.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognise essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practising these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 DEEP-SEA MINING

Bacteria from the ocean floor can beat superbugs and cancer. But habitats are at risk from the hunger for marine minerals

A. When Professor Mat Upton found that a microbe from a deep-sea sponge was killing pathogenic bugs in his laboratory, he realised it could be a breakthrough in the light against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which are responsible for thousands of deaths a year in the UK alone. Further tests confirmed that an antibiotic from the sponge bacteria, found living more than 700 metres under the sea at the Rock all through in the north-east Atlantic, was previously unknown to science, boosting its potential as a life-saving medicine. But Upton, and other scientists who view the deep ocean and its wealth of unique and undocumented species as a prospecting ground for new medicines, fear such potential will be lost in the rush to exploit the deep sea's equally rich metal and mineral resources.

B. 'We're looking at the bioactive potential of marine resources, to see if there are any more medicines or drugs down there before we destroy it forever,' says Upton, a medical microbiologist at the University of Plymouth. He is among many scientists urging a halt to deep-sea mining, asking for time to weigh up the pros and cons. 'In sustainability terms, this could be a better way of exploiting the economic potential of the deep sea,' he argues. Oceanographers using remotely operated vehicles have spotted many new species. Among them have been sea cucumbers with tails allowing them to sail along the ocean floor, and a rare 'Dumbo'octopus, found 3,000 metres under the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California. Any one of these could offer lifesaving potential. Upton estimates it could take up to a decade for a newly discovered antibiotic to become a medicine — but the race towards commercial mining in the ocean abyss has already begun.

C. The deep sea contains more nickel, cobalt and rare earth metals than all land reserves combined, according to the US Geological Survey. Mining corporations argue that deep-sea exploration could help diversify the supply of metals and point to the fact that demand for resources such as copper, aluminium, and cobalt for electric car batteries and other metals to power technology and smartphones is soaring. They say that deep-sea mining could yield far superior ore to land mining with little, if any, waste. Different methods of extraction exist, but most involve employing some form of converted machinery previously used in terrestrial mining to excavate materials from the sea floor, at depths of up to 6,000 meters, then drawing a seawater slurry, containing rock and other solid particles, from the sea floor to ships on the surface. The slurry is then 'de-watered ' and transferred to another vessel for shipping. Extracted seawater is pumped back down and discharged close to the sea floor.

D. But environmental and legal groups have urged caution, arguing there are potentially massive and unknown ramifications for the environment and for nearby communities, and that the global regulatory framework is not yet drafted. 'Despite arising in the last half century, the "new global gold rush" of deep-sea mining shares many features with past resource scrambles — including a general disregard for environmental and social impacts, and the marginalisation of indigenous peoples and their rights,' a paper, written by Julie Hunter and Julian Aguon, from

Blue Ocean Law, and Pradeep Singh, from the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Bremen, argues. The authors say that knowledge of the deep seabed remains extremely limited. 'The surface of the Moon, Mars and even Venus have all been mapped and studied in much greater detail, leading marine scientists to commonly remark that, with respect to the deep sea, "We don't yet know what we need to know".'

E. Scientific research - including a recent paper in Marine Policy journal has suggested the deep seabed, and hydrothermal vents, which are created when seawater meets volcanic magma, have crucial impacts upon biodiversity and the global climate. The mineral-rich vents and their surrounds are also home to many well-known animals including crustaceans, tubeworms, clams, slugs, anemones and fish. 'It is becoming increasingly clear that deep-sea mining poses a grave threat to these vital seabed functions,' the paper says. 'Extraction methods would produce large sediment plumes and involve the discharge of waste back into the ocean, significantly disturbing seafloor environments,' the paper continues. 'On deep sea vents, scientists are clear,' says Dr Jon Copley of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton: 'We don't want mining on them.'

F. The oceans occupy around 70% of the planet and are relatively unexplored, says Mike Johnston, chief executive of Nautilus, a Canadian underwater exploration company: 'It makes sense to explore this untapped potential in an environmentally sustainable way, instead of

continually looking at the fast depleting land resources of the planet to meet society's rising needs.' Those leading the global rush to place giant mining machines thousands of metres below the sea surface say the environmental impacts will be far lower than on land. But critics

say exotic and little-known ecosystems in the deep oceans could be destroyed and must be protected. 'Mining will be the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans,' according to hydrothermal vent expert Verena Tunnicliffe, at the University of Victoria in Canada. She argues that active vents must be off-limits for mining to protect the new knowledge and biotechnology spin-offs they can deliver, and that strict controls must be in place elsewhere.

Questions 14-17

Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A—F.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

14. reference to the rapidly increasing need for one raw material in the transport industry

Answer: C

Supporting statement: resources such as copper, aluminium, and cobalt for electric car batteries

Keywords: copper, cobalt

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 4

Explanation: According to the text, the deep sea contains more resources of cobalt, which is one of the raw materials required to make electric car batteries.

15. a rough estimate of the area of the Earth covered by the oceans

Answer: F

Supporting statement: The oceans occupy around 70% of the planet and are relatively unexplored,

Keywords: 70%, planet

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 1

Explanation: The text mentions that around 70% of the planet is occupied by the ocean.

16. how a particular underwater habitat, where minerals and organisms co-exist, is formed

Answer: E

Supporting statement: The mineral-rich vents and their surrounds are also home to many well-known animals including crustaceans, tubeworms,

Keywords: mineral-rich, animals

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The hydrothermal vents, or the mineral-rich vents, are areas in the deep sea which provide habitat to many animals and also house rich minerals.

17. reference to the fact that the countries of the world have yet to agree on rules for the exploration of the seabed

Answer: D

Supporting statement: and that the global regulatory framework is not yet drafted.

Keywords: regulatory, framework

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, no regulatory framework for seabed exploration has yet been drafted.

Questions 18-20

Look at the following statements and the list of people below. Match each statement with the correct person or people, A-E.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

18. A move away from the exploration of heavily mined reserves on land is a good idea.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: It makes sense to explore this untapped potential in an environmentally sustainable way, instead of continually looking at the fast depleting land resources

Keywords: sustainable, resources

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 3

Explanation: According to Mike Johnston, mining from the deep sea is a solution to the depletion of the resources present on land, as the sea might have more and better quality resources.

19. The negative effects of undersea exploration on local areas and their inhabitants are being ignored.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: including a general disregard for environmental and social impacts, and the marginalisation of indigenous peoples and their rights,' a paper, written by Julie Hunter and Julian Aguon

Keywords: environmental, indigenous

Keyword Location: Para D, Line 5

Explanation: Julie Hunter, Julian Aguon and Pradeep Singh believe that the local areas where deep-sea mining takes place may be at a disadvantage as the mining causes environmental and social impacts on the indigenous peoples living nearby.

20. There are more worthwhile things to extract from the sea than minerals.

Answer: A

Supporting statement: 'We're looking at the bioactive potential of marine resources, to see if there are any more medicines or drugs down there before we destroy it forever,' says Upton,

Keywords: medicines, drugs

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 1

Explanation: Professor Mat Upton states that the deep sea might have the potential to hold microorganisms that can be used as a drug/ medicine.

21. No other form of human exploration will have such a destructive impact on marine life as deep-sea mining.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: 'Mining will be the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans,' according to hydrothermal vent expert Verena Tunnicliffe,

Keywords: assault, ecosystems

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 8

Explanation: According to Verena Tunnicliffe, the ecosystem in the deep sea might face a great destructive impact as the marine life living there might face danger due to the human activities carried out.

22. More is known about outer space than about what lies beneath the oceans.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: The authors say that knowledge of the deep seabed remains extremely limited. 'The surface of the Moon, Mars and even Venus have all been mapped and studied

Keywords: seabed, Moon

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 8-9

Explanation: According to Julie Hunter, Julian Aguon, and Pradeep Singh, mankind has researched outer space more than it has explored the deep sea.

23. There is one marine life habitat where experts agree mining should not take place.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: On deep sea vents, scientists are clear,' says Dr Jon Copley of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton: 'We don't want mining on them.'

Keywords: Dr Jon Copley, mining

Keyword Location: Para E, Line 9

Explanation: Dr Jon Copley of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, states that every scientist out there studying the deep sea knows that the deep sea vents are the places where mining should never be done.

LIST OF PEOPLE

A. Professor Mat Upton

B. Julie Hunter, Julian Aguon and Pradeep Singh

C. Dr Jon Copley

D. Mike Johnston

E. Verena Tunnicliffe

Questions 24-26 Choose ONE WORD ONLY.

MINING THE SEA FLOOR

Mining corporations believe that the mineral resources lying under the sea may be superior to those found in the earth. They also say that these can be removed without producing much

24.............

Answer: WASTE

Supporting statement: They say that deep-sea mining could yield far superior ore to land mining with little, if any, waste.

Keywords: superior, waste

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 6

Explanation: According to mining companies, the mineral deposits beneath the ocean can be more abundant than those on land. Additionally, they assert that these can be extracted with minimal waste production.

The extraction is often done by adapting the 25……….. that has already been used to work on land. The method of excavation involves removing the seawater from the slurry that is brought up to ships and returning it to the seabed.

Answer: MACHINERY

Supporting statement: Different methods of extraction exist, but most involve employing some form of converted machinery previously used in terrestrial mining

Keywords: extraction, machinery

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the text, A common method of extraction is to modify equipment that has already been utilised for terrestrial mining. Seawater is extracted from the slurry that is transported to ships and then returned to the seabed as part of the excavation process.

However, concerned groups strongly believe that 26………is necessary due to the possible number of unidentified consequences.

Answer: CAUTION

Supporting statement: But environmental and legal groups have urged caution, arguing there are potentially massive and unknown ramifications for the environment and for nearby communities,

Keywords: groups, environment

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the text, concerned groups believe that caution should be taken in the mining as there might be some unidentified consequences of the sea mining.

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