The Development of Plastics Reading Answers

Jan 28, 2023

The Development of Plastics Reading Answers contains a write up about the development of plastics. The Development of Plastics Reading Answers contain a total of 7 paragraphs. Related to the paragraphs are 13 questions. Candidates in this IELTS Section will be shown various question types with clear instructions. The paragraphs describe all about the development of plastic and its side effects on the environment. Also, the harmful effects of plastic in all living creatures has been mentioned.

The Development of Plastics Reading Answers is an IELTS Reading passage which comprises two types of questions: Complete the table and True/ False and not given. Candidates must carefully and properly read each paragraph. It is necessary to interpret each text. In order to respond to the questions, you must identify the paragraph's main idea. It's vital to keep in mind the crucial facts. The answers must not exceed more than two words. The information which has not been provided in the paragraphs must be marked as not given. The answer must not be more than two words.To gain proficiency, candidates can practice from IELTS reading practice test.

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Section 1

Reading Passage Question

Development of Plastics IELTS Reading Sample

When rubber was first commercially produced in Europe during the nineteenth century, it rapidly became a very important commodity, particularly in the fields of transportation and electricity. However, during the twentieth century a number of new synthetic materials, called plastics, superseded natural rubber in all but a few applications.
Rubber is a polymer — a compound containing large molecules that are formed by the bonding of many smaller, simpler units, repeated over and over again. The same bonding principle 一 polymerisation一underlies the creation of a huge range of plastics by the chemical industry.
The first plastic was developed as a result of a competition in the USA. In the 1860s, $10,000 was offered to anybody who could replace ivory — supplies of which were declining — with something equally good as a material for making billiard balls. The prize was won by John Wesley Hyatt with a material called celluloid. Celluloid was made by dissolving cellulose, a carbohydrate derived from plants, in a solution of camphor dissolved in ethanol. This new material rapidly found uses in the manufacture of products such as knife handles, detachable collars and cuffs, spectacle frames and photographic film. Without celluloid, the film industry could never have got off the ground at the end of the 19th century.
Celluloid can be repeatedly softened and reshaped by heat and is known as a thermoplastic. In 1907 Leo Baekeland, a Belgian chemist working in the USA， invented a different kind of plastic by causing phenol and formaldehyde to react together. Baekeland called the material Bakelite, and it was the first of the thermosets’ plastics that can be cast and moulded while hot but cannot be softened by heat and reshaped once they have set. Bakelite was a good insulator and was resistant to water, acids and moderate heat. With these properties, it was soon being used in the manufacture of switches, household items, such as knife handles, and electrical components for cars.
Soon chemists began looking for other small molecules that could be strung together to make polymers. In the 1930s, British chemists discovered that the gas ethylene would polymerize under heat and pressure to form a thermoplastic they called polythene. Polypropylene followed in the 1950s. Both were used to make bottles, pipes and plastic bags. A small change in the starting material 一 replacing a hydrogen atom in ethylene with a chlorine atom — produced PVC (polyvinyl chloride) ，a hard, fireproof plastic suitable for drains and gutters. And by adding certain chemicals, a soft form of PVC could be produced, suitable as a substitute for rubber in items such as waterproof clothing. A closely related plastic was Teflon, or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). This had a very low coefficient of friction, making it ideal for bearings, rollers, and non-stick frying pans. Polystyrene, developed during the 1930s in Germany, was a clear, glass-like material, used in food containers, domestic appliances, and toys. Expanded polystyrene — a white, rigid foam — was widely used in packaging and insulation. Polyurethanes, also developed in Germany, found uses as adhesives, coatings, and — in the form of rigid foams — as insulation materials. They are all produced from chemicals derived from crude oil, which contain exactly the same elements ——carbon and hydrogen ——as many plastics.
The first of the man-made fibres, nylon, was also created in the 1930s. Its inventor was a chemist called Wallace Carothers, who worked for the Du Pont Company in the USA. He found that under the right conditions, two chemicals — hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid would form a polymer that could be pumped out through holes and then stretched to form long glossy threads that could be woven like silk. Its first use was to make parachutes for the US armed forces in World War II. In the post-war years, nylon completely replaced silk in the manufacture of stockings. Subsequently, many other synthetic fibres joined nylon including Orion, Acrilan, and Terylene. Today most garments are made of a blend of natural fibres, such as cotton and wool, and man-made fibres that make fabrics easier to look after.
The great strength of the plastic is its indestructibility. However, this quality is also something of a drawback: beaches all over the world, even on the remotest islands, are littered with plastic bottles that nothing can destroy. Nor is it very easy to recycle plastics, as different types of plastic are often used in the same items and call for different treatments. Plastics can be made biodegradable by incorporating into their structure a material such as starch, which is attacked by bacteria and causes the plastic to fall apart. Other materials can be incorporated that gradually decay in sunlight 一 although bottles made of such materials have to be stored in the dark, to ensure that they do not disintegrate before they have been used.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-7
Complete the table below.
Choose no more than three words from the passages for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

Name of the Plastic	Date of Invention	Original Region	Property	Common Use
Celluloid	The 1860s	US	-	1)
2)	1907	US	Can be cast and molded but cannot be softened by heat.	3)
2)	1907	US	Can be cast and molded but cannot be softened by heat.	Household items & car parts.
Polythene	1930	4)	-	Bottles
Rigid PVC	-	-	5)	-
Polystyrene	The 1930s	Germany	6)	Food Container
Polyurethanes	-	Germany	7)	Adhesives, Coatings, Insulation

Question 1

Supporting Sentence: Without Celluloid, the film industry could never have got off the ground at the end of the 19th century.
Keywords: Found uses
Keyword Location: 4th paragraph, 2nd line.
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been mentioned that this novel substance quickly found applications in the production of items like knife handles, removable collars and cuffs, eyeglass frames, and photographic film. At the end of the 19th century, the film business would not have existed without celluloid. So, the correct answer is photographic films as per the explanation provided and lines of paragraph C.

Question 2

Answer: Bakelite
Supporting Sentence: Bakelite was a good insulator and was resistant to water, acids, and moderate heat.
Keywords: Moulded, Softened
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 2nd line.
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been mentioned that the first thermoset plastic that can be cast and molded while hot but cannot be heated to soften and be molded once it has been set was termed Bakelite by Baekeland. In addition to being a superb insulator, bakelite was also resistant to heat, acids, and water. So, the correct answer is Bakelite as per the explanation provided and the lines of paragraph C.

Question 3

Answer: Switches
Supporting Sentence: Bakelite was a good insulator and was resistant to water, acids, and moderate heat. With these properties, it was soon being used in the manufacture of switches.
Keywords: Manufacture
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 4th line.
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been mentioned that the first thermoset plastic that can be cast and molded while hot but cannot be heated to soften and be molded once it has been set was termed Bakelite by Baekeland. In addition to being a superb insulator, bakelite was also resistant to heat, acids, and water. So, the correct answer is Switches as per the explanation provided and the lines of paragraph C.

Question 4

Answer: Britain/UK’
Supporting Sentence: In the 1930s British chemists discovered that the gas ethylene would polymerize under heat and pressure to form a thermoplastic they called polythene.
Keywords: Discovered, Heat, Pressure
Keyword Location: 6th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been mentioned that this was perfect for non-stick frying pans, bearings, and rollers due to its extremely low coefficient of friction. Developed in Germany in the 1930s, polystyrene was a transparent, glass-like substance used in toys, household appliances, and food containers. White, hard foam known as "expanded polystyrene" was frequently used for insulation and packaging. Polyurethanes, which were created in Germany as well, are used as coatings, insulation materials, and as adhesives. So, the correct answer is Britain/UK as per the explanation provided and the lines of paragraph E.

Question 5

Answer: Fireproof
Supporting Sentence: A small change in the starting material—replacing a hydrogen atom in ethylene with a chlorine atom—produced PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a hard, fireproof plastic suitable for drains and gutters.
Keywords: Change, Produced
Keyword Location: 7th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been mentioned that in the 1950s, polypropylene followed. Bottles, pipelines, and plastic bags were all produced using both. PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a hard, fireproof plastic suited for drains and gutters, was created by making a tiny modification to the initial substance by swapping a hydrogen atom out for a chlorine atom in ethylene. And by including specific chemicals, a supple form of PVC might be created, suitable for replacing rubber in products like waterproof apparel. So, the correct answer is Fireworks as per the explanation.

Question 6

Answer: Clear and Glasslike
Supporting Sentence: Polystyrene, developed during the 1930s in Germany, was a clear, glass-like material, used in food containers, domestic appliances, and toys.
Keywords: Developed
Keyword Location: 8th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been mentioned that developed in Germany in the 1930s, polystyrene was a transparent, glass-like substance used in toys, household appliances, and food containers. White, hard foam known as "expanded polystyrene" was frequently used for insulation and packaging. So, the correct answer is clear and glasslike as per the explanation provided.

Question 7

Answer: Rigid
Supporting Sentence: Polyurethanes, also developed in Germany, found uses as adhesives, coatings, and—in the form of rigid foams—as insulation materials.
Keywords: Developed, Found uses, insulations, Materials.
Keyword Location: 9th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph E, it has been mentioned that Polyurethanes, which were created in Germany as well, are used as coatings, insulation materials, and as adhesives. They are all made from compounds extracted from crude oil, which are identical to many plastics in that they both include carbon and hydrogen. So, the correct answer is rigid as per the explanation provided and the paragraph E lines.

Questions 8-13

Do the following statements agree with the information in the Reading Passage?

In boxes 8-13, 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 about the statement.

The chemical structure of plastic is very different from that of rubber.
John Wesley was a famous chemist.
Celluloid and Bakelite react to heat in the same way.
The mix of different varieties of plastic can make them less recyclable.
Adding starch into plastic does not necessarily make plastic more durable.
Some plastic containers have to be preserved in special conditions.

Question 8

Answer: FALSE
Supporting Sentence: Rubber is a polymer—a compound containing large molecules formed by the bonding of many smaller, simpler units, repeated repeatedly.
Keywords: Polymer, Compound, Units, Repeated
Keyword Location: 2nd paragraph, 1st line
Explanation: As per paragraph B, it has been mentioned that Rubber is a polymer, which is a substance made up of big molecules that are created by repeatedly joining small, simpler components. The chemical industry produces a wide variety of plastics using the same bonding concept, polymerization. So, the question statement is contrary to the actual information provided in paragraph B. Hence, the answer is False.

Question 9

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Supporting Sentence: In the 1860s, $10,000 was offered to anybody who could replace ivory—supplies of which were declining—with something equally good as a material for making billiard balls. The prize was won by John Wesley Hyatt with a material called celluloid.
Keywords: Material, Celluloid
Keyword Location: 3rd paragraph, 2nd line.
Explanation: There has been no relevant information provided in the paragraph related to the question statement. So, the correct answer is Not Given.

Question 10

Answer: FALSE
Supporting Sentence: Baekeland called the material Bakelite, and it was the first of the thermosets—plastics that can be cast and molded while hot but cannot be softened by heat and reshaped once they have set.
Keywords: Material, Plastics, Softened, Reshaped
Keyword Location: 5th paragraph, 2nd line.
Explanation: As per paragraph C, it has been mentioned that the first thermoset plastic that can be cast and molded while hot but cannot be heated to soften and be molded once it has been set was termed Bakelite by Baekeland. In addition to being a superb insulator, bakelite was also resistant to heat, acids, and water. So, the question statement is contrary to the actual information provided in paragraph C. Hence, the answer is False.

Question 11

Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: Nor is it very easy to recycle plastics, as different types of plastic are often used in the same items and call for different treatments.
Keywords: Recycle, Plastics, Treatments
Keyword Location: 12th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph G, it has been mentioned that plastic recycling is also not very simple because different plastic types sometimes go into the same products and require separate processing. By integrating a substance like starch which is attacked by bacteria and breaks down the plastic into their structure, plastics can be made to degrade. So, the correct answer is True.

Question 12

Answer: FALSE
Supporting Sentence: Plastics can be made biodegradable by incorporating into their structure a material such as starch, which is attacked by bacteria and causes the plastic to fall apart.
Keywords: Plastics, Biodegradable, Material
Keyword Location: 13th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph G, it has been mentioned that plastic recycling is also not very simple because different plastic types sometimes go into the same products and require separate processing. By integrating a substance like starch which is attacked by bacteria and breaks down the plastic into their structure, plastics can be made to degrade. So, the question statement is contrary to the actual information provided in paragraph G. Hence, the answer is False.

Question 13

Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: Other materials that gradually decay in sunlight can be incorporated, although bottles made of such materials have to be stored in the dark to ensure that they do not disintegrate before they have been used.
Keywords: Incorporated, Materials, Disintegrate
Keyword Location: 14th paragraph, 1st line.
Explanation: As per paragraph G, it has been mentioned that other materials that gradually degrade in sunlight can be added, however bottles constructed of these materials must be stored in the dark to prevent them from deteriorating before they are used. So, the correct answer is True.

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