Event Horizon Reading Answers

Jul 7, 2025

Event Horizon Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Event Horizon Reading Answers has a total of 12 IELTS questions in total. In the question set given, you have to complete each sentence with the correct ending, A—N. In the question set given, you have to choose the correct letter, A, B, or C. In the question set given, you have to state whether the statement is true, false or not given with the information given in the text

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. Practicing 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 EVENT HORIZON

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 gases- 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 reenergize 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 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. 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 around 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 existed 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.

Questions 29-34

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A—N, below. Write the correct letter, A—N.

29. Einstein's theory of relativity

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Among other phenomena, Einstein's theory predicted the existence of black holes, although initially, he had doubts about their existence.

Keywords: Einstein's, black holes

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, Einstein's theory of relativity suggested the existence of a black hole in outer space.

30. 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: gravitational, strong

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 3

Explanation: According to the text, the black holes have an immensely powerful gravitational force that can’t be eluded from.

31. Scientists study black holes

Answer: A

Supporting statement: Due to this, they can be studied only by inference based on observations of their effect on the matter- both stars and gases- around them and by computer simulation.

Keywords: stars and gases, simulation

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 6

Explanation: As mentioned in the text, the only way scientists can study black holes is by studying the matter that surrounds them and using a computer simulation.

32. Gases that are pulled into a black hole

Answer: L

Supporting statement: 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

Keywords: gases, 1,000 times

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 7-8

Explanation: The passage states that when gases are pulled into the black hole, they can reach a temperature of up to 1000 times the heat of the Sun.

33. Event horizons are

Answer: D

Supporting statement: Because 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 horizons, small

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 11-12

Explanation: The text suggests that event horizons are quite a complex subject matter to study or explore due to their small size.

34. Compact black holes occur

Answer: C

Supporting statement: 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: Compact ones, single star

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The text mentioned that a compact black hole appears then a single star dies.

A. by observing the matter around them.

B. suggested the presence of black holes in outer space.

C when a single star collapses.

D. difficult to study.

E. barely visible light.

F. an inescapable gravitational pull.

G. did not apply to most astronomical bodies.

H. by direct observation.

I. could not explain Mercury's path around the sun.

J. caused doubt about the existence of black holes.

K. lose visibility.

L. become very hot.

M. with large event horizons.

N. at the centre of each black hole.

Questions 35-36

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

35. Black holes can be found

A. only in the Milky Way.

B. in most galaxies.

C. close to the sun.

Answer: B

Supporting statement: Current scientific data suggest that black holes are fairly common and lie at the center of most galaxies.

Keywords: common, galaxies

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The Text suggests that black holes are common and light at the centre of the Galaxy, according to scientific data

36. Sagittarius A* is

A. a black hole located 26,000 light-years from Earth.

B. one of the thousands of black holes orbiting Earth.

C. 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.

Keywords: Sagittarius A, four million

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 4-5

Explanation: According to the test, the Sagittarius A *, also pronounced as A-star, is a huge black hole at the centre of the Milky Way containing approximately 4 million times the mass of the Sun.

Questions 37-40

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage?

On 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 in the passage

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

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The cause of the Big Bang is not addressed in any of the references in the text.

38. According to the "seed" theory, the first black holes eventually became supermassive black holes.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: This allowed them to grow into the supermassive black holes that now sit in the centers of galaxies.

Keywords: supermassive, centers

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 6

Explanation: According to the test, the seed theory mentions that the first black hole gravitationally drew in and consumed vast amounts of nearby dust and gas clouds.

39. The "seed" theory has been proven true by computer simulation.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: The new simulations do not definitively invalidate the seed theory,

Keywords: simulations, seed

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 10

Explanation: According to the test, the computer simulation of the seed theory was invalid.

40. 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 existed in the early universe

Keywords: billion, early

Keyword Location: Para 6, Lines 11-12

Explanation: According to the text, the black holes that existed in the early universe were a billion times more masses than the sun that exists in our universe today.

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