Homes made of Mud Reading Answers

Oct 1, 2024

Homes made of Mud Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Homes made of Mud Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set, there are questions where you have to choose the correct option from the passage. in the next set of questions, you have to fill in the blanks.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers feature topics such as Homes Made of mud Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Section 1

HOMES MADE OF MUD

Mud is a very traditional building material and even today, around 50 per cent of the world's population lives in traditional dwellings made of the material. Only recently, however, has 'rammed earth', as the building material is called, appeared on the curricula of modern architecture and engineering schools. Although few laypeople in the West think of it as a building material at all, mud is now being used to create some of the most advanced and sustainable homes. Martin Rauch, an architect who is championing the use of earth for sustainable construction, explains why: 'With industrialisation and the growth of the railways from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, it became easier to transport mass-produced building materials in many parts of the world, so it wasn't necessary to build with earth anymore'. He says, 'It became a poor man's material and the image is hard to shake off: But in the past fifteen years, interest in rammed earth construction has re-emerged alongside concerns about human and environmental health.

Rauch has used the material to build a range of structures including a cinema and his own family home in Austria. The materials he used were local, so minimal energy was needed for their production and transportation. The fact that as much as 47 per cent of

anthropogenic carbon-dioxide emissions are attributable to the construction industry in a country like the UK means that such alternative methods are worth considering. What's more, the ability of earth to moderate humidity and temperature is another advantage, as it reduces the need for costly and energy-hungry central heating and air conditioning.

Not everybody accepts that the future lies in rammed earth construction, however. A central concern of skeptics is durability. The fear is that exposure to rain and moisture will cause walls to slump. However, strong foundations and an overhanging roof to protect walls seem to provide an answer. Indeed, Raud1 designs for 'calculated erosion'. Every few layers, he inserts stone blocks into the surface of earth walls. These protrude as the earth erodes around them, acting as a buffer against rain running down the surface of the building.

Research conducted by the Scottish government in 2001 highlights another key issue, however. The longevity of earth buildings in the past was due, in part, to the regular maintenance regimes that were integral to traditional practice. A change of attitude would be necessary for modern earth buildings to survive equally well in a world where 'maintenance-free' products such as cement renders and masonry paints characterize the construction industry. So how does rammed earth construction work? The construction process is not dissimilar to building a sandcastle. Earth is collected, its consistency decked, and organic matter that will decompose is removed. Next, a frame is brought in. The earth is then quite literally rammed into this, layer by layer, either manually or mechanically using pneumatic rammers. The earth begins to harden and 'cure' straightaway and continues to do so for months or years, depending on the local climate. This process leaves relatively little room for modernisation. Anna Heringer, a Royal Institute of British Architects award winner who has extensive experience with rammed earth in the developing world, views the labor-intensive nature of this form of construction as a bonus. 'We often think of sustainability in terms of high-tech solutions and it isn't possible for everyone in the world to have these. Building with earth, you can have a lot of people involved - it's about community spirit too: And those communities have choices. Depending on the earth selected, the color of a building can be varied, the ramming process can be designed to produce layering effects and the frame can be molded so patterns are embossed in the walls.

Rauch is aware of the limits of the material, however. Certain parts of structures, such as the ceilings, aren't possible on earth. So he suggests using appropriate local materials, together with mud. In the western world, most earth constructions are actually stabilized rammed earth, where content is added to the mud. This is the wrong way to do things; says Rauch. 'If there is cement in the mix then it's not real earth. We've built for 10,000 years with pure earth'. He feels that the climatic and environmental qualities of the material are lost with such contamination. Heringer adds that when cement is mixed with earth, 'You can't recycle it. We aren't building for eternity, some day it will all return to the ground and then there's the question of environmental impact.' Having used earth in construction around the world, in the monsoons of Bangladesh and dry summers of Morocco, Heringer has proved that cement is not required with innovative, context-specific design.

Questions 1-8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

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

Rammed-earth construction methods are now being studied more widely.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........Only recently, however, has 'rammed earth', as the building material is called, appeared on the curricula of modern architecture and engineering schools........”

Keywords: earth, studied

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 3

Explanation: The passage mentions that rammed earth, a form of mud construction, is now included in the curricula of modern architecture and engineering schools. This indicates that these methods are being studied more widely, especially in the Western world, where people previously did not consider it a building material.

Some people still regard earth as a low status building material.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........It became a poor man's material and the image is hard to shake off........”

Keywords: man, image

Keyword Location: para 1, Line 9

Explanation: The passage explains that after industrialization, the earth was considered a "poor man's material." This perception still exists today, and many people associate it with low status, as suggested by the phrase "image is hard to shake off."

Rammed-earth construction is actively encouraged in Austria.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Supporting statement: “................”

Keywords:

Keyword Location: para

Explanation: Although Rauch, an Austrian architect, has used rammed earth for his family home, there is no direct information in the passage about whether rammed-earth construction is actively encouraged in Austria at a national level.

The temperature inside earth houses can be difficult to regulate.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “........The ability of earth to moderate humidity and temperature is another advantage........”

Keywords: moderate, temperature

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 7

Explanation: The passage states that Earth helps regulate humidity and temperature, making it easier to manage indoor conditions without relying on energy-intensive heating and air conditioning. Therefore, regulating the temperature in earth houses is not difficult.

Some people think that buildings made of earth are unlikely to last very

long.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........A central concern of skeptics is durability........”

Keywords: skeptics, durability

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 1

Explanation: The passage highlights concerns from skeptics about the durability of earth buildings. These individuals fear that exposure to rain and moisture might cause the walls to erode, which reflects doubts about the longevity of such structures.

Rauch refuses to use materials other than mud in the walls he builds.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “........Certain parts of structures, such as the ceilings, aren’t possible on earth. So he suggests using local materials........”

Keywords: ceilings, local

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 1

Explanation: Rauch acknowledges the limitations of rammed earth and suggests using other local materials, especially for parts of the building like ceilings that cannot be made from earth. This shows that he does not exclusively use mud.

Rauch accepts that buildings made of rammed earth need more

maintenance.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage does not directly mention Rauch's views on whether rammed-earth buildings require more maintenance. It only discusses general concerns about maintenance without specifying Rauch's stance.

Rammed-earth construction sometimes makes some use of

specialized equipment.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........The earth is rammed into this, either manually or mechanically using pneumatic rammers........”

Keywords: mechanically, pneumatic

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 4

Explanation: The passage describes how the earth is compressed into frames using either manual or mechanical methods, including pneumatic rammers. This indicates the use of specialized equipment in rammed-earth construction.

Questions 9-13

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

VIEWS OF RAUCH AND HERINGER

Heringer: the tact that the process is 9.……… is a positive aspect it

Answer: LABOUR-INTENSIVE

Supporting statement: “.......Heringer… views the labor-intensive nature of this form of construction as a bonus..........”

Keywords: intensive, bonus

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 7

Explanation: Heringer sees the labor-intensive nature of rammed-earth construction as a positive feature. She notes that it allows for the involvement of many people, making the process beneficial in terms of employment and community engagement.

promotes a sense of 10………..

Answer: COMMUNITY (SPIRIT)

Supporting statement: “........Building with earth… it’s about community spirit too........”

Keywords: community, spirit

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 9

Explanation: According to Heringer, the labor-intensive process fosters a sense of community spirit because it requires the involvement of many people, encouraging cooperation and collective effort in building projects.

Rauch: some parts of buildings, e.g. 11………. cannot be made of earth - local materials should be used instead.

Answer: THE CEILINGS

Supporting statement: “........Certain parts of structures, such as the ceilings, aren’t possible on earth........”

Keywords: ceilings, earth

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 1

Explanation: Rauch acknowledges that certain parts of a building, like the ceilings, cannot be made from earth. He suggests using appropriate local materials for these parts, which shows a flexible approach to construction.

Rauch: mixing of concrete and mud is a form of 12…………

Answer: CONTAMINATION

Supporting statement: “........If there is cement in the mix then it’s not real earth… such contamination........”

Keywords: cement, contamination

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 6

Explanation: Rauch argues that adding cement to the earth contaminates the material. He believes that mixing the two compromises the natural environmental and climatic benefits of pure earth construction.

Heringer: the presence of concrete makes mud impossible to 13………

Answer: RECYCLE

Supporting statement: “........When cement is mixed with earth, ‘You can’t recycle........”

Keywords: cement, recycle

Keyword Location: para 6, Line 8

Explanation: Heringer explains that when cement is mixed with mud, the material becomes non-recyclable. This is problematic from an environmental standpoint because it prevents the natural decomposition and reuse of the material.

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