Is There Anybody Out There - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation

Dec 8, 2021

IELTS Reading section contains three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS reading passage. This IELTS reading sample - Is There Anybody Out There is an IELTS Academic topic. The passage contains the following question types from IELTS Reading Question Types:

Matching headings
No more than two words
True/False/Not Given

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There are similar topics found in IELTS reading practice papers from where candidates can prepare.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage below.

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Is There Anybody Out There IELTS Reading Sample

The primary reason for the search is basic curiosity - the same curiosity about the natural world that drives all pure science. We want to know whether we are alone in the Universe. We want to know whether life evolves naturally if given the right conditions, or whether there is something very special about the Earth to have fostered the variety of life forms that we see around us on the planet. The simple detection of a radio signal will be sufficient to answer this most basic of all questions. In this sense, SETI is another cog in the machinery of pure science which is continually pushing out the horizon of our knowledge. However, there are other reasons for being interested in whether life exists elsewhere. For example, we have had civilization on Earth for perhaps only a few thousand years, and the threats of nuclear war and pollution over the last few decades have told us that our survival may be tenuous. Will we last another two thousand years or will we wipe ourselves out? Since the lifetime of a planet like ours is several billion years, we can expect that if other civilizations do survive in our galaxy, their ages will range from zero to several billion years. Thus any other civilization that we hear from is likely to be far older on average than ourselves. The mere existence of such a civilization will tell of that long-term survival is possible, and gives us some cause for optimism. It is even possible that the older civilization may pass on the benefits of their experience in dealing with threats to survival such as nuclear war and global pollution, and other threats that we haven't yet discovered.
In discussing whether we are alone, most SETI scientists adopt two ground rules. First. UFOs [Unidentified Flying objects] are generally ignored since most scientists don`t consider the evidence for them to be strong enough to bear serious consideration (although it is also important to keep an open mind in case any really convincing evidence emerges in the future). Second, we make a very conservative assumption that we are looking for a life form that is pretty well like us, since if it differs radically from us we may well not recognize it as a life form, quite apart from whatever we are able to communicate with it. In other words, the life form we are looking for may well have two green heads and seven fingers, but it will nevertheless resemble us in that it should communicate with its fellows. Be interested in the Universe, Live on a planet orbiting a star like our Sun, and perhaps most restrictively have chemistry, like us, based on carbon and water.
Even when we make these assumptions. our understanding of other life forms is still severely limited. We do not even know. for example, how many stars have planets, and we certainly do not know how likely it is that life will arise naturally, given the right conditions. However, when we look at the 100 billion stars in our galaxy [the Milky Way], and 100 billion galaxies. In the observable Universe, It seems inconceivable that at least one of these planets does not have a life form on it; in fact, the best educated guess we can make using the little that we do know about the conditions for carbon-based life, leads us to estimate that perhaps one in 100,000 stars might have a life-bearing planet orbiting it. That means that our nearest neighbors are perhaps 1000 light years away. which is almost next door in astronomical terms.
An alien civilization could choose many different ways of sending information across the galaxy, but many of these either require too much energy. or else are severely attenuated while traversing the vast distances across the galaxy. It bums out that. for a given amount of transmitted power: radio waves in the frequency range 1000 to 3000 MHz travel the greatest distance. and so all searches to date have concentrated on looking for radio waves in this frequency range. So far there have been a number of searches by various groups around the world, including Australian searches using the radio telescope at Parkes, New South Wales. Until now there have not been any detections from the few hundred stars which have been searched. The scale of the searches has been increased dramatically since 1992, when the US Congress voted NASA $10 million per year for ten years to conduct a thorough search for extra-terrestrial life. Much of the money in this project is being spent on developing the special hardware needed to search many frequencies at once. The project has two parts. One part is a targeted search using the world's largest radio telescopes. The American-operated telescope in Arecibo. Puerto Rico and the French telescope in Nancy in France. This part of the project is searching the nearest 1000 likely stars with a high sensibility for signals in the frequency range 1000 to 3000 MHz. The other parts of the project is an undirected search which is monitoring all of the space with a lower using the smaller antennas of NASA`s Deep Space Network.
There is considerable debate over how we should react if we detect a signal from an alien civilization. Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately. Quite apart from the impracticality of sending e reply over such large distances at short notice, it raises a host of ethical questions that would have to be addressed by the global community before any reply could be sent. Would the human race face the culture shock if faced with a superior and much older civilization? Luckily, there is no urgency about this. The stars being searched are hundreds of light years away. so it takes hundreds of years for their signal to reach us, and a further few hundred years for our reply to reach them. It is not important, then, if there`s a delay of a few years, or decades, while the human race debates the question of whether to reply and perhaps carefully drafts a reply.

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Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 14-17 (List of headings):
Reading Passage 49 has ﬁve paragraphs, A-E.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-E from the headings below.
Write the correct number, i-vii, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings

Seeking the transmission of radio signals from planets
Appropriate responses to signals from other civilizations
Vast distances to Earth’s closest neighbors
Assumptions underlying the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence
Reasons for the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence
Knowledge of extra-terrestrial life forms
Likelihood of life on other planets

Example Answer
Paragraph A v

Paragraph B
Paragraph C
Paragraph D
Paragraph E

Paragraph B

Answer: iv

Supporting sentence: Although it is also important to keep an open mind in case any really convincing evidence emerges in the future.…second, we make a very conservative assumption that...

Keywords: Assumption, convincing evidence

Keyword location: Line 4 and 5

Explanation: The author here hints at the idea that there is no concrete evidence suggesting the presence of alien life in the present but the probability of the same is in the future. Also, the author uses the word “assumption” when they are talking about how conservative those are. Therefore heading (iv) is the appropriate answer for this paragraph.

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Paragraph C

Answer: vii

Supporting sentence: However, when we look at the 100 billion stars in our galaxy (the Milky Way), and 100 billion galaxies in the observable Universe, it seems inconceivable that at least one of these planets does not have a life form on it; in fact, the best educated guess we can make, that perhaps one in 100,000 stars might have a life-bearing planet orbiting it.”

Keywords: it seems inconceivable, best educated guess, perhaps, might have

Keyword location: Line 4 to 6

Explanation: All the phrases used in the above sentence points to the idea of the likelihood or probability of life in distant planets. Therefore heading (vii) is the appropriate answer.

Paragraph D

Answer: i

Supporting sentence: An alien civilization could choose many different ways of sending information across the galaxy. Radio waves in the frequency range 1000 to 3000 MHz travel the greatest distance. Much of the money in this project is being spent on developing the special hardware needed to search many frequencies at once.

Keywords: Could choose different ways of sending information, to search many frequencies at once

Keyword location: Line 1, 2, and 11-12

Explanation: Here large scientific organizations like SETI or NASA are all seeking information about radio signals. Furthermore, the passage contains a discussion about radio wave frequencies and funding information for future research aspirations related to radio waves from other planets. Thus, (i) is the most appropriate heading for this paragraph.

Paragraph E

Answer: ii

Supporting sentence: There is considerable debate over how we should react if we detect a signal from an alien civilization. Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately.

Keywords: Everybody agrees that we should not reply immediately

Keyword location: Line 1

Explanation: There is a consensus among people as to the nature of the reply to radio signals from outer space and life. The appropriate response in this case is not a quick response and that is why (ii) heading suits the paragraph in the best way.

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Question 18-20: Short answer to open questions (NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER)

What is the life expectancy of Earth?

Answer: Several billion years.

Supporting sentence: Since the lifetime of a planet like ours is several billion years.

Keywords: Several billion years

Keyword location: Line 12

Explanation: Here the word lifetime denotes to life expectancy and the statement, “a planet like ours” denotes the Earth. Therefore, it is clearly written in the sentence that the life expectancy is about several billion years.

What kind of signals from other intelligent civilizations are SETI scientists searching for?

Answer: radio (waves/signals)

Supporting sentence: And so, all searches to date have concentrated on looking for radio waves in this frequency.

Keywords: Radio waves

Keyword location: Line 5-6

Explanation: The paragraph clearly mentions that SETI scientists are finding radio signals coming from other faraway planets in order to detect the presence of alien life. Therefore, the answer is radio waves or radio signals.

How many stars are the world’s most powerful radio telescopes searching?

Answer: 1000 (stars)

Supporting sentence: One part is a targeted search using the world’s largest radio telescopes, the American-operated telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and the French telescope in Nancy in France. This part of the project is searching the nearest 1000 likely stars.

Keywords: The world’s largest radio telescope

Keyword location: Line 13-15

Explanation: The world’s largest telescopes are consequently some of the most powerful telescopes and therefore light reaches out to them from nearly 1000 stars.

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Questions 21-26 (YES, NO, NOT GIVEN)

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this more than once.

Alien civilisations maybe able to help the human race to overcome serios problems.

Answer: YES

Supporting sentence: It is even possible that the older civilisation may pass on the benefits of their experience in dealing with threats to survival such as nuclear war and global pollution, and other threats that we haven’t yet discovered.

Keywords: Alien, help overcome problems

Keyword location: Line 16-18

Explanation: Here the line, “may pass on the benefits of their experience” means that aliens might help us to deal with challenges and problems. Hence, it will be YES.

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SETI scientists are trying to find a life form that resembles humans in many ways.

Answer: YES

Supporting sentence: Second, we make a very conservative assumption that we are looking for a life form that is pretty well like us, sine if it differs radically from us, we may well not recognise it as a form.

Keywords: Trying to find, life form, resemble humans

Keyword location: Line 5-6

Explanation: Here the SETI scientists are looking for lives which are similar to how humans look and functions, that is resembles humans. Thus, YES is the correct answer because this line supports the given statement.

The Americans and Australians have co-operated on joint research projects.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Supporting sentence: In paragraph D there is the mention of the Americans and the Australians. However, there is no explanation or occurrence of any research projects mentioned in paragraph operated jointly by the two countries.

Keywords: Americans and Australians, co-operated, joint research projects

Keyword location: Paragraph D

Explanation: Although the two countries are mentioned in Paragraph D, there is no mention of any joint project or collaboration in the paragraph. The given statement at the same time doesn’t contradict anything from the passage. There is mention of any research project between the two projects does not mean that in reality there is no existence of such. It may be the author has omitted the fact. Therefore, NOT GIVEN is the appropriate answer.

So far SETI scientists have picked up radio signals from several stars.

Answer: NO

Supporting sentence: Until now, there have not been any detections from the few hundred stars which have been searched.

Keywords: Picked up signals, several stars

Keyword location: Line 8-9

Explanation:The given statement directly contradicts a given in the passage. Therefore, it contradicts the information given by the author. Hence, the answer is NO.

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