Islands That Float Reading Answers

Dec 16, 2022

Islands That Float Reading Answers requires candidates to solve the mentioned questions within a time frame of 20 minutes. This IELTS reading topic comprises a total of 13 questions. Islands That Float Reading Answers contains questions of the following types; choose the correct letter, true/false/not given, and label the diagram. This IELTS reading topic discusses the types of islands that are found in the middle of water bodies. Cambridge Islands That Float Reading Answers has been referenced from the book IELTS 13 Reading Test 03. In order to solve choose the correct letter, candidates must carefully study the reading passage and retain each keyword. Candidates must effectively comprehend the case presented in the reading passage in order to attempt the true/false/not given question in the passage. To solve label the diagram, candidates must ensure that they understand the reading passage as they read it and its technicalities must be remembered by them. To prepare themselves for similar kinds of topics, candidates can undertake practice from IELTS reading practice papers.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Islands That Float Reading Answers

Islands are not known for their mobility but, occasionally it occurs. Natural floating islands have been recorded in many parts of the world (Burns et al 1985). Longevity studies in lakes have been carried out by I lesser, and in rivers and the open sea by Boughey (Smithsonian Institute 1970). They can form in two common ways: landslides of (usually vegetated) peaty soils into lakes or seawater or as a flotation of peat soils (usually hound by roots of woody vegetation) after storm surges, river floods or lake level rising.

The capacity of the living part of a floating island to maintain its equilibrium in the face of destructive forces, such as fire, wave attack or hogging and sagging while riding sea or swell waves is a major obstacle. In general, ocean-going floating islands are most likely to be short-lived; wave wash-over gradually eliminates enough of the island’s store of fresh water to deplete soil air and kill vegetation around the edges which, in turn, causes erosion and diminishes buoyancy and horizontal mobility.

The forces acting on a floating island determine the speed and direction of movement and are very similar to those which act on floating mobile ice chunks during the partially open-water season (Peterson 1965). In contrast to such ice rafts, many floating islands carry vegetation, perhaps including trees which act as sails. In addition, Burns et al examined the forces acting and concluded that comparatively low wind velocities are required to establish free-floating islands with vegetation standing two meters or more tall.

The sighting of floating islands at sea is a rare event; such a thing is unscheduled, short-lived and usually undocumented. On July 4th, 1969- an island some 15 meters in diameter with 10-15 trees 10-12 meters tall was included in the daily notice to mariners as posing a shipping navigation hazard between Cuba and Haiti. McWhirter described the island as looking “…as though it were held together by a mangrove-type matting; there was some earth on it but it looked kind of bushy around the bottom, like there was dead foliage, grass-like material or something on the island itself. The trees were coming up out of that. It looked like the trees came right out of the surface brown layer. No roots were visible”. By the 14th of July the island had apparently broken up and the parts had partially submerged so that only the upper tree trunks were above the water. By July 19th, no trace of the island was found after an intensive six hour search.

Another example albeit freshwater, can be found in Victoria, Australia – the floating islands of Pirron Yallock. Accounts of how the floating islands were formed have been given by local residents. These accounts have not been disputed in scientific literature. Prior to 1938, the lake was an intermittent swamp which usually dried out in summer. A drainage channel had been excavated at the lowest point of the swamp at the northern part of its perimeter. This is likely to have encouraged the development or enlargement of a peat mat on the floor of the depression. Potatoes were grown in the centre of the depression where the peat rose to a slight mound. The peat was ignited by a fire in 1938 which burned from the dry edges towards a central damp section. A track was laid through the swramp last century and pavement work was carried out in 1929-30. This causeway restricted flow between the depression and its former southern arm. These roadworks, plus collapse and partial infilling of the northern drainage channel, created drainage conditions conducive to a transition from swamp to permanent lake.

The transformation from swamp to lake was dramatic, occurring over the winter of 1952 when rainfall of around 250nun was well above average. Peat is very buoyant and the central raised section which had been isolated by the fire, broke away from the rocky, basalt floor as the water level rose in winter. The main island then broke up into several smaller islands which drifted slowly for up to 200 meters within the confines of the lake and ranged in size from 2 to 30 meters in diameter. The years immediately following experienced average or above average rainfall and the water level was maintained. Re-alignment of the highway in 1963 completely blocked the former south-east outlet of the depression, further enhancing its ability to retain water. The road surface also provided an additional source of runoff to the depression.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that the islands floated uninterrupted for 30 years following their formation. They generally moved between the NW and NE sides of the lake in response to the prevailing winds. In 1980, the Rural Water Commission issued a nearby motel a domestic licence to remove water from the lake and occasionally water is taken for the purpose of firefighting. The most significant amount taken for firefighting was during severe fires in February 1983. Since then, the Pirron Yallock islands have ceased to float, and this is thought to be related to a drop in the water level of approximately 600 nun over the past 10-15 years. The islands have either run aground on the bed or the lagoon or vegetation has attached them to the bed.
Floating islands have attracted attention because they are uncommon and their behaviour has provided not only explanations for events in myth and legend but also great scope for discussion and speculation amongst scientific and other observers.

Solution With Explanation

Questions 1-5

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

in boxes 1-5 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

(Guide: Candidates need to read the question and check if the given statement is true or false or Not Given)

Question 1: Natural floating islands occur mostly in lakes.

Answer: Not given
Explanation: The phrase reads, "Natural floating islands have been observed in several regions of the world" (Burns et al 1985). As a result, the statement above is untrue.

Question 2: Floating Islands occur after a heavy storm or landslide.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: “Longevity studies in lakes have been carried out by I lesser, and in rivers and the open sea by Boughey (Smithsonian Institute 1970).”
Keyword: heavy storm, landslide
Keyword Location: Paragraph A, Line 4-5
Explanation: The supporting evidence indicates that the chosen response is accurate. According to the text, landslides or the flotation of peat soils are the causes of floating islands according to research on lifespan.

Question 3: The details of the floating island at sea near Cuba and Haiti were one of many sea-going islands in that area.

Answer: False
Supporting Sentence: “The sighting of floating islands at sea is a rare event; such a thing is unscheduled, short-lived, and usually undocumented.”
Keyword: Cuba, Haiti scan
Keyword Location: Paragraph C
Explanation: This claim is false, as the accompanying data indicates, sighting a floating island is an uncommon occurrence. The occurrence is unexpected, brief, and largely undoctored. Therefore, the chosen response is the right one.

Question 4: Floating islands at sea sink because the plants on them eventually die.

Answer: Not given
Explanation: The ocean-going floating islands are most likely to be transient, according to the text. This is due to wave wash-over, which progressively drains the island's supply of fresh water to the point that the soil, air, and plants are depleted. As a result, the statement above is undiscussed and the answer will be not given.

Question 5: Scientists and local residents agree on how the Pirron Yallock Islands were formed.

Answer: True
Supporting Sentence: “Accounts of how the floating islands were formed have been given by local residents. These accounts have not been disputed in scientific literature. Prior to 1938, the lake was an intermittent swamp which usually dried out in summer.”
Keyword: scientists, local residents
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, Lines 1-3
Explanation: The local population has provided a description of how the Pirron Yallock islands were formed. In the scientific literature, these pieces of evidence were not contested. Before 1938, the lake was a sporadic marsh that dried up in the summer. As implied by the supporting text, this answer selection is accurate.

Questions 6-9

Look at the following people (questions 6-9) and the list of statements below.
Match each person to the correct statement.

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.

Burns
Peterson
McWhirter
Hesser

compared floating islands to floating blocks of ice
documented the breakup of a sea-going island
examined floating islands in a confined area
studied the effect of rivers on floating islands
like floating islands, floating mobile ice chunks carry vegetation
even comparatively light winds can create a floating island
recorded the appearance of a sea-going floating island
tall trees increase floating island mobility

(Guide: Candidates need to read the passage and match the paragraph with the related person from 6 to 9 )

Question 6:

Answer: F
Supporting Sentence: “In addition, Burns et al examined the forces acting and concluded that comparatively low wind velocities are required to establish free-floating islands with vegetation standing two meters or more tall.”
Keyword: low wind, velocities, free-floating islands
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Lines 4-5
Explanation: According to Burns, floating islands can form even in very moderate breezes. Burns considered the factors before coming up with the statement, as the accompanying clause explains. In order to accommodate the movement, the vegetation is said to be standing at two metres or higher.

Question 7:

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: “The forces acting on a floating island determine the speed and direction of movement and are very similar to those which act on floating mobile ice chunks during the partially open-water season (Peterson 1965).”
Keyword: floating island, floating mobile ice chunks, open-water season
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, Lines 1-2
Explanation: According to Peterson, during the season of partially open water, floating islands resemble floating mobile bits of ice. As a result, the choice of response is correct.

Question 8:

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: McWhirter described the island as looking “…as though it were held together by a mangrove-type matting; there was some earth on it but it looked kind of bushy around the bottom, like there was dead foliage, grass-like material or something on the island itself.
Keyword: mangrove-type matting, dead foliage
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, Lines 3-4
Explanation: McWhirter noted an unusual occurrence of a floating island on July 4th, 1969. The island was described as being bushy towards the bottom and seemed to be bound together by a mangrove-like matting. Dead leaves and grass-like stuff were also present. Therefore, the chosen response is the right one.

Question 9:

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: “Longevity studies in lakes have been carried out by I lesser, and in rivers and the open sea by Boughey (Smithsonian Institute 1970). They can form in two common ways: landslides of (usually vegetated) peaty soils into lakes or seawater or as a flotation of peat soils (usually hound by roots of woody vegetation) after storm surges, river floods or lake level rising.”
Keyword: Longevity studies, peaty soils, storm surges
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, Lines 2-3
Explanation: The idea for how floating islands will last in a confined space was developed by Hesser. He has tried it in this instance in confined regions like lakes. As a result, the choice of response is correct.

Questions 10-13

Complete the labels on Diagram B below.

Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

5 meters
30 meters
basalt
200 meters
250 meters
causeway
highway
drainage channel

Question 10:

Answer: F causeway
Supporting Sentence: This causeway restricted flow between the depression and its former southern arm. These roadworks, plus collapse and partial infilling of the northern drainage channel, created drainage conditions conducive to a transition from swamp to the permanent lake.
Keyword: southern arm, collapse and partial infilling, drainage channel
Keyword Location:
Explanation: The part is pointed southward in the diagram. The causeway will thus be the right response.

Question 11:

Answer: B.30 meters
Supporting Sentence: The main island then broke up into several smaller islands which drifted slowly for up to 200 meters within the confines of the lake and ranged in size from 2 to 30 meters in diameter
Keyword: main island, broke up, 200 meters
Keyword Location:
Explanation: The graphic makes it apparent that the region of the island that it covers most completely is where it is located. As a result, it should be the 30 metre maximum that was specified.

Question 12:

Answer: D 200 meters
Supporting Sentence: The main island then broke up into several smaller islands which drifted slowly for up to 200 meters within the confines of the lake and ranged in size from 2 to 30 meters in diameter.
Keyword: main island, broke up, 200 meters
Keyword Location:
Explanation: It is evident from the figure that the part of the diagram corresponds exactly to the whole length of the lake. This is the right response because the maximum distance offered is 200 metres.

Question 13:

Answer: C basalt
Supporting Sentence: Peat is very buoyant and the central raised section which had been isolated by the fire, broke away from the rocky, basalt floor as the water level rose in winter.
Keyword: Peat, buoyant, basalt floor
Keyword Location:
Explanation: The direction shown in this part of the graphic to the entrance or base of the lake is quite exact. Therefore, basalt floor will be the correct response.

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