Power From the Earth Reading Answers

Aug 19, 2023

Power From the Earth Reading Answers is an academic reading topic discussing in detail about geothermal power. The given IELTS topic is taken from IELTS January Mock Test 2021. The topic named Power From the Earth Reading Answers has a total of 13 wide range of questions included. The IELTS topic consists of two different sorts of questions, like, complete the following sentences, and Yes/No/Not Given. The candidates should thoroughly read the IELTS reading passage to recognize the synonyms and identify the keywords and answer the questions below. IELTS reading practice papers can be taken into consideration by the candidates in order to score a good score in the reading section in which similar topics like Power From the Earth Reading Answers has been included.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Power From the Earth Reading Answers

Geothermal power refers to the generation of electrical power by making use of heat sources found well below the earth's surface.As is well-known, if a hole were to be drilled deep into the earth, extremely hot, molten rock would soon be encountered. At depths of 30 to 50 km, temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius prevail. Obviously, accessing such temperatures would provide a wonderful source for geothermal power. The problem is, such depths are too difficult to access: drilling down some 30 or more kilometres is simply too costly with today's technology.
Fortunately, sufficiently hot temperatures are available at considerably shallower depths. In certain areas, where the earth's surface has been altered over time—through, for example, volcanic activity-temperatures exceeding 300 degrees Celsius can be found at depths of a mere 1 to 3 km, which can be feasibly accessed. These particular areas are potentially ideal for the generation of electricity through geothermal means.
It is possible to explain geothermal power generation as a steam power system that utilizes the earth itself as a boiler. When water is sent down to the depths of 1 to 3 km, it returns to the surface as steam and is capable of generating electricity. Electricity generated in this manner hardly produces any carbon dioxide or other waste materials. If the steam and hot water are routed back underground, the generation of electricity can be semi-permanent in nature.
Furthermore, geothermal power can provide a stable supply of electricity unlike other natural energy sources such as solar power and wind power, which both rely heavily on weather conditions. Accordingly, the generation of electricity through geothermal power is four to five times more efficient than through solar power.As for wind power, geothermal power is some two times more cost effective. Only the generation of hydroelectric power comes close— the cost of power production from each is about the same.
Although geothermal power generation appears to be a most attractive option, development has been slow. The world's first successful attempt at geothermal power generation was accomplished in Italy in 1904. Power generation in Japan first started in 1925 at Beppu City. Since that time, countries as diverse as Iceland and New Zealand have joined the list of nations making use of this valuable source of energy. In the year 2000, Beppu City hosted the World Geothermal Congress, whose goal was to promote the adoption of geothermal energy production throughout the world.
The international geothermal community at the World Geothermal Congress 2000 called upon the governments of nations to make strong commitments to the development of their indigenous geo-thermal resources for the benefit of their own people, humanity and the environment. However, several factors are still hindering the development of geothermal power generation. Firstly, it has a low density of energy which makes it unsuitable for large-scale production in which, for example, over 1,000,000 kilowatts need to be produced. Secondly, the cost is still high when compared to today's most common sources of energy production: fossil fuels and atomic energy.
A further consideration is the amount of risk involved in successfully setting up a new geothermal power production facility. The drill-ing that must extend 2,000 to 3,000 m below the surface must be accurate to within a matter of just a few metres one side or the other of the targeted location. To achieve this, extensive surveys, drilling expertise and time are needed. It is not uncommon for a project to encompass ten years from its planning stage to the start of operations. The extent of the risks involved is clear.
Although it has long been considered a resource-poor nation, Japan, which is thought to have about 10% of the world's geothermal resources, may well have considerable advantages for tapping into geothermal power. It does have one of the longest serving power stations using geothermal energy. The station, built in 1966, pointed the way to the future when the country was affected by the two global oil shocks in the 1970s. Now there are some 17 plants in operation throughout the country which are responsible for a total output of over 530,000 kilowatts. This figure, though impressive, accounts for a mere 0.4% of Japan's total generation of electricity.
Clearly then, further progress needs to be made in the development of geothermal energy. As long as costs remain high in comparison to other sources of energy, geothermal power wilt struggle to match the efficiency of existing power sources. Further research and inno-vation in the field, as well as government support and a sense of urgency, are needed to help propel geothermal energy towards its promising future.

Questions 1-6:
Reading passage, ‘Power of the Earth’ has 9 paragraphs A-I.
Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the appropriate letter A-I for the space in your answer sheet.

_________ the history of the development of geothermal power.

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Although geothermal power generation appears to be a most attractive option, development has been slow. The world's first successful attempt at geothermal power generation was accomplished in Italy in 1904.
Keywords: ‘history’, ‘geothermal power’, ‘development’
Keyword Location: Section E, 1st line
Explanation: When searching the passage for the words "history," "development," and "geothermal power," we reach section E, where the author discusses the field's gradual advancement and the first successful attempts to use geothermal energy. As a result, E is the correct response to the query.

_________ one country’s use of geothermal power.

Answer: H
Supporting Sentence: Although it has long been considered a resource-poor nation, Japan, which is thought to have about 10% of the world's geothermal resources, may well have considerable advantages for tapping into geothermal power. It does have one of the longest serving power stations using geothermal energy.
Keywords: ‘country’s use’, ‘geothermal power ’
Keyword Location: Section H, 1st line
Explanation: When searching the paragraph for the words "country's use" and "geothermal power," we get a statement in section H that says, "Japan has one of the longest-serving power stations using geothermal energy." We are aware that geothermal power is referred to as geothermal energy. As a result, H should be the response to the question.

_________ a comparison between various energy sources.

Answer: D
Supporting sentence: Furthermore, geothermal power can provide a stable supply of electricity unlike other natural energy sources such as solar power and wind power, which both rely heavily on weather conditions.
Keywords: ‘comparison’, ‘various’, ‘energy sources’
Keyword Location: Section D, 1st line
Explanation: The terms "compare" and "diverse" are the question's key words. The statement "geothermal power can provide a constant electricity supply unlike other natural energy sources such as solar power as well as wind power" that we came across while skimming the section implies a comparison of various energy sources. As a result, D is the correct response to the query.

_________ how geothermal energy can produce electricity.

Answer: C
Supporting sentence: When water is sent down to the depths of 1 to 3 km, it returns to the surface as steam and is capable of generating electricity.
Keywords: ‘geothermal energy ’, ‘produce’, ‘electricity’
Keyword Location: Section C, 2nd line
Explanation: The text that discusses the process of generating electricity can be found in the paragraph while searching for the keywords "geothermal energy," "generate," and "electricity." Here, the words "create" and "produce" are interchangeable. So, C is the correct response to the question.

_________ conditions which permit access to geothermal power.

Answer: B
Supporting sentence: Fortunately, sufficiently hot temperatures are available at considerably shallower depths.
Keywords: ‘conditions ’, ‘permit access’, ‘geothermal power ’
Keyword Location: Section B, 1st line
Explanation: The sentence in paragraph B that says that "sufficiently hot temperatures" enable access to geothermal power can be found by skimming the passage for the keywords "conditions," "permit access," and "geothermal power." As a result, B is the correct response.

_________ problems of geothermal exploration.

Answer: G
Supporting sentence: A further consideration is the amount of risk involved in successfully setting up a new geothermal power production facility.
Keywords: ‘problems’, ‘geothermal exploration’
Keyword Location: Section G, 1st line
Explanation: When searching for the terms "problems" and "geothermal exploration" mentioned in the question, we find a sentence in section G that emphasizes the risk factor associated with establishing a geothermal power production facility. The "building up of a geothermal power producing facility" is referred to as geothermal exploration. As a result, G should be the response to the question.

Questions 7-14:

Do the following statements agree with the writer’s opinion in the passage? In boxes 7-14 in the answer sheet, write

YES, if the statement agrees with the writer’s opinion
NO, if the statement does not agree with the writer’s opinion
NOT GIVEN, if it is impossible to understand the opinion of the writer on this

Accessing geothermal energy at depths greater than 3 km is currently not possible.

Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: volcanic activity-temperatures exceeding 300 degrees Celsius can be found at depths of a mere 1 to 3 km, which can be feasibly accessed.
Keywords: ‘Accessing geothermal energy’, ‘3 km’, ‘depths’
Keyword Location: Section B, 3rd line
Explanation: When scanning the article for the aforementioned keywords, we come across a phrase in paragraph B that says it is possible to extract geothermal energy at depths of about 3 km and temperatures as high as 300 degrees Celsius. As a result, the assertion made by the author is refuted by the statement in the question. So, NO is the response to the question.

The generation of geothermal power produces a considerable amount of by-products that can be damaging to the environment.

Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: The international geothermal community at the World Geothermal Congress 2000 called upon the governments of nations to make strong commitments to the development of their indigenous geo-thermal resources for the benefit of their own people, humanity and the environment.
Keywords: ‘generation of geothermal power’, ‘by-products’, ‘damaging’, ‘environment’
Keyword Location: Section F, 1st line
Explanation: The writer claims that the statement in the question is false because it contains the words "harmful to the environment" as keywords. Geothermal resource research is advantageous for both the environment and humanity, as stated in the passage's section F. So, NO is the proper response to the question.

The World Geothermal Congress has been able to raise money for research in this area.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: No relevant information was found in the reading passage given above.

Geothermal energy is still relatively expensive to generate.

Answer: YES
Supporting sentence: Secondly, the cost is still high when compared to today's most common sources of energy production: fossil fuels and atomic energy.
Keywords: ‘Geothermal energy’, ‘expensive’, ‘generate’
Keyword Location: Section F, 7th line
Explanation: The cost of geothermal energy is very high in comparison to other prevalent methods of energy generation, such as fossil fuels and atomic energy, according to the sentence in paragraph F of the passage. Thus, we might conclude that it costs money to produce geothermal energy. So, the question can be answered with a YES.

It can take a decade to develop a single geothermal power station

Answer: YES
Supporting sentence: To achieve this, extensive surveys, drilling expertise and time are needed. It is not uncommon for a project to encompass ten years from its planning stage to the start of operations.
Keywords: ‘develop’, ‘single geothermal power station’
Keyword Location: Section G, 4th line
Explanation: The section states in paragraph G that it may take ten years to establish a geothermal energy station from the design stage to the start of operations. So, the question can be answered with a YES.

Japan is capable of generating one-quarter of its energy needs using geothermal energy.

Answer: NO
Supporting sentence: Now there are some 17 plants in operation throughout the country which are responsible for a total output of over 530,000 kilowatts. This figure, though impressive, accounts for a mere 0.4% of Japan's total generation of electricity.
Keywords: ‘Japan’, ‘one-quarter’, ‘geothermal energy’
Keyword Location: Section H, 5th line
Explanation: The passage states in paragraph H that only 0.4% of Japan's total electricity is generated using geothermal energy. So, NO is the proper response to the question.