Renewable Energy Reading Answers
Renewable Energy Reading Answers 13 questions that need to be answered in 20 minutes. Renewable Energy Reading Answers comprises three types of questions, namely- True/false/not given, and matching statements or headings with the given options. For choosing the correct answers, candidates must read the passage and understand the statement provided and answer it with the choice of options. For choosing the correct answers in matching headings and information, candidates need to read the IELTS passage efficiently.
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Renewable Energy Reading Answers
An insight into the progress in renewable energy research
- The race is on for the ultimate goal of renewable energy: electricity production at prices that are competitive with coal-fired power stations, but without coal’s pollution. Some new technologies are aiming to be the first to push coal from its position as Australia’s chief source of electricity.
- At the moment the front-runner in renewable energy is wind technology. According to Peter Bergin of Australian Hydro, one of Australia’s leading wind energy companies, there have been no dramatic changes in windmill design for many years, but the cumulative effects of numerous small improvements have had a major impact on cost. ‘We’re reaping the benefits of 30 years of research in Europe, without having to make the same mistakes that they did,’ Mr. Bergin says.
- Electricity can be produced from coal at around 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, but only if the environmental costs are ignored. ‘Australia has the second cheapest electricity in the world, and this makes it difficult for renewables to compete,’ says Richard Hunter of the Australian Eco-generation Association (AEA). Nevertheless, the AEA reports: ‘The production cost of a kilowatt-hour of wind power is one-fifth of what it was 20 years ago, or around 7 cents per kilowatt-hour.’
- Australian Hydro has dozens of wind monitoring stations across Australia as part of its aim to become Australia’s pre-eminent renewable energy company. Despite all these developments, wind power remains one of the few forms of alternative energy where Australia is nowhere near the global cutting edge, mostly just replicating European designs.
- While wind may currently lead the way, some consider a number of technologies under development have more potential. In several cases, Australia is at the forefront of global research in the area. Some of them are very site-specific, ensuring that they may never become dominant market players. On the other hand, these newer developments are capable of providing more reliable power, avoiding the major criticism of windmills – the need for back-up on a calm day.
- One such development uses hot, dry rocks. Deep beneath South Australia, radiation from elements contained in granite heats the rocks. Layers of insulating sedimentation raise the temperatures in some locations to 250° centigrade. An Australian firm, Geoenergy, is proposing to pump water 3.5 kilometres into the earth, where it will travel through tiny fissures in the granite, heating up as it goes, until it escapes as steam through another drilled hole.
- No greenhouse gases are produced, but the system needs some additional features if it is to be environmentally friendly. Dr. Prue Chopra, a geophysicist at the Australian National University and one of the founders of Geoenergy, notes that the steam will bring with it radon gas, along through a heat exchanger and then sent back underground for another cycle. Technically speaking, hot dry rocks are not a renewable source of energy. However, the Australian source is so large it could supply the entire country’s needs for thousands of years at current rates of consumption.
- Two other proposals for very different ways to harness sun and wind energy have surfaced recently. Progress continues with Australian company EnviroPower’s plans for Australia’s first solar chimney near Mildura, in Victoria. Under this scheme, a tall tower will draw hot air from a greenhouse built to cover the surrounding 5 km. As the air rises, it will drive a turbine* to produce electricity. The solar tower combines three very old technologies – the chimney, the turbine and the greenhouse – to produce something quite new. It is this reliance on proven engineering principles that led Enviropower’s CEO, Richard Davies, to state: There is no doubt this technology will work, none at all.’
- This year, Enviropower recognized that the quality of sunlight in the Mildura district will require a substantially larger collecting area than was previously thought. However, spokesperson Kay Firth says that a new location closer to Mildura will enable Enviropower to balance the increased costs with extra revenue. Besides saving in transmission costs, the new site will mean increased revenue from tourism and use of power for telecommunications. We’ll also be able to use the outer 500 meters for agribusiness.’ Wind speeds closer to the tower will be too high for farming.
- Another Australian company, Wavetech, is achieving success with ways of harvesting the energy in waves. Wavetech’s invention uses a curved surface to push waves into a chamber, where the flowing water column pushes air back and forth through a turbine. Wavetech was created when Dr. Tim Devine offered the idea to the world leader in wave generator manufacturers, who rather surprisingly rejected it. Dr. Devine responded by establishing Wavetech, and making a number of other improvements to generator design. Wavetech claims that, at appropriate sites, ‘the cost of electricity produced with our technology should be below 4 cents per kilowatt-hour.
- The diversity of forms of greenhouse -friendly energy under development in Australia is remarkable. However, support on a national level is disappointing. According to Richard Hunter of the AEA, ‘Australia has huge potential for wind, sun and wave technology. We should really be at the forefront, but the reality is we are a long way behind.’
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Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Question 14-20:
Do the statements given below go along with the information in the reading passage?
In boxes 14-20 on the answer sheet, write
True, if the statement holds the opinion of the writer
False, if the statement does not hold the opinion of the writer
Not given, if the statement is not clear making it confusing to understand the opinion of the writer
Question 14. in Australia, alternative energies are less expensive than conventional electricity
Answer: false
Supporting Sentence: despite all these developments, wind power remains one of the new forms of alternative energy where Australia is nowhere near the global cutting edge, mostly just replicating European designs.
Keywords: alternative energy, expensive, conventional energy
Keyword location: Paragraph D, line 2/
Explanation: The sentence is false because Australia is trying to become one of the leading hubs of renewable resources but when it comes to alternative energies like wind power, Australia is lagging in development.
Question 15. geo-energy needs to adapt its system to make it less harmful to the environment
Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: geo-energy, note that the stream will bring with it radon gas along through a heat exchanger and then send back underground for another cycle.
Keywords: geo-energy, harmful
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 2nd line
Explanation: geo-energy is harmful to the environment as water is supposed to be pumped 3.5 km into the earth. The stream will carry harmful gases and increase the temperature underground.
Question 16. dr prue Chopra has studied the effects of radon gas on the environment
Answer: not given
Explanation: Dr Pure Chopra is a Geophysicist and is the founder of Geoenergy but his main area of study being the effect of radon gas on the environment is not given.
Question 17. Hot, dry rocks could provide enough power for the whole of Australia
Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: hot, dry rocks are not a renewable source of energy. However, the Australian source is so large it could supply the entire country's need for thousands of years at the current rate of consumption.
Keywords: hot, dry rocks
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 3rd line
Explanation: the statement is true because hot dry rocks may not be a renewable source of energy but the Australian reserve is enough to supply enough for the population for a long period
Question 18. The new enviropower facility will keep the tourists away
Answer: false
Supporting Sentence: spokesperson Kay filth says that a new location closer to Mildura will enable enviropower to balance the increased cost with extra revenue. Besides saving in transmission cost, the new site will mean increased revenue from tourists and use of power for telecommunications.
Keywords: enviropower, tourists
Keyword location: Paragraph I, 2nd line
Explanation: the statement is false because the exclusive enviropower installed near Mildura will not only be safe for the environment but will also attract tourists which in return will increase the overall revenue.
Question 19. wavetech was established when its founder was turned down by another company
Answer: true
Supporting Sentence: wavetech was created when dr Tim Devine offered the idea to the world leader in wave generator manufacturer, who rather surprisingly rejected it.
Keywords: wavetech
Keyword location: Paragraph J, 2nd line
Explanation: The given statement holds the opinion of the writer. As the world leader in wave generator manufacturers rejected the idea of wavetech. Dr. Tim Devine went forward and created wavetech which contributed to the development of generator design.
Question 20. According to AEA, Australia is the world leader in developing renewable energy.
Answer: false
Supporting Sentence: according to Richard Hunter of the AEA, 'Australia has huge potential for wind, sun and wave technology. We should be at the forefront, but the reality is we are a long way behind.
Keywords: AEA
Keyword location: Paragraph K, 3rd line
Explanation: the statement does not hold the opinion of the writer. According to AEA, Australia has enough renewable resources to become a leading country in renewable energy but the reality is not so. They are quite lagging when it comes to the development of renewable energy in Australia.
Questions 21-26:
Listed below are the names of the companies (A-D), match the correct company with the statements below.
Write the correct letter (A-D) in boxes (21-26) in your answer sheet
NB you may use any letter more than once
- During the process, harmful substances are prevented from escaping.
- Water is used to force air through a special device.
- Techniques used by other countries are being copied.
- The system can provide services other than energy production.
- It is planned to force water deep under the ground.
- Original estimates for part of the project have been revised.
List of companies
- Australian Hydro
- Geoenergy
- Enviropower
- Wavetech
Question 21. During the process, harmful substances are prevented from escaping
Answer: geo-energy
Supporting Sentence: an Australian firm, geo-energy is proposing to pump water 3.5 kilometers into the earth, where it will travel through the tiny fissure in the granite, heating up as it goes until it escapes as a stream through another drilled hole
Keywords: escapes, harmful substances
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 2nd line
Explanation: geo-energy is the process in which no greenhouse gas is released. It releases the harmful substances through a different drilled hole, in a more organized way, in which it does not cause any harm to the environment.
Question 22. Water is used to force air through a special device
Answer: wavetech
Supporting Sentence: wavetech’s invention uses a curved surface to push waves into the chamber, where the flowing water column pushes air back and forth through a turbine
Keywords: water, a special device
Keyword location: Paragraph J, 2nd line
Explanation: the special device used by wavetech initiates water to move air back and forth.
Question 23. Techniques used by other countries are being copied
Answer: Australian hydro
Supporting Sentence: despite all these developments, wind power remains one of the few forms of alternative energy where Australia is nowhere near the global cutting edge, mostly just replicating European designs.
Keywords: replicating, European designs
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 2nd line
Explanation: although Australia has the resources and the capacity to develop alternative energy, it is lagging by simply copying the techniques made by other countries.
Question 24. The system can provide services other than energy production
Answer: enviropower
Supporting Sentence: besides saving in transmission cost, the new site will mean increased revenue from tourism and use of power for telecommunication
Keywords: system, provide, energy production
Keyword location: Paragraph I, 2ND line
Explanation: enviropower has many eco-friendly advantages. Not only did it plan the first solar chimney, but it also balances the increased cost and revenue, increased revenue from tourism, and use of power for telecommunications.
Question 25. It is planned to force water deep under the ground
Answer: geo-energy
Supporting Sentence: an Australian firm, geo-energy, is proposing to pump water 3.5 kilometers into the earth where it will travel through tiny fissures in the granite, heating up as it goes until it escapes as a stream through another drilled hole
Keywords: planned, force water, deep
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 4th line
Explanation: it is well explained in section F that greenery which Is an Australian firm is planning to pump water deep underground. The heat will be traveled through the small openings in the granite and the resultant stream will be omitted through another drilled hole.
Question 26. Original estimates for the part of the project is revised
Answer: enviropower
Supporting Sentence: a new location closer to Mildura will enable Enviropower to balance the increased costs with extra revenue.
Keywords: balance, Mildura
Keyword location: Paragraph I, line 3
Explanation: Paragraph I explains that the original estimate for the part of the project is revised. The new location will help in balancing the increased revenue and costs.
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