The Canals of De Lesseps - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation

The IELTS Reading section contains three passages and forty questions. There are different types of questions found in each IELTS reading passage. It is crucial to read the passage carefully and take mental notes of important points in order to answer the questions quickly. This IELTS reading sample - The Canals of De Lesseps, is an IELTS Academic topic. The passage contains the following question types from IELTS Reading Question Types:

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• Matching information
• True/False/Not Given

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

The Canals of De Lesseps - IELTS Reading Sample

Two of the most spectacular engineering feats of the last 200 years were of the same type though thousands of miles apart. They were the construction of the Suez and Panama canals. The Panama Canal joins the Pacific and Atlantic oceans while the Suez joins the Red Sea (Indian Ocean) and the Mediterranean (Atlantic Ocean). Both offer ships huge savings in time and mileage. For example, a nine hour trip on the Panama Canal would save a total of 18,000 miles on a trip from New York to San Francisco. Amazingly enough the same French engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps, played a major part in the construction of both.

The history of the Panama Canal goes back to 16th century with a survey of the isthmus and a working plan for a canal ordered by the Spanish government in 1529. In the 18th century various companies tried and failed to construct the canal but it wasn’t until 1880 that a French company, organized by Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, proposed a sea level canal through Panama. He believed that if a sea level canal worked when constructing the Suez Canal, it must work for the Panama Canal. Finally the Panama Canal was constructed in two stages.

When the US took on finishing the canal they and the new state of Panama signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, by which the United States guaranteed the independence of Panama and secured a perpetual lease on a 10 mile strip for the canal. Panama was to be compensated by an initial payment of $10 million and an annuity of $250,000, beginning in 1913. On December 31st 1999 United States transferred the 51 mile Panama Canal, the surrounding Panama Canal Area and the income back to the Panamanian government.

The idea of a canal linking the Mediterranean to the Red Sea also dates back to ancient times. Unlike the modern canal, earlier ones linked the Red Sea to the Nile, therefore forcing the ships to sail along the River on their journey from Europe to India. It consisted of two parts: the first linking the Gulf of Suez to the Great Bitter Lake, and the second connecting the Lake to one of the branches in the Nile Delta that runs into the Mediterranean. The canal remained in good condition during the Ptolemaic era, but fell into disrepair afterwards and was completely abandoned upon the discovery of the trade route around Africa.

It was Napoleon’s engineers who, around 1800 AD, revived the idea of a shorter trade route to India via a Suez canal. However, the calculation carried out by the French engineers showed a difference in level of 10 meters between both seas. If constructed under such circumstances, a large land area would be flooded. Later the digging of the canal was undertaken by the Ferdinand de Lesseps, who showed the previous French sea height estimates to be incorrect and that locks or dams were not needed.

In 1859, Egyptian workers started working on the construction of the canal in conditions described by historians as slave labor, and the project was completed around 1867. The canal is 163 km long, and has a width of a minimum of 60 metres. The canal cuts through three lakes, Lake Manzala in the north, Lake Timsah in the middle and the Great Bitter Lake further south. The largest, the Great Bitter Lake makes up almost 30 km of the total length. The canal is extensively used by modern ships as it is the fastest crossing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.

In July 1956 the Egyptian president Nasser announced the nationalization of the canal in response to the British, French and American refusal for a loan aimed at building the Aswan High Dam on the Nile. The revenue from the canal, he argued, would help finance the High Dam project. Since then the Egyptians have controlled the canal. Today, approximately 50 ships cross the canal daily and the cities and beaches along the Great Bitter Lake and the canal serve as a summer resort for tourists.

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Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-8.

1. If the statement refers to the Panama Canal
2. If the statement refers to the Suez Canal
3. If the statement refers to both the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal
4. If the statement refers to neither the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal

1. The surface of the whole canal is at sea level.

Answer: B

Supporting Sentence: In the 18th century, various companies tried and failed to construct the canal but it wasn’t until 1880 that a French company, organized by Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps, proposed a sea-level canal through Panama. He believed that if a sea-level canal worked when constructing the Suez Canal, it must work for the Panama canal.

Keywords: Sea-level canal

Keyword location: Paragraph B, line 4-5

Explanation: Since the French engineer Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps had already worked on the construction of a similar canal i.e. The Suez Canal which was built at the surface of sea level, he proposed it could work again with the Panama Canal as well. Therefore, it can clearly be understood that the statement refers to The Suez Canal.

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2. The canal's construction had financial problems.

Answer: C

Supporting Sentence: The French company ran out of money and an attempt was unsuccessful to raise funds by applying to the French government to issue lottery bonds which had been successful during the construction of the Suez canal when that project was at the point of failure through lack of money.

Keywords: Out of money, Lack of money

Keyword location: Paragraph A, last line

Explanation: The first part of the sentence speaks about the lack of money with the French company during the construction of the Panama Canal where it tried to raise funds by applying to the French government to issue lottery bonds. The second part of the sentence describes the lack of money during the construction of the Suez Canal which was met by issuing lottery bonds by the French government.

3. Dams had to be built to construct the canal.

Answer: A

Supporting Sentence: Later the digging of the canal was undertaken by Ferdinand de Lesseps, who showed the previous French sea height estimates to be incorrect and that locks or dams were not needed.

Keywords: Dams

Keyword location: Paragraph E, Last 2nd line

Explanation: To control the flow of the canal it needed to pass through various locks and dams. Therefore, dams were needed to be built to facilitate the construction and operation of the canal.

4. The canal generates money for the country it passes through.

Answer: C

Supporting Sentence: In July 1956 the Egyptian president Nasser announced the nationalization of the canal in response to the British, French and American refusal for a loan aimed at building the Aswan High Dam on the Nile. The revenue from the canal, he argued, would help finance the High Dam project.

Keywords: Loan, Revenue

Keyword location: Paragraph last, Line 3

Explanation: From the decision made by the Egyptian president to nationalize the canal it becomes very clear that the revenue generated through the canal would be used by the Egyptian government as the canal passed through Egypt.

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5. Previous labor conditions of construction workers at the canal have been criticized.

Answer: B

Supporting Sentence: In 1859, Egyptian workers started working on the construction of the canal in conditions described by historians as slave labor, and the project was completed around 1867.

Keywords: Slave labor

Keyword location: Paragraph F, line 3

Explanation: Historians have previously criticized the working conditions of the laborers and described them as working as ‘Slave labor’ during the construction of the project.

6. The canal's construction was held up by war.

Answer: D

Explanation: There is no information regarding the construction of the canal being stopped due to war. The only obstruction in the construction of the canal was caused due to lack of money with the French company.

7. The canal is also a holiday destination.

Answer: B

Supporting Sentence: Since then the Egyptians have controlled the canal. Today, approximately 50 ships cross the canal daily and the cities and beaches along the Great Bitter Lake and the canal serve as a summer resort for tourists.

Keywords: resort, tourists

Keyword location: Paragraph G, last line

Explanation: After the Egyptians took control over the canal almost 50 ships cross the canal daily along the Great Bitter Lake. As a result of this traffic, the canal serves as a busy summer resort for tourists.

8. Over half the canal is within a single lake.

Answer: A

Supporting Sentence: When construction was finally finished, the canal ran through various locks, four dams and ran the lengths of two naturally occurring lakes, the 32 mile Gatun Lake and the 5 mile Miraflores Lake.

Keywords: 32 miles, 5 mile

Keyword location: Paragraph D, line 4

Explanation: The canal ran in the lengths of two naturally occurring lakes. More than half of the length of the canal runs through a single lake of 32 miles i.e. the Gatun Lake. The other lake measures 5 miles i.e. the Miraflores Lake.

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Questions 9-13.

True if the statement is true
False if the statement is false
Not Given if the information is not given in the passage

9. De Lesseps Suez Canal construction theories were equally successful in the building of the Panama Canal as they were in building the Suez Canal.

Answer: False

Supporting Sentence: The French problems stemmed from their inability to create a viable solution to the differences in tidal changes in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. There is a tidal range of 20 feet in the Pacific whereas the Atlantic range is only about 1 foot.

Keywords: problems, inability

Keyword location: Paragraph F, line 4

Explanation: De Lesseps’s construction theories did not prove to be as successful in the construction of the Panama Canal as they proved to be in the construction of the Suez Canal. This was caused due to the differences in tidal changes in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The tidal range of the Pacific is at 20 feet whereas the Atlantic range is only about 1 foot.

10. The decision to use locks in the Panama Canal also saved time doing other activities.

Answer: True

Supporting Sentence: The American proposed that a tidal lock should be constructed in Panama which solved the problem and reduced excavation by an enormous amount.

Keywords: lock, reduced excavation

Keyword location: Paragraph E, last line

Explanation: The decision made by the Americans for tidal locks to be constructed in Panama not only solved the problem of tidal changes but also saved time for other activities reducing the excavation by an enormous amount.

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11. The US was not happy about returning the control of the Panama Canal to Panama.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: Though on December 31st, 1999 the United States transferred the 51 mile Panama Canal back to the Panamanian government, there is no information given regarding the willingness of the US to return the Panama Canal. Therefore, it cannot be said whether the United States was happily returning the canal or not.

12. The current Suez canal is the second canal that has joined the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

Answer: True

Supporting Sentence: It consisted of two parts- the first linking the Gulf of Suez to the Great Bitter Lake, and the second connecting the lake to one of the branches in the Nile Delta that runs into the Mediterranean.

Keywords: Gulf of Suez, Mediterranean

Keyword location: Paragraph D, line 4

Explanation: The old canal that linked the Red Sea to the Nile consisted of two parts, one of which connected the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean. But it fell into despair after the Ptolemaic era and was left completely abandoned upon the discovery of the trade route around Africa.

13. The British government refused to give assistance in constructing the Suez Canal.

Answer: Not given

Explanation: The only refusal of assistance given by the British government was for a loan aimed at building the Aswan High Dam on the Nile. There is no other information given relating to the refusal of assistance in the construction of the Suez Canal by the British government.