The Dead Sea Reading Answers

Aug 13, 2024

The topic discussed is an academic reading answers topic. The Dead Sea Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions, you have to choose the correct choice from the options. In the next section, you have to fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognise synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as The Dead Sea Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Section 1

The Dead Sea, a highly salt-rich lake situated between Jordan and Israel, is dropping by more than 1 metre (3 feet) per year. It is located at the lowest point on the surface of the planet, some 420m (1,380ft) below sea level, and is the endpoint of the river Jordan. It is the saltiest body of water on the planet, up to ten times as salty as the ocean. The falling of the Dead Sea is not only a threat to the tourism industry and local businesses; it also risks the lives of locals and visitors by the increased risk of the startling and often unpredictable formation of giant sinkholes. Over the decades, dams built along the river Jordan by surrounding Middle Eastern countries to produce hydroelectric energy and divert water for irrigation, have reduced the volume of water that flows into the lake. Essentially, this means that water is being removed from the lake (through both human interference and evaporation) more quickly than it is being replenished through rainfall. This is what is causing the rapid drop in the water level. Large evaporating basins around the lake, used to separate valuable phosphates, are also contributing to the problem. One major consequence of this drop in surface level is the increasing number of sinkholes appearing along the banks of the lake, particularly on the Western side.

After many years of study, scientists now understand the geology of the phenomenon much better. Sinkholes can take thousands of years to form. They are the result of what is known as the Karst Process, where soluble bedrock (such as limestone or chalk) is dissolved by acidic rainwater. There are two distinct types of sinkholes: cover-collapse, which seems to appear out of nowhere, and cover-subsidence, which can often be identified before they collapse. If the sinkhole is the cover-collapse kind, most of the signs suggesting its formation will be buried underneath a layer of soil or sediment until the last moment; if it's the cover-subsidence kind, the bedrock will become exposed and holes will appear on it, which will then turn into ponds. Either way, a sinkhole can take anything from a few minutes to hours to collapse once the cavity below the surface is big enough. Some areas, such as Florida in the USA, are more prone to sinkholes due to the solubility of the bedrock they've been built on. The Karst process can occur naturally, but most of the sinkholes which occur today are the result of human interference

This is usually due to poor drainage systems combined with heavy rainfall: plenty of the most recently collapsed sinkholes occur near constructions which forced rainwater to concentrate on a particular patch of land rather than spreading across a wider surface or being drained into the sewers properly. However, a sinkhole can also occur during building construction, when digging underground, for example, to create a basement in a house, or a large-scale underground metro line commission was the case with a sinkhole that swallowed a whole building complex in Guangzhou, China, in January 2013. The sinkholes occurring in the Dead Sea are formed by the dropping sea level leaving behind layers of salt underground. The salt layers. which are particularly unstable along local geological fault lines in the Jordan Rift Valley, get dissolved by the fresh groundwater that flows in from local aquifers (which are rocks which water can pass through) of rock as the lake water retreats. As these layers dissolve, they leave behind unstable chasms under the ground. Often, the only sign on the surface that such a chamber is present is a small hole a few feet wide. The collapse of these chambers is often prompted by earthquakes or periods of heavy rain, but many occur spontaneously and without warning causing considerable damage to the local area.

When formed, many sinkholes can be up to 100m across and 80m deep, and several occurring close together may collapse into each other creating huge canyons. The deepest known sinkhole in the world is the Xiaozhai Tienkeng, which is located in China and 662m deep, while one of the widest sinkholes is the Qattara Depression in Egypt, which expands over a surface of about 80km to 121km. The number of these sinkholes is increasing year-on-year as the lake surface continues to drop, with as many as 700 appearing in 2016, compared to a few dozen in the 1990s. There are now over 5000 documented sinkholes in the Dead Sea area, some of which have swallowed up local businesses and roads, disrupting tourism and transport to the area. One proposed solution to the crisis is to create a pipeline which would draw in salt water from the Red Sea. This would have the dual benefit of halting the drop in water level, as well as refilling the salt chambers, slowing down the rate at which they are dissolved and hence the rate of formation of sinkholes. How quickly a sinkhole will collapse depends on a variety of reasons, explains Dr Vanessa Banks of the British Geological Survey: "Different rock types behave in different ways," she says-which means that some types of ground, such as sandstone, will take longer to disintegrate as they are more consolidated, while others, such as gravel, are easier to wash away. The acidity of the surrounding water is also a determining factor in how quickly a sinkhole will form.

Fortunately, and despite what media coverage might suggest, sinkholes are rarely lethal. The most famous case of a sinkhole-caused fatality is that of Jeff Bush, a 37-year-old man whose bedroom was swallowed by a 6-metre wide sinkhole as he slept-and even in that case, the five managed to escape. This is because most sinkholes tend to be localised. Unfortunately, this is also the reason there's been so little research on how frequently sinkholes occur. At the moment, all we have is a list of "Karst" areas around the world-that is, areas prone to sinkholes, such as The Dead Sea, Mexico, Belize, Croatia, some parts of Italy and huge sections of China Many experts are now pushing for more research-and given how sinkholes are becoming widespread both in urban and rural settings, perhaps governments will soon be more inclined to listen to these pleas.

Questions 14-19

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-J.

14. A cover-subsidence sinkhole

Answer: C

Supporting statement: “.......If it's the cover-subsidence kind, the bedrock will become exposed and holes will appear on it, which will then turn into ponds........”

Keywords: Bedrock, Subsidence

Keyword Location: para 2, Lines 7-8

Explanation: The text explains that cover-subsidence sinkholes are characterized by the gradual exposure of the bedrock and the formation of holes that can turn into ponds, making these types of sinkholes easier to notice before they collapse.

15. The Karst process

Answer: E

Supporting statement: “.......Some areas, such as Florida in the USA, are more prone to sinkholes due to the solubility of the bedrock they've been built on.......”

Keywords: areas, Solubility

Keyword Location: para 2, Lines 11-13

Explanation: The passage mentions that the Karst process, which causes sinkholes, is more likely to occur in areas where the bedrock is more soluble, such as in Florida. This indicates that the process is more likely to happen in some places than others.

16. The Guangzhou

Answer: F

Supporting statement: “.......The sinkhole... that swallowed a whole building complex in Guangzhou, China, in January 2013.......”

Keywords: Sinkhole, Building

Keyword Location: para 3, Lines 5-6

Explanation: The passage describes a sinkhole in Guangzhou, China, that was large enough to swallow an entire building complex. Hence this matches the answer.

17. Dams created for water irrigation

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “.......Dams built along the river Jordan by surrounding Middle Eastern countries... have reduced the volume of water that flows into the lake.......”

Keywords: level, Dead

Keyword Location: para 1, Lines 8-10

Explanation: The dams along the river Jordan have reduced the inflow of water into the Dead Sea, contributing to the drop in its water level. This connects the action of the dams to the lowering of water levels.

18. The Dead Sea

Answer: A

Supporting statement: “.......The salt layers, which are particularly unstable along local geological fault lines in the Jordan Rift Valley, get dissolved by the fresh groundwater.......”

Keywords: Unstable, Caverns

Keyword Location: para 4, Lines 4-6

Explanation: The passage indicates that the Dead Sea area is surrounded by unstable underground salt layers, particularly along fault lines, which dissolve and form caverns. This instability leads to the formation of sinkholes.

19. The Qattara Depression

Answer: I

Supporting statement: “.......One of the widest sinkholes is the Qattara Depression in Egypt, which expands over a surface of about 80km to 121km.......”

Keywords: Depression, Widest

Keyword Location: para 5, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The Qattara Depression is described as one of the widest sinkholes on Earth, covering a vast surface area. Hence this matches the answer.

A. is surrounded by unstable underground caverns

B. is the deepest sinkhole in existence

C. holes will appear on the bedrock, which will become easily visible.

D. has caused a drop in the water level of The Dead Sea

E. is more likely to happen in some places than others.

F. sinkhole was so large that it consumed an entire building complex.

G. collapsed under an underground metro station.

H. measures the size of various sinkholes.

I. is one of the widest sinkholes on Earth.

J. cause water acidity in recent sinkholes.

Questions 20-21

Choose ONE WORD.

There are two types of sinkholes: cover-collapse and cover-subsidence. Both are the result of the Karst Process, but the latter is easier to notice because of the 20 ……….. that form on the bedrock before the sinkhole collapses. The bedrock's

Answer: HOLES/ POUNDS

Supporting statement: “.....If it's the cover-subsidence kind, the bedrock will become exposed and holes will appear on it, which will then turn into ponds.........”

Keywords: Bedrock, Holes

Keyword Location: para 2, Lines 7-8

Explanation: The text mentions that in a cover-subsidence sinkhole, holes appear on the bedrock, which can eventually become ponds. These are the visible signs that indicate the potential collapse of the sinkhole.

21...... is one factor which determines the likelihood of a sinkhole forming in a given area.

Answer: SOLUBILITY

Supporting statement: “.......Some areas, such as Florida in the USA, are more prone to sinkholes due to the solubility of the bedrock they've been built on.......”

Keywords: Sinkhole, Prone

Keyword Location: para 2, Lines 11-13

Explanation: The passage states that the solubility of bedrock is a critical factor in the likelihood of sinkholes forming in certain areas. Hence making solubility the correct answer.

Questions 22-24

Choose ONE WORD.

While sinkholes are a natural phenomenon, the actions of humans when paired with

extreme 22……. can often trigger them. This is because human interference can

Answer: RAINFALL

Supporting statement: “.......This is usually due to poor drainage systems combined with heavy rainfall........”

Keywords: Trigger, Rainfall

Keyword Location: para 3, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The passage explains that heavy rainfall, especially when paired with poor drainage systems, can trigger sinkholes. Hence "rainfall" is the correct answer.

redirect 23........ to one particular spot. Thankfully, the effects of most sinkholes are

Answer: RAINWATER

Supporting statement: “......constructions which forced rainwater to concentrate on a particular patch of land rather than spreading across a wider surface........”

Keywords: Rainwater, Concentrate

Keyword Location: para 3, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The text mentions that human constructions can redirect rainwater to a specific area, increasing the likelihood of sinkhole formation. "Rainwater" is the correct word here.

24…….., meaning that sinkholes are not as dangerous as we are often led to

believe.

Answer: LOCALIZED

Supporting statement: “.......This is because most sinkholes tend to be localised........”

Keywords: Sinkholes, Localised

Keyword Location: para 7, Line 2

Explanation: The passage states that most sinkholes have localized effects, meaning their impact is confined to a small area, which makes "localized" the correct answer.

Questions 25-27

Write only ONE WORD for each answer.

25. What does rainwater need to be for the Karst process to take place?

Answer: ACIDIC

Supporting statement: “.......They are the result of what is known as the Karst Process, where soluble bedrock... is dissolved by acidic rainwater.......”

Keywords: Acidic, Rainwater

Keyword Location: para 2, Lines 4-6

Explanation:

26. What's one example of a deposit that doesn't collapse very quickly?

Answer: SANDSTONE

Supporting statement: “.......Some types of ground, such as sandstone, will take longer to disintegrate as they are more consolidated.......”

Keywords: Collapse, Slowly

Keyword Location: para 6, Lines 3-4

Explanation: The text indicates that sandstone is more consolidated and therefore takes longer to disintegrate, meaning it doesn't collapse quickly, making "sandstone" the correct answer.

27. Who does the author hope will listen to the requests for more research?

Answer: GOVERNMENTS

Supporting statement: “.......perhaps governments will soon be more inclined to listen to these please.......”

Keywords: Requests, Governments

Keyword Location: para 7, Line 5

Explanation: The passage expresses the hope that governments will respond to the calls for more research into sinkholes, making "governments" the correct answer.

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