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The Giant Red Box Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

Jul 29, 2025

The Giant Red Box Reading Answers contain 13 questions and belong to the assessment system of the IELTS General Reading test. The Giant Red Box Reading Answers must be answered within 20 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, question types include: Complete the summary using the list of words and Complete each sentence with the correct country, using the letters.

The Giant Red Box Reading Answers offers a comprehensive overview of Containerization, transforming global trade through standardized, stackable containers, enabling massive shipping efficiency while raising environmental and security concerns. To practice similar reading tests, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Topic:

Any day of the week, it’s highly likely you’ll see a giant long red metal box, otherwise known as a container, being hauled by a truck. Even if you don’t live near a port or railway station, containers are transported long distances in order to meet our insatiable demand for goods. According to a World Bank report, in 2007 alone more than 18 million containers made more than 200 million trips. Now, over a quarter of global container traffic originates in China, and the world’s largest port is in Shanghai.

Invention:

But what are the origins of containerization? In 1956, Malcolm McLean, who owned a trucking firm on the east coast of America, set this freight revolution in motion by using a converted tanker ship – the Ideal X – to convey 58 aluminium truck bodies in a single journey. The costs of loading and unloading goods are extremely costly, so he found the biggest ship, and designed the largest packaging to simplify and economise the process. Aluminium containers are convenient due to their lightness, size, and stackability – that is, being uniform, like bricks, they’re easily stacked alongside each other and on top of one another, which means little space is wasted when carrying them. Initially, McLean’s company, Sea-Land Services, operated domestically, but in 1969 it won a contract to build a container port at Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam. Its core business was shipping food, housing equipment, and medical supplies to the US military.

Three players:

Aware of McLean’s logistical success, the Japanese government developed its own container capacity to assist in its export drive, and specified terminals with massive cranes – the first of their kind – were built in the Tokyo-Yokohama and Osaka-Kobe areas. However, at the time, the Japanese national rail carrier was not equipped to transport anything as long as 6 metres (20 feet) – the length of the first containers – and it was several months before this was possible. Meanwhile, another American company, Matson Navigation, commenced a mostly commercial container service between the US west coast and Hawaii, with plans for expansion to East Asia. As the Japanese government forbade foreign firms from operating in its facilities, Matson Navigation was obliged to find a local partner – the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line – before it could infiltrate the Japanese market. Their maiden container voyage took place in 1968. Only six weeks later, McLean’s Sea-Land competed with them for a service between Yokohama and California.

Rapid expansion:

By the end of that same year, there were seven different companies on the US-Japan route, and 7000 tons of eastbound freight were being transported each month. Once again, only outdated infrastructure hampered growth, especially the American rail network, but after their redevelopment, rail transport of containers in the US went from 3.1 million in 1980 to 9.3 million in 2002. No one is certain how many containers were taken by road, but heavy 18-wheeler trucks were manufactured to accommodate them, and these soon became common.

Size matters:

Early containers were 6 metres (20 feet) long and mostly red. They had a gross mass of 24 metric tons (26.5 tons), and were measured in Twenty-foot-Equivalent Units or TEUs. Within two decades, 40, 48, 53, and 60-foot (12-, 14-, and 16-metre) container models had been developed. Ports, cranes, trucks, and trains were all scaled up; the Panama Canal was expanded, but the Suez Canal remains too narrow for most modern vessels. These superships, carrying thousands of containers at one time, make a huge ship look like a child’s paper boat. For example, the Emma Maersk, owned by the Danish Maersk company, and launched in 2006, is nearly 400 metres (1,312 feet) long and has a capacity of a staggering 14,500 TEUs. Engineers believe that even larger container vessels can be built, but nature may prevent their design – for instance the link between the Indian and Pacific Oceans – the Malacca Straits between Malaysia and Indonesia – is narrow and relatively shallow, restricting shipping capacity. Thus, a ship with a length of 470 metres (1,541 feet) and width of 60 metres (197 feet) is designed to be the ‘Malacca-max’.

Are there any downsides to the container revolution?

Marine biologists regularly monitor the bilgewater of container vessels. This is waste that originally taken on to stabilise a ship in or empty condition is discharged into the sea when the ship is weighted by its full load of freight. Other social scientists believe that the ever-increasing use of containers travelling intercontinentally has given rise to organised crime. Drugs, and other illegal items are being smuggled in large amounts in these vessels, and it’s no great surprise that Customs checks may not be thorough. These days, sophisticated scanners are used to x-ray containers, but even with that innovation, the vast number has put under extreme scrutiny. Even more deplorably, the bodies of would-be immigrants have been found at the back of a suburban post office or the oversized baggage area – illegal immigrants, mostly heading for the UK – have suffocated inside containers. For example, in 2008, may be mechanisms alternative? A return to smally old-fashioned crates, as desirable as they sound, is unlikely to work. What is the alternative? A return to smally old-fashioned crates, as desirable as they sound, is unlikely to work. What is the alternative? It’s doubtful. Ecological and social concerns persist, and governments continue to invest in container ports for the reduction of freight. However, to date, only two companies are known by name – Maersk-SeaLand (Maersk acquired Sea-Land in 1995) – is now the largest logistics company in the world. And there’s probably among one of its containers on your street right now…

Questions 15-22

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-O, below:

Containers are everywhere! However they are a relatively 15…………

Answer: recent

Supporting statement: “But what are the origins of containerization? In 1956, Malcolm McLean… set this freight revolution in motion…”

Keywords: origins, freight revolution

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Invention,” Line 1

Explanation: Containerization is described as a revolution that began in 1956, making it a relatively recent development in global trade.

phenomenon. The first ones came out only in 16……………….

Answer: 1956

Supporting statement: “In 1956, Malcolm McLean… set this freight revolution in motion…”

Keywords: 1956, first use

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Invention,” Line 1

Explanation: The year 1956 marks the first known use of containers for shipping goods, making it the starting point of containerization.

While they were invented by an American, they were 17…………….

Answer: popularised

Supporting statement: “Aware of McLean’s logistical success, the Japanese government developed its own container capacity…”

Keywords: Japanese government, developed, container capacity

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Three players,” Line 1

Explanation: Japan embraced and expanded container use after McLean’s initial success, helping to popularize the model globally.

by the Japanese in a period of rapid economic growth. Now, the Chinese use the most. The success of containers is due to lower labour 18…………….

Answer: costs

Supporting statement: “The costs of loading and unloading goods are extremely costly, so he… designed the largest packaging to simplify and economise…”

Keywords: costs, simplify, economise

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Invention,” Line 2

Explanation: Containers reduce labour costs because they are quicker and easier to load and unload compared to traditional methods.

in their loading and unloading as they are far larger than previous packaging, and their 19…………….

Answer: uniformity

Supporting statement: “Being uniform, like bricks, they’re easily stacked…”

Keywords: uniform, stacked

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Invention,” Line 3

Explanation: The consistent shape and size of containers make them easy to stack and transport efficiently.

makes them easy to stack and transport. Almost unbelievable numbers of containers 20…………….

Answer: cross

Supporting statement: “In 2007 alone more than 18 million containers made more than 200 million trips.”

Keywords: 200 million trips, containers

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1

Explanation: The word “cross” describes how containers move globally across oceans to meet demand.

the world's oceans daily. Unfortunately, 21……………

Answer: efficiency

Supporting statement: “Customs checks may not be thorough… sophisticated scanners… but the vast number has put under extreme scrutiny.”

Keywords: scrutiny, Customs checks

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Are there any downsides…”

Explanation: The overwhelming volume and drive for efficiency have caused insufficient checking of containers, facilitating illegal smuggling.

dictated by ports and markets has meant insufficient checks on illegal goods also entering countries in vast quantities. All in all, international trade has been changed 22……………….. by the giant red aluminium box. Most of us would agree: it's for the best.

Answer: dramatically

Supporting statement: “International trade has been changed dramatically by the giant red aluminium box.”

Keywords: changed dramatically

Keyword Location: Final paragraph

Explanation: The widespread use of containers has had a dramatic impact on how global trade functions today.

A. efficiency

B. travelling

C. uniformity

D. produced

E. recent

F. numbers

G. dramatically

Н. 1968

I. cross

J. costs

K. popularised

L. increasingly

M. 1956

N. current

O. effectiveness

Questions 23-27

Complete each sentence with the correct country, using the letters, A-H, below:

23. More than 25% of the world's container freight starts in …………………

Answer: China

Supporting statement: “Now, over a quarter of global container traffic originates in China…”

Keywords: over a quarter, container traffic

Keyword Location: Paragraph 1

Explanation: China is currently the largest source of global container freight.

24. Early public sector involvement in infrastructure was critical in………………

Answer: Japan

Supporting statement: “The Japanese government developed its own container capacity… specified terminals with massive cranes…”

Keywords: Japanese government, infrastructure

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Three players”

Explanation: Japan invested early in public infrastructure to support container logistics.

25. Geographical limitations in ................ will determine the size of container ships.

Answer: Malaysia & Indonesia

Supporting statement: “The Malacca Straits between Malaysia and Indonesia… is narrow and relatively shallow, restricting shipping capacity.”

Keywords: Malacca Straits, restricting shipping

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Size matters”

Explanation: Geographical limitations in this region constrain how large ships can be built and operated.

26. Fatalities inside containers are associated with ………………..

Answer: United Kingdom

Supporting statement: “…illegal immigrants, mostly heading for the UK – have suffocated inside containers.”

Keywords: suffocated, UK

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Are there any downsides…”

Explanation: Fatalities inside containers have occurred among immigrants trying to enter the UK.

27. The most successful logistics company is currently from ………………

Answer: Denmark

Supporting statement: “The Emma Maersk, owned by the Danish Maersk company… is now the largest logistics company in the world.”

Keywords: Maersk, Danish, logistics company

Keyword Location: Paragraph “Size matters” and Final paragraph

Explanation: The Danish company Maersk is now the world’s leading logistics firm.

A. China

B. Denmark

C. Japan

D. Malaysia & Indonesia

E. Panama

F. United Kingdom

G. United States of America

H. Vietnam

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*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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