The Panama Canal Reading Answers

Feb 10, 2025

The Panama Canal Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Panama Canal Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In all the question sets given you have to choose the correct answer in no more than three words.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1 THE PANAMA CANAL

A. The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is a major conduit for maritime trade. Prior to its opening in 1914, ships travelling between the east and west coasts of the United States had been obliged to round Cape Horn at the tip of

South America. Passage through the canal shortens this voyage by around 15,000 kilometres. The Panama Canal is still dwarfed by the world's other great artificial waterway, the Suez Canal, Which measures 193 kilometres from one end to the other. The Panama Canal is 111 kilometres

shorter than its counterpart in Egypt, at 82 kilometres.

B. The Panama Canal uses locks to lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial lake that was created to reduce the amount of excavation required to build the canal, and then lower them back down to sea level at the other end. A ship takes an average of 25 hours to negotiate the canal from one end to the other, though this includes waiting time. Once tolls have been paid and important papers inspected by officials, a ship can begin its transit of the canal itself, which usually takes around 10 hours. Smaller craft are permitted to move through the locks unassisted, but larger ones must at this point be attached to locomotives that run along tracks on the walls of the lock. These serve to keep the vessel centred in the lock and prevent any contact with the lock itself. Local pilots with extensive experience navigating the canal board the vessel and slowly move It forward Into the first chamber. The locks essentially function like elevators. The first chamber is sealed off by closing the lock gates behind the ship, and operators then allow water to flow in. The adjacent chamber supplies this water, which raises the level of the ship, allowing it to move forward.The system relies not on machinery but gravity to move water from one chamber to the next. This process continues until the ships reaches the level of Gatun Lake, and is then repeated in reverse at the other end.

C.The first attempt to construct a canal through the then-Colombian province of Panama began in 1881 when the Colombian government granted a concession to a privately owned French company. Under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the company was able to raise capital

from small investors because of de Lesseps' previous success building the Suez Canal in Egypt. Even though the Panama Canal only needed to be half the length of the Suez Canal, the project was significantly more challenging. The French eventually abandoned the project in 1889, by which time around 22,000 workers had lost their lives.

D. The United States formally took control of the canal property in 1904. This was following the passage of the Spooner Act by Congress in 1902, Which authorised the purchase Of the French company's assets and construction Of the canal, provided that a treaty could be negotiated with

Colombia. When treaty negotiations broke down, Panama, with the backing Of the United States. declared its independence, which allowed the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty to be negotiated between the United States and Panama. As a newly established republic, Panama was seeking the protection of the United States, which the United States was willing to guarantee in exchange for control of a 16-kilometre strip across the Isthmus of Panama. The United States agreed to pay Panama an initial sum of $10 million, as well as a $250,000 annuity that would begin nine years after the opening of the canal.

E. There were challenges during construction, but the Americans made solid progress, and the canal was finally opened to traffic in 1914. The United States retained sole control of the canal and the surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the signing of the Torrijos- Carter Treaties in 1977. These treaties provided for the handover of the canal to Panama, which would not be completely realised until 1999. The canal was initially administered by the Panama Canal Commission, a Joint US-Panama agency set up to manage the canal In the Intervening years. The canal Is now administered by the Panama Canal Authority, which was set up in 1997 in preparation for the handover.

F. Despite having enjoyed a privileged position for many years, the Panama Canal is facing increasing competition from other routes. Much of this competition comes from the Suez Canal, which, despite being half a world away, is often seen as a viable alternative route for cargo being transported from Asia to the US East Coast. This is partly because of its lower tolls, but also because it can more easily accommodate larger ships. As a sea-level canal, locks were not needed and construction was more straightforward, which meant they were able to build a relatively wide canal to accommodate fully laden ships up to 50 metres wide. The Panama Canal could originally handle ships with a width of up to 32.31 metres, but in order to retain the market share it was losing to other routes, including the Suez Canal. A project to build a third set of locks was begun in 2007. Completed in 2015, these locks now allow ships up to 51.25 metres Wide to pass through the canal, but the maximum vessel height remains unchanged at 57.91 metres due to the need to fit under the Bridge Of the Americas, which spans the Pacific entrance to the canal.

Questions 14-19

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

14. The Panama Canal is…………….. Long.

Answer: 82 KILOMETERS/KM

Supporting statement:The Panama Canal is 111 kilometers shorter than its counterpart in Egypt, at 82 kilometres.

Keywords: Panama, kilometres

Keyword Location: Para A, Lines 6-7

Explanation: The Panama Canal, which is 82 kilometers long, is 111 kilometers shorter than its Egyptian counterpart. It is a man-made waterway that links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

15. Gatun Lake was created so that less ……….would be needed.

Answer: EXCAVATION

Supporting statement:Gatun Lake, an artificial lake that was created to reduce the amount of excavation required to build the canal

Keywords: Lake, excavation

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the text, In order to minimize the amount of excavation needed to construct the canal, Gatun Lake was constructed. At the opposite end, the artificial lake was lowered back to sea level.

16. Water is transferred between the lock chambers using………….

Answer: GRAVITY

Supporting statement:The system relies not on machinery but gravity to move water from one chamber to the next.

Keywords: system, chamber

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 13-14

Explanation: Basically, the locks work like elevators. Operators initially close the lock gates behind the ship to seal off the first chamber, after which they let water inside. This water is supplied by the next chamber, raising the ship's level and allowing it to move. The system moves water from one chamber to the next using gravity rather than machinery.

17. Ferdinand de Lesseps' company was funded by…………….

Answer: SMALL INVESTORS

Supporting statement:the company was able to raise capital from small investors because of de Lesseps'

Keywords: capital, investors

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 4-5

Explanation: According to the text, The corporation was able to obtain money from small investors under Ferdinand de Lesseps's leadership because of his prior success in Egypt building the Suez Canal.

18. Under the terms Of the Hay—Bunau-Varilla Treaty,Panama received financial compensation and……………

Answer: PROTECTION

Supporting statement:As a newly established republic, Panama was seeking the protection of the United States

Keywords: established, protection

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 6-7

Explanation: In 1904, the canal property was officially taken over by the United States. This came when Congress passed the Spooner Act in 1902, allowing the acquisition of the French company's assets and the building of the canal, subject to the negotiation of a contract with Colombia. The Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty was negotiated between the United States and Panama when treaty negotiations went down and Panama, supported by the United States, declared its independence.

19. Panama gained full control of the Panama Canal in…………..

Answer: 1999

Supporting statement:These treaties provided for the handover of the canal to Panama, which would not be completely realised until 1999

Keywords: treaties, 1999

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 4-5

Explanation:Until the Torrijos-Carter Treaties were signed in 1977, the United States maintained complete authority over the canal and the Panama Canal Zone. Although it would not be fully realized until 1999, both treaties called for the canal to be turned over to Panama. The Panama Canal Commission, a joint US-Panama organization established to oversee the canal during the intervening years, was initially in charge of its administration.

Questions 20—23

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each.

Documents are checked and (20)……….. are collected,

Answer: TOLLS

Supporting statement:Once tolls have been paid and important papers inspected by officials

Keywords: tolls, papers

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The text states that only after verifying their documents by an official a ship can start its actual travel in the canal.

- Expert (21)………. take control of the ship.

Answer: LOCAL PILOTS

Supporting statement: Local pilots with extensive experience navigating the canal board

Keywords:pilots, canal

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 9

Explanation: The text mentions that only local pilots with great experience navigate the ship in the canal to the first chamber.

If the Ship is large,(22)……….are used to Stop it from hitting the lock walls.

Answer: LOCOMOTIVES

Supporting statement:but larger ones must at this point be attached to locomotives that run along tracks on the walls of the lock.

Keywords: larger, lock

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 7

Explanation: The text states that large ships need to be connected to locomotives that go on rails on the lock's walls. They help to keep the boat centered in the lock and keep it from touching the lock itself.

- The ship enters the first chamber and the lock gates are closed.

- Water from the (23)…....is used to lift up the ship.

Answer: ADJACENT CHAMBER

Supporting statement: The adjacent chamber supplies this water, which raises the level of the ship

Keywords: adjacent, raises

Keyword Location: Para B, Line12

Explanation:The text states that when the lock gates behind the ship are closed, the first chamber is sealed off, and operators let water enter. This water is supplied by the next chamber, raising the ship's level and enabling it to proceed.

- The ship enters the next chamber.

Questions 24-26

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS

AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Canal	Type of canal Current	Current maximum ship width
Suez	(24)……….	(25)…………
Panama	Lock	(26)…………

24………….

Answer: SEA LEVEL

Supporting statement: and then lower them back down to sea level at the other end.

Keywords: lower, sea

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The text states that suez canal is a seal level waterway allowing bigger ships to pass through.

25………

Answer: 50 METRES

Supporting statement:relatively wide canal to accommodate fully laden ships up to 50 metres wide.

Keywords: wide, ships

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 7

Explanation: The suez canal being a seal level canal allowed them to construct a rather large canal that could hold ships up to 50 meters wide when fully loaded.

26……….

Answer: 51.25 METRES

Supporting statement:Completed in 2015, these locks now allow ships up to 51.25 metres Wide to pass through the canal

Keywords: locks, 51.25

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 10

Explanation: The text states that the Panama was not able to accommodate bigger ships so it was losing market share to other routes so around 2007, work on constructing a third set of locks was initiated. Ships up to 51.25 meters wide may now navigate the canal thanks to these locks, which were finished in 2015.

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