The Possibilities of Biofuels Reading Answers

Feb 27, 2025

The Possibilities of Biofuels Reading Answers contains 13 questions, and it is a topic belonging to the assessment system of IELTS general reading test. The Possibilities of Biofuels Reading Answers has to be answered within 20 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, there are questions like Choosing the correct heading, Labeling the diagram, and Choosing the correct letter. Also, The Possibilities of Biofuels Reading Answers speaks about how biofuels can be used. To practice reading papers like that, the candidates can refer to IELTS Reading Practice test.

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Topic:

The Possibilities of Biofuels

A. There has been a lot in the news recently about a plane flying from Australia to the United States using biofuel from mustard seeds blended with regular aviation fuel. The flight has opened new dialogue over whether biofuels are a feasible and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

B. Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels are fuels produced from biomass sources through a thermochemical process. These products are similar to petroleum gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel in chemical makeup and are therefore considered infrastructure-compatible fuels. They can be used in vehicles without engine modifications and can utilise existing petroleum distribution systems. Biofuels are usually transportation fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, which are made from biomass materials. Using ethanol or biodiesel means less gasoline and diesel fuel is burned, which can reduce the amount of fossil fuels used. Ethanol is an alcohol fuel made from the sugars found in grains, such as corn, sorghum, and barley, and biodiesel is a fuel made from vegetable oils, fats, or greases, such as recycled restaurant grease. Pure biodiesel is non-toxic, biodegradable, and produces lower levels of most air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel fuels, because they are cleaner-burning fuels.

C. Nearly all of the gasoline now sold in the United States is about 10 per cent ethanol by volume. Any gasoline-powered engine in the United States can use E10 (gasoline with 10 per cent ethanol), but only specific types of vehicles can use mixtures with fuel containing more than 10 per cent ethanol. Biodiesel fuel can be used in diesel engines without changing the engine and it is usually sold as a blend of biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel fuel.

D. Biofuel is created using a thermochemical process that can be used with a variety of biomass. This enters the system through a feeder, from where it's pumped through to a heat exchanger that in turn feeds a bio liquefaction reactor, which is where the transformation to a biofuel takes place. After heat recovery, which is where hot oil is extracted and pumped back to the heat exchanger, the crude biofuel is drawn off in a separator tank and pumped off to storage. Excess water is treated to either be recycled and reused, or discharged as effluent. Biogas is also created in the separator tank and this is reused to fuel the hot oil heater.

E. Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels has the potential to generate a number of benefits. In contrast to fossil fuels, which are exhaustible resources, biofuels are produced from renewable feedstocks. Thus, their production and use could, in theory, be sustained indefinitely. There are, however, some disadvantages to producing biofuels. Biofuel feedstocks include many crops that would otherwise be used for human consumption directly, or indirectly as animal feed. Diverting these crops to biofuels may lead to more land area being devoted to agriculture, increased use of polluting inputs, and higher food prices. Biofuel production and processing practices can also release greenhouse gases and research suggests that the production of biofuel feedstocks, particularly food crops like corn and soy, could increase water pollution from nutrients, pesticides, and sediment. Also, increases in irrigation and ethanol refining could deplete aquifers.

F. In other terms, unless done on a very large scale, the economics of biofuel production do not easily add up. Therefore, government subsidies substantially affect the commercial viability of growing biodiesel crops for most farmers, as otherwise the costs per gallon produced would make a product that is too expensive in world markets. However, one central motivation for government biofuel policy is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels by shifting to renewable energy sources. Thus, the private cost or return per gallon of biofuel is not an adequate measure of progress toward this objective, for two reasons. First, biofuel production makes energy available to consumers, but it also uses energy during production and processing. So, it is necessary to take into account the energy used to produce biofuels, especially fossil fuel energy, when we evaluate their net contribution to reducing use of fossil fuels. Second, there are alternative approaches to reducing society's use of fossil fuels, and so it is also necessary to compare the cost of achieving those goals by promoting biofuels with the cost of achieving them by other means.

G. The economics of biodiesel encompass both a private and a public dimension. In the private dimension, success requires that incentives for producers, blenders, and consumers be sufficient to compete in the marketplace with the alternatives available (e.g. alternative uses of land, labour, and capital, and alternative fuel choices for consumers). In the public dimension, success is defined in terms of the public goals that motivate governments' intervention (i.e. grants) and whether biodiesel will achieve the public goals in a cost-effective manner, when compared to other options. It is important to evaluate both dimensions. If the public evaluation is highly favourable, but the market incentives are inadequate, no biodiesel will be produced. On the other hand, if market prices generate strong interest among producers and consumers, but the social gains are very small, or the costs are very high compared to other approaches, then the activity may not represent a good use of scarce public resources. Biofuels are popular in the media, but the issues are not as simple as sometimes they are made out to be.

Questions 28-34

The text on the previous pages has 7 paragraphs (A-G).

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-x.

i. New Government Policy

ii. Alternative Biofuels Blended with Fossil Fuels

ili. Financial and Other Issues

iv. Biofuel Drawbacks

v. Media Story Fuels Discussion

vi. Problems with Engines vii. Origins, Uses and Eco-advantages

viii. Weighing up Two Important Considerations

ix. Making Biofuels

x. A Fuel for the Future

28. Paragraph A

Answer: v. Media Story Fuels Discussion

Supporting statement: "The flight has opened new dialogue over whether biofuels are a feasible and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels."

Keywords: alternative, biofuels

Keyword Location: para A, line 2

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on a specific news story about biofuels, initiating public and media discussion about their sustainability and feasibility.

29. Paragraph B

Answer: vii. Origins, Uses and Eco-advantages

Supporting statement: "Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels are fuels produced from biomass sources... and are therefore considered infrastructure-compatible fuels."

Keywords: biomass, infrastructure-compatible fuels

Keyword Location: para B, line 1-3

Explanation: This paragraph discusses what biofuels are, their origins, their uses, and their environmental benefits such as cleaner-burning fuels.

30. Paragraph C

Answer: ii. Alternative Biofuels Blended with Fossil Fuels

Supporting statement: "Nearly all of the gasoline now sold in the United States is about 10 per cent ethanol by volume."

Keywords: gasoline, ethanol

Keyword Location: para C, line 1

Explanation: This paragraph focuses on blending biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, with traditional fossil fuels and their compatibility with vehicles.

31. Paragraph D

Answer: ix. Making Biofuels

Supporting statement: "Biofuel is created using a thermochemical process that can be used with a variety of biomass."

Keywords: biomass, thermochemical

Keyword Location: para D, line 1

Explanation: The paragraph explains the process of biofuel production, detailing the steps from biomass to the final product.

32. Paragraph E

Answer: iv. Biofuel Drawbacks

Supporting statement: "Biofuel feedstocks include many crops that would otherwise be used for human consumption... may lead to more land area being devoted to agriculture."

Keywords: Biofuel, agriculture

Keyword Location: para E, line 4-5

Explanation: This paragraph outlines the negative impacts of biofuels, including land use, higher food prices, and environmental concerns.

33. Paragraph F

Answer: i. New Government Policy

Supporting statement: "Government subsidies substantially affect the commercial viability of growing biodiesel crops for most farmers."

Keywords: Government, farmers

Keyword Location: para F, line 2

Explanation: This paragraph discusses the role of government policy and subsidies in biofuel production and how these influence market dynamics.

34. Paragraph G

Answer: iii. Financial and Other Issues

Supporting statement: "The economics of biodiesel encompass both a private and a public dimension."

Keywords: economics, biodiesel

Keyword Location: para G, line 1

Explanation: This paragraph evaluates the financial viability and public costs of biodiesel, comparing private market incentives with public benefits.

Questions 35-37

Label the diagram below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

35. Answer: Feeder

Supporting statement: “Biofuel is created using a thermochemical process that can be used with a variety of biomass. This enters the system through a feeder, from where it's pumped through to a heat exchanger...”

Keywords: thermochemical process, feeder

Keyword Location: para D, line 1-2

Explanation: The diagram refers to the entry point of biomass into the system. According to the passage, biomass first enters the system via a feeder, which matches the requirement of the blank in the diagram.

36. Answer: Heat Exchanger

Supporting statement: “...from where it's pumped through to a heat exchanger that in turn feeds a bio liquefaction reactor...”

Keywords: heat exchanger, bio liquefaction reactor

Keyword Location: para D, line 2-3

Explanation: The second blank in the diagram corresponds to the component that processes the biomass after entering the feeder. As per the text, the heat exchanger transfers heat to facilitate the bio-liquefaction process, making it the correct answer.

37. Answer: Separator Tank

Supporting statement: “After heat recovery, which is where hot oil is extracted and pumped back to the heat exchanger, the crude biofuel is drawn off in a separator tank and pumped off to storage.”

Keywords: biofuel, separator tank

Keyword Location: para D, line 4-5

Explanation: The final blank in the diagram aligns with the separator tank, where the crude biofuel is separated and prepared for storage. This corresponds directly to the described process in the passage.

Questions 38-40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending (A-F).

Write the correct letter (A-F).

38. Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are

Answer: C. often mixed with other more traditional fuels.

Supporting statement: “Nearly all of the gasoline now sold in the United States is about 10 per cent ethanol by volume. Any gasoline-powered engine in the United States can use E10 (gasoline with 10 per cent ethanol), but only specific types of vehicles can use mixtures with fuel containing more than 10 per cent ethanol. Biodiesel fuel… is usually sold as a blend of biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel fuel.”

Keywords: gasoline, Biodiesel fuel

Keyword Location: para C, line 1-4

Explanation: Ethanol and biodiesel are often blended with traditional fuels like gasoline and petroleum-based diesel to ensure compatibility with engines, reflecting their typical use in mixtures rather than pure forms.

39. The benefits of biofuels are

Answer: A. not only measured with economic criteria.

Supporting statement: “The economics of biodiesel encompass both a private and a public dimension. … In the public dimension, success is defined in terms of the public goals that motivate governments' intervention (i.e., grants) and whether biodiesel will achieve the public goals in a cost-effective manner, when compared to other options.”

Keywords: economics, biodiesel

Keyword Location: para G, line 1-5

Explanation: While economic factors are critical, public goals and cost-effectiveness in terms of achieving societal objectives (e.g., reduced fossil fuel dependence) also play a significant role in evaluating the benefits of biofuels.

40. The production of biofuels is

Answer: F. conditional on the provision of government subsidies.

Supporting statement: “Therefore, government subsidies substantially affect the commercial viability of growing biodiesel crops for most farmers, as otherwise the costs per gallon produced would make a product that is too expensive in world markets.”

Keywords: government, biodiesel

Keyword Location: para F, line 1-3

Explanation: Without government subsidies, biofuel production would be prohibitively expensive for most farmers and manufacturers, indicating that its production heavily depends on external financial support.

A. not only measured with economic criteria.

B. found naturally in some locations.

C. often mixed with other more traditional fuels.

D. not significant when compared to the disadvantages.

E. to take place in countries with lower capital costs.

F. conditional on the provision of government subsidies.

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