Trends and Prospects for European Transport System IELTS Reading Answers
IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation provides a passage and a few questions related to the passage. The students need to answer these questions after going through the passage. The IELTS test examines students regarding their knowledge in English writing and reading skills. They need to read the passage and analyse it to answer the questions that follow. This particular IELTS reading answers passage contains 3 types of questions:
- Select the correct heading for each
- True, False, Not Given
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Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Trends and Prospects for European Transport System IELTS Reading Answers
- It is difficult to conceive of vigorous economic growth without an efficient transport system. Although modern information technologies can reduce the demand for physical transport by facilitating teleworking and teleservices, the requirement for transport continues to increase. There are two key factors behind this trend. For passenger transport, the determining factor is the spectacular growth in car use. The number of cars on European Union (EU) roads saw an increase of three million cars each year from 1990 to 2010, and in the next decade the EU will see a further substantial increase in its fleet.
- As far as goods transport is concerned, growth is due to a large extent to changes in the European economy and its system of production. In the last 20 years, as internal frontiers have been abolished, the EU has moved from a ”stock” economy to a ”flow” economy. This phenomenon has been emphasised by the relocation of some industries, particularly those which are labour intensive, to reduce production costs, even though the production site is hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away from the final assembly plant or away from users.
- The strong economic growth expected in countries which are candidates for entry to the EU will also increase transport flows, in particular road haulage traffic. In 1998, some of these countries already exported more than twice their 1990 volumes and imported more than five times their 1990 volumes. And although many candidate countries inherited a transport system which encourages rail, the distribution between modes has tipped sharply in favour of road transport since the 1990s. Between 1990 and 1998，road haulage increased by 19.4%, while during the same period rail haulage decreased by 43.5%, although – and this could benefit the enlarged EU – it is still on average at a much higher level than in existing member states.
- However, a new imperative-sustainable development – offers an opportunity for adapting the EU，s common transport policy. This objective, agreed by the Gothenburg European Council, has to be achieved by integrating environmental considerations into Community policies, and shifting the balance between modes of transport lies at the heart of its strategy. The ambitious objective can only be fully achieved by 2020, but proposed measures are nonetheless a first essential step towards a sustainable transport system which will ideally be in place in 30 years‟ time, that is by 2040.
- In 1998, energy consumption in the transport sector was to blame for 28% of emissions of CO2，the leading greenhouse gas. According to the latest estimates, if nothing is done to reverse the traffic growth trend, CO2 emissions from transport can be expected to increase by around 50% to 1,113 billion tonnes by 2020，compared with the 739 billion tonnes recorded in 1990. Once again, road transport is the main culprit since it alone accounts for 84% of the CO2 emissions attributable to transport. Using alternative fuels and improving energy efficiency is thus both an ecological necessity and a technological challenge.
- At the same time greater efforts must be made to achieve a modal shift. Such a change cannot be achieved overnight, all the less so after over half a century of constant deterioration in favour of roads. This has reached such a pitch that today rail freight services are facing marginalisation, with just 8% of market share, and with international goods trains struggling along at an average speed of 18km/h. Three possible options have emerged.
- The first approach would consist of focusing on road transport solely through pricing. This option would not be accompanied by complementary measures in the other modes of transport. In the short term it might curb the growth in road transport through the better loading ratio of goods vehicles and occupancy rates of passenger vehicles expected as a result of the increase in the price of transport. However, the lack of measures available to revitalise other modes of transport would make it impossible for more sustainable modes of transport to take up the baton.
- The second approach also concentrates on road transport pricing but is accompanied by measures to increase the efficiency of the other modes (better quality of services, logistics, technology). However, this approach does not include investment in new infrastructure, nor does it guarantee better regional cohesion. It could help to achieve greater uncoupling than the first approach, but road transport would keep the lion‟s share of the market and continue to concentrate on saturated arteries, despite being the most polluting of the modes. It is therefore not enough to guarantee the necessary shift of the balance.
- The third approach, which is not new, comprises a series of measures ranging from pricing to revitalising alternative modes of transport and targeting investment in the trans-European network. This integrated approach would allow the market shares of the other modes to return to their 1998 levels and thus make a shift of balance. It is far more ambitious than it looks, bearing in mind the historical imbalance in favour of roads for the last fifty years, but would achieve a marked break in the link between road transport growth and economic growth, without placing restrictions on the mobility of people and goods.
Section 2
Solution with Explanation
Questions 1-8
Reading Passage has nine paragraphs, A-I.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-E and G-I from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-xi, in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
Question 1: Paragraph A
Answer: The rapid growth of private transport.
Supporting sentence: private transport is the ultimate cause of increased traffic on European roads. Statistics report shows 3 Million cars increasing every year from 1990 to 2010. The number keeps increasing and reaches the next stage ahead.
Keyword: Private transport, traffic density in European Roads, cars statistics in European roads.
Keyword location: paragraph 1, 4th & 5th lines.
Explanation: Growth in the number of cars determines the ease of passenger transport. The statistics report supports that increase in the number of cars on EU roads thereby growth of private transport.
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Question 2: Paragraph B
Answer: changes affecting the distances goods may be transported.
Supporting sentence: European Countries moved to ‘’flow economy’’ from ‘’stock economy’’ this has brought a tremendous increase in the European Economy and the system of production. The graph is drawn for the past two decades to show the European goods economy.
Keyword: flow economy, stock economy, goods transport, and economy.
Keyword location: paragraph 2, 2nd & 4th lines.
Explanation: Transition to ‘’ flow economy’’ is the ultimate cause of change in the transport system. The European economy followed the new system of transport rules to bring an upside shift in the goods transport.
Question 3: Paragraph C
Answer: Transport trends in Countries awaiting EU admission.
Supporting sentence: Inheritance of new transport system and ideologies to increase the transport flow and economical strength of the candidate countries who wish to enter EU admission. The Countries did more than two times exporting and five times more than importing compared to the 1990 volumes.
Keyword: transport system, transport flow, rail, and road haulage.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3, 4th, 5th & 6th lines.
Explanation: candidate countries adopt a new transport system to increase the import and export percentage. It has increased the chances of entering the EU as economical growth is substantially high.
Question 4: Paragraph D
Answer: A fresh and important long-term goal.
Supporting sentence: Implementing new and sustainable development in adapting EU transporting policy is a long-term goal. It requires two-decade to achieve the goal to adopt the fundamental steps in transport policies.
Keyword: Gothenburg European Council, transport community policies.
Keyword location: Paragraph 4, 4th & 5th lines.
Explanation: The ultimate goal of achieving EU admission through an economic hike is planned as a two-decade growth requirement. The candidate countries do need to achieve the ambitious objective.
Question 5: Paragraph E
Answer: The environmental costs of road transport.
Supporting sentence: Latest statistics report that CO2 emission has increased by around 50% and showed up to 1,113 billion tonnes by 2020 compared with 739 billion tonnes by 1990. Road transport is the key factor to raise the CO2 emission by about 84%. It poses an ecological threat if not prompt measures took to reverse the traffic density.
Keyword: CO2 emission, traffic trends, energy consumption by transport.
Keyword location: Paragraph 5, 1st, 3rd & 4th lines.
Explanation: Increased percentage of CO2 emission predicts the energy consumption of vehicles used for transport both passenger and goods. The ecological threat is at stake looking for Greenhouse gas.
Question 6: Paragraph G
Answer: Restricting road use through charging policies alone.
Supporting sentence: Loading ratios of goods vehicles and occupancy rates of passenger vehicles must be chartered to increase the price of transport.
Keyword: transport pricing, road transport price, goods vehicle rates.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7, 4th line.
Explanation: Road transport is focused much considering the pricing system. The charging policy is the first approach believed to restrict the use of road transport.
Question 7: Paragraph H
Answer: Charging for roads and improving other transport methods.
Supporting sentence: Increased charge for road transport pays the way for improving the transport flow. The approach does not couple with the first approach needing any infrastructural development. An increase in pricing occupies a great percentage of transport revenue in the market.
Keyword: road transport pricing
Keyword location: Paragraph 8, 5th line.
Explanation: By increasing charges of transport accompanied by focusing on other modes of transport, the economy of the Country is improvised. The second approach seems beneficial in bringing up the economy of candidate countries for EU admission.
Question 8: Paragraph I
Answer: Taking all the steps necessary to change transport patterns.
Supporting sentence: targeting investment in the trans-European network seems an integrated approach to place a marked break in the link between road transport growth and economic growth. This approach does not demand restrictions on the mobility of people and goods.
Keyword: trans-European network, road transport revitalising.
Keyword location: Paragraph 9, 2nd & 5th lines.
Explanation: The third approach is much intellectual in bringing a drastic change in transport patterns. All necessary steps are implemented to achieve the goal.
Questions 9-13:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Question 9: The need for transport is growing, despite technological developments.
Answer: True.
Supporting sentence: Increase in the number of cars on the European roads by 3 million every year from 1990 to 2010. It is expected to see substantial growth by the next decade.
Keyword: Physical transports reduce, passenger transport demand
Keyword location: Paragraph 1, 2nd & 4th lines.
Explanation: Of course, improvised information technologies do need to reduce physical transport. It is depicted by an increase in the number of cars on the EU roads every decade.
Question 10: To reduce production costs, some industries have been moved closer to their relevant consumers.
Answer: False.
Supporting sentences: As economical growth of Europe, Countries are concerned with the system of production. Besides, the EU moved from a ‘’stock economy’’ to a ‘’flow economy’’.
Keyword: goods transport, flow economy of EU.
Keyword location: Paragraph 2, 3rd line.
Explanation: Change in style of economy urges candidate countries to adopt a new system of transport. It helps them grow economically which ultimately permits them to enter the European Union. So, relocation of some industries is not necessary.
Question 11: Cars are prohibitively expensive in some EU candidate countries.
Answer: Not given
Question 12: The Gothenburg European Council was set up 30 years ago.
Answer: Not given
Question 13: By the end of this decade, CO2 emissions from transport are predicted to reach 739 billion
Answer: False.
Supporting sentence: road transport is the main culprit and it accounts for 84% of CO2 emissions. Using ecologically strengthened measures as alternative fuels and improving energy consumption poses a technologically challenging.
Keyword: CO2 emission, alternate fuels, energy consumption.
Keyword location: Paragraph 5, 4th line.
Explanation: It is the CO2 emission responsible for the ecological threat. It urges us to find a suitable alternative for regular fuels and improve reduction in energy consumption.
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