Wind Power in the US Reading Answers

Dec 26, 2023

Wind Power in the US Reading Answers contains 13 questions, and it is a topic belonging to the assessment system of IELTS academic reading test. Wind Power in the US Reading Answers has been taken from book called Complete IELTS bands 5-6.5 Teacher’s Book. In IELTS reading section, the nature of questions is such that candidates have to read a passage and provide answers from therein, it is to be attempted within 20 minutes. Wind Power in the US Reading Answers contains the questions that ask the candidates to ascertain the veracity of statements, choose the correct option etc. To practice more reading papers like that the candidates can refer to IELTS Reading Practice test.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the questions that follow

Wind Power in the US Reading Answers

Prompted by the oil crises of the 1970s, a wind-power industry flourished briefly in the United States. But then world oil prices dropped, and funding for research into renewable energy was cut. By the mid-1980s, US interest in wind energy as a large-scale source of energy had almost disappeared. The development of wind power at this time suffered not only from badly designed equipment, but also from poor long-term planning, economic projections that were too optimistic and the difficulty of finding suitable locations for the wind turbines.

Only now are technological advances beginning to offer hope that wind power will come to be accepted as a reliable and important source of electricity. There have been significant successes in California, in particular, where wind farms now have a capacity of 1500 megawatts, comparable to a large nuclear or fossil-fuelled power station, and produce 1.5 percent of the state’s electricity.

Nevertheless, in the US, the image of wind power is still distorted by early failures. One of the most persistent criticisms is that wind power is not a significant energy resource. Researchers at the Battelle Northwest Laboratory, however, estimate that today wind turbine technology could supply 20 percent of the electrical power the country needs. As a local resource, wind power has even greater potential. Minnesota’s energy commission calculates that a wind farm on one of the state’s south-western ridges could supply almost all that state’s electricity. North Dakota alone has enough sites suitable for wind farms to supply more than a third of all electricity consumed in the continental US.

The prevailing notion that wind power is too costly results largely from early research which focused on turbines with huge blades that stood hundreds of metres tall. These machines were not designed for ease of production or maintenance, and they were enormously expensive. Because the major factors influencing the overall cost of wind power are the cost of the turbine and its supporting systems, including land, as well as operating and maintenance costs, it is hardly surprising that it was thought at the time that wind energy could not be supplied at a commercially competitive price. More recent developments such as those seen on California wind farms have dramatically changed the economic picture for wind energy. These systems, like installations in Hawaii and several European countries, have benefited from the economies of scale that come through standardised manufacturing and purchasing. The result has been a dramatic drop in capital costs: the installed cost of new wind turbines stood at $1000 per kilowatt in 1993, down from about $4000 per kilowatt in 1980, and continues to fall. Design improvements and more efficient maintenance programs for large numbers of turbines have reduced operating costs as well. The cost of electricity delivered by wind farm turbines has decreased from about 30 cents per kilowatt-hour to between 7 and 9 cents, which is generally less than the cost of electricity from conventional power stations.

Reliability has also improved dramatically. The latest turbines run more than 95 percent of the time, compared with around 60 percent in the early 1980s. Another misconception is that improved designs are needed to make wind power feasible. Out of the numerous wind turbine designs proposed or built by inventors or developers, the propeller-blade type, which is based on detailed analytical models as well as extensive experimental data, has emerged as predominant among the more than 20,000 machines now in commercial operation worldwide. Like the gas-driven turbines that power jet aircraft, these are sophisticated pieces of rotating machinery. They are already highly efficient, and there is no reason to believe that other configurations will produce major benefits. Like other ways of generating electricity, wind power does not leave the environment entirely unharmed. There are many potential problems, ranging from interference with telecommunications to impact on wildlife and natural habitats. But these effects must be balanced against those associated with other forms of electricity generation.

Conventional power stations impose hidden costs on society, such as the control of air pollution, the management of nuclear waste and global warming. As wind power has been ignored in the US over the past few years, expertise and commercial exploitation in the field have shifted to Europe. The European Union spends 10 times as much as the US government on research and development of wind energy. It estimates that at least 10 percent of Europe’s electrical power could be supplied by land-based wind turbines using current technology. Indeed, according to the American Wind Energy Association, an independent organisation based in Washington, Denmark, Britain, Spain and the Netherlands will each surpass the US in the generating capacity of wind turbines installed during the rest of the decade.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D

Write the correct letter in boxes 1 – 5 on your answer sheet.

Which one of the statements is true?
A. Cost was a big factor in preventing the development of wind power
B. Wind power can provide enough electricity for a large portion of the United States
C. Some US States are powered solely by wind
D. Wind power has developed steadily since 1970s

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: There have been significant successes in California, in particular, where wind farms now have a capacity of 1500 megawatts, comparable to a large nuclear or fossil-fuelled power station, and produce 1.5 percent of the state’s electricity.
Keyword: significant, successes, wind
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, 2nd & 3rd line
Explanation: Wind power can provide enough electricity for a large portion of United States. The supporting sentence is an example in this regard as it talks of significant successes in wind power. The wind power supply is being compared to a fossil fuelled power station and produce 1.5 percent of the state’s electricity. That ought to cover a large portion of people.

What is the general view of wind energy in the United States?
A. Very positive
B. It can only provide small amount of energy
C. Wind power is not good enough energy resource
D. Very negative

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: One of the most persistent criticisms is that wind power is not a significant energy resource.
Keyword: wind power, energy, resource
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 2nd line
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that its one of the persistent criticism that wind power isn’t significant energy resource. Since, the criticism is persistent that means it is seen generally making it a general view. Wind power not being significant means its not good enough.

Which of these factors hasn’t contributed to the reduced cost of wind energy?
A. State subsidies
B. Economies of scale
C. More efficient maintenance
D. Standardisation of design

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: More recent developments such as those seen on California wind farms have dramatically changed the economic picture for wind energy. These systems, like installations in Hawaii and several European countries, have benefited from the economies of scale that come through standardised manufacturing and purchasing. The result has been a dramatic drop in capital costs: the installed cost of new wind turbines stood at $1000 per kilowatt in 1993, down from about $4000 per kilowatt in 1980, and continues to fall. Design improvements and more efficient maintenance programs for large numbers of turbines have reduced operating costs as well.
Keyword: economies of scale, standardised, drop
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, 10th & 11th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence talks about developments that changed the economic picture for wind energy thereby bringing the cost down. The listed factors include, economies of scale, standardised manufacturing and more efficient maintenance programs. But there is no mention of government subsidies so they don’t have any contribution to reduced cost of wind energy.

Wind turbine designs
A. Are already very good
B. Will be much more efficient in the future
C. Are expected to improve in the future
D. Are good for the environment

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Out of the numerous wind turbine designs proposed or built by inventors or developers, the propeller-blade type, which is based on detailed analytical models as well as extensive experimental data, has emerged as predominant among the more than 20,000 machines now in commercial operation worldwide. Like the gas-driven turbines that power jet aircraft, these are sophisticated pieces of rotating machinery. They are already highly efficient, and there is no reason to believe that other configurations will produce major benefits.
Keyword: wind turbine, designs
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, 3rd & 4th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence begins with discussion on wind turbine designs. So, the ‘they’ in they are already highly efficient is for wind turbines. Thus, the wind turbines are already highly efficient which means they are already very good.

How does wind power negatively affect the environment?
A. Causes air pollution
B. Produce nuclear waste
C. Accelerate global warming
D. Impacts on wildlife and natural habitats

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: Like other ways of generating electricity, wind power does not leave the environment entirely unharmed. There are many potential problems, ranging from interference with telecommunications to impact on wildlife and natural habitats.
Keyword: environment, wildlife, natural habitat
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, 10th & 11th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that wind power does not leave environment entirely unharmed which connotes negative effects. It further states that this harm includes impact on wildlife and natural habitats.

Questions 6-9

Complete each sentence with correct ending, A-G below

Write the correct letter, A-G in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.

One-fifth of electrical power the country needs
Costs on society, such as control of air pollution
US interest in wind energy had almost disappeared
Any potential problems
Still misrepresented by early failures
1.5 percent of US electricity demand
Improved design

By the mid 1980s

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: By the mid-1980s, US interest in wind energy as a large-scale source of energy had almost disappeared.
Keyword: mid 1980s
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, 3rd line
Explanation: The supporting sentence easily finishes the sentence given in the question. It says that By mid 1980s US interest in wind energy had almost disappeared.

The image of wind power in the US

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Nevertheless, in the US, the image of wind power is still distorted by early failures.
Keyword: wind power, early failures
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 1st line
Explanation: The Supporting sentence says that image of wind power in US still distorted by early failures. Here, distortion means misrepresentation. So, image of wind power in US is misrepresented by early failures.

Wind turbine technology in US could supply

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Researchers at the Battelle Northwest Laboratory, however, estimate that today wind turbine technology could supply 20 percent of the electrical power the country needs.
Keyword: wind turbine technology, country, needs
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 3rd & 4th line
Explanation: Wind Turbine Technology in US could supply 20 percent of electrical power the country needs, says the supporting sentence. 20 percent is equivalent to one-fifth because 20 times 5 is 100. So, wind turbine technology could supply one-fifth of electrical power the country needs.

Wind power does not have

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: Conventional power stations impose hidden costs on society, such as the control of air pollution, the management of nuclear waste and global warming.
Keyword: costs on society, air pollution
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, 1st & 2nd line
Explanation: It is to be noted that wind power isn’t conventional power. Now, supporting sentence says that conventional power imposes hidden costs on society such as control of air pollution. So, wind power, not being conventional power, does not have these costs.

Questions 10-13

Do the following Statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write

YES – if the statement agrees with the views of writer
NO – if the statement contradicts the views of writer
NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Wind power industry flourished briefly in US due to oil crises

Answer: YES
Supporting Sentence: Prompted by the oil crises of the 1970s, a wind-power industry flourished briefly in the United States.
Keyword: oil crises, wind power industry
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, 1st line
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that wind-power industry flourished briefly in the US and it was prompted by oil crises. This means oil crises led to this brief period when wind power industry flourished in US.

Wind power in North Dakota supplies 20 percent of electrical power of United States

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: North Dakota alone has enough sites suitable for wind farms to supply more than a third of all electricity consumed in the continental US.
Keyword: North Dakota, supply, electricity
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 7th & 8th line
Explanation: Supporting Sentence says that North Dakota has sites suitable for supply of more than one-third of US energy needs. This means that North Dakota only has suitable sites no supply is being made as claimed in the question. Also, the supply would be more than one-third which is 33% and above, definitely not 20%.

Wind power is too costly for the US

Answer: NO
Supporting Sentence: The cost of electricity delivered by wind farm turbines has decreased from about 30 cents per kilowatt-hour to between 7 and 9 cents, which is generally less than the cost of electricity from conventional power stations.
Keyword: cost of electricity
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, 14th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence talks about cost of electricity by wind farm has decreased. So, when wind energy is getting cheaper than conventional sources which US is able to afford then it can surely afford the former.

Denmark produces more electricity than United States

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: Denmark isn’t even mentioned in the passage once, so it can’t be concluded whether it produces more electricity or not.

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