Wind Power Reading Answers

Jul 24, 2025

Wind Power Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Wind Power Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions such as choose the correct letter. write one or two words. Match the country below or mark none to the statements taken from the ielts reading. Note: Some countries may not be used, and countries can be used more than once.

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Topic:

WIND POWER

The power of the wind has been used for centuries to directly drive various machines to perform such tasks as grinding wheat or pumping water. Recently, however, the wind has joined other natural forces such as water and steam as a viable method of generating electricity.

Traditional means of electricity generation using coal or oil-fueled plants have two major drawbacks; they pollute the environment, and the fuels they use are inefficient and non-renewable. In response to growing environmental awareness there have been calls for a greener alternative. Nuclear power, while more efficient and less polluting, is seen by many people as unacceptable, because of the danger of accidents such as those that happened at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. Wind power, however, is clean, renewable and, with modern advances, surprisingly efficient.

In the 1970s, Britain was in the forefront of research into wind power. The interest in wind diminished in the 1980s due to cheap North Sea oil, a strong pro-nuclear lobby and pricing structures that made it uneconomical to set up wind farms. Britain, the windiest country in Europe, had to wait until 1991 for its first wind farm. Located at Delabole in Cornwall, the farm was originally the idea of locals who opposed the construction of a nuclear power plant nearby and decided to set up a private company to generate power for the area using the wind. They had to fight opposition from local government and other local residents, who thought the turbines would be noisy and might interfere with television signals, but eventually, after showing local officials working wind farms in Denmark, they won and now there are 10 huge white wind turbines on the Delabole hills.

It is in Germany and Denmark that the greatest advances in wind power have come. Germany alone produces half of the wind-generated electricity in Europe. Every year, Germany adds 400 Megawatts (MW) of capacity. In 2000 alone capacity expanded by 1669 MW. Denmark now produces 30% of its electricity from wind power, and this is predicted to rise to 50% by 2010. Both countries have encouraged this growth by “ feed tariffs”, which guarantee a good price for private wind power operators. Britain is catching up, and the government has set a target 10% of all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2010, half of this to be from wind power. The 900 wind turbines in operation generate 400MW of electricity, and to meet the target, roughly 400MW will need to be added each year. With the advances in technology, this is technically possible. Each turbine can now produce 400 Kilowatts (KW) compared to only 70 KW at the start of the 1980s. It will, however, need help from the government. This is being done by offering financial support and giving private power companies targets to meet.

Because many people feel wind farms spoil the view and, also, because the wind is stronger at sea, many wind farms are now being built offshore. They are usually built a few kilometres off the coast in shallow water. The construction and maintenance costs are higher, but electricity output is higher. The first in Britain was built in 2000 at Blyth, north of Newcastle, and was the largest in the world until May 2001, when a 20-turbine farm was opened at Middelgrunden off Copenhagen. There are plans to construct up to 18 more in the UK by 2010. Together, they will produce 800 MW of electricity annually.

The use of wind power is far less advanced in the USA. Only 5% of America's power comes from the wind, although it is estimated that this could be increased to as high as 12% with no changes to the power grid. However, there is an increased interest in wind power. There are plans to build a huge offshore wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod on the Northeast seaboard.

The farm will take up over 25 square miles, have 170 turbines and produce 420MW at a cost of $600m. If constructed, it will be the world's second biggest wind farm, after the 520MW farm planned in Ireland.

Questions 15–16

Choose the correct letter.

15. People do not like coal and oil powered power production because ...

A. it damages the environment.

B. it is wasteful.

C. they cannot be replaced once consumed.

D. all of the above.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “Traditional means of electricity generation using coal or oil-fueled plants have two major drawbacks; they pollute the environment, and the fuels they use are inefficient and non-renewable.”

Keywords: environment, inefficient, non-renewable

Keyword Location: Para 2, Lines 2-3

Explanation: Coal and oil are criticised for three reasons: they harm the environment (A), are inefficient (B), and are non-renewable (C). All three points are covered in the passage, so the correct answer is D.

16. Wind power …..

A. has only been used recently.

B. promotes environmental awareness.

C. avoided accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

D. is not depleted when used.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “Wind power, however, is clean, renewable and, with modern advances, surprisingly efficient.”

Keywords: Wind power, renewable

Keyword Location: Para 2, Line 6

Explanation: The word “renewable” means that wind power does not run out or get used up — it is not depleted when used, making D the correct answer.

Questions 17–21

Write ONE OR TWO WORDS.

While there was a great deal of interest in wind power in the 1970s, it (17)...............in the 1980s.

Answer: DIMINISHED

Supporting statement: “The interest in wind diminished in the 1980s due to cheap North Sea oil, a strong pro-nuclear lobby and pricing structures...”

Keywords: wind diminished, 1980s

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 1-2

Explanation: The passage states that interest in wind power diminished during the 1980s,

This was mainly due to intense (18)............... support for power and little help in making wind power affordable. So, even though Britain has some of the best winds in Europe, the first wind farm was only built in 1991.

Answer: NUCLEAR

Supporting statement: “...a strong pro-nuclear lobby and pricing structures that made it uneconomical to set up wind farms.”

Keywords: pro-nuclear lobby, pricing structures

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 2-3

Explanation: The phrase “strong pro-nuclear lobby” clearly shows that nuclear power had strong backing during the 1980s, which, along with poor economic incentives, made it difficult to develop wind energy.

The farm at Delabole came out of opposition by (19)...............to a nuclear power plant.

Answer: LOCALS

Supporting statement: “...the farm was originally the idea of locals who opposed the construction of a nuclear power plant nearby...”

Keywords: farm, locals, construction

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The passage clearly states that the locals in Delabole opposed the nuclear power plant and came up with the idea to build a wind farm instead.

Initially, they were opposed by local officials due to fears about noise and possible obstruction to television (20)..............

Answer: SIGNALS

Supporting statement: "...local residents, who thought the turbines would be noisy and might interfere with television signals..."

Keywords: residents, turbines, television signals

Keyword Location: Para 3, Lines 7-8

Explanation: Local residents and officials opposed the project due to concerns that wind turbines might cause noise and interfere with television signals.

This opposition was eventually overcome only after they were shown successful examples from (21)...............

Answer: DENMARK

Supporting statement: "...after showing local officials working wind farms in Denmark, they won..."

Keywords: wind farms, Denmark

Keyword Location: Para 3, Line 9

Explanation: The locals overcame resistance from officials by taking them to see working wind farms in Denmark, which helped prove the feasibility and benefits of wind energy.

Questions 22–26

Match the country below or mark none to the statements taken from the IELTS reading.

Note: Some countries may not be used, and countries can be used more than once.

BR- Britain

G- Germany

D- Denmark

US-The United States

IRE-Ireland

N- None of the countries

22. Plans to produce 5% of its power using wind power.

Answer: BR

Supporting statement: “The government has set a target 10% of all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2010, half of this to be from wind power.”

Keywords: target 10%, half

Keyword Location: Para 4, Lines 6-7

Explanation: Britain’s government set a target of 10% of electricity from renewables by 2010, with half of that coming from wind power, which equals 5%.

23. Produces 50% of its power from wind.

Answer: N

Supporting statement: “ now produces 30% of its electricity from wind power, and this is predicted to rise to 50% by 2010”

Keywords: produces 30%, rise to 50%

Keyword Location: Para 4, Line 4

Explanation: Although Denmark was producing 30% of its electricity from wind at the time, it was predicted to reach 50% by 2010. The question is in the present tense, but since the passage reflects a future projection (relative to its writing), and no other country is mentioned with that target,

24. Produces very little of its power using wind.

Answer: US

Supporting statement: “ use of wind power is far less advanced in the USA. Only 5% of America's power comes from the wind...”

Keywords: less advanced, USA

Keyword Location: Para 6, Line 1

Explanation: The passage clearly states that only 5% of the United States' power comes from wind, and it also emphasises that the U.S. is “far less advanced” in using wind power.

25. Will have the world's largest wind farm.

Answer: IRE

Supporting statement: “170 turbines and produce 420MW at a cost of $600m. If constructed, it will be the world's second biggest wind farm, after the 520MW farm planned in Ireland.”

Keywords: second biggest wind farm, MW

Keyword Location: Para 6, Lines 5-6

Explanation: The planned wind farm in Ireland is expected to produce 520MW, which would make it the world’s largest if built as mentioned in the text.

26. Used to have the world's biggest offshore wind farm.

Answer: BR

Supporting statement: "The first in Britain was built in 2000 at Blyth, north of Newcastle, and was the largest in the world until May 2001”

Keywords: Britain, 2000 at Blyth, largest

Keyword Location: Para 5, Lines 4-5

Explanation: Britain’s Blyth wind farm was once the largest offshore wind farm in the world until it was surpassed in 2001.

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