Collins IELTS 3 Academic Reading Test 1
3 passages · 40 questions · 60 minutes
Grey water
In Abu Dhabi, where fresh water sources are very limited, sustainable water management is a high priority. The region receives on average just 120 millimetres of rainfall every year but the country is seeing demand for water increase by almost 40% annually. In this situation, it is clear that Abu Dhabi needs to boost the efficiency of water use by increasing water recycling and using treated water safely. An example of how this can be done can be seen at one of Abu Dhabi's airport hotels, which is saving a quarter of its water by recycling grey water. The hotel's new grey water recycling system is reported to save 735,000 litres of water per month, or 60 litres for every one of its guests.
Every building where people live or work, such as homes, hotels, schools and offices uses two types of water, potable and non-potable. Put simply, potable water is drinking water and non-potable water is used for washing and cleaning. Non-potable water is further divided into grey and black water. Black water is waste water that has been contaminated because it has been used to carry away human waste from toilets, for example, and cannot be reused without extensive biological or chemical treatment. Grey water, however, requires less treatment prior to reuse, and although it cannot be used for drinking, as in the case of the hotel, it can help make significant savings to water usage by being used again for different purposes.
Grey water usually comes from showers, washing machines, sinks, dishwashers, and so on, and because of this it contains fats and oils from products such as soap and washing powder as well as flakes of skin and food waste. It typically makes up approximately 6% of a household's waste water but contains fewer harmful bacteria and less nitrogen than black or waste water. However, if it is recycled properly, around 70 litres of drinking water per person per day can be saved by domestic households. To separate grey water from black water, a separate water system is needed in the building because different pipes are required to keep grey water away from the contaminated water and flow it into the recycling process.
When the grey water undergoes biological cleaning, the water is collected from various sources around the house and fed into a course filter and surge tank. This serves two purposes: first of all, a valve regulates air and water flow into the surge tank so that an even flow and pressure is maintained. This is important for the filtering process to work properly and ensure an even flow of grey water through the filter. The water is then pumped into a second filtration tank, which contains natural materials. In this second tank, the water passes through different layers. The first filtration layer is made up of sand, which traps larger waste particles between the grains. Below this layer there are other layers made up of soil, finer sand and then coarse sand. Each layer traps more and more waste, thus purifying the water as it passes through. A lot of the purifying takes place in the soil layer, where microorganisms feed on the organic waste in the grey water and reproduce. Finally, the water flows through gravel or small stones to allow it to drain out of the system.
It is then pumped into a UV tank for a final mechanical treatment. In the UV tanks, ultraviolet light sterilises the water by killing any remaining microorganisms. Further filtration may also be applied after this. At this point, the water can be reused, not for drinking but for flushing toilets, or outdoor uses like washing the car or watering plants.
In contrast, the mechanical process for treating grey water is much simpler. It usually involves collecting the water from sinks, showers, etc. and passing it through a series of filters, each with a membrane that is finer than that of the previous filter. Chemicals, usually chlorine, can then be used to disinfect the water and it can also be treated with UV light.
In hot dry countries such as Abu Dhabi and in other environmentally sensitive areas, the benefits of recycling grey water are obvious. The main one is that it reduces the pressures on public water supplies. Moreover, the amount of polluted water entering rivers is reduced and the problem of poisonous blue-green algae in water reservoirs is also significantly reduced. Furthermore, grey water recycling can save on water bills in the long term.
However, grey water recycling can be expensive if it involves putting new or extra pipes into a building to move the grey water into the purification system. Furthermore, even after filtration and cleaning, the water still contains chemicals and microorganisms which limit its uses. There are few risks to human health when recycled grey water is used properly; one possible risk comes from eating fruit and vegetables that have been grown with it but the danger seems to be minimal. It is clear that commercial and domestic water use needs to be taken more seriously, and single-use water systems are hard to justify in a world of ever greater water scarcity.
Questions 1–5
Look at the descriptions and the list of quantities below. Match each description with the correct quantity.
Quantities
A 60 litres
B 25%
C approximately 70 litres
D 120 millimetres
E 6%
1. how much rainwater falls annually in Abu Dhabi
2. how much water an airport hotel is saving by reusing waste water
3. how much domestic waste water is grey water
4. how much water is recycled per person staying at an airport hotel
5. how much potable water can be saved daily per person by recycling grey water
Questions 6–10
Complete the notes below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Grey Water Recycling System
• Water is collected to control the amount of (6) ………………………… and liquid in the system.
• The first layer (7) ………………………… bigger particles in sand.
• Microorganisms use the (8) ………………………… and multiply.
• The filtered water can then (9) ………………………… of the tank through smaller stones.
• Remaining microbes are eradicated by UV light, which (10) ………………………… the water.
Questions 11–14
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
TRUEif the statement agrees with the information
FALSEif the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVENif there is no information on this
11. Grey water recycling reduces the amount of pollution entering water reserves.
12. Grey water recycling can be expensive if it involves plumbing work.
13. Filtering grey water leaves the water completely free from chemicals and microorganisms.
14. Vegetables and fruit grown with grey water may be more likely to get crop diseases.
Born to run
People run for many different reasons: for fun, for exercise, to raise money for charities, and so on. Over the past decades, running has become an essential part of many health routines because of the publicity about its beneficial effects. It is claimed that it is good for our heart, it reduces stress and it helps to prevent diseases like diabetes. But what if running is more than just a way of keeping fit? Perhaps we need to run because it is part of what makes us human.
Evolutionary biologists point to the physical characteristics that have made our species one of the greatest runners on Earth. Scientists like Professor Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University maintain that our ancestors' need to run long distances in hot conditions led to evolutionary adaptations, such as the ability to lose heat through our sweat; skin with relatively little hair so we cool down as we run; large powerful muscles like the gluteus maximus, which controls hip and thigh movements; the Achilles tendon, which stores and releases energy for each step or jump we make; and a short vertical neck that keeps our head stable as we run, in contrast to animals whose heads bob up and down for balance.
Professor Lieberman explains that the features of the human neck that evolved to keep the head stable when we run were vital because they gave us an evolutionary advantage. This ability enabled us to scan what is in front of us while we are running and it helped us avoid falling and tripping. It meant that apart from being foragers, who look for plants, roots and berries for food, we could also become hunters. We could now get food from animals, which is richer in protein, and Lieberman contends that this enabled the evolution of the large human brain.
All of these adaptations give humans the ability to run much further than many animals. This means they can persistence hunt. Persistence or endurance hunting gives the hunter, who may be slower than their prey over short distances, the ability to track and follow an animal over very long distances until it is exhausted, then killed. It is a strategy still used by humans today. The hunter-gatherer tribes of the Kalahari Desert will track an antelope for hours over distances of more than 30 kilometres until it is too exhausted to go further.
Our ability to run long distances also means we can run half-marathons, marathons and even ultramarathons, where people run huge distances every day for days. However, many researchers suggest that running, particularly extensive running, can have adverse effects. The list of possible injuries is long and they have been well documented, especially injuries around joints in the hips and knees. Studies of runners dating back to 1973 as well as more recent studies have found a correlation between running and osteoporosis (or weakening of the bones). Research by Melonie Burrows at the University of East London found that long distance female runners have lower bone density, a sign of osteoporosis, than women who did little exercise. Studies by James O'Keefe and others at the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education found abnormalities in the structure of the hearts of athletes who did extreme running such as ultramarathons.
Despite these findings, other studies have found that running long distances actually strengthens the parts of the knee that are impacted by running. Furthermore, where damage occurs in the knee, this is reversed six months later. It also seems that our hip joints are able to withstand or tolerate the impacts from running. It has therefore been suggested that because our bodies have evolved to run, they have also evolved to self-repair damage to joints caused by the activity, and that in fact, running makes these joints stronger in the long term.
Other studies show that running improves the condition of our hearts and lungs, and reduces blood pressure, weight and the risk of many other diseases such as diabetes and cancer. A study led by Duck-chul Lee at Iowa State University followed 55,000 adults for over 15 years and concluded that running for just 50 minutes a week increases average life expectancy by three years. The study also found that people who ran consistently had up to 50% lower risk of heart disease.
Questions 15–20
Look at the statements and the list of researchers below. Match each statement with the researcher who made the claim. NB You may use any letter more than once.
Researchers
A Duck-chul Lee
B Daniel Lieberman
C James O'Keefe
D Melonie Burrows
15. The bones of women who run long distances are weaker than those of other women.
16. Ultramarathon runners can develop hearts that are not the same as those of other people.
17. Humans evolved to run great distances in high temperatures.
18. Muscles in our body have adapted to help us run.
19. Running just under an hour a week helps us live longer.
20. Having a neck that keeps the head still when we move gives humans an evolutionary advantage.
Questions 21–24
Complete the notes below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Physical developments
• Neck: to keep our head (21) ………………………… when we move
• Skin: not much hair so we can keep (22) ………………………… as we run
• ability to sweat when it is (23) …………………………
• Gluteus maximus: at the top of our legs to move hips and thighs
• Achilles tendon: keeps and (24) ………………………… the energy we need so that we can run
Questions 25–28
Complete the summary of the last three paragraphs using the list of words, A-G, below.
List of Words
A stronger
B weakened
C structural
D muscular
E capable
F longer
G fit
25. Research dating from 1973 has found a correlation between running and …………………………
26. bones. More recent research has discovered that some athletes who run extreme distances have …………………………
27. abnormalities in their hearts. However, both hip and knee joints are …………………………
28. of withstanding the physical strains from running and can self-repair. It seems that running even a little every week can enable us to live ………………………… by three years.
Life at the limit
What are the physical limits to life in extreme environments? Although microbes are the Earth's simplest organisms, they live in places where it is impossible for more complex life forms to survive. Some microbes are able to thrive in the water surrounding deep sea hydrothermal vents, which emit water heated up to 400°C. At the other extreme, some microbes can survive in sub-zero temperatures. In fact, marine microbes living in all regions of the ocean make up over 98% of the total organisms living in the ocean. But what exactly are the limits to survival? Can organisms live in places that lack nutrients, and how long can they survive?
The middle of the Pacific Ocean, in an area known as the South Pacific Gyre, is the place furthest from any land, and it lacks nutrients or signs of life. According to Steven D'Hondt, an oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island, it is the deadest spot in the ocean. It seemed to be the obvious place to look for limits of life on Earth, and microbes have, in fact, been found far beneath this oceanic desert. Researchers think that they have been there for at least 100 million years. The previous record for longevity was held by microbes that had survived for 15 million years but this most recent discovery exceeds that tenfold and raises some intriguing questions.
The microbes from the South Pacific Gyre were discovered by geomicrobiologist Yuki Morono of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. Morono wanted to know whether organisms are able to survive where there is very little to sustain them. He drilled 5,700 metres below the seabed and extracted clay samples. The samples were found to contain oxygen, enough to allow the microbes to live, although the clay was extremely poor in nutrients. When Morono and his team then introduced nutrients into the samples, they were absorbed by the microbes that were living in the clay. Within a few days, the microbes started to multiply and 557 days later they were still forming thriving communities.
How the organisms survived for so long is a remarkable puzzle that scientists are trying to understand. The microbes are under intense pressure from miles of mud and water above them and do not have food or sunlight. Under inhospitable conditions, some microbes can form spores, or endospores. In this inactive state, they can stay dormant in order to survive extended periods of starvation. But the Pacific microbes had not formed these spores, suggesting two different possibilities.
A microbe can either reproduce by dividing or it can conserve its energy and maintain only its most basic functions. One possibility is that in the unfavourable conditions under the South Pacific floor, the microbes could have been dividing very slowly over centuries. In this case, the microbes in Morono's study may be the descendants of microbes from an even more distant past. However, at the depth where the microbes were found, there is so little nutrition that it seems unlikely that they would have the energy to divide and multiply. In fact, it seems that the most they could do is to self-repair. But if that is the case, and the microbes are not reproducing, they must have been living at the very edge of life for millions of years. This would mean that their metabolism can slow down so much that they can survive with only the tiniest amounts of nutrients. To the researchers, it seemed almost impossible that the microbes would be able to wake up and grow but they did just that.
The study is globally important and, as Yuki Morono stated, it shows that some of the simplest living creatures in the world 'do not actually have the concept of lifespan'. Unfortunately, the research is very difficult to replicate because different areas of the seabed have different compositions and therefore different environments, so is this a unique find? Scientists have collected samples of material from the sub-seabed that are 200 million years old; could they hold even older organisms? This points to another question: at which point under the seafloor does life end and what are the conditions that limit life? These are important questions, not only for life on Earth but also for potential life on other planets. According to Bo Barker Jorgensen from Aarhus University, 'low food and energy seem not to set the ultimate limit for life on Earth'. So, could life exist on places such as Mars or Jupiter's moons? If a planet seems to be uninhabitable, perhaps life may still exist in some form beneath the extra-terrestrial surface.
Questions 29–31
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
29. In the first paragraph, the writer states that microbes
A compete with each other for nutrients in extreme environments.
B can flourish where other forms of life cannot live.
C prefer to live in areas rich in nutrients.
D can survive temperatures lower than -98°C
30. Which statement is NOT true about the South Pacific Gyre, according to the second paragraph?
A It is the part of the ocean furthest away from land.
B There are no means of supporting life there.
C It is a good place to investigate the limits of life on Earth.
D It is impossible for living creatures to survive there.
31. The team led by Yuki Morono
A discovered a complex mixture of chemicals under the ocean.
B extracted oxygen from the clay in samples taken from the ocean.
C provided the microbes with nutrients that increased their activity.
D waited for 557 days for the microbes to start forming colonies.
Questions 32–37
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
TRUEif the statement agrees with the information
FALSEif the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVENif there is no information on this
32. Scientists believe the microbes they discovered in the South Pacific Gyre could have lived for 100 million years.
33. In situations of physical stress, microbes form endospores.
34. The microbes in the South Pacific Gyre can survive greater pressure from mud and water than microbes in other parts of the ocean.
35. Scientists discovered that microbes from the South Pacific Gyre reproduce very slowly.
36. If the microbes under the sea floor in the South Pacific Gyre were not dividing, they were surviving for millions of years.
37. The microbes from the South Pacific Gyre had survived without oxygen or nutrients.
Questions 38–40
Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
38. It seems microorganisms do not have limits to their …………………………
39. . However, this is hard to confirm because different conditions exist in the seabed and therefore it is hard to …………………………
40. the study. According to some scientists, having very little ………………………… or food is not a barrier to life.
Answers
1. D
2. B
3. E
4. A
5. C
6. air
7. traps
8. organic waste
9. drain out
10. sterilises
11. True
12. True
13. False
14. Not Given
15. D
16. C
17. B
18. B
19. A
20. B
21. stable
22. cool
23. hot
24. releases
25. weakened
26. structural
27. capable
28. longer
29. can flourish where other forms of life cannot live.
30. It is impossible for living creatures to survive there.
31. provided the microbes with nutrients that increased their activity.
32. True
33. True
34. Not Given
35. False
36. True
37. False
38. lifespan
39. replicate
40. energy
Explanations
- 1. D
- The passage states Abu Dhabi receives an average of 120 millimetres of rainfall each year. Paraphrase: 'Annual rainfall in the region is only 120 mm.' Distractor analysis: the other quantities refer to water savings or percentages, not rainfall.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 2. B
- The hotel is saving a quarter (25%) of its water by recycling grey water. Paraphrase: 'The hotel cuts water use by 25% through its recycling system.' Distractor analysis: 60 litres and 70 litres refer to per-person savings, not the percentage saved by the hotel overall.Common trap: Percentage-vs-volume trap — per-person volume figures could be confused with the hotel's overall percentage saving.
- 3. E
- Grey water makes up approximately 6% of a household's waste water. Paraphrase: 'About 6% of household waste water is grey water.' Distractor analysis: 70 litres is the potable water saved per person, not the percentage that is grey water.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 4. A
- The hotel saves 60 litres of water for each guest. Paraphrase: 'Each guest's stay results in 60 litres of water saved.' Distractor analysis: 70 litres is the domestic household saving per person, not the hotel's.Common trap: Context-confusion trap — the domestic per-person saving figure (70 litres) could be wrongly substituted for the hotel's figure.
- 5. C
- Domestic households can save around 70 litres of drinking water per person per day. Paraphrase: 'Households can conserve about 70 litres of clean water daily per person.' Distractor analysis: 60 litres is the hotel's per-guest saving, not the domestic daily saving.Common trap: Context-confusion trap — the hotel's per-guest saving figure (60 litres) could be wrongly substituted for the domestic figure.
- 6. air
- The passage explains that a valve regulates air and water flow into the surge tank. Paraphrase: 'The tank controls how much air enters alongside the water.' Distractor analysis: 'pressure' is mentioned nearby as the result of this regulation, but the specific quantity being controlled alongside the liquid is 'air'.Common trap: Cause-vs-result trap — 'pressure' names the outcome of the regulation, but the blank asks what is controlled alongside the liquid, which is 'air'.
- 7. traps
- The sand layer traps larger waste particles between the grains. Paraphrase: 'Sand catches larger debris as water passes through.' Distractor analysis: 'filters' is implied but the exact word used in the passage is 'traps'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 8. organic waste
- Microorganisms in the soil layer feed on the organic waste in the grey water and reproduce. Paraphrase: 'The organisms consume organic matter and increase in number.' Distractor analysis: 'waste' alone is too vague; the exact phrase used in the passage is 'organic waste'.Common trap: Incomplete-phrase trap — the bare word 'waste' is tempting but the full two-word phrase is required.
- 9. drain out
- The gravel layer allows water to drain out of the system through small stones. Paraphrase: 'Gravel helps the water exit the tank.' Distractor analysis: 'leave' is a plausible synonym, but the exact phrase used in the passage is 'drain out'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage phrase.
- 10. sterilises
- Ultraviolet light sterilises the water by killing any remaining microorganisms. Paraphrase: 'UV light disinfects the water completely.' Distractor analysis: 'purifies' is a plausible synonym, but the exact word used in the passage is 'sterilises'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 11. True
- The passage states that the amount of polluted water entering rivers is reduced, and the algae problem in reservoirs is also significantly reduced. Paraphrase: 'Recycling grey water lessens pollution in waterways and reservoirs.' Distractor analysis: False would contradict this directly; Not Given would apply if not mentioned, but it is stated explicitly.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 12. True
- The passage states it can be expensive if it involves installing new or extra pipes. Paraphrase: 'The cost increases if new plumbing infrastructure is required.' Distractor analysis: False would contradict the cost statement; Not Given would apply if not mentioned, but it is stated directly.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 13. False
- The passage says even after filtration, the water still contains chemicals and microorganisms. Paraphrase: 'The water is not fully purified even after treatment.' Distractor analysis: True would contradict the 'still contains' statement directly.Common trap: Reversed-truth trap — the statement contradicts the passage's explicit claim that residue remains after filtration.
- 14. Not Given
- The passage mentions a possible risk from eating fruit and vegetables grown with grey water, but it never mentions crop diseases at all. Paraphrase: 'The text discusses a human health risk, not plant diseases.' Distractor analysis: True would require the passage to mention plant/crop diseases; False would require it to deny such a risk — neither happens.Common trap: Not Given trap — a plausible-sounding risk (crop disease) is never actually mentioned; only a human health risk is discussed.
- 15. D
- Burrows found that long-distance female runners have lower bone density than women who exercise little. Paraphrase: 'Female long-distance runners have more brittle bones.' Distractor analysis: the other researchers studied different aspects — evolution, heart structure, or lifespan.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 16. C
- O'Keefe found abnormalities in the structure of the hearts of ultramarathon runners. Paraphrase: 'Extreme runners' hearts can become structurally different.' Distractor analysis: the other researchers studied bone density, evolutionary adaptations, or lifespan, not heart structure.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 17. B
- Lieberman maintains that the need to run long distances in hot conditions led to evolutionary adaptations. Paraphrase: 'Lieberman argues heat-endurance running shaped human evolution.' Distractor analysis: the other researchers studied running's effects on health, not its evolutionary origins.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 18. B
- Lieberman mentions muscular adaptations such as the gluteus maximus. Paraphrase: 'Lieberman cites muscle evolution as key to running.' Distractor analysis: this is part of the same evolutionary argument attributed to Lieberman elsewhere in the passage.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 19. A
- Lee's study concluded that 50 minutes of running per week increases life expectancy. Paraphrase: 'Running about 50 minutes weekly adds years to life.' Distractor analysis: the other researchers studied injuries, heart structure, or evolutionary adaptations, not lifespan.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 20. B
- Lieberman explains that the stable neck gave an evolutionary advantage. Paraphrase: 'Lieberman says a stabilised neck helped our ancestors hunt and avoid injury.' Distractor analysis: this is part of the same evolutionary argument attributed to Lieberman elsewhere in the passage.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 21. stable
- The short vertical neck keeps the head stable during running. Paraphrase: 'The neck's function is to hold the head steady.' Distractor analysis: 'still' is a plausible synonym, but the exact word used in the passage is 'stable'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 22. cool
- Less body hair allows us to cool down while running. Paraphrase: 'Sparse hair helps us stay cool during exertion.' Distractor analysis: 'cooler' is not the exact word; the passage uses 'cool'.Common trap: Word-form trap — 'cooler' is grammatically tempting but not the exact word form used in the passage.
- 23. hot
- The ability to lose heat through sweat is an adaptation to running in hot conditions. Paraphrase: 'Sweating is useful when temperatures are high.' Distractor analysis: 'warm' is not the exact word; the passage uses 'hot'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 24. releases
- The Achilles tendon stores and releases energy for each step. Paraphrase: 'It both holds and lets go of the energy needed to run.' Distractor analysis: 'returns' is a plausible synonym, but the exact word used in the passage is 'releases'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 25. weakened
- Studies found a correlation between running and osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones. Paraphrase: 'Running has been linked to weaker bones.' Distractor analysis: 'stronger' would contradict the finding, since osteoporosis is a weakening condition, not a strengthening one.Common trap: Reversed-meaning trap — 'stronger' is the opposite word bank entry and would directly contradict the finding.
- 26. structural
- O'Keefe found abnormalities in the structure of the hearts of extreme runners. Paraphrase: 'Extreme runners can have heart problems in how their hearts are physically built.' Distractor analysis: 'muscular' is a plausible-sounding alternative, but the passage specifically describes structural abnormalities.Common trap: Near-synonym trap — 'muscular' is a plausible but incorrect word-bank alternative for this blank.
- 27. capable
- The passage states our hip joints are able to withstand or tolerate the impacts from running. Paraphrase: 'The joints can handle the stress of running.' Distractor analysis: 'fit' does not match this context; 'capable' is the word bank entry that fits 'of withstanding'.Common trap: None significant — the answer directly matches the passage's meaning.
- 28. longer
- Running 50 minutes a week increases average life expectancy by three years. Paraphrase: 'A little running weekly extends how long we live.' Distractor analysis: 'fit' describes general health rather than the specific effect on lifespan being tested here.Common trap: Near-synonym trap — 'fit' is a plausible but incorrect word-bank alternative for this blank.
- 29. can flourish where other forms of life cannot live.
- The passage says microbes live in places where it is impossible for more complex life forms to survive. Paraphrase: 'Microbes thrive in extreme environments that are inhospitable to other organisms.'Common trap: Fabricated-detail trap — option D invents a specific number not present in the passage.
- 30. It is impossible for living creatures to survive there.
- The passage says microbes have, in fact, been found far beneath this oceanic desert, so survival there is clearly not impossible. Paraphrase: 'Life does exist there, despite the harsh conditions.'Common trap: Reversed-truth trap — the correct answer directly contradicts a fact stated in the same paragraph.
- 31. provided the microbes with nutrients that increased their activity.
- When Morono introduced nutrients into the samples, the microbes absorbed them and started to multiply within days. Paraphrase: 'Feeding the microbes made them noticeably more active.'Common trap: Number-confusion trap — the 557-day figure (duration of ongoing activity) is misapplied as the time taken to begin multiplying.
- 32. True
- Researchers think the microbes have been there for at least 100 million years. Paraphrase: 'The microbes are estimated to be at least 100 million years old.' Distractor analysis: False would contradict the 'at least' statement; Not Given would apply if not mentioned, but it is stated directly.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 33. True
- Under inhospitable conditions, some microbes can form spores or endospores. Paraphrase: 'Stress can trigger spore formation as a survival mechanism.' Distractor analysis: False would contradict this; Not Given would apply if not mentioned, but it is stated directly.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 34. Not Given
- The passage mentions that the microbes are under intense pressure from miles of mud and water, but it never compares their pressure tolerance to microbes elsewhere. Paraphrase: 'Their pressure exposure is described, but no comparison to other locations is made.' Distractor analysis: True would require an explicit comparison; False would require the passage to say they cannot tolerate as much — neither happens.Common trap: Not Given trap — a comparison to other locations is assumed but never actually made.
- 35. False
- The passage states it seems unlikely the microbes would have the energy to divide and multiply, and that the most they could do is self-repair. Paraphrase: 'They are thought not to reproduce at all, just to maintain themselves.' Distractor analysis: True would contradict the 'unlikely' and 'self-repair' statements directly.Common trap: Reversed-truth trap — the statement claims slow reproduction, but the passage suggests they likely do not reproduce at all.
- 36. True
- The passage states that if the microbes are not reproducing, they must have been living at the very edge of life for millions of years. Paraphrase: 'Non-reproduction implies an extremely long individual lifespan.' Distractor analysis: False would contradict this logical statement drawn directly from the passage.Common trap: None significant — the answer is directly stated.
- 37. False
- The clay samples were found to contain oxygen, and although nutrient-poor, they still contained some nutrients. Paraphrase: 'Oxygen was present, and they had minimal, not zero, nutrients.' Distractor analysis: True would contradict the passage's statement that oxygen was present and nutrients, while scarce, were not entirely absent.Common trap: Absolute-language trap — 'without oxygen or nutrients' overstates what the passage describes as merely scarce, not absent.
- 38. lifespan
- Morono stated that microbes do not actually have the concept of lifespan. Paraphrase: 'Their potential age may be practically unlimited.' Distractor analysis: 'life' alone is not the exact word; the passage uses 'lifespan'.Common trap: Incomplete-word trap — the shorter word 'life' is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 39. replicate
- The research is very difficult to replicate because different areas of the seabed have different compositions. Paraphrase: 'Repeating the experiment elsewhere is challenging.' Distractor analysis: 'repeat' is a plausible synonym, but the exact word used in the passage is 'replicate'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
- 40. energy
- Jorgensen said low food and energy do not set the ultimate limit for life on Earth. Paraphrase: 'A lack of energy and food is not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle to life.' Distractor analysis: 'power' is a plausible synonym, but the exact word used in the passage is 'energy'.Common trap: Synonym trap — a near-synonym is tempting but not the exact passage word.
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