Biomimicry
Read Biomimicry and check the IELTS Reading answers. Velcro, now commonly used instead of buttons and zippers, is probably the most famous example of ‘biomimicry’, where technologists turn to nature for inspiration. In 1948, scientist Georges de Mestral was walking through long grass when he notice…
Passage preview
Velcro, now commonly used instead of buttons and zippers, is probably the most famous example of ‘biomimicry’, where technologists turn to nature for inspiration. In 1948, scientist Georges de Mestral was walking through long grass when he noticed that dozens of seeds had attached themselves to his trousers. Under a microscope, de Mestral noted the hook-and-loop system the seed cases used to stick so firmly, and was inspired.
Vocabulary from this passage
13 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- advent noun
The arrival or first appearance of an important development, invention or period
The advent of the printing press transformed how knowledge spread across Europe.
- biomimicry noun
The design of materials, structures and systems that are modelled on biological processes and organisms found in nature
Engineers turned to biomimicry, copying the structure of lotus leaves to create self-cleaning surfaces.
- constraint noun
A limitation or restriction that controls what is possible or how far something can develop
Budget constraints forced the research team to reduce the size of its field study.
- evaporative cooling noun
The lowering of temperature that occurs when water turns into vapour and absorbs heat from its surroundings
Traditional Persian windcatchers relied on evaporative cooling to keep buildings comfortable in summer.
- forgo verb
To choose to give up or do without something pleasant or useful
Many households are unwilling to forgo private cars despite the environmental costs.
- guzzle verb
To consume something, especially fuel or energy, rapidly and in large quantities
Older cargo ships guzzle diesel at a rate that modern designs have cut dramatically.
- harness verb
To control and make use of a natural resource or force, especially to produce energy
Coastal nations are investing heavily to harness offshore wind for electricity generation.
- humbling adjective
Making someone feel less important or impressive by comparison, often by showing far greater ability
Watching insects build such complex structures is a humbling experience for many architects.
- hydrodynamics noun
The branch of science dealing with the motion of fluids and the forces acting on objects moving through them
Studying the hydrodynamics of dolphins has helped designers reduce drag on submarine hulls.
- impulse noun
A natural and strong tendency or urge to act in a particular way, often without deliberate thought
Archaeological evidence suggests that the impulse to create art is shared by almost every human culture.
- reinforce verb
To strengthen an existing idea, belief or pattern by providing further support or evidence
Repeated media coverage tends to reinforce public assumptions about the safety of new technologies.
- spectre noun
A threatening possibility or danger that people fear may happen in the future
The spectre of mass unemployment has made governments cautious about rapid automation.
- subterranean adjective
Existing, situated or operating below the surface of the earth
Subterranean aquifers supply most of the drinking water in this arid region.
Answers with explanations
- 14. G
The statement needs a **natural process** that only looks simple. Paragraph G describes photosynthesis and says plants manage it with **humbling ease**, which makes it seem simple, but then the signpost **But** introduces the researchers' finding that **it is very complex**. This contrast between how easy it appears and how difficult it really is matches the statement exactly. Other paragraphs describe natural models such as shark fins or termite mounds, but none says that they are harder than they look. Answer: G.
- 15. E
Look for an **invention** that **protects itself** in **extreme conditions**. Paragraph E ends with Finnigan's wave energy generator: in **severe weather**, to **avoid a battering**, it will lie flat against the ocean floor. Severe weather paraphrases extreme conditions, and avoiding a battering is the self-protection. Paragraph D also describes a Finnigan invention, the shark-tail tidal stream generator, but it says nothing about how that device survives storms, so it does not contain this information. Answer: E.
- 16. C
The statement is about why people **no longer** think they are **free from nature**. Paragraph C first says revolutions reinforced the idea that we are liberated from biological constraints, then the signpost **however** turns the argument: the illusion that we are **independent of nature** has been **shattered** by global warming and the looming end to fossil fuel supplies. These two threats are the reasons. Paragraph B explains how people drifted away from nature, which is the opposite movement, so it does not fit. Answer: C.
- 17. B
The key words are an **animal** that influenced the **diet** of some humans. In paragraph B, Benyus refers to **African tribes** that found **edible plants** by observing the **dining habits of chimpanzees**. Chimpanzees are the animal, and choosing which plants to eat is the influence on diet. Other paragraphs mention animals such as sharks and termites, but they inspired engineering designs, not what people eat. Answer: B.
- 18. C
The statement asks for **specific reasons** why science should **copy nature**. Paragraph C quotes Benyus listing what nature has achieved: it has learnt to **fly**, live in the depths of the ocean and craft **miracle materials**, and it has done everything we want **without guzzling fossil fuel** or polluting the planet. She concludes by asking what better models there could be. Paragraph D opens with 'There are no better models', but it only agrees with this idea and gives no reasons. Answer: C.
- 19. C
The statement says designs fail when they **resist natural forces**. In paragraph E, Finnigan says the trouble with conventional designs is that they are made to **stand rigidly against the power of the ocean**, and that such structures **never end up being strong enough** to survive. Standing rigidly against the ocean paraphrases resisting natural forces, and not surviving paraphrases failing. Both sentences are attributed to Finnigan, so the statement matches Tim Finnigan, not the other researchers who discuss natural models. Answer: C.
- 20. E
The statement claims that **science** has **advantages over nature**. Paragraph G explains that in nature, variables such as temperature and light **limit** photosynthesis, but in a **laboratory** they can be **optimized**. The spokesman then adds that the team does not have to cope with drought or frost and can work with controlled conditions. The quotation is attributed to Tom Collings, the group's spokesman. No other researcher says that a laboratory can do better than nature. Answer: E.
- 21. B
The statement says people have copied nature for **thousands of years**. In paragraph B, Benyus says **our ancestors** were **practised in the art of biomimicry** and calls it an **old impulse** for humans to take their cues from other organisms. Ancestors and an old impulse paraphrase a very long history of copying nature. Georges de Mestral is linked to a single invention in 1948, which is far too recent to support this statement. Answer: B.
- 22. D
The statement links a **shortage of money** to **innovative design**. In paragraph F, Mick Pearce says that while building office blocks in Zimbabwe they **ran out of funds**, so they looked for a way to make a building **without traditional air conditioning**. Running out of funds paraphrases a shortage of money, and his termite-inspired cooling system, which cut energy use to 10 per cent, is the innovative design. No other researcher mentions money problems. Answer: D.
- 23. B
The statement says that producing food made people **turn away from nature**. In paragraph B, Benyus says our **drift away from nature** started with the **advent of agriculture**: when we learnt to **stock our cupboards**, we believed we did not need other organisms. Agriculture and stocking cupboards paraphrase humans producing their own food, and drifting away paraphrases turning away. The same paragraph also gives Benyus's view on copying nature, so be careful to match this statement by the agriculture idea. Answer: B.
- 24. mound
The gap follows **a termite's** and needs a **singular noun** for something termites build that Pearce's office block is compared to. Paragraph F says that, driving through the grasslands, Pearce saw a **large mound created by termites**, and the following sentences describe air entering at the base of the mound. His termite-inspired building copies this structure. The single word **mound** fits the possessive and the ONE WORD ONLY limit; 'large mound' would break the limit. Answer: mound.
- 25. water
The gap needs a **noun** for what termites use **to cool the air**. Paragraph F says air entering the base of the mound was mixed with **water** drawn from subterranean levels by the termites, causing **evaporative cooling**. Evaporative cooling paraphrases cooling the air, and water is the substance that produces it. 'Air' cannot be the answer, because air is what is being cooled. The single word fits the ONE WORD ONLY limit. Answer: water.
- 26. fans
The gap follows **produced by** and needs a **plural noun** for what replaced the termites' method in Pearce's building. Paragraph F says Pearce needed an alternative system, and in his building **massive fans** were employed at the base of the structure to **lower the temperature** of the circulating air. Lowering the temperature paraphrases the cooling effect. 'Massive fans' is two words, so only **fans** fits the ONE WORD ONLY limit. Answer: fans.