Petrol power: an eco-revolution?
Read Petrol power: an eco-revolution? and check the IELTS Reading answers. Laura Ingalls Wilder's semi-autobiographical novel *The Long Winter* describes how the inhabitants of a small town called De Smet in the American Midwest narrowly avoided starvation during the severe winter of 1880-1881. Ove…
Passage preview
Laura Ingalls Wilder's semi-autobiographical novel *The Long Winter* describes how the inhabitants of a small town called De Smet in the American Midwest narrowly avoided starvation during the severe winter of 1880-1881. Over three metres of snow fell on the northern plains, immobilising the railways and cutting off the settlers from the rest of the world. Laura and her neighbours were only saved when her fiancé and his friend trudged 30 kilometres through the snow to fetch food, risking their lives in the process. The story is a reminder of how lethal geographical isolation and crop failures could be before the advent of modern farming and transportation technologies. Not long ago, subsistence farmers in many countries had to cope with the 'lean season' - the period of greatest scarcity before new crops became available. In England, late spring was once referred to as the 'hungry gap'. The situation was made worse by the cost of moving heavy things over muddy dirt roads; three centuries ago, moving goods 50 kilometres on land between, say, Liverpool and Manchester was as expensive as shipping them across the North Atlantic.
Vocabulary from this passage
11 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- combustion noun
The rapid chemical combination of a substance with oxygen, producing heat, light, and energy
The internal combustion engine revolutionized transport but significantly increased harmful atmospheric carbon emissions.
- depletion noun
The significant reduction in the number or quantity of something, usually referring to a natural resource
The rapid depletion of the planet's ozone layer alarmed atmospheric scientists worldwide during the late twentieth century.
- energy density noun
The amount of energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit of volume
Lithium-ion batteries are globally popular in electronics because of their exceptionally high energy density.
- immobilise verb
To restrict movement completely or prevent something from operating in its normal, expected capacity
Unexpectedly heavy snowfall can easily immobilise a major city's entire public transportation network within hours.
- inherently adverb
In a permanent, essential, or characteristic way; intrinsic to the fundamental nature of something
Nuclear power is considered inherently dangerous by some prominent environmentalists due to the ongoing risk of radiation.
- mediocre adjective
Of only average quality; not very good and failing to reach an expected or desired standard
Despite extensive institutional funding, the research project yielded mediocre results that disappointed the scientific community.
- paradoxically adverb
In a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory manner that may nonetheless reveal an underlying truth
Paradoxically, implementing stricter speed limits often improves the overall flow of heavy urban highway traffic.
- perishable goods noun
Products, typically food items, that are liable to decay, spoil, or go bad quickly over time
Refrigerated cargo trucks were invented specifically to transport perishable goods across the continent without them spoiling.
- stench noun
A strong, pervasive, and highly unpleasant smell that is exceedingly difficult to eliminate
The overwhelming stench from the untreated industrial sewage made the riverbank completely uninhabitable for local residents.
- subsistence farmer noun
A person who grows crops primarily to feed their own family, producing little or no surplus
A sudden drought can be fatal for a subsistence farmer who relies entirely on a single seasonal harvest.
- unsustainable adjective
Not able to be maintained at the current rate or level; disrupting long-term ecological balance
Current rates of global fossil fuel consumption are completely unsustainable for the long-term health of the planet.
Answers with explanations
- 27. A
The question asks why the inhabitants were in danger of **starvation**. The text explains that three metres of snow fell, **immobilising the railways** and cutting off the settlers. This prevented food delivery. The option about trains being unable to operate matches **immobilising the railways**, making it the correct choice. Distractors are incorrect because the text doesn't mention destroyed harvests or reluctant farmers.
- 28. C
The question asks about the problem of **subsistence farmers** in the past. The passage mentions they had to cope with the **lean season**, a period of greatest scarcity before new crops became available. This perfectly matches the option stating their **access to food was limited at certain times**. Options about storage or road distance are not given as the core problem for these specific farmers.
- 29. B
The question asks what the writer says about the use of **coal**. The text states that **petroleum-derived fuels have largely displaced coal** because of their higher energy density, cleaner combustion, and greater ease of extraction. This indicates that coal was **less efficient** than petroleum products. The options about vegetables, self-sufficiency, and the environmental superiority of coal contradict or are not mentioned in the text.
- 30. A
The question asks why the writer refers to the **1898 urban-planning conference**. The text shows the conference was dominated by the seemingly unsolvable problem of **horse manure**, leading delegates to conclude that **urban living was inherently unsustainable**. Later in the passage, the writer points out that modern **trains, cars and trucks** were a **significant improvement** because they eliminated the need for these horses. This demonstrates how a historical crisis was **solved by modern technology**, making the correct option.
- 31. H
The gap requires a noun related to the effects of horse manure in the streets. The text mentions that in cities, apart from the **overpowering stench**, manure piles bred flies. The term **overpowering stench** matches the option for **unpleasant smells**. The answer correctly fits the context of street-level urban problems.
- 32. J
The gap needs a noun linked to what the horse manure spread. The passage notes that with the flies bred in manure piles came outbreaks of **typhoid, cholera and diphtheria**. These are clear examples of **diseases**. The option accurately completes the summary regarding the public health impact of workhorses.
- 33. B
The gap requires a noun describing what horses caused to passers-by. The text states that workhorses sometimes panicked and **kicked or bit bystanders**. Being kicked or bit clearly results in **injuries**. The option accurately summarises the physical danger horses posed to people in the streets.
- 34. E
The gap needs a noun describing what suffered in the countryside. The text explains that the **countryside also suffered** because land had to be cleared of its natural vegetation and animal life to feed the horses, with **negative effects on the whole area**. This broad ecological damage is best summarized as damage to the **environment**.
- 35. C
The gap needs a noun describing what was provided for urban workhorses. The passage specifies that the countryside was cleared to supply the workhorses with **oats and hay**. These crops are forms of **food**. This option accurately captures the agricultural demand driven by the reliance on urban horses.
- 36. NO
The claim is that farmers with **poor land** failed to benefit. The writer states that modern transportation allowed **more suitable crops** to be grown in the **poorer soils in Europe** before being sold elsewhere. Since these farmers could now grow and sell crops effectively thanks to transport, they did benefit, contradicting the claim. Thus, the answer is NO.
- 37. YES
The claim suggests there were **positive effects** in France between 1830 and 1960. The passage states that France **benefited from an expansion of its forest area** during this exact period, as agricultural land reverted to a wild state. Since the writer presents this forest expansion as a benefit, the claim is supported. The answer is YES.
- 38. NOT GIVEN
The claim proposes that a **fairer distribution** of water resources is needed. The text mentions that modern logistics allowed food to be exported from areas with abundant water to scarce regions, preventing water depletion. However, the writer offers no opinion on whether water resources *should* be distributed more fairly overall. Therefore, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 39. NO
The claim is that the **countryside** does **less harm** to the environment than cities. The writer quotes an economist who argues the exact opposite: living in a **concrete jungle** is actually **far more ecologically friendly** than residing in a forest. Because the text explicitly contradicts the idea that country living is better for nature, the answer is NO.
- 40. YES
The claim is that modern transportation has had a **beneficial impact** on the world. In the final sentence, the writer concludes that modern transportation technologies have been a major contributor to a **wealthier, cleaner and more sustainable world**. This explicitly aligns with the claim of a beneficial impact, making the answer YES.