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Airports On Water Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

In IELTS Reading, you'll read passages from different sources like books and newspapers, then answer questions to test your comprehension. You'll need to understand the main ideas, infer meanings, and locate specific information within the text. Managing your time well is crucial; you have one hour for three sections with 40 questions.

 

Time management comes with practice. One useful passage to practice during IELTS Reading prep is ‘Airports on Water’

 

This passage discusses the challenges and engineering feats involved in constructing artificial islands, particularly focusing on Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong and Kansai in Japan. It explores the complexities of reclaiming land from the sea, dealing with issues like settling seabeds and unstable geological formations. The text highlights the innovative techniques employed, such as dredging, using granite for stability, and reinforcing coastlines against natural disasters like typhoons.

 

Let’s dive into detail and practice Airports on Water Reading answers!

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1. Airports On Water Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 13 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam. 

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2. Airports On Water Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Airports On Water

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1.

Airports On Water Reading Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

 

 

Airports on Water Reading Passage


 

 

Paragraph 1: 

For map creators, river deltas are one of the toughest places to map. Naturally, the river develops them up, whereas the sea ocean drops them down. It leads to a change in boundary. There was a major change in the Pearl River Delta, located in China. It has become more challenging than any other natural alterations ever took place. There is an island six kilometres away from the place with a landscape of 1248 hectares. Many civil engineers are excited about the performance of speed and size of that island. This is nothing but the delta they anticipated for a long time. This newly-built island of Chek Lap Kok, at Hong Kong's new airport, is almost complete. 83% of the construction is over. The big dumper trucks that roll across it will have completed their task by the end of this next year, and the most expected airport will be constructed at a breakneck pace similar to the previous one.

 

Paragraph 2: 

Surprisingly, when the Chek Lap Kok island rises above the sea level, it obviously makes another new island in Asia sink deep into the ocean. For those who are new, it is a 550-hectare island built in the famous Osaka Bay, located in Japan, that sets a path for the new Kansai airport in the near future. Chek Lap Kok was constructed in a whole different phase; and thus hoping not to sink like other islands did in the past. The general way to rebuild land is to collect and deposit sand rock onto the seabed and make sure it is not disturbed by any external forces. In case if the seabed changes with mud, this is instead like keeping a notebook on a sponge filled with water: the mass or weight of the book will squeeze the water out, leading both water and sponge to settle down a little lower. This type of arrangement is hardly seen: certain parts sink at certain levels. Thus, components like buildings, roads, rods, etc., might lead to complete destruction. However, you can fix these issues through engineering or you can remove them permanently. After considering the above situation, Kansai took the first step, and Chek Lap Kok took the second.

 

Paragraph 3: 

There are political and geological distinctions given. Kansai must have been constructed one mile away from the offshore, where you can get a solid surface that ensures stability for a long time. However, the fishing community staged a protest against this initiative, so the place moved five kilometres away from that place. That resulted in deep water (nearly 25 metres) and above the solid surface (seabed) having 25 metres of soft alluvial soil silt and other deposits of mud. Unexpectedly, beneath the surface was an unstable glacial deposit covering nearly hundreds of metres of area thickness. The Builders of the Kansai found that settlement was inevitable. Moreover, the sand was moved towards the seabed to enhance it before any natural calamity like a landfill comes and covers the whole landscape. In order to slow the progress, they took this step, but this did not give the outcomes as expected by the civil engineers. However, to manage the arrangements, Kansai’s giant terminal is supported on 900 pillars that reaped good results in the end. Each pillar is jacked up separately, making a wide space for wedges to be applied underneath the surface. That is nothing but to keep the building level upfront.  But it is not an easy thing to achieve. 

 

Paragraph 4: 

Situations are not the same at Chek Lap Kok. Unlike the previous place, there was some land to kick-start, the new little island of Chek Lap Kok, followed by a tiny crop-growing area called Lam Chau. When you compare them, these two crop-cultivating areas are hard and feature thick granite that covers a quarter of the new island. Sadly, when you take two islands on either side, you could notice a thin line of soft mud, 25 metres thick in some areas.

 

Paragraph 5:

Based on Frans Uiterwijk's viewpoint, a person from Dutch who is the director of the entire job of reclamation, it must have been possible to keep this mud surface underneath the reclaimed mud or land and work with the subsequent settlement by the Kansai approach. However, the consortium that achieved the attention-seeking contract for the island delivered a unique approach. It summoned the world's biggest fleet of dredgers, which has the capacity to dig up 50 m cubic metres of clay and mud and deposit it in other areas where deeper water is located. Meanwhile, sand was removed from the ocean and assembled on top of the stiff clay's outer layer that the big dredging machine had laid bare. Apart from that, sand was not the only thing that was utilised for this project. The actual granite island, which covered the hill areas of up to 130 metres high, was drilled very hard and destroyed into smaller pieces no bigger than three metres in diameter. It offered nearly 75m cubic metres of granite material to include in the construction of the island's basement. Because the large pieces of granite do not fill the gaps as expected, this reflects the 105m cubic metres of landfill to support the process.

 

Paragraph 6: 

To build this mega project, most of the rock will be used for the foundations of the airport’s runways, followed by its taxiways. The sand removed from the ocean waters will be put in place to ensure a two-metre greying layer on top of the granite layer. It eventually makes the work lighter for workers to dig deep dredges – where granite is not a good material. Some of the terminal constructions will remain above the existing surface of the island. However, there will be only a small amount of pile-driving required to help the building foundations stay stronger above softer areas. The fully-completed island will be around five to eight metres above sea level. Overall, 370m cubic metres of hard material will be moved in the subsequent planning. Most of it, like the overloads, has to be shifted plenty of times before visiting its actual destination. For instance, there has to be a motorway that can lift 150-tonne dump truck loads; similarly, there must be an emerging area for the 16,500 construction labourers. These are not permanent; they will be shifted immediately once the airport is ready to take flights.

 

Paragraph 7: 

The unusual airport is here to accommodate flights and perform further. To prevent it any calamity, the new boundary built at the coastal area is strengthened with twelve kilometres of sea defences that ensure the ultimate protection. The immediate outburst of a typhoon will be diverted by the supporting island of Lantau, located in close vicinity; likewise, the sea walls should give protection against the rest of the odds. If we look at normal, but more consistent bad weather – the rainfall of the monsoon during the summer – are also taken into consideration. To overcome these, a mat-like product called geotextile is being used across the boundaries of the island to isolate the rock and sand layers separately. That will guarantee stopping sand from being totally vanished into the rock voids; thus leading to further settlement. Finally, this island is built so that it never sinks.

2.

Airports On Water Reading Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about Airports On Water

Questions and Answers 1-7
  • Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

 

 

1. Which is the toughest place to map?
 

  1. Mountains
  2. Rivers
  3. River Deltas
  4. Volcanoes
     

2. The Kansai builders recognized that settlement was?
 

  1. Inevitable
  2. Expensive
  3. Unnecessary
  4. None of the above
     

3. According to Frans Uiterwijk, who is the director of the entire job of reclamation?
 

  1. Englishman
  2. Spanishman
  3. Dutchman
  4. Frenchman
     

4. As Chek Lap Kok island rises, which part of the island sinks?
 

  1. Africa
  2. Asia
  3. America
  4. Pacific
     

5. Kansai’s giant terminal is supported by?
 

  1. Granites
  2. Strong seabed
  3. Hard rocks
  4. 900 pillars
     

6. Which of the following covered the hill areas of up to 130 metres high?
 

  1. Granite Island
  2. Chek Lap Kok
  3. Kansai
  4. None of the above

 

7. Which of the following is a mat-like product?
 

  1. Geoplastic
  2. Geotextile
  3. Granite 
  4. Sand

 

 

Airports on Water Reading Answers with Explanations (1- 7)

 

Type of Questions: Multiple Choice Questions 
 

Multiple Choice questions in the IELTS Reading test require you to select the best answer from several options based on the information in the passage. These questions test your ability to understand specific details, infer meanings, and grasp the main ideas.
 

How to best answer:
 

  • Quickly skim through the passage to get a general idea of the content and structure.
  • Carefully read the question and all the answer choices.
  • Identify the keywords in the question that will help you locate the relevant information in the passage.
  • Go back to the passage and find the part that corresponds to the question.
  • Read the relevant section carefully, and compare it with the answer choices.
  • Choose the option that best matches the information or the author's intent in the passage.

 

 

1. C - River Deltas

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 1, "For map creators, river deltas are one of the toughest places to map."
 

Explanation: The reference clearly states the difficulty of mapping river deltas, confirming why this is the correct answer.


 

2. A - Inevitable

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 3, "The Builders of the Kansai found that settlement was inevitable."
 

Explanation: The line explicitly mentions that settlement was inevitable, justifying the answer.


 

3. C - Dutchman

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "Based on Frans Uiterwijk's viewpoint, a person from Dutch who is the director of the entire job of reclamation."
 

Explanation: This line introduces Frans Uiterwijk as Dutch, supporting the answer.


 

4. B - Asia

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 2, "when the Chek Lap Kok island rises above the sea level, it obviously makes another new island in Asia sink deep into the ocean."


Explanation: The text states the effect on another island in Asia, affirming the answer.


 

5. D - 900 pillars

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 3, "Kansai’s giant terminal is supported on 900 pillars that reaped good results in the end."

 

Explanation: The reference mentions the terminal being supported by 900 pillars, validating the answer.


 

6. A - Granite Island

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "The actual granite island, which covered the hill areas of up to 130 metres high, was drilled very hard and destroyed into smaller pieces no bigger than three metres in diameter."
 

Explanation: The text describes the granite island and its preparation, confirming the answer.


 

7. B - Geotextile

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 7, "a mat-like product called geotextile is being used across the boundaries of the island to isolate the rock and sand layers separately."
 

Explanation: The reference discusses the use of geotextile to separate rock and sand layers, supporting the answer.

Questions and Answers 8-11
  • Complete the summary below.
  • Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

 

 

The consortium that achieved the attention-seeking contract for the island delivered a unique approach. It summoned the world's biggest fleet of 8) ___________, which has the capacity to dig up l50m cubic metres of clay and mud and deposit it in the other area, where deeper water is located. Meanwhile, sand was removed from the ocean and 9)  ____________ on top of the stiff clay's outer layer that the big dredging machine had laid bare. Apart from that, sand was not the only thing that was utilised for this project. The actual granite island, which covered the hill areas of up to 130 metres high, was drilled very hard and 10)  ___________ into smaller pieces no bigger than three metres in diameter. It offered nearly 75m cubic metres of 11)  _____________ to include in the construction of the island's basement.

 

 

Airports on Water Reading Answers with Explanations (8- 11)

 

Type of question: Summary Completion 

 

Summary Completion questions in the IELTS Reading test require you to fill in the blanks in a summary of a passage using words from the text or a list of provided options. These questions assess your ability to understand and summarize key information from the passage.
 

How to best answer: 
 

  • Quickly skim through the passage to get a general idea of the content and structure.
  • Carefully read the summary to understand its overall meaning and context.
  • Identify the keywords in the summary that will help you locate the relevant information in the passage.
  • Go back to the passage and find the parts that correspond to the summary.
  • Use the exact words from the passage or the provided options to complete the summary accurately.


 

8. Dredgers

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "It summoned the world's biggest fleet of dredgers, which has the capacity to dig up 150m cubic metres of clay and mud and deposit it in the other area."

 

Explanation: The line mentions the use of the world's biggest fleet of dredgers for the construction, confirming the answer.


 

9. Assembled

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "Meanwhile, sand was removed from the ocean and assembled on top of the stiff clay's outer layer that the big dredging machine had laid bare."

 

Explanation: The text states that sand was assembled on top of the stiff clay's outer layer, justifying the answer.


 

10. Destroyed

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "The actual granite island, which covered the hill areas of up to 130 metres high, was drilled very hard and destroyed into smaller pieces no bigger than three metres in diameter."

 

Explanation: The reference explicitly describes the granite island being drilled and destroyed into smaller pieces, supporting the answer.


 

11. Granite material

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 5, "It offered nearly 75m cubic metres of granite material to include in the construction of the island's basement."

 

Explanation: This line details the use of granite material for the island's construction, validating the answer.


 

Questions and Answers 12-13
  • Look at the following items (Questions 12-13) and the list of statements below.
  • Match each statement with the correct letter A, B or C

 

 

12. The general way to rebuild land is to collect and deposit sand rock

13. To prevent from a calamity, the new boundary built at the coastal area is
 

  1. Reconquer 
  2. Rebuild
  3. Strengthened

 

Airports on Water Reading Answers with Explanation (12-13)


 

Type of question: Matching Information 
 

Matching information questions in the IELTS Reading test require you to locate specific details within a passage and match them to the appropriate paragraph. You will be given a list of statements and asked to identify the paragraph (labelled A, B, C, etc.) where each piece of information is found.

 

How to best answer the question:
 

  • Quickly skim through the passage to get a general idea of the content and structure.
  • Read the statements carefully, underlining or highlighting key terms or phrases that will help you identify the relevant information in the passage.
  • Go through each paragraph systematically and match it with the statement that best fits the content.


 

12. B

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 2, "The general way to rebuild land is to collect and deposit sand rock onto the seabed and make sure it is not disturbed by any external forces."


Explanation: The line explains the standard method for land reclamation, confirming it as the general way to rebuild land.


 

13. C

 

Reference:

 

Paragraph 3, "Moreover, the sand was moved towards the seabed to enhance it before any natural calamity like a landfill comes and covers the whole landscape."


Explanation: The text describes how sand was moved to reinforce the seabed, which aligns with the context of the question.

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FAQs

Q. How long is the IELTS Reading test?

Ans. The IELTS Reading test is one hour long with no breaks allowed. You need to answer 40 questions within this time, divided into three sections. It is recommended to allocate your time evenly across all three sections.

Q. What is the IELTS test for?

Ans. The IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, measures language proficiency for individuals aiming to study, work, or migrate to English-speaking countries. Accepted in over 140 countries and by many prestigious universities worldwide, it is often required for higher education or employment abroad.

Q. What is the difference between the IELTS Academic Reading and the IELTS General Training Reading tests?

Ans. The IELTS Academic Reading test is part of the IELTS Academic exam, designed for those applying to foreign universities or seeking professional registration. On the other hand, the IELTS General Training Reading test is part of the IELTS General exam, aimed at individuals planning to work or migrate to English-speaking countries.