IELTS Placement Tests - Reading

1. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 1. ……… Information about a plan that needs finance before it can happen

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph C provides information about a plan that needs finance before it can happen. It mentions the need for funding to build the NEOCam space telescope, which would be used to locate middle-sized asteroids. It also states that with the necessary funding, NASA could achieve its goal of finding the remaining middle-sized NEOs in ten years.

Explanation

Paragraph C provides information about a plan that needs finance before it can happen. It mentions the need for funding to build the NEOCam space telescope, which would be used to locate middle-sized asteroids. It also states that with the necessary funding, NASA could achieve its goal of finding the remaining middle-sized NEOs in ten years.

2. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 5. Didymoon's orbit is not stable.

True

False

Not Given

The information needed to answer the question is not given. The passage does not provide any information about the stability of Didymoon's orbit.

Explanation

The information needed to answer the question is not given. The passage does not provide any information about the stability of Didymoon's orbit.

3. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 2. ……… An unrealistic-sounding way to solve the problem of an asteroid crashing into Earth

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph F discusses the proposal of using nuclear weapons to blow up a potentially hazardous asteroid that is on course to hit Earth. This solution may sound unrealistic, but it is a genuine NASA proposal.

Explanation

Paragraph F discusses the proposal of using nuclear weapons to blow up a potentially hazardous asteroid that is on course to hit Earth. This solution may sound unrealistic, but it is a genuine NASA proposal.

4. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 4. PHAs are the biggest concern, but they're still not an immediate threat.

True

False

Not Given

The statement is true. The reading text mentions that NASA has identified and logged 1,400 Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs), but none of them are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. This indicates that while PHAs are a concern, they are not an immediate threat.

Explanation

The statement is true. The reading text mentions that NASA has identified and logged 1,400 Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs), but none of them are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. This indicates that while PHAs are a concern, they are not an immediate threat.

5. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 6. ……… A solution planned for testing

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph E discusses the solution planned for testing, which is the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). This test involves impacting the moon of an asteroid called Didymos in order to knock it out of its orbit. This information matches with the given answer, "E."

Explanation

Paragraph E discusses the solution planned for testing, which is the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). This test involves impacting the moon of an asteroid called Didymos in order to knock it out of its orbit. This information matches with the given answer, "E."

6. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 2. We don't need to worry about small asteroids under 20 metres wide.

True

False

Not Given

The information needed to answer this question is given. The statement "We don't need to worry about small asteroids under 20 metres wide" is false. The text mentions that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, indicating that small asteroids can pose a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit.

Explanation

The information needed to answer this question is given. The statement "We don't need to worry about small asteroids under 20 metres wide" is false. The text mentions that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, indicating that small asteroids can pose a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit.

7. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 6. HAMMER may or may not need nuclear weapons to save Earth from an asteroid.

True

False

Not Given

The information given in the reading text supports the statement that HAMMER may or may not need nuclear weapons to save Earth from an asteroid. The text mentions that HAMMER is a genuine NASA proposal and that if the asteroid is too close to Earth for the rockets to bump it off course, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Therefore, it can be inferred that HAMMER has the option to use nuclear weapons if necessary.

Explanation

The information given in the reading text supports the statement that HAMMER may or may not need nuclear weapons to save Earth from an asteroid. The text mentions that HAMMER is a genuine NASA proposal and that if the asteroid is too close to Earth for the rockets to bump it off course, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Therefore, it can be inferred that HAMMER has the option to use nuclear weapons if necessary.

8. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 3. A special telescope will provide a complete defence against asteroids hitting Earth.

True

False

Not Given

The given answer is False. The reading text mentions that the telescope, NEOCam, would be used to locate asteroids, but it does not claim that it would provide a complete defense against asteroids hitting Earth. Additionally, the text states that even after locating the asteroids, the planetary defense team would still need to work out how to defend against the truly worrying asteroids. Therefore, the information needed to answer the question is not given.

Explanation

The given answer is False. The reading text mentions that the telescope, NEOCam, would be used to locate asteroids, but it does not claim that it would provide a complete defense against asteroids hitting Earth. Additionally, the text states that even after locating the asteroids, the planetary defense team would still need to work out how to defend against the truly worrying asteroids. Therefore, the information needed to answer the question is not given.

9. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 4. ……… Information about the numbers of unidentified asteroids near Earth

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph B provides information about the numbers of unidentified asteroids near Earth. It states that there are an estimated 25,000 asteroids measuring 140 meters wide or more, and so far only 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. This paragraph highlights the potential danger posed by these middle-sized asteroids if they enter Earth's orbit.

Explanation

Paragraph B provides information about the numbers of unidentified asteroids near Earth. It states that there are an estimated 25,000 asteroids measuring 140 meters wide or more, and so far only 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. This paragraph highlights the potential danger posed by these middle-sized asteroids if they enter Earth's orbit.

10. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Are the sentences true or false or is the information needed to answer them not given? 1. Earth does not appear to be in any danger from any asteroids that measure one kilometre wide.

True

False

Not Given

The information given in the reading text supports the statement that Earth does not appear to be in any danger from any asteroids that measure one kilometer wide. According to NASA, 90 percent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide have been identified and logged, and none of the 887 known asteroids of this size are considered a significant danger to the planet. Therefore, the statement is true based on the information provided.

Explanation

The information given in the reading text supports the statement that Earth does not appear to be in any danger from any asteroids that measure one kilometer wide. According to NASA, 90 percent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide have been identified and logged, and none of the 887 known asteroids of this size are considered a significant danger to the planet. Therefore, the statement is true based on the information provided.

11. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 5. ……… Information about NASA's most successful project to record asteroids near Earth

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph A provides information about NASA's most successful project to record asteroids near Earth. It states that NASA has identified and logged 90% of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide, which are not considered a significant danger to the planet.

Explanation

Paragraph A provides information about NASA's most successful project to record asteroids near Earth. It states that NASA has identified and logged 90% of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide, which are not considered a significant danger to the planet.

12. Reading text: Asteroids A In 2010, the planetary defence team at NASA had identified and logged 90 per cent of the asteroids near Earth measuring 1km wide. These 'near-Earth objects', or NEOs, are the size of mountains and include anything within 50 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. With an estimated 50 left to log, NASA says none of the 887 it knows about are a significant danger to the planet. B Now NASA is working towards logging some of the smaller asteroids, those measuring 140 metres wide or more. Of the 25,000 estimated asteroids of this size, so far about 8,000 have been logged, leaving 17,000 unaccounted for. Considering that a 19-metre asteroid that exploded above the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia in 2013 injured 1,200 people, these middlesized asteroids would be a serious danger if they enter Earth's orbit. C Whether NASA can find the remaining middle-sized NEOs depends on getting the money to build NEOCam, a 0.5-metre space telescope which would use infrared light to locate asteroids. If it did get the money, it could probably achieve its goal in ten years. Once logged, the planetary defence team would still need to work out how to defend the planet against being hit by the truly worrying asteroids – the PHAs. D 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit. NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs, none of which are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. With technology already available, NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, at which point two defence solutions could be launched. E The first is DART – the Double Asteroid Redirection Test. Plans are scheduled to test DART on the moon of an asteroid called Didymos. 'Didymoon' is 150 metres wide, orbiting its 800- metre mother, and hopefully the impact of DART will knock it out of its orbit enough for Earthbased telescopes to pick up. F Another suggested defence against a PHA on course to hit Earth is to blow it up using a nuclear weapon. It may sound like a plot from a film, and it was the subject of the 1998 film Armageddon, but the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a genuine NASA proposal. The eight-ton rockets would be fired at an approaching asteroid with the hope of bumping it off course. If the asteroid was too close to Earth for this plan to work, the rockets would carry nuclear bombs to blow it up instead. Match the paragraph (A–F) with the information it contains (1–6). 3. ……… Information about asteroids that are the biggest danger to Earth

A

B

C

D

E

F

Paragraph D contains information about Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) that are the biggest danger to Earth. It explains that PHAs are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth's orbit and NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs. However, none of these PHAs are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. It also mentions that NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, and there are two defense solutions that could be launched in case of a potential impact.

Explanation

Paragraph D contains information about Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) that are the biggest danger to Earth. It explains that PHAs are rocks close enough to pass within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth's orbit and NASA has created a map of 1,400 PHAs. However, none of these PHAs are expected to be a threat in the next one hundred years. It also mentions that NASA can track these objects and make predictions about possible impact, and there are two defense solutions that could be launched in case of a potential impact.