Cambridge ielts 1-15 series reading answers explained

partners. 
– odours = smell 
– recognize = distinguish 
– their husbands and wives = their marriage partners 
=> ANSWER: Clothing 
38. CERTAIN LINGUISTIC GROUPS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY 
DESCRIBING SMELL BECAUSE THEY LACK THE APPROPRIATE…. 
Key words: linguistic groups, difficulty, describing smell, lack 
In paragraph D, “Odours, unlike colors, for instance, cannot be named in many languages because 
the specific vocabulary simply does not exist. „It smells like…‟ we have to say when describing an 
odour , struggling to express our olfactory experience”. This means that it is difficult for people to talk 
about smells because of the lack of specific vocabulary in their languages. 
– linguistic groups = languages 
– lack = does not exist 
=> ANSWER: Vocabulary 
39. THE SENSE OF SMELL MAY INVOLVE RESPONSE TO… WHICH DO 
NOT SMELL, IN ADDITION TO OBVIOUS ODOURS. 
Key words: sense of smell, involve, and do not smell 
In paragraph E, “Researchers have still to decide whether smell is one sense or two – one 
responding to odours proper and the other registering odourless chemicals in the air”, so chemicals are 
things which sometimes do not smell in the air. 
– do not smell=odourless 
=> ANSWER: Chemicals 
40. ODOURS REGARDED AS UNPLEASANT IN CERTAIN…. ARE NOT 
REGARDED AS UNPLEASANT IN OTHERS. 
Key words: unpleasant, regarded as, not unpleasant in others 
In paragraph F, “Odours are invested with cultural values: smells that are considered to be offensive in 
some cultures may be perfectly acceptable in others”. This means that in some cultures, certain smells 
may be acceptable but in others they are unacceptable. 
– unpleasant = offensive 
– regarded as=considered 
– not unpleasant = acceptable 

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CAMBRIDGE IELTS 8 – TEST 2 – PASSAGE 3
THE MEANING AND POWER OF SMELL 

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CAMBRIDGE IELTS 8 READING – TEST 3 – 
ANSWERS 
STRIKING BACK AT LIGHTNING WITH LASERS 
QUESTIONS 1 – 3 
1. THE MAIN TOPIC DISCUSSED IN THE TEXT IS 
ANSWER: D 
A. The damage caused to US golf courses and golf players by lightning strikes. 
The write only gives a little information about the effect of lightning on golfers [in paragraph 1] and no 
information about the damage caused to US golf courses => not the main topic. => FALSE 
B. The effect of lightning on power supplies in the US and in Japan. 
There is only information about the damage to US power companies [100 million dollars] in 
paragraph 1 and no information relating to damage in Japan => FALSE 
C. A variety of methods used in trying to control lightning strikes 
There are only two techniques to control lightning mentioned in the passage: rockets and lasers => not 
variety => FALSE 
D. A laser technique used in trying to control lightning strikes. 
Only paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 are not about the use of lasers. The other 7 paragraphs all give 
information about the laser technique. Note also the title of the passage=> TRUE 
2. ACCORDING TO THE TEXT, EVERY YEAR LIGHTING 
ANSWER: A 

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A. Does considerable damage to buildings during thunderstorms. 
The first paragraph refers to the problem when thunderstorms strike. The final 2 sentences in 
paragraph 1 state: “And there is damage to property too. Lightning damage costs American 
power companies more than 100 million dollars a year” => damage to companies is more than 
100 million dollars [a huge amount of money] => It is considerable damage. => TRUE. 
B. Kills or injures mainly golfers in the United States. 
In paragraph 1, the writer only mentions “a lone golfer may be a lightning bolt‟s most invitin
g target”. There is no information whether golfers or other people in the US are the main victims of 
lightning strikes => NOT GIVEN. 
C. Kills or injures around 500 people throughout the world. 
In paragraph 1: “Their electrical fury 
inflicts death or serious injury on around 500 people each year in the United States alone”. => 
„In the United States alone‟, not in the world => FALSE 
D. Damages more than 100 American power companies. 
Lightning caused damage costing American power companies more than 100 million dollars a year, 
but there was no information relating to how many companies were damaged. => NOT 
GIVEN 
3. RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO 
ANSWER: A 
A. Receive funds form the same source 
In paragraph 3: “The technique survives to this day at a test site in Florida run by the University of 
Florida, with support from the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI)” 
– Support from = receive fund from 
In paragraph 5: Jean –
Claude Diels of the University of New Mexico leads a project, “which is backed by EPRI” 
– Backed by = receives funds from 
– Backed by~to be supported by 
Two researchers at the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico receive funds from the 
same source (EPRI) => TRUE 
B. Are using the same techniques 
The technique used in research at the University of Florida is firing rockets into thunder clouds, and 
the technique of the University of New Mexico is to use lasers to discharge lightning. 
=> They use different techniques => FALSE 
C. Are employed by commercial companies. 
There is no information in either paragraph 3 or paragraph 5 about who employs them to do this 
– research => NOT GIVEN 
D. Are in opposition to each other. 
– Neither paragraph 3 nor paragraph 5 say whether these two scientists are in opposition 
=> NOT GIVEN 
QUESTIONS 4-6: COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BELOW. 
4. EPRI RECEIVES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM….. 
In paragraph 3, “EPRI, which is funded by power companies” 
– Funded by = receives financial support 
=> ANSWER: Power companies 

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5. THE ADVANTAGE OF THE TECHNIQUE BEING DEVELOPED BY 
DIELS IS THAT IT CAN BE USED…. 
In paragraph 5, “Diels is leading a project, which is backed by EPRI, to try to use lasers to discharge 
lightning safely – and safety is a basic requirement since no one wants to put themselves or their 
expensive equipment at risk”. => This means that the advantage of the technique Diels developed is 
that it can discharge lightning safely. Moreover, as mentioned in paragraph 4, the technique using 
rockets: while “they are fine for research; they cannot provide the protection from lightning strikes that 
everyone is looking for”. “Cannot provide the protection” means they are not safe. => Safety is the 
advantage of the technique using lasers. 
=>ANSWER: Safely 
6. THE MAIN DIFFICULTY ASSOCIATED WITH USING THE LASER 
EQUIPMENT IS RELATED TO ITS…. 
In paragraph 7: “However, there is still a big stumbling block. The laser is no nifty portable….. Diels 
is trying to cut down the size….”. This means that the main difficulty of using the laser is that it is not 
easy to carry or to move. Diels is trying to cut down the laser to the size of a small table. 
– Stumbling block = difficulty 
– No nifty portable~ not easy to carry or to move 
ANSWER: Size 
QUESTIONS 7 – 10 
7. B – ATOMS 
In paragraph 6: “The idea began some 20 years ago; when high – powered lasers were revealing their 
ability to extract electrons out of atoms…generate a line of ionization…” “Extract electrons out of 
atoms” means the laser is able to remove electrons from atoms 
– Generate a line of ionization = create a line of ionization 
This means that a laser was used to create a line of ionization by removing electrons from atoms 
8. C – STORM CLOUDS 
In paragraph 6: “If a laser could generate a line of ionization in the air all the way up to a 
storm cloud…in an uncontrollable surge”. This means that once the laser is able to create a line of 
ionization, it could then be directed at storm clouds in order to control electrical charges. 
– Up to = directed at 
– Guide = control 
9. G – ROCKETS 
In paragraph 4, the writer states: “But while rockets are fine for research, they cannot provide the 
protection from lightning” => They are dangerous. 
In paragraph 5, the technique using lasers is mentioned as the way to discharge lighti
ng safely.Therefore, in comparison to rockets, using laser techniques is less dangerous than using 
rockets in order to control electrical charges. 
10. D – MIRRORS 
In paragraph 6, the writer writes that “To stop the laser itself being struck, it would not be pointed 
straight at the clouds. Instead it would be directed at a mirror and from there into the sky”. That means 

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in order to protect the laser, it is firstly directed at a mirror, not pointed straight at the clouds. 
– To stop the laser being struck = to protect the laser 
=>ANSWER: D 
QUESTIONS 11 – 13 
11. POWER COMPANIES HAVE GIVEN DIELS ENOUGH MONEY TO 
DEVELOP HIS LASER. 
Key words: power companies, Diels, enough money, develop laser. 
In paragraph 8, “Bernstein says that Diels‟s system is attracting lots of interest from the powe
r companies. But they have not yet come up with the 5 million dollars that EPRI says will be 
needed to develop a commercial system…”. This means that though power companies are 
interested in Diels‟ system, they have not yet given him the money that he needs to develop it. 
=>ANSWER: NO 
12. OBTAINING MONEY TO IMPROVE THE LASERS WILL DEPEND ON 
TESTS IN REAL STORMS. 
Key words: Money, improve the lasers, depend on, real storms. 
In paragraph 8, “He reckons that the forthcoming field test will be the turning point –
and he‟s hoping for good news. Bernstein predicts „an avalanche of interest and support” if all goes 
well. He expects to see cloud – zappers eventually costing 50,000 dollars to 100,000 dollars 
each”. This means that if the upcoming [forthcoming] real tests go well (= depend on the tests), 
Bernstein can obtain a lot of interest and support costing 50,000 to 100,000 million dollars. – Field test 
= test done by practical work rather than working in library or laboratory ~ tests in real storms. 
– Reckon: to think, have opinion on something 
– Forthcoming: going to happen, very soon 
– An avalanche of interest and support: a lot of interest and finance/money 
=> ANSWER: YES 
13. WEATHER FORECASTERS ARE INTENSELY INTERESTED IN 
DIELS‟S SYSTEM. 
Key words: weather forecasters, interested in, Diels‟s system 
Meteorology [weather forecasting] is referred to in paragraphs 9 and 10: “Diels also hopes to see the 
birth of „interactive meteorology‟ – not just forecasting the weather but controlling it”. That 
means Diels hopes his system can interact and affect weather, but there is no information about the 
interest of weather forecasters in his system. 
=>ANSWER: NOT GIVEN 

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