How undersea turbines driven by tidal currents could supply a large share of Britain's electricity. The passage covers the advantages over wind, the best sites, Southampton's research and the first test station, how the turbines are built, and technical problems such as cavitation and debris.
The paragraph matching (14-17) uses C twice and A and E once. The five claims (18-22) come from A and C. The diagram (23-26) is labelled from D and F, in order.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the passage yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
Q
Your answer
Answer
Questions 14-17 · Matching information (paragraphs A-F)
How to attack this block: C is a long paragraph that holds two answers, and the NB allows repeats. Look for specific facts: a first test site, a route for power to come back, an earlier British effort, technology from another industry.
Question 14
Answer: CParagraph C, second sentence
Which paragraph says where the first test station will go?
The first station is expected to be installed off Lynmouth in Devon shortly to test the technology
Question says → Passage says
the locationoff Lynmouth in Devon
the first test siteThe first station… to test the technology
Why: 'First station' plus 'to test the technology' is the first test site, and Lynmouth in Devon is its location. C.
The trap: B names lots of places (Pentland Firth, Alderney, the Bristol Channel), but those are potential sites, not the first test.
Question 15
Answer: EParagraph E, last sentence
Which paragraph explains how power from one site would get back to Britain?
most would be fed into the French Grid and be re-imported into Britain via the cable under the Channel
Question says → Passage says
a way of bringing the power… back into Britainre-imported into Britain via the cable under the Channel
produced on one siteThe single undersea turbine farm
Why: Alderney's surplus would go into the French grid and then come back to Britain through the Channel cable. 'Re-imported' is 'brought back'. E.
The trap: D mentions underwater cables connecting turbines to the national grid. That's how each turbine connects, not how power from one site returns from abroad.
Question 16
Answer: AParagraph A, last sentence
Which paragraph mentions an earlier British effort with alternative energy?
Unlike wind power, which Britain originally developed and then abandoned for 20 years allowing the Dutch to make it a major industry
Question says → Passage says
a previous attempt by BritainBritain originally developed and then abandoned
an alternative source of energywind power
Why: Britain developed wind power first, then dropped it for 20 years. That's a previous attempt at alternative energy. A.
The trap: Wind power is compared with tidal power in C and D too, but only A talks about Britain's own history with it.
Question 17
Answer: CParagraph C, Bahaj quotation
Which paragraph says technology from another industry could be used?
The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under the sea has been developed in the North Sea oil industry
Question says → Passage says
technology from another industrydeveloped in the North Sea oil industry / because of wind power and ship propellers
Why: Bahaj says the know-how for the salty undersea environment already exists in the oil industry, and blade design knowledge comes from wind power and ships. C again; the NB says letters can repeat.
The trap: Students often avoid using C twice. F talks about the 'hostile environment' too, but only to say the turbines must be robust.
Multiple choice (choose FIVE)
Questions 18-22
How to attack this block: Five correct answers from ten means each true claim is a short paraphrase of one line. Rule out options that exaggerate (replace all energy, cheaper than any fuel) or that aren't mentioned (public pressure, resistance, inland sites).
Question 18-22
Answer: A and D and E and F and J (in either order)Paragraphs A and C
Which five claims about tidal power does the writer make?
the tides are predictable and the power input is constant… drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions… close gas, coal and nuclear power plants… a big export earner… around heavily indented coasts
Question says → Passage says
more reliable than wind power (A)unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power input is constant
cut down on air pollution (D)drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions
closure of… power stations (E)Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants
increasing national income (F)could become a big export earner
coastlines with particular features (J)The best sites are between islands or around heavily indented coasts
Why: A: tides are predictable and constant, unlike wind. D: less carbon dioxide means less air pollution. E: Britain could close gas, coal and nuclear plants. F: exporting turbines and power earns money for the country. J: the best sites are between islands or on indented coasts.
The trap: B (replace all other energy) overstates E: closing plants needs tide, wind and wave together, so tidal alone isn't replacing everything. H fails because prices are only 'competitive with' gas, not cheaper than every fuel. G, C and I are never mentioned.
Diagram labelling (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
Questions 23-26
How to attack this block: Each label paraphrases one sentence. The label often gives you half of a pair (seaweed, air bubbles), so the gap is the other half. Copy spellings exactly.
Question 23
Answer: maintenanceParagraph D, last sentence
What can the whole tower be lifted out for, besides cleaning off seaweed?
be designed to be lifted out of the water for maintenance and to clean seaweed from the blades
Question says → Passage says
Whole tower can be raiseddesigned to be lifted out of the water
the extraction of seaweed from the bladesto clean seaweed from the blades
Why: The label gives you the seaweed half, so the gap is the other reason in the same sentence: 'maintenance'. Check the spelling: 'maintenance', not 'maintainance'.
The trap: 'Shipping' is in the same sentence, but the towers are lit to warn shipping, not raised for it.
Question 24
Answer: slowParagraph D, fourth sentence
Also accepted: slow turning / slow-turning
Why are sea creatures not at risk from the blades?
Fish and other creatures are thought unlikely to be at risk from the relatively slow-turning blades.
Question says → Passage says
Sea life not in dangerFish and other creatures are thought unlikely to be at risk
comparativelyrelatively
Why: 'Comparatively' matches 'relatively', so the gap is the word after it. 'Slow' or 'slow-turning' are both accepted.
The trap: '20 metres in diameter' is the blade size nearby, but size isn't why fish are safe, and it doesn't fit after 'comparatively'.
Question 25
Answer: low pressureParagraph F, first sentence
What behind the blades causes air bubbles?
One technical difficulty is cavitation, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles.
Question says → Passage says
Air bubbles result fromcauses air bubbles
behind bladesbehind a turning blade
Why: The sentence turns 'X causes air bubbles' into 'air bubbles result from X'. X is 'low pressure', two words.
The trap: 'Vibration' is in the next sentence, but it's a result of the bubbles, not the cause.
Question 26
Answer: cavitationParagraph F, first sentence
What is the name of this air-bubble effect?
One technical difficulty is cavitation
Question says → Passage says
This is known asis cavitation, where
Why: The sentence defines the term first and explains it after 'where': the effect is called 'cavitation'. Copy the spelling carefully.
The trap: 'Submerged debris' is the other concern in F, but it's a separate problem with nothing to do with bubbles.
B (replacing all other energy) sounds like closing coal, gas and nuclear plants, but that needs wind and wave power too. H overstates prices that are only 'competitive'.
The answer is C again. People avoid repeating a letter, even though the instructions allow it.
Words from this passage worth keeping
self-sufficient(A)
able to provide everything it needs without help
export earner(A)
a product that brings in money from sales abroad
undercutting(B)
selling at a lower price than
ailing(B)
in difficulty, struggling
saline(C)
salty
indented(C)
having many inlets and bays
robust(F)
strong and hard to damage
debris(F)
scattered pieces of waste or broken material
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The full Cambridge 9 Test 3 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 3, Reading Passage 2. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
