Striking Back At Lightning With Lasers - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 08 Academic Reading Test 3 · Part 1 · Questions 1–13
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1–13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.
Striking Back at Lightning With Lasers
Seldom is the weather more dramatic than when thunderstorms strike. Their electrical fury inflicts death or serious injury on around 500 people each year in the United States alone. As the clouds roll in, a leisurely round of golf can become a terrifying dice with death – out in the open, a lone golfer may be a lightning bolt’s most inviting target. And there is damage to property too. Lightning damage costs American power companies more than $100 million a year.
But researchers in the United States and Japan are planning to hit back. Already in laboratory trials they have tested strategies for neutralising the power of thunderstorms, and this winter they will brave real storms, equipped with an armoury of lasers that they will be pointing towards the heavens to discharge thunderclouds before lightning can strike.
The idea of forcing storm clouds to discharge their lightning on command is not new. In the early 1960s, researchers tried firing rockets trailing wires into thunderclouds to set up an easy discharge path for the huge electric charges that these clouds generate. 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), based in California. EPRI, which is funded by power companies, is looking at ways to protect the United States' power grid from lightning strikes. ‘We can cause the lightning to strike where we want it to using rockets,’ says Ralph Bernstein, manager of lightning projects at EPRI. The rocket site is providing precise measurements of lightning voltages and allowing engineers to check how electrical equipment bears up.
Bad behaviour
But while rockets are fine for research, they cannot provide the protection from lightning strikes that everyone is looking for. The rockets cost around $1,200 each, can only be fired at a limited frequency and their failure rate is about 40 per cent. And even when they do trigger lightning, things still do not always go according to plan. ‘Lightning is not perfectly well behaved,’ says Bernstein. ‘Occasionally, it will take a branch and go someplace it wasn’t supposed to go.’
And anyway, who would want to fire streams of rockets in a populated area? ‘What goes up must come down,’ points out Jean-Claude Diels of the University of New Mexico. 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. With around $500,000 invested so far, a promising system is just emerging from the laboratory.
The idea began some 20 years ago, when high-powered lasers were revealing their ability to extract electrons out of atoms and create ions. If a laser could generate a line of ionisation in the air all the way up to a storm cloud, this conducting path could be used to guide lightning to Earth, before the electric field becomes strong enough to break down the air in an uncontrollable surge. 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. The mirror would be protected by placing lightning conductors close by. Ideally, the cloud-zapper (gun) would be cheap enough to be installed around all key power installations, and portable enough to be taken to international sporting events to beam up at brewing storm clouds.
A stumbling block
However, there is still a big stumbling block. The laser is no nifty portable: it’s a monster that takes up a whole room. Diels is trying to cut down the size and says that a laser around the size of a small table is in the offing. He plans to test this more manageable system on live thunderclouds next summer.
Bernstein says that Diels’s system is attracting lots of interest from the power companies. But they have not yet come up with the $5 million that EPRI says will be needed to develop a commercial system, by making the lasers yet smaller and cheaper. ‘I cannot say I have money yet, but I’m working on it,’ says Bernstein. He reckons that the forthcoming field tests 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 to $100,000 each.
Other scientists could also benefit. With a lightning ‘switch’ at their fingertips, materials scientists could find out what happens when mighty currents meet matter. Diels also hopes to see the birth of ‘interactive meteorology’ – not just forecasting the weather but controlling it. ‘If we could discharge clouds, we might affect the weather,’ he says.
And perhaps, says Diels, we’ll be able to confront some other meteorological menaces. ‘We think we could prevent hail by inducing lightning,’ he says. Thunder, the shock wave that comes from a lightning flash, is thought to be the trigger for the torrential rain that is typical of storms. A laser thunder factory could shake the moisture out of clouds, perhaps preventing the formation of the giant hailstones that threaten crops. With luck, as the storm clouds gather this winter, laser-toting researchers could, for the first time, strike back.
Questions
Questions 1–3 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Questions 4–6 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- EPRI receives financial support from 4 .
- The advantage of the technique being developed by Diels is that it can be used 5 .
- The main difficulty associated with using the laser equipment is related to its 6 .
Questions 7–10 Summary Completion
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below.
A. cloud-zappers | B. atoms | C. storm clouds
D. mirrors | E. technique | F. ions
G. rockets | H. conductors | I. thunder
In this method, a laser is used to create a line of ionisation by removing electrons from 7 . This laser is then directed at 8 in order to control electrical charges, a method which is less dangerous than using 9 . As a protection for the lasers, the beams are aimed firstly at 10 .
Questions 11–13 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | D | Striking Back at Lightning With Lasers | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage uses this title to tell the reader clearly that the most important subject being discussed is the use of lasers to fight against lightning. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the article is mostly about a specific way scientists are trying to use laser beams to manage and stop lightning. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because, while the text mentions rockets, it spends much more time and detail on the development and use of lasers. The title of the passage focuses specifically on lasers, and the majority of the text explains how this technology works, how much it costs, and why it is seen as a better solution than previous methods. This makes the laser technique the primary subject or topic of the whole passage. |
| Q2 | A | And there is damage to property too. Lightning damage costs American power companies more than $100 million a year | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that lightning breaks things that people own (property). It also explains that this damage is very expensive for American power companies, costing them over 100 million dollars every year. Answer Explanation: The answer says that every year, lightning causes a lot of harm to buildings and things people own. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Choice A because the text says that lightning causes "damage to property." Property is a general word used for things people own, like buildings and land. The text also mentions that these strikes cost power companies more than $100 million a year, which shows that the damage is "considerable" (meaning a large or serious amount). Choice B is wrong because the text mentions golfers as an example of people at risk, not the majority. Choice C is wrong because the statistic of 500 people is for the United States alone, not the world. Choice D is wrong because the text mentions 100 million dollars, not 100 companies. |
| Q3 | A | 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), based in California Jean-Claude Diels of the University of New Mexico. Diels is leading a project, which is backed by EPRI, to try to use lasers to discharge lightning safely |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) gives support to the University of Florida and also backs (gives money to) the work being done at the University of New Mexico. Answer Explanation: The answer states that the researchers at both the University of Florida and the University of New Mexico get their money from the same organization. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the text mentions that the research at the University of Florida receives 'support' from an organization called the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI). Later, it says that the project led by Jean-Claude Diels at the University of New Mexico is 'backed' by the same organization, EPRI. In this context, 'support' and 'backed' are synonyms meaning they receive financial funding. |
| Q4 | power companies | EPRI, which is funded by power companies, is looking at ways to protect the United States' power grid from lightning strikes | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that EPRI gets its money from electrical companies to help find ways to stop lightning from damaging the power system. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies the organizations that give money to help EPRI do its research. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "power companies" because the text explicitly stated that EPRI is "funded by" these businesses. In English, the phrase "receives financial support" is a synonym for being "funded." |
| Q5 | safely | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that Jean-Claude Diels is working on a way to use lasers to control lightning in a safe way ("safely"). It explains that safety is necessary ("a basic requirement") because researchers want to make sure they do not hurt themselves or break their expensive machines. Answer Explanation: The answer "safely" describes how the laser technology allows for the discharge of lightning in a way that avoids harm or damage. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "safely" because the passage identifies this as a primary goal and "basic requirement" of the research led by Jean-Claude Diels. While previous methods like using rockets were described as unpredictable or unsuitable for populated areas, Diels’s laser-based technique aims to manage lightning without putting people or expensive equipment at risk. |
| Q6 | size | However, there is still a big stumbling block. The laser is no nifty portable: it’s a monster that takes up a whole room. Diels is trying to cut down the size | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that there is a big problem (stumbling block) because the current machine is huge and fills up a whole room. It notes that the researcher is working to make the machine's physical dimensions (size) much smaller. Answer Explanation: The answer "size" refers to how large or small the laser machine is. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "size" because the text highlights a major problem, called a "stumbling block," concerning the laser. It describes the machine as a "monster" that is too large because it fills an entire room. The text explicitly mentions that a scientist is trying to reduce the "size" to make it easier to move and use. |
| Q7 | B | The idea began some 20 years ago, when high-powered lasers were revealing their ability to extract electrons out of atoms and create ions | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that many years ago, scientists discovered that strong lasers can take electrons (tiny parts) out of atoms to turn them into ions. Answer Explanation: The answer is atoms, which are the tiny building blocks that everything is made of. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is atoms because the passage describes a process where high-powered lasers pull electrons away from atoms to create ions. This process is called ionisation, which forms a path for lightning to follow. You should notice that the word 'removing' in the summary is a synonym for 'extract' used in the text. |
| Q8 | C | If a laser could generate a line of ionisation in the air all the way up to a storm cloud, this conducting path could be used to guide lightning to Earth, before the electric field becomes strong enough to break down the air in an uncontrollable surge | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a laser can create a special path through the air that reaches as far as a storm cloud, which allows researchers to guide lightning safely to the ground. Answer Explanation: The answer 'storm clouds' refers to the large, dark clouds that produce lightning which scientists target with lasers to manage electrical charges. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'storm clouds' because the passage explains that researchers aim to use lasers to reach into the sky and release electricity from clouds before a natural lightning strike occurs. The text describes creating a path in the air that leads 'all the way up to a storm cloud' as a way to control when and where the lightning hits. Words like 'thunderclouds' are also used in the text as synonyms for storm clouds. |
| Q9 | G | And anyway, who would want to fire streams of rockets in a populated area? ‘What goes up must come down,’ points out Jean-Claude Diels of the University of New Mexico. 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that rockets can be dangerous because they fall back to the ground after use. It also notes that the laser project is specifically being developed to handle lightning in a safe way, which is why it is preferred over the rocket method. Answer Explanation: The answer 'G' stands for rockets, which were a tool scientists used before lasers to try to control where lightning hits the ground. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is G because the text compares the new laser method with the older method of using rockets and highlights that rockets are less safe. It mentions that rockets fall back down after being fired and can lead lightning to unexpected places. Because the laser project aims to discharge lightning 'safely,' it implies that the previous rocket method was more dangerous and unpredictable. |
| Q10 | D | 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 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that to keep the laser safe from lightning, scientists will point the laser at a mirror instead of pointing it directly at the clouds. The mirror then sends the light up into the sky. Answer Explanation: The answer is D (mirrors). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is mirrors because the passage explains that scientists want to avoid the laser being hit directly by lightning. To keep the laser machine safe, they do not point it directly at the sky. Instead, they point the laser beam at a mirror first. This mirror then reflects the beam into the storm clouds. |
| Q11 | NO | But they have not yet come up with the $5 million that EPRI says will be needed to develop a commercial system, by making the lasers yet smaller and cheaper. ‘I cannot say I have money yet, but I’m working on it,’ says Bernstein | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that power companies have not paid the $5 million needed to develop the laser for sale. It also includes a direct quote from Bernstein admitting that he does not have the money yet. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the statement is wrong. The information in the text shows that power companies have not yet given the money needed to finish the laser project. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage explicitly states that while power companies are interested in the laser system, they have not provided the $5 million required to finalize it. Keywords like "not yet come up with" indicate the money is still missing. Additionally, Ralph Bernstein, who helps manage the funding, clearly states that he does not have the money yet. |
| Q12 | YES | But they have not yet come up with the $5 million that EPRI says will be needed to develop a commercial system, by making the lasers yet smaller and cheaper. ‘I cannot say I have money yet, but I’m working on it,’ says Bernstein. He reckons that the forthcoming field tests will be the turning point – and he’s hoping for good news | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that researchers need a large amount of money to make the lasers better, but they do not have it at the moment. The manager believes that the upcoming tests in real storms will be the specific event that changes the situation and helps them get the money. Answer Explanation: The answer means that getting the money needed to improve the lasers will only happen if the tests in real storms are successful. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because the text says companies have not yet given the $5 million needed to make lasers smaller and cheaper. Ralph Bernstein, who is in charge of the project, thinks that the upcoming "field tests" (testing in real weather) will be the "turning point." This means these tests are the key to finally getting the money and support they need. |
| Q13 | NOT GIVEN | Bernstein says that Diels’s system is attracting lots of interest from the power companies Other scientists could also benefit. With a lightning ‘switch’ at their fingertips, materials scientists could find out what happens when mighty currents meet matter |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage highlights that organizations providing electricity (power companies) and scientists who study physical substances (materials scientists) are either interested in or could benefit from the project. However, it does not mention people who predict the weather (weather forecasters) in the list of interested parties. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the passage does not provide enough information to know if weather forecasters are interested in the system or not. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because the text describes interest from specific groups like power companies and potential benefits for materials scientists, but it never mentions the feelings or interest level of weather forecasters. Even though the text mentions 'forecasting the weather,' it does not state that people whose job is to forecast the weather (weather forecasters) are 'intensely interested' in this specific laser system. |