THE MOTOR CAR - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 02 Academic Reading Test 3 · Part 2 · Questions 14–26
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14 - 26 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
THE MOTOR CAR
A There are now over 700 million motor vehicles in the world - and the number is rising by more than 40 million each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing too - from 8 km a day per person in western Europe in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995. This dependence on motor vehicles has given rise to major problems, including environmental pollution, depletion of oil resources, traffic congestion and safety.
B While emissions from new cars are far less harmful than they used to be, city streets and motorways are becoming more crowded than ever, often with older trucks, buses and taxis, which emit excessive levels of smoke and fumes. This concentration of vehicles makes air quality in urban areas unpleasant and sometimes dangerous to breathe. Even Moscow has joined the list of capitals afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes. In Mexico City, vehicle pollution is a major health hazard.
C Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20 km range, the distance conveniently accessible by horse. Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail. The invention of the motor vehicle brought personal mobility to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible over a much wider area. Today about 90 per cent of inland freight in the United Kingdom is carried by road. Clearly the world cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon. Can it avoid being locked into congested and polluting ways of transporting people and goods?
D In Europe most cities are still designed for the old modes of transport. Adaptation to the motor car has involved adding ring roads, one-way systems and parking lots. In the United States, more land is assigned to car use than to housing. Urban sprawl means that life without a car is next to impossible. Mass use of motor vehicles has also killed or injured millions of people. Other social effects have been blamed on the car such as alienation and aggressive human behaviour.
E A 1993 study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment found that car transport is seven times as costly as rail travel in terms of the external social costs it entails such as congestion, accidents, pollution, loss of cropland and natural habitats, depletion of oil resources, and so on.
F Technical solutions can reduce the pollution problem and increase the fuel efficiency of engines. But fuel consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and how they are driven. Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively. Besides, global car use is increasing at a faster rate than the improvement in emissions and fuel efficiency which technology is now making possible.
G One solution that has been put forward is the long-term solution of designing cities and neighbourhoods so that car journeys are not necessary - all essential services being located within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport. Not only would this save energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions, it would also enhance the quality of community life, putting the emphasis on people instead of cars. Good local government is already bringing this about in some places. But few democratic communities are blessed with the vision - and the capital - to make such profound changes in modern lifestyles.
H A more likely scenario seems to be a combination of mass transit systems for travel into and around cities, with small 'low emission' cars for urban use and larger hybrid or lean burn cars for use elsewhere. Electronically tolled highways might be used to ensure that drivers pay charges geared to actual road use. Better integration of transport systems is also highly desirable - and made more feasible by modern computers. But these are solutions for countries which can afford them. In most developing countries, old cars and old technologies continue to predominate.
Questions
Questions 14–19 Matching Information
Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs (A - H). Which paragraphs concentrate on the following information?
NB You need only write ONE letter for each answer.
Questions 20–26 Yes / No / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 20 - 26 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement agrees with the information
NO if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | C | Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20 km range, the distance conveniently accessible by horse. Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail. The invention of the motor vehicle brought personal mobility to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible over a much wider area. Today about 90 per cent of inland freight in the United Kingdom is carried by road | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that in the past, people traveled short distances by horse and moved heavy items by boat or train, but now motor vehicles allow many more people to travel easily and most goods are moved by road. Answer Explanation: The answer C refers to the paragraph that talks about how people and things moved in the past compared to how they move today. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph C because it provides a clear comparison between old and new ways of traveling. It mentions 'Until a hundred years ago' to describe the past, where horses and rail were the main transport. It then uses the word 'Today' to describe the current situation where motor vehicles and road transport are the primary methods for moving people and goods. |
| Q15 | F | Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that individuals often make choices, like buying unnecessary big cars or driving in a fast and angry way, that waste fuel and hurt the environment. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Paragraph F describes how the personal choices and behaviors of drivers cause problems for the environment and for fuel supplies. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is F because this section explains that technology alone cannot solve road problems. It points out that human behavior—our "habits"—is a major factor. Specifically, it mentions that when people choose cars that are bigger than necessary or drive in a rough, aggressive way, they use more fuel and create more pollution. In this context, "habits" refers to how people choose to drive and what kind of vehicles they prefer to buy. |
| Q16 | E | A 1993 study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment found that car transport is seven times as costly as rail travel in terms of the external social costs it entails such as congestion, accidents, pollution, loss of cropland and natural habitats, depletion of oil resources, and so on | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a study found car travel to be seven times more expensive for society than train travel when considering bad side effects like traffic jams, accidents, and damage to nature. This comparison shows that public transport (trains) has more merit or value for the environment than cars. Answer Explanation: The answer E suggests that this specific section of the text provides a comparison between the impact of using private cars and the impact of using public transport (like trains). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is E because this paragraph explicitly compares 'car transport' with 'rail travel,' which is a form of public transport. It uses a study to show the 'relative merits'—in this case, the negative social costs—of both. By stating that cars are 'seven times as costly' as rail, the passage evaluates which method is more beneficial or harmful to society. Key terms to notice are 'car transport' compared to 'rail travel' and the list of 'social costs' like pollution and accidents. |
| Q17 | H | A more likely scenario seems to be a combination of mass transit systems for travel into and around cities, with small 'low emission' cars for urban use and larger hybrid or lean burn cars for use elsewhere | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage uses the words "likely scenario" to show what the writer predicts will happen. It then lists specific solutions, like using different types of cars and transport systems together. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies Paragraph H as the section where the writer shares what they think will probably happen in the future to solve car problems. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph H because it starts with the phrase "A more likely scenario seems to be," which indicates the writer is making a prediction about the future. Within this paragraph, the writer describes several solutions, such as using mass transit (public transport like buses and trains), smaller cars for cities, and using computers to manage roads better. |
| Q18 | A | There are now over 700 million motor vehicles in the world - and the number is rising by more than 40 million each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing too - from 8 km a day per person in western Europe in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995 | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage shows that there are many more cars now than before and that 40 million new cars are added every year. It also shows that in some places, people drive about three times more today than they did thirty years ago. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph A because it discusses how both the total number of cars in the world and the distance people drive them are going up. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is Paragraph A because it provides data showing that the use of motor vehicles is getting bigger. It explains that the number of cars is 'rising' and the distance driven is 'growing.' These words mean that people are using cars more often and in greater numbers than in the past. |
| Q19 | D | In Europe most cities are still designed for the old modes of transport. Adaptation to the motor car has involved adding ring roads, one-way systems and parking lots. In the United States, more land is assigned to car use than to housing. Urban sprawl means that life without a car is next to impossible | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that European cities were modified with new roads and parking areas to fit cars. It also points out that in the United States, use of land for cars is high and the spread of cities makes owning a car essential. Answer Explanation: The answer is Paragraph D because it describes the way cars have changed how cities are built and how people live in them. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is D because it explains both the physical changes to cities and the way they have grown due to cars. It mentions that European cities had to change by adding 'parking lots' and 'ring roads' to accommodate vehicles. It also describes 'urban sprawl' in the United States, where cities spread out so much that cars become necessary, and land is used more for cars than for houses. |
| Q20 | NOT GIVEN | Even Moscow has joined the list of capitals afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes. In Mexico City, vehicle pollution is a major health hazard | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage notes that air pollution and traffic are problems in Moscow and Mexico City, but it does not give a ranking or say that Europe’s pollution is worse than these or any other locations. Answer Explanation: The answer is NOT GIVEN because the text does not provide enough information to know if European cities have more or less pollution than other cities in the world. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the text mentions pollution issues in various places, such as Mexico City and Moscow, it never compares them to say which region has the 'worst' pollution. It mentions Western Europe regarding the distance people drive, and it mentions a European study about costs, but it does not state that European cities are the most polluted in the world. Since this comparison is missing, we cannot say if the statement is true or false. |
| Q21 | NO | Clearly the world cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says it is very clear that the world is unable to go back to using wagons pulled by horses. Answer Explanation: The answer is no because the passage says we cannot go back to using horses for travel. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the author states that people cannot return to using horses as a way to move goods and people. The passage uses the word 'revert', which means to go back to an older way of doing things, and says this is not possible for the modern world. Therefore, horse transport is not a useful choice or alternative today. |
| Q22 | NOT GIVEN | Today about 90 per cent of inland freight in the United Kingdom is carried by road | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that most goods in the United Kingdom are moved by road nowadays, but it does not tell us how the rest of the goods are moved or if water transport is still used. Answer Explanation: The answer NOT GIVEN means that the reading passage does not provide enough information to say if the statement is true or false. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NOT GIVEN because while the text mentions that 90% of goods (freight) in the UK are moved by road today, it does not explain how the remaining 10% are moved. The text says that 100 years ago, moving heavy goods was only possible by water or train, but it does not say that water transport has stopped completely in the modern day. Because the passage is silent about whether water is still used for the other 10% of goods, we cannot confirm the statement. |
| Q23 | YES | In Europe most cities are still designed for the old modes of transport | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that the way most European cities are built is based on older ways of traveling, not on the use of cars. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'YES' because the text directly confirms that many cities in Europe were not originally built with cars in mind. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'YES' because paragraph D says that most cities in Europe are 'designed for the old modes of transport'. This means they were built for older ways of traveling (like walking or using horses) that existed before cars became common. The text explains that to use cars in these cities, changes like adding 'parking lots' and 'one-way systems' had to be made later. |
| Q24 | YES | Technical solutions can reduce the pollution problem and increase the fuel efficiency of engines. But fuel consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and how they are driven. Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively. Besides, global car use is increasing at a faster rate than the improvement in emissions and fuel efficiency which technology is now making possible | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that better machine design can help reduce smoke and save fuel. However, it notes that how much pollution a car makes also depends on what kind of car people choose and how they drive it. Finally, it explains that since more people are using cars every day, the problem is growing faster than the speed at which technology can improve. Answer Explanation: The answer YES means the passage agrees that technology by itself is not enough to fix the pollution caused by cars. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because Paragraph F explains that technology has limits. While machines can be made to be cleaner and use less fuel, other factors like human behavior and the sheer number of cars matter more. For instance, people often buy bigger cars than they need or drive in a way that wastes gas. Most importantly, the number of cars on the road is growing faster than technology is improving, so technology cannot keep up with the problem alone. |
| Q25 | YES | But fuel consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and how they are driven. Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that how much fuel a car uses and the gas it releases depend on the types of cars people like and how they drive those cars. It notes that many people buy cars that are too large or drive in a rough way that wastes fuel. Answer Explanation: The answer is YES because what kind of car a person chooses and how they drive it change how much pollution is made. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is YES because paragraph F explains that pollution levels are not just about technology; they also depend on the choices people make. The passage says that people often pick cars that are larger than necessary and drive in an aggressive way, both of which lead to more fuel being wasted and more smoke being produced. |
| Q26 | NO | One solution that has been put forward is the long-term solution of designing cities and neighbourhoods so that car journeys are not necessary - all essential services being located within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that organizing cities so that people can walk to everything they need is a solution that takes a lot of time to finish. Answer Explanation: The answer means that the idea of changing how cities are built is not something that can be done quickly; it is actually a plan for the far future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is NO because the passage specifically labels the redesigning of cities and neighborhoods as a 'long-term solution.' The question, however, claims it would be a 'short-term solution.' Since the passage says it takes a long time and the question says it takes a short time, the statement is false. |