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1.1 UAE Renewable Energy Projects Sentence Completion 1.2 Hydroelectric Power: How it Works Flow-Chart Completion 1.3 Fossil Fuels vs Renewable Energy Table Completion 1.4 Solar vs Nuclear Energy Exam Practice

Level 4 IELTS Reading Preparation

Renewable Energy 1b

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Tipsi. Synonyms are important for all IELTS questions. Information in the question and text will be worded and

written differently.ii. Knowing parts of speech and sentence structure are especially helpful in sentence completion.iii. Information in the text will be in the same order as the questions.

Strategy1. Read the instructions. Circle the word count. 2. Read each sentence carefully and underline key words. How can they help you find the information

in the reading passage? (i.e. part of speech, numbers, dates) 3. Skim for the information in the reading passage and read carefully. 4. Find the answer and copy it exactly as it appears in the text. Do not change the form of a word.

Double check that spelling is correct. 5. Read the sentence after writing the answer. Make sure the sentence is grammatically correct.

1.1 Sentence Completion• Sentence completion tests your ability to find specific information in the reading passage. Key word(s)

will be missing from the sentence. You should find the missing word in the reading passage.

Group Discussion - Part of Speech Review

In many IELTS reading question types, having a good understanding of the different parts of speech, especially nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs, will help you decide on the best answer.

In groups, think about the different places that nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs can go in a sentence. What clues can help you to know the part of speech you need?

noun adverb -ableadjective

suffix -ly verb-tion

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The government unveiled an ……………project to have all students graduating from local high schools achieve an IELTS 6.5 within 5 years.

Economies around the world must switch to………. energy before fossil fuels run out.

The nation is trying to reduce its……….on fast foods due to the health issues it is causing.

The UAE has been involved in a massive ………… project for the past 40 years by building highways, schools and electric and water systems.

Any ……………energy produced by solar panels is stored in batteries.

The new electricity …………can adopt to demand at different times of day, sending more electricity - or not - through the system to particular areas.

The pharma company is seeking …….. of the new medicine it has developed.

The company is doing great business and has just opened a new………. in Dubai Industrial Area 3.

The nuclear power stations that are being built should………….. enough power to supply not only the UAE, but also to sell abroad.

Malawi is trying to ………… from a farm based economy to an industrial one. Not everyone is happy about that. Especially the German tourists!

A. Match the key vocabulary on the left with the definition on the right.

B. Complete the sentences using the key vocabulary from the list above. You may need to change the form of the word.

Key Vocabulary - Renewable Energy

ambitious

renewable

dependence

infrastructure

excess

grid

approval

plant

generate

convert

• change from one form into another

• something that does not end

• having a strong desire to succeed

• produce

• extra

• a framework or way of organizing a system for distribution

• to officially agree to something; to say it's ok

• a factory

• basic physical organization of a city or town

• to rely on or need something

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The UAE is leading the Arabian Gulf region in renewables projects, driven by ambitious targets for the energy mix in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Across the region, governments are undertaking these renewables projects to free up oil and gas for export and use in other industries, and to meet rising demand for power and water.

Usage of renewables would present multiple benefits to these countries including the ability to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons.

Abu Dhabi has set up the green-energy firm Masdar. It is building a low-carbon, zero-waste city and has a number of renewable energy projects in the UAE and abroad.

In 2013, Masdar and its partners – the French energy company Total and the Spanish energy-infrastructure company Abengoa – launched the 100-megawatt (MW) concentrated solar power (CSP) plant Shams 1 in the UAE’s Western Region, Al Gharbia. Shams 1 generates enough electricity to power 20,000 homes in the UAE.

This is Masdar’s second solar plant, after launching a 10MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to provide electricity to Masdar City, with excess power fed to the Abu Dhabi grid.

Masdar is awaiting approval from the Abu Dhabi Executive Council to go ahead with a 100MW solar PV plant in Abu Dhabi. Masdar might also build a 30MW wind farm on Sir Bani Yas island.

CSP plants produce power by concentrating sunlight, usually through mirrors that heat liquids and generate steam to run turbines for power generation. PV plants use solar panels, which convert sunlight directly to electricity.

UAE Renewable Energy Projects

1.1a Practice Sentence Completion

Circle the part of speech you think is missing, and then write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text below to complete the sentence.

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Retrieved and adapted from “UAE renewable energy projects bring the future into view” http://www.thenational.ae/business/industry-insights/energy/uae-renewable-energy-projects-bring-the-future-into-view (18.01.14) The National, 22.08.16

1 verb / adjective An increase in electricity and water consumption has in part led to more ……………….. projects beginning.

2 noun / verb Masdar ……………….. an environmentally neutral city.

3 noun / verb SHAMS 1 is Masdar’s second ……………….., and was built in cooperation with foreign companies.

4 noun / adjective Solar plants make electricity by directing ……………….. through mirrors.

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Tipsi. Contracted words like ‘they’re’ are not tested.ii. Hyphenated words like ‘check-in’ count as one word.iii. Look for signal words that show sequencing.iv. Information will only be in one section of the reading passage.

The coffee we drink is made and prepared in different ways. Filtered or drip coffee is made by putting finely-ground coffee in a paper or reusable cone-shaped unit. Nearly-boiling water is then poured on top. The brew filters through the unit into a pot or mug and is ready to drink. The coffee grounds remain in the cone. These days, this is mostly done by electric filter coffee machines.

1 ____________ coffee is placed into a filter.

Then water that is almost boiling is 2 ____________ over the coffee grounds.

The coffee grounds stay, while the brew 3 ____________ through the cone and into the coffee pot.

Making Filtered or Drip Coffee

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Look at the answers below. Why would they be wrong?

Strategy1. Read the instructions. Circle the word count. 2. Look at all the information in the table.

i. How can it help you find the information in the reading passage? (i.e. part of speech, numbers, dates)

3. Skim for the section of the reading passage and read carefully. 4. Find the answer and copy it exactly as it appears in the text. Do not change the form of a word.

Double check that spelling is correct.

1.2a Practice Flow-Chart CompletionRead the short paragraph and flow-chart below, and complete the flow-chart.

1.2 Flow-Chart Completion• Flow-chart completion is similar to table completion. Rather than specific information, you must locate

information related to a sequence of events. Information in the text will be in the same order as the questions.

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Key Vocabulary - Hydroelectric Power

A. Match the key vocabulary on the left with the definition on the right.

B. Complete the sentences using the key vocabulary from the list above. You may need to change the form of the word.

efficient (adj)

peak (n)

produce (v)

storage (n)

constant (adj)

nuclear (adj)

source (n)

• happening regularly or all the time

• relating to the energy that is released when the nucleus of an atom is divided

• a special place for something while it is not being used

• the time when something or someone is best, greatest, highest, most successful

• work well without wasting time, money, or energy

• thing, place, activity etc that you get something from

• create/make

1. Lighting is now more energy ………………… .

2. Oil production is down from its ……………….. of two years ago.

3. The factory ……………….. 100 cars per hour.

4. The ……………….. of radioactive material after use is one of the main challenges facing the nuclear industry.

5. There was a ……………….. stream of visitors to the house.

6. Many people think ……………….. energy is unsafe because the waste that is produced is very difficult to store safely.

7. They get their money from various ………………… .

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So just how do we get electricity from water? Actually, hydroelectric and coal-fired power plants produce electricity in a similar way. In both cases a power source is used to turn a propeller-like piece called a turbine, which then turns a metal shaft in an electric generator, which is the motor that produces electricity. A coal-fired power plant uses steam to turn the turbine blades; whereas a hydroelectric plant uses falling water to turn the turbine. The results are the same.

The theory is to build a dam on a large river that has a large drop in elevation (there are not many hydroelectric plants in Kansas or Florida). The dam stores lots of water behind it in the reservoir. Near the bottom of the dam wall there is the water intake. Gravity causes it to fall through the penstock inside the dam. At the end of the penstock there is a turbine propeller, which is turned by the moving water. The shaft from the turbine goes up into the generator, which produces the power. Power lines are connected to the generator that carry electricity to your home and mine. The water continues past the propeller through the tailrace into the river past the dam.

Demand for electricity is not "flat" and constant. Demand goes up and down during the day, and overnight there is less need for electricity in homes, businesses, and other facilities. For example, in a hot city like Atlanta, Georgia at 5:00 PM on a hot August weekend day, there is a huge demand for electricity to run millions of air conditioners. But, 12 hours later at 5:00 AM demand is not as high. Hydroelectric plants are more efficient at providing for peak power demands during short periods than are fossil-fuel and nuclear power plants, and one way of doing that is by using "pumped storage", which reuses the same water more than once.

Hydroelectric Power: How it Works

1.2 Flow-Chart Completion

Complete the flow chart with NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage.

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Retrieved and adapted from “Hydroelectric Power: How it Works” http://water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html (08.28.16)

Dam 1 ……………….. water

Water falls through penstock

water moves 2 ……………….. propeller

3 ……………….. creates power

electricity 4 ……………….. bring power to homes

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approximately (adv)

control (v)

damaging (adj)

limit (n)

protect (v)

artificial (adj)

ban (v)

selection (n)

• causing physical harm to someone or something

• the ability or power to make someone or something do what you want or make something happen in

• used to show that something is almost, but not completely, accurate or correct

• the greatest or least amount, number, speed etc that is allowed

• not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural

• the careful choice of a particular person or thing from a group of similar people or things

• to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness

• an official order that prevents something from being used or done

1. Pesticide levels in drinking water are already above legal …………….. in many areas.

2. He had narrowly missed …………….. for the team.

3. Are we doing enough to …………….. the environment?

4. It is sudden sharp bursts of sun which are most …………….. to the skin.

5. Animals hate being confined in an …………….. environment.

6. They are seeking a complete …………….. on nuclear testing.

7. The plane will be landing in …………….. 20 minutes.

8. The Johnson family has effective …………….. of the company, owning almost 60% of the shares.

A. Match the key vocabulary on the left with the definition on the right.

Key Vocabulary - Fossil Fuels vs Renewable Energy

B. Complete the sentences using the key vocabulary from the list above. You may need to change the form of the word.

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Tipsi. Information for a table completion will only be in one section of the reading passage.ii. Information usually appears in the same order as the questions.iii. Write the number form of the numeral, as in ‘163,’ instead of “one hundred and sixty three.”

1.3a Preview Table Completion

Look at the table below and compare the different parts.

1. What information is missing?

2. How do you know?

3. How does this help you find the information in the text?

1.3 Table Completion• To complete a table you need to locate and understand specific information in a text. Usually,

this task will test your understanding of factual information about a subject. There is often information already included in the table, and you must locate either words and/or numbers from the text to complete the table.

Strategy1. Read the instructions. Circle the word count. 2. Look at all the information in the table.

i. How can it help you find the information in the reading passage? (i.e. part of speech, numbers, dates)

3. Scan for the section of the reading passage and read carefully. 4. Find the answer and copy it exactly as it appears in the text. Do not change the form of a word.

Double check that spelling is correct.

Type % Global Energy Production

renewable or 1 ………….. energy 2 …………..

fossil 3 ………….., nuclear energy 93%

OilCoal4 …………..

5 …………..24%22%

1.3b Practice Table Completion

Complete the table below.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Despite the promise of alternative energy sources, more appropriately called renewable energy, collectively they provide only about 7 percent of the world’s energy needs. This means that fossil fuels, along with nuclear energy — a controversial, non-renewable energy source — are supplying 93 percent of the world’s energy resources. Nuclear energy, which is primarily generated by splitting atoms, only provides 6 percent of the world’s energy supplies. Still, nuclear energy is not likely to be a major source of world energy consumption because of public pressure and the relative dangers associated with unleashing the power of the atom. Yet, governments such as the United States see its vast potential and are placing pressure on the further exploitation of nuclear energy. Oil, coal and natural gas supply nearly 88 percent of the world’s energy needs, or about 350 quadrillion BTUs. Of this amount, oil is king, providing about 41 percent of the world’s total energy supplies, or about 164 quadrillion BTUs. Coal provides 24 percent of the world’s energy, or 96 quadrillion BTUs, and natural gas provides the remaining 22 percent, or 88 quadrillion BTUs.

*BTU - British Thermal Units

Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy Sources

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Type % Global Energy Production

renewable or 1 ………….. energy 2 …………..

fossil 3 ………….., nuclear energy 93%

OilCoal5 …………..

4 …………..24%22%

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Solar vs Nuclear Reading 1

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Societies have been talking about saving the planet for quite a while now. A significant number of people want us to cut down on the amount of waste we put into our atmosphere, while another economically-oriented group wants us to focus on meeting our enormous energy needs first.

Solar energy is one way to go about generating clean energy. But there’s merit in the argument that you can’t have solar generating enough for all of us, which is why we must consider nuclear power. Nuclear power generates multiple times more power per unit of input mass than solar power, and is as clean as any other source, provided waste disposal is done correctly.

Which source will power humanity’s future? Let’s look at the economics of both. Consider the two most talked about plants right now, Germany’s Solar PV and Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 Nuclear Plant. Germany’s Solar PV cost around 130 billion dollars while Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 cost only 31 billion dollars (considering a 20-year lifetime for both the plants).

Right now, solar energy costs about 32¢ per kWh. On the other hand, nuclear energy costs about 7 ¢/kWh. The efficiency of a nuclear plant is in the region of 33%. Most solar plants have an uninspiring 11-15% efficiency. That number varies considerably depending on a number of factors. For example, it is dependent on temperature, weather, orientation, shade, and panel/roof pitch (inclination of roof/panel).

It has been argued that solar panels are much more versatile in contrast to a nuclear power plant. One gets to install the solar panels almost at any economically viable place that receives an adequate amount of sunlight. Here is where a solar plant scores the most points. A small-scale solar plant is possible but a small-scale nuclear power plant is not technologically feasible at present.

By some industry estimates, a minimum five acres of land is needed to produce 1 MW of solar energy. For a 1,000MW plant, you need 5,000 acres. With solar technology at its current levels, unrealistically large solar plants would be needed to generate the amounts of energy to match a 1,000MW nuclear power plant.

One possible application for solar in industry is the electric car company Tesla’s Gigafactory, which is designed with solar panels placed all over on the roof of the building. At peak hours the Gigafactory’s rooftops will generate 850 MWh of solar power. This energy output will be used to run the factory along with other renewable energy sources.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-14, which are based on the following reading passage:

1.4 Exam Practice

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The Gigafactory is expected to cost Tesla in the range of $2-5 billion dollars. The factory is still some time away from completion – Tesla doesn’t expect it to be 100% operational until 4 years from now. Nonetheless, Tesla is willing to invest the time and money because they are convinced the sustainable energy Gigafactory is the way forward if they are to meet their sales target of 500,000 units in the near future.

Feeding the power generated by solar plants into the electrical grid is also problematic in some countries. They have not developed the infrastructure necessary to do so. First, the DC current generated by a solar panel has to be converted into AC so it can be used by customers. It must then go to the utility company that sells the electricity. After that, it is sent on to the customers. The challenge is the customers often have small solar panels of their own on their houses that also produce electricity. Any excess energy returning from one such house must then be measured and sent back to the utility company for storage.

Reddy, K. 07.26.15, Retrieved and adapted 08.31.16 from http://www.yaabot.com/12688/solar-vs-nuclear-what-energy-future-are-we-headed-for/

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Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1 It is true that ……………. can’t create enough power for the planet.

2 Nuclear power creates many times more energy for every unit of …………… than solar does.

3 Two important …………… are in Germany and Finland.

4 In contrast to nuclear plants, solar panels are quite …………….. .

5 Solar panels can be installed in most ……………. places that get enough sunlight.

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Questions 6-10

Complete the sentences below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR NUMBERS from the passage for each answer.

Solar Nuclear

Location Solar PV in Germany Olkiluoto 3 in 6 ……….

Plant cost 7 ………. USD 31 billion USD

Efficiency 8 ………… 33%

kWh cost 9 ………… 7 cents

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Questions 11-15

Complete the flow chart below.

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

10 DC………….. produced changed to AC electricity.

Sent to 11 …………..

Sent to customers; sometimes have own 12 …………..

Extra energy 13 ………….., and sent back 14 ………….. .