Revolutionary discoveries sometimes don’t immediately capture public attention; instead, they require time for the world to truly recognize their value. The reading passage An Earth Shaking Discovery recounts the journey of two scientists, Fred Vine and Drummond Matthews, as they uncovered the phenomenon of seafloor spreading. Their work not only revived and refined Alfred Wegener’s previously dismissed theory of continental drift but also laid the groundwork for plate tectonics and ushered in a new scientific discipline—Earth Systems Science.

For students preparing for the IELTS exam, this is an invaluable reading passage on the topic of Geology & Earth Sciences. The text features a rigorous scientific writing style, a rich array of specialized vocabulary, and a highly discriminating question set, including: Matching Sentence Endings, Diagram Labelling, and Short Answer Questions. The complete translation, vocabulary list, and detailed answers from Trung tâm ngoại ngữ ECE below will help you fully master this reading passage.

1. Reading Passage Content

An Earth Shaking Discovery