The reading passage “Putting the Brakes on Climate Change: Are Hydrogen Cars the Answer?” explores one of the most promising solutions to the climate change crisis: hydrogen-powered vehicles. In this article, ECE English dives deep into the mechanics, benefits, challenges, and future prospects of fuel-cell technology, while providing effective strategies to help you conquer the IELTS Reading test.
Putting the Brakes on Climate Change: Are Hydrogen Cars the Answer?
Reading Passage
A
It is tempting to think that the conservation of coral reefs and rainforests is a separate issue from traffic and air pollution. But it is not. Scientists are now confident that rapid changes in the Earth’s climate are already disrupting and altering many wildlife habitats. Pollution from vehicles is a big part of the problem.
B
The United Nation’s Climate Change Panel has estimated that the global average temperature rise expected by the year 2100 could be as much as 6°C, causing forest fires and dieback on land and coral bleaching in the ocean. Few species, if any, will be immune from the changes in temperature, rainfall, and sea levels. The panel believes that if such catastrophic temperature rises are to be avoided, the quantity of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, being released into the atmosphere must be reduced. That will depend on slowing the rate of deforestation and, more crucially, finding alternatives to coal, oil, and gas as our principal energy sources.
C
Technologies do exist to reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide as a waste product of our energy consumption. Wind power and solar power are both spreading fast, but what are we doing about traffic? Electric cars are one possible option, but their range and the time it takes to charge their batteries pose serious limitations. However, the technology that shows the most potential to make cars climate-friendly is fuel-cell technology. This was actually invented in the late nineteenth century, but because the world’s motor industry put its effort into developing the combustion engine, it was never refined for mass production. One of the first prototype fuel-cell-powered vehicles has been built by the Ford Motor Company. It is like a conventional car, only with better acceleration and a smoother ride. Ford engineers expect to be able to produce a virtually silent vehicle in the future.
D
So what’s the process involved – and is there a catch? Hydrogen goes into the fuel tank, producing electricity. The only emission from the exhaust pipe is water. The fuel cell is, in some ways, similar to a battery, but unlike a battery, it does not run down. As long as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to the cell, it will keep on generating electricity. Some cells work off methane and a few use liquid fuels such as methanol, but fuel cells using hydrogen probably have the most potential. Furthermore, they need not be limited to transport. Fuel cells can be made in a huge range of sizes, small enough for portable computers or large enough for power stations. They have no moving parts and therefore need no oil. They just need a supply of hydrogen. The big question, then, is where to get it from.
E
One source of hydrogen is water. But to exploit the abundant resource, electricity is needed, and if the electricity is produced by a coal-fired power station or other fossil fuel, then the overall carbon reduction benefit of the fuel cell disappears. Renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, do not produce enough energy for it to be economically viable to use them in the ‘manufacture’ of hydrogen as a transport fuel. Another source of hydrogen is, however, available and could provide a supply pending the development of more efficient and cheaper renewable energy technologies. By splitting natural gas (methane) into its constituent parts, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are produced. One way around the problem of what to do with the carbon dioxide could be to store it back below ground – so-called geological sequestration. Oil companies, such as Norway’s Statoil, are experimenting with storing carbon dioxide below ground in oil and gas wells.
F
With freak weather conditions, arguably caused by global warming, frequently in the headlines, the urgent need to get fuel-cell vehicles on the road is evident. Experts predict that within ten years, fuel-cell vehicles will be available in most showrooms. Even now, fuel-cell buses are operating in the US, while in Germany, a courier company is planning to take delivery of fuel-cell-powered vans in the near future. The fact that centrally-run fleets of buses and vans are the first fuel-cell vehicles identifies another challenge – fuel distribution. The refueling facilities necessary to top up hydrogen-powered vehicles are available only in a very few places at present. Public transport and delivery firms are logical places to start since their vehicles are operated from central depots.
G
Fuel-cell technology is being developed right across the automotive industry. This technology could have a major impact in slowing down climate change, but further investment is needed if the industry – and the world’s wildlife – is to have a long-term future.
Questions 1-6: Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Action already taken by the United Nations
ii Marketing the hydrogen car
iii Making the new technology available worldwide
iv Some negative predictions from one group of experts
v How the new vehicle technology works
vi The history of fuel-cell technology
vii A holistic view of climatic change
viii Locating the essential ingredient
ix Sustaining car manufacture
1 Paragraph A
2 Paragraph B
3 Paragraph C
4 Paragraph D
5 Paragraph E
6 Paragraph F
Questions 7-10 Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.
- In the late nineteenth century, the car industry invested in the development of the __________, rather than fuel-cell technology.
- Ford engineers predict that they will eventually design an almost __________.
- While a fuel-cell lasts longer, some aspects of it are comparable to a __________.
- Fuel-cells can come in many sizes and can be used in power stations and in __________ as well as in vehicles.
Questions 11-14 Do the following statements agree, with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
11 Using electricity produced by burning fossil fuels to access sources of hydrogen may increase the positive effect of the fuel-cell.
12 The oil company Statoil in Norway owns gas wells in other parts of the world.
13 Public transport is leading the way in the application of fuel-cell technology.
14 More funding is necessary to ensure the success of the fuel-cell vehicle industry.
Overview of the Reading Passage
This passage analyzes the link between transportation, air pollution, and climate change, then introduces hydrogen cars as a viable solution.
- Paragraph A raises the issue of climate change, emphasizing that seemingly separate problems like coral reef conservation and traffic pollution are actually closely linked.
- Paragraph B presents alarming predictions about global temperature rises and their catastrophic consequences, calling for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by finding alternative energy sources.
- Paragraph C introduces carbon-reducing technologies like wind and solar power, but focuses on fuel-cell technology as a potential solution for cars, despite its invention dating back to the 19th century.
- Paragraph D explains how hydrogen cars work: hydrogen enters the fuel tank, generates electricity, and emits only water. It highlights the advantages of fuel cells over conventional batteries and their wide range of applications.
- Paragraph E delves into the biggest challenge: the hydrogen supply. The passage analyzes options like electrolysis (energy-intensive) and natural gas splitting (which produces CO2), proposing geological sequestration as a way to manage the CO2.
- Paragraph F discusses the urgency of getting fuel-cell vehicles on the road, predicts their future popularity, and addresses the challenge of fuel distribution infrastructure.
- Paragraph G concludes by affirming the significant potential of fuel-cell technology in slowing climate change while calling for further investment to ensure a long-term future for the industry and global wildlife.
Vocabulary & Useful Structures
Answer Key and Detailed Explanations
a. Task: Matching Headings
- Question 1 (Paragraph A):
Analysis: Paragraph A begins by linking climate change to traffic pollution, providing a broad, holistic perspective.
Answer: vii. A holistic view of climatic change.
- Question 2 (Paragraph B):
Analysis: Paragraph B presents predictions about rising temperatures, consequences, and a call to reduce emissions.
Answer: iv. Some negative predictions from one group of experts.
- Question 3 (Paragraph C):
Analysis: Paragraph C discusses the history of fuel cells and their development, noting they were invented long ago.
Answer: vi. The history of fuel-cell technology.
- Question 4 (Paragraph D):
Analysis: Paragraph D explains in detail how fuel cells work, from hydrogen generating electricity to the emission of water.
Answer: v. How the new vehicle technology works.
- Question 5 (Paragraph E):
Analysis: Paragraph E focuses on finding hydrogen sources and the challenges associated with them.
Answer: viii. Locating the essential ingredient.
- Question 6 (Paragraph F):
Analysis: Paragraph F discusses bringing fuel-cell vehicles to market and the challenge of fuel distribution.
Answer: iii. Making the new technology available worldwide.
b. Task: Sentence Completion
- Question 7:
In the late nineteenth century, the car industry invested in the development of the __________, rather than fuel-cell technology.
Location: Paragraph C states “…because the world’s motor industry put its effort into developing the combustion engine, it was never refined for mass production.”
Answer: combustion engine.
- Question 8:
Ford engineers predict that they will eventually design an almost __________.
Location: Paragraph C states “Ford engineers expect to be able to produce a virtually silent vehicle in the future.”
Answer: silent.
- Question 9:
While a fuel-cell lasts longer, some aspects of it are comparable to a __________.
Location: Paragraph D states “The fuel cell is, in some ways, similar to a battery, but unlike a battery, it does not run down.”
Answer: battery.
- Question 10:
Fuel-cells can come in many sizes and can be used in power stations and in __________ as well as in vehicles.
Location: Paragraph D states “Fuel cells can be made in a huge range of sizes, small enough for portable computers or large enough for power stations.”
Answer: portable computers.
c. Task: TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN
- Question 11:
Using electricity produced by burning fossil fuels to access sources of hydrogen may increase the positive effect of the fuel-cell.
Analysis: Paragraph E states “…if the electricity is produced by a coal-fired power station or other fossil fuel, then the overall carbon reduction benefit of the fuel cell disappears.” This contradicts the idea of increasing the positive effect.
Answer: FALSE.
- Question 12:
The oil company Statoil in Norway owns gas wells in other parts of the world.
Analysis: Paragraph E mentions “Oil companies, such as Norway’s Statoil, are experimenting with storing carbon dioxide below ground in oil and gas wells.” The text only mentions Statoil in Norway and their experiments; it does not state they own gas wells elsewhere.
Answer: NOT GIVEN.
- Question 13:
Public transport is leading the way in the application of fuel-cell technology.
Analysis: Paragraph F states “Even now, fuel-cell buses are operating in the US… Public transport and delivery firms are logical places to start since their vehicles are operated from central depots.”
Answer: TRUE.
- Question 14:
More funding is necessary to ensure the success of the fuel-cell vehicle industry.
Analysis: Paragraph G concludes “…but further investment is needed if the industry – and the world’s wildlife – is to have a long-term future.”
Answer: TRUE.
The reading “Putting the Brakes on Climate Change: Are Hydrogen Cars the Answer?” provides a comprehensive look at the potential of hydrogen vehicles as a climate change solution. From operating mechanisms and benefits to supply and infrastructure challenges, the article paints a realistic picture of this technology.
For IELTS candidates, this is an excellent resource for practicing various question types, from Matching Headings to True/False/Not Given and Sentence Completion. Mastering technical vocabulary and argumentative analysis will be key to both understanding the passage and succeeding in the exam. Fuel cells may not be the only answer, but they are certainly a significant step toward a more sustainable future.
Khai giảng Khóa học Hè cực HOT.
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