The invention of explosives permanently transformed civil engineering, mining, and global military strategy. The reading passage It’s Dynamite takes readers through the tumultuous, tragic, yet triumphant history of two revolutionary chemical compounds: nitroglycerine and dynamite. By exploring the life of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the text not only analyzes the dangerous physical and chemical properties of “high” explosives, but also highlights the deep inner conflict of a scientist who used a vast fortune built on weapons of destruction to establish the world’s most prestigious prizes for the benefit of humanity.
For students preparing for the IELTS exam, this is a classic reading passage under the topic of History of Science and Technology. To help you master this text and tackle every question with confidence, ECE Language Center has provided a full passage breakdown, key vocabulary guide, and detailed answer explanations.
Reading Passage
It’s Dynamite
[Paragraph 1] A railroad corporation in America started building a tunnel through the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1866. They ran across some especially tough rock and had to order three boxes of the only blasting explosive that would work: nitroglycerine. The first of these containers arrived at a San Francisco postal facility, where after being dropped accidently, it immediately exploded, killing all 15 workers inside. The idea was understood. Nitro has a hazardous sensitivity to shock. As soon as its shipping was outlawed, it had to be produced on-site by laboratories, which was costly and yet highly dangerous as seen by the number of fatal explosions.
[Paragraph 2] There are many such tragic occurrences in the nitroglycerine’s history. Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero created it for the first time in 1847, but he delayed publishing his discoveries because he was so terrified of what he had found. In both private letters and a journal paper, he was the first to warn the world against its usage, claiming that it was impossible to handle the material responsibly. However, it was quickly found that nitro was significantly less susceptible to shock when frozen (at roughly five degrees). The issue emerged when it was thawed back into liquid form because it then became much more unstable. A growing death toll would confirm this, once more.
[Paragraph 3] Nonetheless, since nitroglycerine was the first useful mining explosive created, it has always been in demand. Gunpowder was previously utilized, but it was ineffective and cumbersome. Gunpowder is a “low” explosive, which means that it “burns” from layer to layer and releases gases that expand more slowly than sound. Nitro is a “high” explosive, which means that it “detonates” — that is, is prompted to respond by the almost inaudible shock wave — and creates gases that expand faster than sound. Gunpowder effectively could not shatter rock (although it was suitable for bullets and artillery shells). Only nitro could effectively complete the task, and Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, developed an interest in it.
[Paragraph 4] When the production of iron and steel was shifting to the practically sole production of cannons, weaponry, and gunpowder, Nobel recognized the potential economic benefit of making nitroglycerine manageable. He started experimenting, but it cost him a lot of money. His younger brother and a number of workers perished in a factory disaster in 1864. In an effort to identify the solution, Nobel undertook the construction of a new factory in the isolated German hills. He initially tried mixing nitro with regular gunpowder and selling the resulting product as “blasting oil,” but unintentional explosions persisted. Twice, his factory was completely destroyed.
[Paragraph 5] The breakthrough was made possible by the combination of liquid nitroglycerine and “diatomaceous earth,” an inert absorbent silicate sand. Diatomite, a rock that can be found in the nearby hills, was ground down to create this. Being extremely light and porous, it resembles volcanic pumice but is actually made of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a hard-shelled alga. As a result of being solid, nitro became immediately less hazardous to handle and easier to store and carry. The name “dynamite,” derived from the Greek word “dyna” for “power,” was given to Nobel’s creation when he filed a patent for it in 1867.
[Paragraph 6] Dynamite’s most well-known form was made of short paper-wrapped sticks that contained three quarters diatomaceous earth and one quarter nitroglycerine, but it would always be risky to make, store, and use. With all the ensuing instability of raw nitro, the nitro can eventually seep out and crystallize on the outside of the sticks or pool at the bottom of storage containers. However, the product would make Nobel a fortune in an era of massive railroad and tunnel building. Although high explosives are useful for engineering projects during peacetime, the public was aware that Nobel’s riches was also built on the sale of weapons of mass destruction.
[Paragraph 7] The circumstances that followed the death of his brother Ludvig caused Nobel to become quite upset. The French newspapers wrongly reported Alfred’s passing as having occurred and ran an obituary. One can only imagine Alfred’s response when he learned of his own passing as he was at that time in France. The obituary, however, was critical and condemning, referring to Nobel as a “dealer of death” who “made wealthy by developing ways to kill more people faster than ever before.” He wrote a new last will and testament in 1895, a year before he passed away, and it is unquestionably because of this event. Everyone would be shocked, and history would be altered.
[Paragraph 8] Except from a few small bequests, Alfred Nobel requested that his enormous fortune—roughly $200 million in today’s dollars—be used to establish the Nobel Awards when he passed away at the age of 63, alone and childless. These would be given out annually to persons in the fields of physics, chemistry, peace, medicine, and literature who contribute the “most benefit to mankind.” The Nobel Awards are currently regarded as some of the most prestigious in the world, proving that Nobel’s method was successful. Few people realize that the production of nitroglycerin, dynamite, gunpowder, and armaments—which indirectly contribute to untold human carnage—is the source of all that money.
Questions
Questions 1 – 4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet, write:
TRUE — if the statement is true
FALSE — if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN — if the information is not given in the passage.
1. Nitroglycerine is riskier than dynamite.
2. Because of his wealth, the French newspaper criticized Alfred Nobel.
3. Nobel’s friends received some money from his will.
4. Many people today criticize Nobel for creating weaponry.
Questions 5 – 9
Complete the summary of the first three paragraphs.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Nitroglycerine could explode with even a small 5. _______________, thus it was the cause of a growing 6. _______________. It was able to 7. _______________ since, in contrast to gunpowder, it 8. _______________. When 9. _______________, nitro could be handled more safely, yet deaths continued.
Questions 10 – 13
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
10. What were the first two products manufactured by Nobel’s companies?
11. What was the name of the first nitroglycerine product?
12. What type of rock is diatomite?
13. In which field was dynamite most useful?
Full Passage Translation & Breakdown
[Paragraph 1] In 1866, an American railroad company began excavating a tunnel through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Encountering extremely tough rock formations, they were forced to order three crates of the only blasting explosive powerful enough for the job: nitroglycerine. The first crate arrived at a postal facility in San Francisco, where it was accidentally dropped and immediately detonated, killing all 15 employees inside. The lesson was clear: nitroglycerine possesses a dangerously high sensitivity to impact. Once its transportation was banned, it had to be manufactured directly on-site in field laboratories—an expensive approach that remained extremely hazardous, as evidenced by a wave of fatal explosions.
[Paragraph 2] History contains many such tragic incidents involving nitroglycerine. The Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero first synthesized the compound in 1847, but he delayed publishing his findings out of sheer terror at what he had created. In private correspondence as well as published journal articles, he became the first to issue a public warning against its use, maintaining that it was impossible to handle the substance safely. However, researchers soon discovered that nitro was far less sensitive to shock when frozen (at around 5 degrees Celsius). The problem arose when the substance thawed back into liquid form, becoming significantly more volatile. A rising death toll would repeatedly confirm this dangerous reality.
[Paragraph 3] Nevertheless, because nitroglycerine was the first truly effective explosive developed for mining, demand for it remained high. Gunpowder had previously been used, but it proved ineffective and cumbersome. Gunpowder is a “low” explosive, meaning it burns layer by layer and releases expanding gases at speeds slower than sound. Nitro, by contrast, is a “high” explosive that “detonates”—triggered into an instantaneous reaction by a nearly imperceptible shock wave—producing gases that expand faster than the speed of sound. Gunpowder was essentially incapable of shattering solid rock (though it worked well for bullets and artillery shells). Only nitro could handle the job effectively, catching the attention of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel.
[Paragraph 4] As iron and steel manufacturing shifted almost exclusively toward producing cannons, armaments, and gunpowder, Nobel recognized the immense financial opportunity in making nitroglycerine controllable. He began experimenting, though at immense personal cost. In 1864, a catastrophic factory explosion claimed the lives of his younger brother and several workers. Determined to find a solution, Nobel established a new facility in the secluded hills of Germany. He initially attempted to mix nitro with standard gunpowder, marketing the mixture as “blasting oil,” but accidental explosions continued to occur. On two separate occasions, his manufacturing facility was completely destroyed.
[Paragraph 5] The breakthrough came when Nobel combined liquid nitroglycerine with “diatomaceous earth”—an inert, highly absorbent silicate sand made by grinding down diatomite rock found in nearby hills. Extremely light and porous, it resembles volcanic pumice but actually consists of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. Converting nitro into a solid form made it instantly safer to handle, transport, and store. Nobel named his creation “dynamite”—derived from the Greek word *dyna*, meaning power—and patented the invention in 1867.
[Paragraph 6] The most iconic form of dynamite consisted of short, paper-wrapped sticks containing three parts diatomaceous earth to one part nitroglycerine. However, production, storage, and handling remained inherently hazardous. Over time, due to the instability of raw nitro, the liquid could seep out, crystallize on the outside of the sticks, or pool at the bottom of storage crates. Despite these risks, the invention brought Nobel immense wealth during an era of global railway and tunnel expansion. Yet while high explosives proved valuable for peacetime engineering projects, the public was well aware that Nobel’s fortune was also built on manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.
[Paragraph 7] Events following the death of his brother Ludvig left Nobel deeply disturbed. French newspapers mistakenly assumed Alfred himself had died and published an obituary. One can only imagine Alfred’s reaction to reading his own obituary while staying in France. The article was harsh and scathing, branding Nobel a “dealer of death” who had “grown rich by discovering ways to kill more people faster than ever before.” Deeply shaken by this legacy, he drafted a new last will and testament in 1895, just a year before his death—an act that surprised the world and altered the
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