A Significant Development In Mining Safety — IELTS Reading Answers

Section A

“But as coal mines became deeper, miners encountered a new and terrible problem — firedamp”

Heading iv fits Section A: deeper mines exposed miners to 'a new and terrible problem — firedamp'.

Section B

“The earliest forms of safety lighting sought to produce light without using a naked flame”

Heading vi matches Section B, which describes early safety lighting that avoided 'a naked flame'.

Section C

“However, the clerical, medical and legal professions were beginning to take notice.”

Heading iii fits Section C, where 'the clerical, medical and legal professions were beginning to take notice' of mining safety.

Section D

“After much discussion and argument, he was eventually recognised as deserving equal credit for the discovery, but the time needed for this recognition to be given meant that the miners' safety lamp had already been called the 'Davy lamp' and it is called that today”

Heading i suits Section D's dispute over credit, with Davy's name sticking despite Stephenson deserving 'equal credit'.

Section E

“but to this day Dr Clanny remains a forgotten hero”

Heading viii matches Section E: 'Dr Clanny remains a forgotten hero', his contribution unrecognised.

“The first known major firedamp explosion, which killed 99 people, took place in Belgium in 1514 and as new technology was used to mine at increasingly deep levels, the problem got worse”

The gap names the disaster; 'the first known major firedamp explosion, which killed 99 people', occurred in Belgium in 1514.

“Many mines had only one shaft leading from the surface down to the working area below. Ventilation could be improved to some extent by dividing this into a downcast (bringing in fresh air) and an upcast (returning foul air and firedamp to the surface)”

The gap names the vertical passage; many mines had 'only one shaft leading from the surface down to the working area'.

“An alternative was a device invented in about 1750, consisting of a flint which struck against a piece of iron when a handle was turned, creating a shower of sparks which lit up the surrounding area”

The gap names what the flint produced; striking iron created 'a shower of sparks which lit up the surrounding area'.

“extra manpower had to be used to operate it continuously, and it also required regular maintenance and replacement”

The gap names the labour cost; 'extra manpower had to be used to operate it continuously'.

What does the writer say about mine owners in 1810?

1. AMost of them disregarded safety issuescorrect
2. BThey were criticised for conditions in the mines
3. CMost of them used unfair pressure to keep mines open
4. DThey were unaware of how dangerous the mines were

“the general response, however, was to keep going and reluctantly accept the inevitable deaths from ignition of firedamp as a regrettable, but not especially remarkable, consequence of coal mining”

Option A: the 'general response' was to 'keep going and reluctantly accept the inevitable deaths', so owners ignored safety.

According to the writer, what was the significance of the explosion at Felling Colliery in 1812?

1. AIt led to increased legal protection for miners
2. BIt led to a change in public attitudes to mining safetycorrect
3. CIt demonstrated the lack of concern of certain groups towards the miners
4. DIt started a movement to give miners proper training in safety procedures

“After 92 men and boys were killed in 1812 by an explosion at Felling Colliery in northern England, several professional people took action and a society was set up to raise funds for the discovery of new methods of lighting and ventilating mines”

Option B: after Felling, 'several professional people took action and a society was set up', showing public attitudes shifted.

The lamp presented by Davy was safer than previous methods of lighting because its flame

1. ACould not remain alight for a long time
2. BDid not get large enough to ignite the firedamp
3. CDid not have any contact with the air
4. DCould not pass beyond the mesh screencorrect

“the flame was enclosed by a mesh screen containing very small holes. Air could enter the lamp through the holes, but they were too small to allow the flame of the lamp to pass through them and ignite any firedamp present in the mine tunnels”

Option D: the holes were 'too small to allow the flame of the lamp to pass through them', so fire could not escape.

What does the writer say about Davy and Stephenson?

1. ADavy refused to accept Stephenson’s work as it had not been fully trialled
2. BDavy insisted on the safety lamp being named after him rather than Stephenson
3. CStephenson claimed Davy’s work was based on false principles
4. DStephenson produced a working example of a safety lamp before Davycorrect

“However, a few weeks prior to Davy's presentation, an engineer called George Stephenson had independently designed and demonstrated a lamp based on the same scientific principles”

Option D: 'a few weeks prior to Davy's presentation' Stephenson 'had independently designed and demonstrated a lamp'.