Cambridge IELTS 19 · Academic · Test 4 · Passage 2
Deep-sea Mining — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Deep-sea Mining, Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Reading Test 4 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Deep-sea Mining answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Matching Information (Q14–17), Matching Features (Q18–23), Summary Completion (Q24–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–17: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
reference to the rapidly increasing need for one raw material in the transport industry
“Mining corporations argue that deep-sea exploration could help diversify the supply of metals and point to the fact that demand for resources such as copper, aluminum, cobalt for electric car batteries and other metals to power technology and smartphones, is soaring.”
Paragraph C notes demand for 'cobalt for electric car batteries' and other metals 'is soaring', the transport-related raw material.
a rough estimate of the area of the Earth covered by the oceans
“The oceans occupy around 70% of the planet and are relatively unexplored, says Mike Johnston, chief executive of Nautilus, a Canadian underwater exploration company”
Paragraph F gives the rough estimate: 'the oceans occupy around 70% of the planet'.
how a particular underwater habitat, where minerals and organisms co-exist, is formed
“Scientific research – including a recent paper in Marine Policy journal – has suggested the deep seabed, and hydrothermal vents, which are created when seawater meets volcanic magma, have crucial impacts upon biodiversity and the global climate.”
Paragraph E explains hydrothermal vents are 'created when seawater meets volcanic magma' and host many animals.
reference to the fact that the countries of the world have yet to agree on rules for the exploration of the seabed
“But environmental and legal groups have urged caution, arguing there are potentially massive and unknown ramifications for the environment and for nearby communities, and that the global regulatory framework is not yet drafted.”
Paragraph D says 'the global regulatory framework is not yet drafted', so states have not agreed rules.
Questions 18–23: Matching Features
Strategy: Match the statement to the named person or thing. Names can repeat, so check each option against what that person actually says.
A move away from the exploration of heavily mined reserves on land is a good idea.
“The oceans occupy around 70% of the planet and are relatively unexplored, says Mike Johnston, chief executive of Nautilus, a Canadian underwater exploration company: ‘It makes sense to explore this untapped potential in an environmentally sustainable way,”
Paragraph D argues it 'makes sense to explore this untapped potential... instead of continually looking at the fast depleting land resources'.
The negative effects of undersea exploration on local areas and their inhabitants are being ignored.
“‘Despite arising in the last half century, the “new global gold rush” of deep-sea mining shares many features with past resource scrambles -including a general disregard for environmental and social impacts, and the marginalisation of indigenous peoples and their rights,’ a paper,”
Paragraph B's cited paper criticises 'a general disregard for environmental and social impacts, and the marginalisation of indigenous peoples'.
There are more worthwhile things to extract from the sea than minerals.
“But Upton, and other scientists who view the deep ocean and its wealth of unique and undocumented species as a prospecting ground for new medicines, fear such potential will be lost in the rush to exploit the deep sea’s equally rich metal and mineral resources.”
Paragraph A contrasts deep-sea species as 'a prospecting ground for new medicines' with the rush to exploit metal resources.
No other form of human exploration will have such a destructive impact on marine life as deep-sea mining.
“‘Mining will be the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans,’ according to hydrothermal vent expert Verena Tunnicliffe, at the University of Victoria in Canada.”
Paragraph E quotes that 'mining will be the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans'.
More is known about outer space than about what lies beneath the oceans.
“Julie Hunter and Julian Aguon, from Blue Ocean Law, and Pradeep Singh, from the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Bremen, argues. The authors say that knowledge of the deep seabed remains extremely limited.”
Paragraph B says the Moon, Mars and Venus 'have all been mapped and studied in much greater detail' than the deep seabed.
There is one marine life habitat where experts agree mining should not take place.
“‘On deep sea vents, scientists are clear,’ says Dr Jon Copley of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton: ‘We don’t want mining on them.’”
Paragraph C reports scientists are clear about vents: 'We don't want mining on them'.
Questions 24–26: Summary Completion
Strategy: Read the summary as a paragraph first to establish the logic, then locate the missing idea in the passage. With a lettered list, confirm the grammar fits.
“They say that deep-sea mining could yield far superior ore to land mining with little, if any, waste.”
Deep-sea mining could yield superior ore 'with little, if any, waste', so the gap is 'waste'.
“Different methods of extraction exist, but most involve employing some form of converted machinery previously used in terrestrial mining to excavate materials from the sea floor”
Extraction uses 'converted machinery previously used in terrestrial mining', so the gap is 'machinery'.
“But environmental and legal groups have urged caution, arguing there are potentially massive and unknown ramifications for the environment and for nearby communities, and that the global regulatory framework is not yet drafted.”
Environmental and legal groups 'have urged caution', which is the response the summary describes.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Deep-sea Mining passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 19 Academic Reading Test 4, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in Deep-sea Mining?
The passage is tested with Matching Information, Matching Features, Summary Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.