Delivering the Goods — IELTS Reading Answers

a suggestion for improving trade in the future

“Bringing these barriers down would help the world's economies grow even closer”

The suggestion is to bring trade barriers down so economies 'grow even closer', matching paragraph I's call for reducing obstacles to future trade.

the effects of the introduction of electronic delivery

“Computer software can be 'exported' without ever loading it onto a ship, simply by transmitting it over telephone lines from one country to another, so freight rates and cargo-handling schedules become insignificant factors in deciding where to make the product”

Paragraph F shows software transmitted by telephone lines, making 'freight rates and cargo-handling schedules insignificant' — electronic delivery removes shipping constraints.

the similar cost involved in transporting a product from abroad or from a local supplier

“Computer manufacturers in Japan or Texas will not face hugely bigger freight bills if they import drives from Singapore rather than purchasing them on the domestic market”

Paragraph E says manufacturers face no 'hugely bigger freight bills' importing drives from Singapore than buying domestically, so the costs are similar.

the weakening relationship between the value of goods and the cost of their delivery

“Over time, however, world output has shifted into goods whose worth is unrelated to their size and weight. Today, it is finished manufactured products that dominate the flow of trade, and, thanks to technological advances such as lightweight components,”

Paragraph D explains that output shifted to goods 'whose worth is unrelated to their size and weight', so less transport is needed per dollar of trade.

International trade is increasing at a greater rate than the world economy.

“While the global economy has been expanding at a bit over 3% a year, the volume of trade has been rising at a compound annual rate of about twice that”

Trade grows at 'about twice' the global economy's 3% annual rate, so international trade is indeed increasing faster than the world economy.

Cheap labour guarantees effective trade conditions.

“Cheap labour may make Chinese clothing competitive in America, but if delays in shipment tie up working capital and cause winter coats to arrive in spring, trade may lose its advantages”

Cheap labour can be undermined when shipment delays 'tie up working capital', so low wages do not guarantee effective trade conditions.

Japan imports more meat and steel than France.

“At the turn of the 20th century, agriculture and manufacturing were the two most important sectors almost everywhere, accounting for about 70% of total output in Germany, Italy and France, and 40-50% in America, Britain and Japan.”

The passage gives output shares for Japan and France but never compares their imports of meat and steel.

Most countries continue to prefer to trade with nearby nations.

“Countries still trade disproportionately with their geographic neighbours”

'Countries still trade disproportionately with their geographic neighbours' directly supports the claim that most prefer trading with nearby nations.

Small computer components are manufactured in Germany.

“Most of the world's disk-drive manufacturing is concentrated in South-east Asia”

Disk-drive manufacturing is located in South-east Asia, but the passage never says whether small computer components are made in Germany.

“The vast expansion in international trade owes much to a revolution in the business of moving freight”

The summary's opening gap needs the noun for international exchange: 'the vast expansion in international trade' is attributed to a freight revolution.

“Computer manufacturers in Japan or Texas will not face hugely bigger freight bills if they import drives from Singapore rather than purchasing them on the domestic market”

The gap needs the noun for parts: manufacturers import 'drives' — components — from Singapore rather than buying them on the domestic market.

“By 1967, dual-purpose ships, carrying loose cargo in the hold* and containers on the deck, were giving way to all-container vessels that moved thousands of boxes at a time”

The gap needs the vessel type: 'all-container vessels' replaced dual-purpose ships, so container ships carried thousands of boxes at once.

“National governments, by and large, kept a much firmer hand on truck and railroad tariffs than on charges for ocean freight”

The gap needs the word for charges: governments kept a firmer hand on truck and railroad 'tariffs' than on charges for ocean freight.