How Bad Is Ocean Garbage, Really? — IELTS Reading Answers

Rochman and her colleagues were the first people to research the problem of marine debris.

“Plenty of studies have sounded alarm bells about the state of marine debris”

FALSE: 'plenty of studies have sounded alarm bells about the state of marine debris', so Rochman's team was not the first to research it.

The creatures most in danger from ocean trash are certain seabirds.

“certain seabirds eat plastic bags, and go on to warn that whole bird populations are at risk of dying out”

NOT GIVEN: seabirds eating plastic bags is mentioned, but the passage never says which creatures are most endangered.

The studies Rochman has reviewed have already proved that populations of some birds will soon become extinct.

“‘But the truth was that nobody had yet tested those perceived threats,’ Rochman says. ‘There wasn’t a lot of information.’”

FALSE: Rochman says 'nobody had yet tested those perceived threats', so the studies had not proved imminent extinction.

Rochman analysed papers on the different kinds of danger caused by ocean trash.

“Rochman and her colleagues examined more than a hundred papers on the impacts of marine debris”

TRUE: Rochman and colleagues 'examined more than a hundred papers on the impacts of marine debris', analysing different dangers.

Most of the research analysed by Rochman and her colleagues was badly designed.

“In 83 percent of cases, the perceived dangers of ocean trash were proven true. In the remaining cases, the working group found the studies had weaknesses in design”

FALSE: in '83 percent of cases' dangers were proven true; design weaknesses appeared only 'in the remaining cases', not most studies.

One study examined by Rochman was expecting to find that mussels were harmed by eating plastic.

“only one well-designed study failed to find the effect it was looking for, an investigation of mussels ingesting microscopic bits. The plastic moved from the mussels’ stomachs to their bloodstreams, scientists found, and stayed there for weeks – but didn’t seem to stress out the shellfish.”

TRUE: one well-designed mussel study 'failed to find the effect it was looking for', meaning it expected plastic to harm mussels.

Some mussels choose to eat plastic in preference to their natural diet.

“mussels may be fine eating trash”

NOT GIVEN: the text says mussels 'may be fine eating trash', but never suggests they prefer plastic to their natural diet.

“Most of the dangers also involved large pieces of debris”

Most dangers 'involved large pieces of debris', so large is the adjective the note needs.

“Rochman’s group found little research on the effects of these tiny bits. ‘There are a lot of open questions still for microplastic,’”

Little research exists on tiny bits, and 'there are a lot of open questions still for microplastic', the material named.

“Many studies have looked at how plastic affects an individual animal, or that animal’s tissues or cells, rather than whole populations.”

Studies examined individual animals or tissues 'rather than whole populations', so populations is the missing level.

“in the lab, scientists often use higher concentrations of plastic than what’s really in the ocean”

Lab experiments 'often use higher concentrations of plastic than what's really in the ocean', the unrealistic factor.

“how deaths in one species could affect that animal’s predators”

Researchers asked 'how deaths in one species could affect that animal's predators', the affected group.

“‘We need to be asking more ecologically relevant questions,’ Rochman says. Usually, scientists don’t know exactly how disasters such as a tanker accidentally spilling its whole cargo of oil and polluting huge areas of the ocean will affect the environment until after they’ve happened.”

The passage asks how 'disasters such as a tanker accidentally spilling its whole cargo of oil' affect the environment.

What would be the best title for this passage?

1. AAssessing the threat of marine debriscorrect
2. BMarine debris: who is to blame?
3. CA new solution to the problem of marine debris
4. DMarine debris: the need for international action

“‘I think clearing up some of these misperceptions is really important,’ Rochman says. Among scientists as well as in the media, she says, ‘A lot of the images about strandings and entanglement and all of that cause the perception that plastic debris is killing everything in the ocean.’”

A: the passage weighs evidence and corrects 'misperceptions' about plastic, so 'Assessing the threat of marine debris' is the best title.