Cambridge IELTS 1 · General Training · Test 1 · Section 3
Paper Recycling — IELTS Reading Answers
All 12 answers for Paper Recycling, Cambridge IELTS 1 General Training Reading Test 1 Section 3, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Paper Recycling answer key at a glance
Questions 30–41. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this section tests
This section is tested with Summary Completion (Q30–36), Flow Chart Completion (Q37–41). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 30–36: 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.
“it comes from a sustainable resource: trees. Unlike the minerals and oil used to make plastics and metals, trees are replaceable”
Trees are described as 'a sustainable resource' and 'replaceable', unlike the minerals and oil used for plastics and metals.
“Paper is also biodegradable, so it does not pose as much threat to the environment when it is discarded”
Paper 'is also biodegradable', so it poses less threat to the environment when it is discarded.
“While 45 out of every 100 tonnes of wood fibre used to make paper in Australia comes from waste paper, the rest comes directly from virgin fibre from forests and plantations”
The rest of the wood fibre, beyond the 45 per cent from waste paper, comes 'directly from virgin fibre'.
“Governments have encouraged waste paper collection and sorting schemes and at the same time, the paper industry has responded by developing new recycling technologies that have paved the way for even greater utilisation of used fibre”
The summary subject is whoever encouraged collection, and the text says 'Governments have encouraged waste paper collection and sorting schemes'.
“advances in the technology required to remove ink from the paper have allowed a higher recycled content in newsprint and writing paper”
'Advances in the technology required to remove ink' allowed a higher recycled content, so the gap needs this plural noun.
“We need to accept a change in the quality of paper products; for example stationery may be less white and of a rougher texture”
We must accept 'a change in the quality of paper products', such as stationery that is less white and rougher.
“Not only do we need to make the paper available to collectors but it also needs to be separated into different types and sorted from contaminants such as staples, paperclips, string and other miscellaneous items”
Paper must be sorted from 'contaminants such as staples, paperclips, string', which are exactly the items listed.
Questions 37–41: Flow Chart Completion
Strategy: Follow the arrows in order. Each stage usually maps to one sentence or one clause in the passage.
“The four most common sources of paper for recycling are factories and retail stores which gather large amounts of packaging material in which goods are delivered, also offices which have unwanted business documents and computer output,”
Offices are a source because they produce 'unwanted business documents and computer output' for recycling.
“Once collected, the paper has to be sorted by hand by people trained to recognise various types of paper”
Once collected, 'the paper has to be sorted by hand' by people trained to recognise paper types.
“The sorted paper then has to be repulped or mixed with water and broken down into its individual fibres”
The sorted paper is 'repulped or mixed with water' and broken down into individual fibres.
“if the grey colour is not acceptable, the fibres must be de-inked. This involves adding chemicals such as caustic soda or other alkalis, soaps and detergents, water-hardening agents such as calcium chloride, frothing agents and bleaching agents”
If the grey colour is unacceptable, 'the fibres must be de-inked' using caustic soda and other chemicals.
“Before the recycled fibres can be made into paper they must be refined or treated in such a way that they bond together”
Before being made into paper, the fibres 'must be refined or treated' so that they bond together.
Learn the question types in this section
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Paper Recycling passage come from?
It is Section 3 of Cambridge IELTS 1 General Training Reading Test 1, and it covers Questions 30–41.
What question types appear in Paper Recycling?
The section is tested with Summary Completion, Flow Chart 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.