‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
Here are the explanations of the questions of passage named ‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ which is from Cambridge 18th book. The questions that have been asked are Yes/ No/ Not Given, Summary Blanks, MCQs. You will find the locations of reading answers, Keywords (highlighted and underlined) and justifications.
READING PASSAGE 3: ‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’
| Question | Answer |
| 27 | YES |
| 28 | NOT GIVEN |
| 29 | NO |
| 30 | NO |
| 31 | I |
| 32 | F |
| 33 | A |
| 34 | C |
| 35 | H |
| 36 | E |
| 37 | B |
| 38 | A |
| 39 | D |
| 40 | C |
Questions 27-30
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet, write
YES, if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
27. Wegener’s ideas about continental drift were widely disputed while he was alive.
Location: – 1st paragraph
Explanation :- Though the main keywords to this answer is in the 3rd line of 1st paragraph. ‘The Origin of Continents and Oceans, went through four editions and was the focus of an international controversy in his lifetime and for some years after his death.’ Here, ‘International controversy’ means the same ‘widely disputed’ and ‘alive’ is synonym of ‘lifetime’. Thus, it is clear from this answer is ‘yes’.
Answer: – YES
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
28. The idea that the continents remained fixed in place was defended in a number of respected scientific publications.
Location: – 2nd paragraph
Explanation :- There is no such information is given in the paragraph about the question. So, the answer is ‘Not given’.
Answer: – NOT GIVEN
29. Wegener relied on a limited range of scientific fields to support his theory of continental drift.
Location: – 2nd paragraph
Explanation:- In 2nd line…. ‘Wegener showed in great detail how such continental movements were plausible and how they worked, using evidence from a large number of sciences including geology, geophysics, paleontology, and climatology.’ Here, this line means ‘using evidence from a large number of sciences including geology, geophysics, paleontology, and climatology’ the writer use evidence from different sciences not limited range of scientific fields to proof his theory.
Answer: – NO
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
30. The similarities between Wegener’s theory of continental drift and modern-day plate tectonics are enormous.
Location: – 2nd paragraph
Explanation :- In last 2-3 lines of paragraph 2nd. ‘Yet plate tectonics is a descendant of Alfred Wegner’s theory of continental drift, in quite the same way that modern evolutionary theory is descendant of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.’ Here ‘descendant’ means ‘decline’ which contradict the word ‘enormous. Thus, the answer is ‘No’.
Answer: – NO
Questions 31-36
Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A-J, below.
Write the correct letter, A-J in boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet.
Wegener’s life and work
One of the remarkable things about Wegener from a 31.……………… is that although he proposed a theory of continental drift, he was not geologist.
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- The main keyword ‘geologist’ of this question is in the 1-2 lines of this paragraph. ‘When I started writing about Wegener’s life and work, one of the most intriguing things about him for me was that’…. Here, the writer refers to him as ‘me’ in the lines. So, the suitable answer to this question is ‘biographer’s perspective.
Answer: – I
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
His 32.……………………. Were limited to atmospheric physics.
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- We can find the location of this answer in 3rd line. ‘ although he came up with a theory on continental drift, he was not a geologist. He trained as an astronomer and pursued a career in atmospheric physics.’ Here it is written that he opted for atmospheric physics. ‘Professional interests’ and ‘career’ are the same meaning, so the suitable response is ‘F’.
Answer: – F
However, at the time he proposed his theory of continental drift 1912, he was already a person of 33.……………….
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- we can see the main keyword 1912 in the 5th line of this paragraph, it is written that ‘he proposed the theory of continental displacements in 1912, he was a lecturer in physics and astronomy at the University of Marburg, in southern Germany, However, he was not an ‘unknown’.’……. Here, ‘not an unknown’ means ‘famous’. Thus, the answer is ‘A’ which is ‘Modest fame’.
Answer: – A
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
Six years previously, there had been his 34. …………….. of 52 hours in a hot -air balloon,
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- we can find the main keywords ‘52 hours’ and ‘hot-air balloon’ in 6th line ….. ‘In 1906 he had set a world record (with his brother Kurt) for time aloft in a hot-air balloon: 52 hours.’ In this line six years previously refers to 1906 and ‘set a world record’ has similar meaning to ‘record-breaking achievement’. Hence, the answer is ‘C’
Answer: – C
followed by his well- publicised but 35.………… of Greenland’s coast.
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- From the last 4th line …… ‘Between 1906 and 1908 he had taken part in a highly publicized and extremely dangerous expedition to the coast of northeast Greenland’. Here, the ‘extremely dangerous’ refers to ‘hazardous exploration’ then the possible answer to this question is ‘H’.
Answer: – H
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
With the publication of his textbook on thermodynamics, he had also come to the attention of a 36. ………… of German scientists.
Location: – 3rd paragraph
Explanation :- Answer to this question is in the last line of this paragraph ‘He had also made a name for himself amongst a small circle of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists in Germany as the author of a textbook, Thermodynamics of the Atmosphere (1911), and of a number of interesting scientific papers.’ Here, writer refers ‘a small circle of meteorologists and atmospheric physicists’ to ‘a group’. So, the matching answer is ‘E’.
Answer: – E
Questions 37-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
37. What is Mott T Greene doing in the fifth paragraph?
A describing what motivated him to write the book
B explaining why it is desirable to read the whole book
C suggesting why Wegener pursued so many different careers
D indicating what aspects of Wegener’s life interested him most
Location: – 5th paragraph
Explanation :- The main keywords are ‘Mott T Greene’ and ‘fifth paragraph’…… ‘I have tried to provide guideposts to his rapidly shifting interests by characterizing different phases of his life as careers in different sciences, which is reflected in the titles of the chapters. Thus, the index should be a sufficient guide for those interested in a particular aspect of Wegener’s life but perhaps not all of it.’ Here, the writer explained about the different phases of Wegener’s life and a guide for those who are interested in a particular phase of his life. Thus, the most suitable option is ‘B’.
Answer: – B
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
38. What is said about Wegener in the sixth paragraph?
A He was not a particularly ambitious person.
B He kept a record of all his scientific observations.
C He did not adopt many of the scientific practices of the time.
D He enjoyed discussing new discoveries with other scientists.
Location: – 6th paragraph
Explanation :- From 2nd line of 6th paragraph …… ‘Only a few hundred of the many thousands of letters he wrote and received in his lifetime have survived and he didn’t keep notebooks or diaries that recorded his life and activities. He was not active (with a few exceptions) in scientific societies.’ It is clear from these given lines that ‘Wegener was not active in scientific societies’ and ‘not active to keep record of each and every activity of his life in diaries/notebooks’. ‘B’ is the adequate option for this because ‘not a particularly ambitious person’ means same.
Answer: -A
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
39. What does Greene say about some other famous scientists?
A Their published works had a greater impact than Wegener’s did.
B They had fewer doubts about their scientific ideas than Wegener did.
C Their scientific Ideas were more controversial than Wegener’s.
D They are easier subjects to write about than Wegener.
Location: – 7th paragraph
Explanation :- we have to understand the whole paragraph to answer this question. ‘Some famous scientists, such as Newton, Darwin, and Einstein, left mountains of written material behind, hundreds of notebooks and letters numbering in the tens of thousands’. ……. ‘The more such material a scientist leaves behind, the better chance a biographer has of forming an accurate picture of how a scientist’s ideas took shape and evolved’…. Here, writer refers to that a lot of material a scientist leaves behind, which helps to ease in writing about scientists. Hence, ‘D’ is the appropriate answer.
Answer: – D
‘Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration and The theory of continental drift’ – Reading Answer Explanation – CAM – 18
40. What is Greene’s main point in the final paragraph?
A It is not enough in life to have good intentions.
B People need to plan carefully if they want to succeed.
C People have little control over many aspects of their lives
D It is important that people ensure they have the freedom to act.
Location: – 8th paragraph
Explanation :- The answer to this question is in the first 4 lines of the mentioned paragraph. ‘I am firmly of the opinion that most of us, Wegener included, are not in any real sense the authors of our own lives. We plan, think, and act, often with apparent freedom, but most of the time our lives ‘happen to us’, and we only retrospectively turn this happenstance into a coherent narrative of fulfilled intentions.’ The writer tries to mention here that most of the people think and act according to their plans but, everything happened according to destiny. Thus, the answer is ‘c’.
Answer: – C
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