https://ieltsmaterial.

com

Reading Test 2
SECTION 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions, which are based on Reading Passage 1
below.

COASTLINE DANGER

A.
On July 1, 1998, an unexpected tsunami pounded the northern coastline of Papua New
Guinea. In three massive waves, as high as 15 meters, it washed away entire villages,
drowned over 2500 people and left thousands homeless. Survivors of the Papua New
Guinea disaster described the tsunami as a wall of water hurling toward shore, averaging
10 meters high and extending about 5 kilometres from front to back. The largest wave
swept over the shore at speeds of up to 20 kilometres per hour for more than a minute,
before draining away in preparation for the next.

B.
What are tsunamis? Tsunamis are enormous waves initiated by sudden seismic events. A
tsunami is generated when a large mass of water is displaced suddenly, creating a swell
that moves away from its origin. The effect is similar to the ripples that form when a pebble
is
dropped into a pond-but a thousand times larger. A tsunami wave can be 100 to 200
kilometres wide and long. It can reach speeds of 725 to 800 km/hour. It can travel
thousands of kilometres across the ocean and maintain a barely not likeable height of less
than a half meter. However, as the tsunami enters the shallow waters of a coastline, it
bunches up into a monstrous wall of seawater that can reach heights of 30 meters and still
be many kilometres in length.

C.
The impact of such large waves on a shoreline can be devastating. Buildings, bridges, and
can be devastating. Buildings, bridges, and other structures may be destroyed. Extensive
beach erosion commonly occurs. In addition, water may flood areas hundreds of meters

Telegram: @officialieltsreality
 https://ieltsmaterial.com

inland. The amount of damage depends on the geometry of the coastline as well as the
size of the tsunami. Because variations in the shapes of coastal areas can focus or diffuse
the energy in a wave, different parts of a coastline may experience very different degrees
of damage from a given tsunami. The largest waves, hence the greatest amount of
damage, are generally observed in embayment that funnel the waves into a narrow bay.

D.
Tsunamis are frequently caused by underwater earthquakes with a magnitude greater than
7 on the Richter scale. The most dangerous tsunamis are triggered by quakes with a
shallow focus that produce extended vibrations and shift the seafloor vertically. Tsunamis
are sometimes generated by other catastrophic events, such as underwater volcanic
explosions. For example, the disastrous eruption of Krakatau that killed more than 30,000
people in 1883 produced waves that were 35 meters high and that travelled thousands of
kilometres. Although scientists are not certain exactly how this eruption led to a tsunami, a
recent study of sea-floor deposits suggests that water displaced by immense ash flows was
the cause. Underwater landslides have also been known to create tsunamis. For instance,
the Hawaiian Islands have all experienced enormous landslides in the past, and coastal
sediments record evidence of tsunamis that were generated from them.

E.
The exact trigger of the Papua New Guinea tsunami is not yet known, although an
earthquake was certainly involved. Because the earthquake was relatively small, scientists
were somewhat surprised by the disastrous results. One study of seismic data indicated
that the earthquake was centred offshore and produced a 2-meter vertical displacement of
the seafloor; the conclusion was that this abrupt motion triggered the tsunami. Other
evidence indicates that the tsunami was produced by a huge offshore landslide, itself
triggered by the earthquake. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the first wave struck shore
about 20 minutes after the mainshock of the earthquake, too long for the tsunami to have
originated from sub-sea faulting during the quake. A slump or landslide typically lags
several minutes behind an earthquake and could explain the delay. Further support comes
from a 70-seconds long rumble recorded in the middle of the Pacific soon after the

Telegram: @officialieltsreality
 https://ieltsmaterial.com

earthquake. This sound lasted too long to have come from a small aftershock and may
have represented a seafloor slide.

F.
Unfortunately, tsunamis cannot be stopped or prevented. However, effective warning
systems might save hundreds of lives. In the United States, the National Tsunami Hazard
Mitigation Program has been developed to reduce the impacts of tsunamis along the U.S.
Pacific Coast. One goal of this program is to improve the tsunami warning systems.
Components of such systems include seismic sensors that warn of large earthquakes and
oceanic sensors that detect tsunamis crossing the ocean. Destructive tsunamis need to be
detected quickly so that warnings can be issued to allow the orderly evacuation of coastal
communities in the path of the waves. Of course, evacuation can only save lives if the
tsunami is triggered far enough away to give advanced warning.

Questions 1-4

Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, labelled A-F.

Answer questions and write the appropriate letter; A-F, in boxes on your answer sheet.

1. Which paragraph explains the measures that have been taken to reduce the impact of
tsunamis along the U.S. Pacific coast?

2. Which paragraph discusses the probable cause of the Papua New Guinea tsunami?

Write the name and the year in the box on your answer sheet.

3. On what island and in what year was a tsunami triggered by a volcanic eruption that
killed 30,000 people?

Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, write your answer in the box on your answer
sheet.

4. Tsunamis are frequently caused by underwater earthquakes with a magnitude greater

Telegram: @officialieltsreality
 https://ieltsmaterial.com

Questions 5-6

Complete the summary below about the tsunami that hit Papua New Guinea. Choose NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer:

On July 1, 1998, an unexpected tsunami ___5___ the northern coast of Papua New
Guinea. In three massive waves, as high as 15 meters, it ___6___ entire villages, drowned
over 2500 and left thousands homeless. Survivors of the Papua New Guinea disaster
described the tsunami as a wall of water ___7___ shore, averaging 10 meters high and
extending about 5 kilometres from front to back. The largest wave ___8___ the shore at
speeds of up to 20 kilometres per hour for more than a minute, before draining away in
preparation for the next.

Questions 9-10

Complete the table below which describes the power of a tsunami. Using NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS.

Question 11

Choose the appropriate letter, A-D, and write it on your answer sheet.

11. According to the text, tsunamis generally cause the greatest amount of observable
damage ___
A) in unpaved areas.
B) in wide and flat areas.
C) in embayments.
D) in sandy beach areas.

Telegram: @officialieltsreality