Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 475
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 475 – PASSAGE – 2
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 475
READING PASSAGE – 2
Battery of life
One of the most important fitments in your car is the battery. Without a battery you can’t start your car, and that can really be depressing if you are off to an important meeting, or coming home from a cocktail party late at night. So it is important to have a good, strong battery with a known brand name, and not the one locally made in Mani Majra basements. Such batteries are cheaper, no doubt, but don’t last long. They leak, corrode the surrounding area, and in the long run, are unreliable.
To overcome all these petty problems, buy a battery with known brand name. The battery that came with the car would be a good choice. Informatively, Exide, one of the best known brands, has 80 per cent of the market share as original equipment on new cars sold in the country.
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The most important point in keeping your battery reliable and long lasting is the maintenance. If you have an ordinary battery, it must be checked out every three months. Now is the good time to do it. Winter is approaching and cold temperatures are hard on a battery.
Here are some tips to ensure a long life for your battery and hassle-free driving. If you are a do-it-yourself person, there is a list of do’s and don’ts. If the level of electrolyte is low, top it up with distilled water; only distilled water. It is pure water. Nothing else will do. The battery comes with sulfuric acid, and to dilute it to 12.20 specific gravity, distilled water is used. Sulfuric acid does not evaporate, water does. That is why the battery needs periodic topping up with distilled water.
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If you have used water other than distilled, it will have impurities such as chlorine, iron and other minerals. These will stick to the plates. Destroy the plates and no electric charge will be produced. Battery dead. Should it be a battery under warranty, and you have added no-distilled water, your warranty is void.
Another very important point for batteries to operate at the optimum level is to have clean terminal. Terminals are the two lead poles that stick out of the battery top; one negative, one positive. They must be clean for the clamps to carry the electric change.
Remove the clamps, always undo the positive clamp first, then the negative clamp. Clean the terminals and the inside of the clamps with a clean, dry cloth. A roughened terminal makes for better grip and contact. To improve that contact, apply petroleum jelly to the terminals. I repeat, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), and not grease.
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Then slip the clamps over the terminals and tighten hard. The battery people in the market use grease. This is a strict no-no. They apply it to the terminals after tightening the clamps. It serves no purpose and is actually detrimental to the whole exercise of making a good contact.
The battery sits in the engine compartment, which gets very hot. The grease applied on the outside of the clamps hardens due to the heat, makes a layer and does not prevent corrosion. The whole purpose of the exercise of making contact and transmitting the electric change is defeated.
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Opening the plugs on top of the battery should be done with care. Sulfuric acid gives off hydrogen, which is highly inflammable. So, no cigarettes, open flame or sparks near the battery. The bracket holding the battery in place should be secured firmly. A lose battery vibrates, shakes, bounces and could touch the metal of the bonnet. This could cause short-circuits.
In case your battery is dead, and you have to jump start your car, follow this procedure. Filling the cables is important. Attach the negative cable first, then the positive cable on the dead battery’s terminal, and finally clamp on the engine for a few minutes to allow a trickle charge to the dead battery. Wait a few minutes, and then turn the starter. The car will start.
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Questions 14-19
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 14-19 of your answer sheet, write
YES – if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO – if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
14. We cannot rely on locally made batteries because they breakdown easily.
15. Cold temperatures are good for battery.
16. The level of electrolyte in your battery is topped up by adding sulfuric acid.
17. Applying grease to the terminals can adversely affect the contact between clamps and terminals.
18. Grease applied to the terminals melt under heat.
19. Smokers should never open the plugs on top of the battery.
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Questions 20-23
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each.
Caring your battery
There are many things to keep in mind while deciding the battery for your vehicle. Firstly, it should be 20………………. and made by a popular company. Avoid purchasing 21………….. batteries as they do not last long. 22…………… is utmost important for the proper functioning of your battery. It is important to have proper maintenance in winter as 23………………. has a bad effect on the battery.
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Questions 24-26
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
24. According to the writer
A. Detach both clamps together
B. The surface of terminals should be smooth
C. Apply only petroleum jelly
D. Grease is a useful alternative for petroleum jelly
25. In the penultimate paragraph, the writer implies
A. Sulfuric acid is inflammable
B. A loose battery emits hydrogen
C. A battery that is not attached firmly can lead to short-circuits
D. Smoking cigarette while opening the battery is dangerous
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26. To ensure long life for your batter, you should not
A. use distilled water to top up the level of electrolyte
B. clean the terminals regularly
C. apply grease to the terminals
D. tighten the clamps on the terminal after cleaning
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ANSWERS
14. YES
15. NO
16. NO
17. YES
18. NO
19. NOT GIVEN
20. STRONG
21. LOCALLY MADE//CHEAPER
22. MAINTENANCE
23. COLD TEMPERATURES
24. C
25. C//D
26. C
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