Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 584
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 584 – READING PASSAGE – 2
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 584
READING PASSAGE – 2
Glass through the Ages
A. From our earliest origins, man has been making use of glass. Archaeologists have discovered that a form of natural glass was the first use of it by man as tips for spears. This was obsidian, which was formed within the mouth of a volcano as a result of sand melting in the intense heat of an eruption. Archaeologists have also found evidence of man-made glass which dates back to 4000 BC. It was not until 1500 BC that the first hollow glass container was made by covering a sand core with a layer of molten glass.
B. Glass blowing became the most common way to make glass containers from the First Century BC. However, the glass made during this time was highly coloured, due to the impurities of the raw material. It was not until the First Century AD that colourless glass was first produced and then it could be purposely coloured by the addition of colouring materials. The Romans were accomplished glass makers, however, the skills and technology required to make glass were closely guarded by them and it was not until the Roman Empire disintegrated that skills for glass making spread throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Later, the Venetians in particular gained a reputation for technical skill and artistic ability in the making of glass bottles, and a fair number of the city’s craftsmen left Italy to set up glassworks throughout Europe. A major milestone in the history of glass occurred with the invention of lead crystal glass by Englishman George Ravenscroft. He attempted to counter the effect of clouding, that sometimes occurred in blown glass by introducing lead to the raw materials used in the process.
The new glass he created was softer and easier to decorate and had a higher refractive index, adding to its brilliance and beauty, and it proved invaluable to the optical industry. It’s thanks to Ravenscroft’s invention that optical lenses, astronomical telescopes, microscopes and the like became possible.
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C. The modern glass industry only really started to develop in Britain after the repeal of the Excise Act in 1845 relieved the heavy duty that had been enforced. Before that time, excise duties were placed on the amount of glass melted in a glasshouse and this was levied continuously from 1745 to 1845. From 1848, glass was allowed to be manufactured on a larger scale and this led to its larger use in buildings. Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 marked the beginning of the discovery of glass as a building material.
The revolutionary new building encouraged the use of glass in public, domestic and horticultural architecture. Early use of building glass was of course to allow vision whilst providing protection from the environment. The glass used in today’s windows and facades has more functions, such as security, self-cleaning and fire and noise resistance.
D. Modern glass making is a hi-tech industry operating in a fiercely competitive global market where quality, design and service levels are critical to maintaining market share. Modern glass plants are capable of making millions of glass containers a day in many different colours, although “clear” remains the most in demand. Few people can imagine modern life without glass. It features in almost every aspect of our lives – in our homes, our cars and whenever we sit down to eat or drink. Glass packaging is used for many products. Due to its ability to be sterile, most drinks can come in glass, as can medicines and cosmetics, not to mention numerous foodstuffs.
E. With increasing consumer concern for the environment, glass has again come into its own proving itself to be an ideal material for recycling. Glass makes up a large component of household and industrial waste due to its weight and density. The glass component in municipal waste is usually made up of bottles, broken glassware, light bulbs and other items. Adding to this waste is the fact that many manual methods of creating glass objects have a defect rate of around forty percent. Glass recycling is good news for the environment. It saves used glass containers being sent to landfill and less energy is needed to melt recycled glass than to melt down the raw materials, thus saving energy.
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Every 1,000 tonnes of recycled glass that is used in this way saves 345,000 kWh of energy, 314 tonnes of CO2, 1,200 tonnes of raw material and 1,000 tonnes of landfill. Recycling also reduces the need for raw materials to be quarried, thus saving precious resources. After glass is collected, it is crushed and melted, and then moulded into new products such as bottles and jars. It may also be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture.
F. Glass as a material in its own right will always exist. Also, many new applications and manufacturing processes will involve glass in combination with other materials. With the increasing sophistication of opto-electronic devices, there is an increasing need to combine optical and electronic devices for many applications, such as transmission of audio, video and data information. Glasses and ceramics, either alone or composite with other materials, will find increasing application in biological and medical areas. Materials such as photochromic, electrochromic and thermochromic glasses, which respond to external stimuli, are being developed with various and sometimes unusual applications.
Questions 14 – 19
The text on the previous pages has 6 paragraphs (A – F). Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number (i – ix) in boxes 14 – 19 on your answer sheet.
i. Trade Disputes over Glass
ii. The First Glass
iii. The Future of Glass
iv. Reprocessing
v. The Early Manufacturers
vi. A Dangerous Method of Production
vii. Glass Today
viii. Military Uses
ix. Ending Taxes and the Implications
14. Paragraph A
15. Paragraph B
16. Paragraph C
17. Paragraph D
18. Paragraph E
19. Paragraph F
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Questions 20 – 23
Complete each sentence with the correct ending (A – G) below. Write the correct letter (A – G) in answer boxes 20 – 23 on your answer sheet.
20. The first glass seems to have been…
21. Glass was often very coloured, due to the…
22. Romans made good glass, but they were…
23. Ravenscroft used lead in his production method to stop…
A … impure nature of the raw materials used for glass production.
B … expensive due to the inefficient production methods.
C … clouding in glass made with the blowing method.
D … useful as part of a weapon.
E … important nature of the industry.
F … secretive about sharing their production methods.
G … dark and cracked products that were produced.
Questions 24 – 26
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer.
24. In what year was tax on glass production abolished?
25. What is the most popular colour for glass today?
26. What alternative use for recycled glass is given in the text?
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ANSWERS
14. ii
15. v
16. ix
17. vii
18. iv
19. iii
20. D
21. A
22. F
23. C
24. 1845
25. CLEAR
26. BRICK MANUFACTURE
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST