Table of Contents
BEST IELTS General Reading Test 36
GENERAL READING TEST 36 – PASSAGE – 2
GENERAL READUING TEST 36 – PASSAGE – 2
READING PASSAGE – 2
Converting plastic waste into petrol!
(1) Alka Zadgaonkar believes in creating something of value even out of waste. Since last year, she has been demonstrating to Indian and foreign experts how waste plastic can be converted into petrol, offering a solution to one of the world’s biggest environment problems-waste plastic disposal.
(2) Head of the department of organic chemistry at Nagpur’s G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering, Zadgaonkar recently signed a manufacturing and marketing petroleum product generated from waste plastic. She has been given Rs 5.9 million for the pilot project.
(3) How did she hit upon the idea? “Both plastics and petro-products are hydrocarbons. The only difference is that in plastics the chain of molecules is longer. So, I wondered if it was possible to break the chain into small segments to convert it into value added fuel,” says 40- years- old Zadgaonkar.
(4) Zadgaonkar’s method is simple: shredded plastic waste- free oxygen- is heated with coal and a secret chemical. The products include fuel range liquids, coke and LPG range gases. About 1 kg of plastic and 100gm of coal churn out a litre of fuel, which contains the gasoline range. More processing, Zadgaonkar claims, yields refined petrol.
(5) “We can use any waste plastic recycled any number of times,” says Zadgaonkar. She has received a patent from the world intellectual property organization (WIPO).
(6) Zadgaonkar claims almost all plastic products- bags, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), old raincoats and broken buckets can be converted into fuel through her processing method. There is also no problem with residue disposal or emission, as the solid residue is coke and the gaseous emission is pure LPG, she says.
(7) The quest is significant for India, which produces 7,000 tonnes of waste plastic every day. Zadgoankar calculates that even if 50 percent of this waste is converted, the country would have approximately 2.5 million litres of petrol every day, and significant volumes of diesel and lubricating oil.
(8) Also, unlike in crude oil processing, this conversion can be carried out on smaller low-investment plants. Zadgaonkar says the processing costs are also low because this distillate, unlike crude oil, contains no sulphur or lead. With further value addition, more expensive petro-products like alfaolifins and aviation-grade gasoline can be obtained from the liquid distillate.
(9) She is looking forward to the launch of her new product within a year. A pilot plant with a capacity of 15 tonnes will come up in Nagpur within 6 months, followed by plants in delhi and then all over the country.
(10) Will reclaimed petrol be cheaper than ordinary petrol? According to Zadgaonkar, the process of conversion costs Rs. 7.50 per litre. Along with the raw material expenditure, the total cost of petrol production would be about Rs.12. however, she says it is not possible to determine the exact cost at this stage.
(11) Zadgaonkar is happy that she has contributed in suggesting ways to solve the plastic waste problem of the country.
Questions 16-20
Do the following statements agree with the information in the Reading passage?
In boxes 16-20 on your answer sheet, write
YES – if the statement agrees with the information.
NO – if the statement contradicts the statement
NOT GIVEN – if there is no information about the statement
Example: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with IOC
Answer– Yes
16. Alka Zadgoankar believes in creating something of value out of waste
17. LPG can be used to melt plastic.
18. About 400 gm of plastic and 1 kg of coal curn out a litre of fuel.
19. Almost all plastic products can be converted into coal.
20. Alka has no plan to launch her new product.
Questions 20-25
Choose one phrase from the list of phrases A-G below to complete each of the sentences 21-25 below:
21. Both plastic and petro-products…………..
22. Alka has been demonstrating how waste plastic can be……………..
23. She has received a patent……………
24. This convertion can be carried out…………………..
25. She is happy that she had done something…………………….
List of phrases
A. in smaller low-investment
B. converted into petrol
C. within a year
D. are hydrocarbons
E. to solve the plastic waste problem.
F. all over the country
G. from the WIPO
Questions 26-28
Using NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS from the passage, answer the questions below.
26. With which big environmental problem is Alka dealing?
…………………………………………………………………
27. How much money was she given for her pilot project?
………………………………………………………………
28. By converting waste plastic, what will we get beside petrol?
………………………………………………………………..
ANSWER KEY
16. YES
17. NOT GIVEN
18. NO
19. NO
20. NO
21. D
22. B
23. G
24. A
25. E
26. WASTE PLASTIC DISPOSAL
27. RS. 5.9 MILLION
28. DIESEL AND LUBRICATING OIL
