BEST IELTS General Reading Test 494

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IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 494 – PASSAGE – 3

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST – 494

READING PASSAGE – 3

HOW THE STRUCTURES OF HOUSES AROUND THE WORLD AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT

As we move into the 21st century, one of science’s biggest concerns is the effect of the ever-expanding boundaries of human civilization on biodiversity. Generally speaking, whenever humans move into an area, other animal and plant species suffer. That’s because humans demand a tremendous amount of natural resources.

And thanks to modern technology, we’re very good at getting those resources often at the expense of other plants and animals that rely on them. Humans dramatically alter the natural landscape by building homes, cutting down forests, damming rivers and so on. Those changes inevitably affect the other species that live there. Buildings have a big impact on the environment. The construction and renovation of buildings uses precious natural resources.

IELTS General Reading Test

Guidelines

The Environmental Protection Agency proposes numerous guidelines that restrict the effect of home- building on the environment. For instance, the Effluent Limitation Guidelines limit water discharges from new construction and require home builders to acquire permits when disturbing one or more acres of land.

The EPA’s Endangered Species Act prohibits builders from constructing houses in certain environmental risk areas, including wetlands and the habitats of endangered species. The organization, alongside state and local governments, also offers numerous assistance programs to help home-builders use materials that reduce environmental impact and energy usage. Federal, state and city governments impose eco-friendly building codes that encourage everything from energy- efficient heating systems to water-efficient plumbing to indoor pollutant control.

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Energy Use

According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings account for an average of 41% of the world’s energy use. The two other biggest energy consumers don’t even come close. The industrial sector accounts for 30% while transportation accounts for 29%. Part of this is due to the huge demand of electricity that buildings tend to use. In the United States, buildings are responsible for 73% of the country’s electricity consumption. A building’s lighting system, heating and cooling system and outlet use all contribute.

Impact on the Air

American building construction is responsible for a huge percentage of the greenhouse gas emissions that have been affecting climate change. In fact, the buildings are responsible for 38% of all CO2 emissions. When in use, buildings are responsible for a significant proportion of all our carbon emissions.

IELTS General Reading Test

Energy used in the construction and use of our homes and other buildings accounts for around half of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions. Under the Climate Change Act 2008 we have a legally binding target to reduce these emissions by at least 80% by 2050. Globally it is a similar picture. Buildings account for around 35% of resources, 40% of energy use, consume 12% of the world’s drinkable water and produce almost 40% of global carbon emissions.

Construction Materials

The materials used in building construction also have a serious impact on the environment. First of all, many of the materials used in the construction of buildings are produced in a non-sustainable way.

IELTS General Reading Test

The factories that make the materials produce damaging CO2 emissions. Materials that are not produced locally are often shipped from across the country or even from overseas. The transportation required for shipping these materials has a considerable impact on air quality. There is a huge environmental impact associated with the extraction and consumption of raw materials for the use of building materials. Not to mention the actual production of those materials in their final form. According to the USGBC, 40% of the world’s raw materials are used in the construction of buildings. Green and sustainable ways of building methods are the need of the hour.

Waste from Building Construction and Demolition

Each year, the United States generates about 160 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris which accounts for about two-thirds of all non-industrial solid waste generation in the country, according to a 2009 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The same source reports that only about 20 to 30 percent of this debris including asphalt, concrete, metals, paints and wood is collected and recycled.

IELTS General Reading Test

When it’s not recycled, this waste occupies valuable landfill space and consumes additional energy for transportation to and storage at the waste site. In addition to the energy expenditure of construction including fuel burned during transportation and electricity and gas used during building homes account for about 39 percent of total energy consumption in the United States, according to the EPA.

This includes 12 percent of the country’s water consumption, 68 percent of its electricity consumption and 38 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions. Using non-sustainable materials in the construction of the building has a temporary negative effect. The waste is often disposed of in either landfills or incinerators. Not only does this pollute the land and the air but the transportation required to remove such waste has a major impact on the environment as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there were already over 170 million tons of debris generated in the construction and demolition of buildings in the U.S. alone in 2003. 61 percent of which were produced by nonresidential buildings.

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 26-29

NO MORE THAN ONE WORD / OR NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

Entity	Statistical figure
Debris generated in the construction and 26………… of buildings in the U.S.	170 million tons
Debris collected and 27…………… in the U.S.	20 to 30 percent
Energy consumption for building homes in the U.S.	28………………… percent
Electricity 29………… by buildings in U.S.	73 percent

IELTS General Reading Test

Questions 30-32

Write the appropriate letter from A-D as answers in boxes 30-32, on your answer sheets.

30. Which of the following statements describes effects of housing on health?

A. Lead based paints cause childhood lead poisoning.

B. Exposure to pollutants resulting in childhood asthma.

C. Substandard housing contributes to stress.

D. All of the above

31. Which of the following factors in housing is not a determinant of quality of environment?

A. Maintenance, arrangement and sanitation of houses.

B. The quality and accessibility of facilities.

C. Security.

D. Street cleanliness in the residential area.

IELTS General Reading Test

32. Which of the following strategies is not true for improvement of environment?

A. Increase material use and natural resource depletion.

B. Reduce global warming via efficient energy and material use.

C. Reduce air, noise and water pollution by eco-designing of houses.

D. Innovations in design like green housing, zero emission housing etc.

Questions 33-40

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD/OR A NUMBER from the above text for each answer.

Producers of building 33………………… can ensure production in ways so as not to adversely affect the environment. The Environmental Product Declarations or EPDs show how products have been made in a sustainable way, minimizing energy usage and helping to protect the environment. Poorly designed and constructed buildings use more energy, increasing the 34………………… of energy production and contributing to global warming. Reducing energy use in buildings is one of the most important ways to reduce humans’ overall environmental 35…………………

To reduce your home’s impact on the environment, you can turn to green and 36………………… building methods. These methods include the use of recycled or post- consumer content and easily renewable resources such as certified wood and locally available components to avoid 37………………… Non-toxic building materials and products that emit minimal amounts of volatile organic compounds reduce harmful chemical emissions, while solar panels and water-conserving plumbing fixtures reduce long-term energy use. Green construction methods help you meet building codes, 38………………… and regulations and make energy-efficient homes. The process positively affects the surrounding 39………………… Green building helps protect local ecosystems and encourage 40………………… in addition to reducing waste water streams and improving local air and water quality.

IELTS General Reading Test

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