BEST IELTS General Reading Test 539

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IELTS GENERAL READING TEST 539 – PASSAGE – 3

IELTS GENERAL READING TEST

READING PASSAGE – 3

The St. Lawrence Seaway

A. In 1949, experts examined the benefits of constructing a 2,400-mile waterway system through the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. These benefits, which included the harnessing of previously undeveloped water power and the opening up of valuable resources in the Great Lakes region, also extended to national defense.

The Seaway was finally authorised by the United States Congress in May, 1954. President Eisenhower signed the bill immediately, and within a few weeks one of the greatest engineering tasks in the history of the world was under way. When opened to deep-draft ships, the St. Lawrence Seaway was a 2,400 mile waterway system extending from the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to the headwaters of the Lakes.

IELTS General Reading Test

B. Work on the Seaway began in September 1954. Disruption and problems were minimal, although excavators uncovered rock formations so tough that new methods and stronger machinery were needed. The main building problems were for people. The related power development flooded 259 square kilometres and land had to be expropriated and entire communities resettled. Some 6,500 people were moved to new homes and some 550 dwellings were transported to waiting foundations in new Ontario towns. The project was completed in 1959 ahead of schedule.

C. From the earliest days of European settlement, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River have been utilised as a means of transportation. Great Lakes cities were founded as trading posts along a vast marine highway that facilitated commerce in an era pre-dating railroads and highways. This relationship to the water has always enabled the region to thrive, and today the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region is the industrial and agricultural heartland of both the United States and Canada.

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The St. Lawrence Seaway complements the region’s rail and highway network and offers a cost-effective, safe and environmentally smart means of moving raw materials, agricultural commodities and manufactured products. Every year more than 160 million metric tons of cargo is moved on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. Dominant cargoes include iron ore for steel production, coal for power generation, limestone and cement for construction, and grain for both domestic consumption and export.

D. The fresh waters of the Great Lakes are conducive to long life for ships. Many of the bulk freighter fleet on the Great Lakes even now are over forty years old. The absence of barnacles and marine growths assures long life to ships in fresh water. The long life of ships on the Great Lakes is perhaps dismaying to shipyards, but of great benefit to ship operators.

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E. Every weekend, power-boaters and sailors weigh anchor and head out for relaxation and family fun. Some may cruise only a day, while others opt for one- to two-week trips, exploring the furthest reaches of the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes. On any given weekend, thousands of U.S. and Canadian charter fishing boats cast off with eager anglers. Great Lakes fishing has even emerged as a competitive sport; serious fishing tournaments are annual events in many Great Lakes port communities. Currently enjoying a resurgence in the Great Lakes/Seaway System is overnight cruising. A new generation of ocean cruise ships is now rediscovering the Great Lakes as an excellent cruise destination.

F. The Seaway system is connected by five short canals. They include fifteen locks, filled and drained by gravity. Each lock is 233.5 metres long, 24.4 metres wide and 9.1 metres deep over the sill. A lock fills with approximately 91 million litres of water in just 7 to 10 minutes. Together, the locks make up the world’s most spectacular lift system. Ships measuring up to 225.5 metres in length and 23.8 metres in the beam are routinely raised to more than 180 metres above sea level, as high as a 60 story building.

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The ships are twice as long and half as wide as a football field and carry cargoes equivalent of 25,000 metric tonnes. Getting through a lock takes about 45 minutes. In addition to locks, ships and ports, a host of maritime service providers work to ensure the safe and efficient transport of cargo. These include stevedores, warehousemen, freight forwarders, dockworkers, crane operators, vessel agents, dredging contractors, marine pilots, truck drivers, tugboat operators and shipyard workers.

G. Over the past 200 years, more than 185 invasive species have found their way into the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes. It is important to put this invasion into context. Many vectors have played a role in this, including aquaculture, live fish markets, sport fishing, recreational boating, bait fish, pets and plants, as well as ballast water from ocean-going ships. Historically, ocean going ships are responsible for the majority of the introductions of invasive species, up to two-thirds by some accounts.

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The earliest recorded example of an aquatic invader was the sea lamprey, which reached the Great Lakes via the Erie Canal in the 1820’s. Over the last 20 years, scientists have documented about 12 new species, including the notorious zebra mussel. The zebra mussel, a fingernail-sized mollusc from the Caspian Sea, probably arrived in North America aboard a transatlantic freighter and was possibly flushed into Lake St. Clair along with ballast water in the late 1980’s. The impact of this tiny creature has been widespread, as it threatens other species and marine agriculture.

Questions 28-34

The text on the previous pages has 7 paragraphs (A-G).

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number, i-x.

i. Economic and Logistical Impacts

ii. Political Considerations

iii. Recreation

iv. Pollution Issues

v. From Theory to Finished Project

vi. Easy Construction

vii. Problems with Tides

viii. Advantages for Ships

ix. The Arrival of New Organisms

x. Subsidiary Infrastructure

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28. Paragraph A

29. Paragraph B

30. Paragraph C

31. Paragraph D

32. Paragraph E

33. Paragraph F

34. Paragraph G

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Questions 35-37

Complete each sentence with the correct ending (A – F) below.

35. Because of the flooding that the St. Lawrence Seaway created, …

36. Because of the Great Lakes’ utility for transport, …

37. Because the Great Lakes are freshwater, …

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A …various settlements grew up next to the water.

B …pollution levels lowered dramatically.

C …many people were displaced from their homes.

D …new laws were passed to protect the environment.

E …ships sailing on them are subject to a lot less damage.

F …foreign ships were able to access new markets

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Questions 38-40

Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

The St. Lawrence Seaway

The Lakes and Seaway are used for boating (short and long periods), fishing (charters, private and tournaments) and (38)……………. (enjoying a comeback on the Lakes and the Seaway). The Seaway is linked by canals and locks, the latter emptied by (39)……………. . The locks and lift systems can raise extremely big ships large distances. Due to various causes, the Seaway has allowed invasive species to enter the lakes and Seaway. Ocean going ships were responsible in the past (up to 2/3 of invasive species reportedly). Examples include the sea lamprey and zebra mussel; the latter was most likely emptied into one of the lakes with water used for (40)…………….

IELTS General Reading Test

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