The Grapes of Winter, Islands That Float, Ocean Plant Life In Decline Reading Answers

Courtney Miller

15 min read

Updated On Sep 18, 2023

Reading Passage 1
Reading Passage 2
Reading Passage 3
Answers

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The IELTS Reading passage, The Grapes of Winter, along with the other two Academic passages – Islands That Float and Ocean Plant life in decline make this a complete Reading practice test.

You will have 60 minutes to complete the whole test, which consists of 40 questions in total.

Here are the question types in this reading test:

Reading Passage 1 (The Grapes of Winter)

Matching headings
Multiple Choice Questions
Matching sentence endings

Reading Passage 2 (Islands That Float)

True or False / Not Given
Matching features
Diagram completion

Reading Passage 3 ( Ocean Plant life in decline)

Matching information
Sentence completion
Summary completion

Set your timer and take the test now!

Before you start, take a look at Diagram Completion Tips and Tricks to brush up on your skills!

Check the answer key with explanations of The Grapes of Winter and unlock the answers to other passages by signing up.

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Reading Passage 1

The Grapes of Winter

If an artist must suffer to create great art, so does the winemaker when it comes to producing ice wine.

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Find the practice test with The Grapes of Winter PDF here.

Questions 1-7

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A-H

From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph.

Write the appropriate numbers i-x in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet

List of Headings

i. International comparisons

ii. Unique grapes withstand various attacks

iii. Production of initial juice

iv. Warm temperatures reduce sweetness

v. Cold temperatures brings a sweet taste

vi. From grape to wine

vii. More grapes produce less wine

viii. Temperature is vital to the production

ix. Infection brings benefits

x. Obstacles to picking

xi. The juice flows quickly

Example	Answer
Paragraph A	V

1 Paragraph B

2 Paragraph C

3 Paragraph D

4 Paragraph E

5 Paragraph F

6 Paragraph G

7 Paragraph H

Questions 8 -10

Choose the correct letter. A, B, C or D

Write your answers next to 8-10 on your answer sheet.

8 Growers set aside only a small area for ice wine grapes because

A not all grapes are suitable.

B nature attacks them in various ways.

C not many grapes are needed.

D the area set aside makes the vineyard look extremely untidy.

9 Rice husks are used because they

A stop the grapes from becoming ice blocks.

B help the berries to remain frozen.

C create holes in the grapes.

D help producers create different tastes.

10 According to Klaus Reif, Canadian ice wine

A flows more slowly than German wine.

B tastes a lot like German ice wine.

C is better than German ice wine.

D is sweeter than German ice wine.

Questions 11-14

Complete each of the following statements (questions 11-14) with the best ending A-G from the box below.

Write the appropriate letters A-G in boxes 11-14 on your answer sheet.

11 Franconia ice winemakers

12 Famous dessert winemakers

13 Ice wine grape pickers in Germany

14 Canadian ice winemakers

A	use diseased grapes to produce their wine.
B	enjoy working in cool climates.
C	can produce ice wine every year.
D	were surprised by the high sugar content in frozen grapes.
E	made a conscious effort to produce ice wine.
F	drink tea and brandy during their work.

Also check:

Reading Passage 2

Islands That Float

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15-27, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Find the practice test with the Islands That Float PDF here.

Questions 15-19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 15-19 on your answer sheet write

TRUE, if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE, if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN, if there is no information on this

15 Natural floating islands occur mostly in lakes.

16 Floating Islands occur after a heavy storm or landslide.

17 The details of the floating island at sea near Cuba and Haiti were one of many sea-going islands in that area.

18 Floating islands at sea sink because the plants on them eventually die.

19 Scientists and local residents agree on how the Pirron Yallock Islands were
formed.

Questions 20-23

Look at the following people (questions 20-23) and the list of statements below.

Match each person to the correct statement.

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 20-23 on your answer sheet.

20 Burns

21 Peterson

22 McWhirter

23 Hesser

A compared floating islands to floating blocks of ice

B documented the breakup of a sea-going island

C examined floating islands in a confined area

D studied the effect of rivers on floating islands

E like floating islands, floating mobile ice chunks carry vegetation

F even comparatively light winds can create a floating island

G recorded the appearance of a sea-going floating island

H tall trees increase floating island mobility

Questions 24-27

Complete the labels on Diagram B below.

Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 24-27 on your answer sheet.

A 5 meters

B 30 meters

C basalt

D 200 meters

E 250 meters

F causeway

G highway

H drainage channel

Reading Passage 3

Ocean Plant life in decline

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

Find the practice test with the Ocean Plant life in decline PDF here.

Questions 28-32

The passage has seven paragraphs labeled A-G.
Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

28 the role of plankton in dealing with carbon dioxide from vehicles

29 the effect on land and marine creatures when icebergs break off

30 the impact of higher temperatures upon the ocean

31 the system used in naming icebergs

32 the importance of phytoplankton in the food chain

Questions 33-36

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33 Much needed iron for plant life is transported to the ocean by______________

34 An increase in greenhouse gases is due to a decrease in______________

35 Phytoplankton forms the___________________ of the food web.

36 The technical term used when a piece of ice detached from the main block is___________

Questions 37-40

Complete the summary of paragraphs A-C below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

A decline in the plant life located in the world’s oceans has been validated by 37_________________ . The most obvious decline in plant life has been in the North Pacific. A rise in ocean temperatures in the early 1980s and late 1990s led to a decline in 38____________________________ . In addition to higher ocean temperatures, deficiencies in 39______________ can also lead to a decline in plankton numbers. This, in turn, impacts upon the world’s 40____________________ .

Answers

The Grapes of Winter Reading Answers (Passage 1)

1.	ix read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph B mentions ‘an abnormally high concentration of sugars and acids achieved by Botrytis cinerea’; ‘The result (of the disease) is highly desirable…’; ‘The world’s great wines are made from grapes afflicted with this disease’. once you are quite sure you have the right paragraph, read in-depth to confirm your choice
2.	viii read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph C mentions that’… the subzero cold spell must last several days to ensure the berries remain frozen solid during picking… ‘ and, ‘If the ice melts during a sudden thaw, the sugar in each berry is diluted’ again, read in-depth to confirm your choice
3.	ii read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph D mentions that ‘not all grapes are suitable… only the thick-skinned, late-maturing varieties such as Riesling and Vidal (a unique or special grape type) can resist… predators…’ (a list of predators/attackers are listed) again, read in-depth to confirm your choice
4.	x read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph Estates, ‘A strong wind or an ice storm could easily knock the fruit to the ground’; ‘howling (strong) wind’; ‘wind chill factor… of -10°C’ – all these are obstacles that can (negatively) affect picking’ read in-depth to confirm your choice
5.	iii read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph F states, ‘The presses (the things used for production) have to be worked slowly otherwise the bunches will… yield nothing’, ‘sometimes it takes 2-3 hours before the first drop of juice’ – this is the initial read in-depth to confirm your choice
6.	vi read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph G mentions ‘… grapes are harvested… The oily juice once extracted… is allowed to settle… it is then clarified… a special yeast is added… the wine is finally bottled…” – all these steps show the process from the harvesting of the grape to the production of the ice wine read in-depth to confirm your choice
7.	i read each paragraph and note the main ideas (main ideas usually have a lot of information written about them) read the words in the question (in the box) and find a match with your main ideas notice paragraph H mentions ‘Germany may be recognised as the ice wine home… its winemakers cannot produce it every year… but ‘Canadian winemakers can produce it every year’; ‘The juice comes out like honey (in Canada) in Germany it flows like ordinary wine’ – these are international comparisons once you are quite sure you have the right paragraph, read in-depth to confirm your choice
8.	B scan the text looking for ways nature attacks the grapes Paragraph D lists many ways that nature attacks the grapes Various ways nature attacks (‘…birds, mildew and rot… a sudden storm’) are mentioned
9.	C scan the text looking for the keywords ‘rice husks’ The answer is located in paragraph F rice husks are used to “… pierce the skins… (so the) juice flow(s)
10.	A Scan for the surname Reif once located, read in-depth for his view on Canadian ice wine The answer is located in paragraph H The juice from grapes in Canada “… comes out like honey… ” whereas in Germany “… it flows like ordinary wine.” The context is that Canadian ice wine flows more slowly than ordinary wine
11.	D The answer is located in paragraph B “They were amazed by an abnormally high concentration of sugar… “
12.	A The answer is located in paragraph B “… great dessert wines… are made from grapes afflicted by this… disease”
13.	F The answer is located in paragraph E “… pickers fortified with tea and brandy… ” ‘fortified’ is a difficult word but reading it carefully in context, we can work out that it has something to do with using (drinking) to give strength/energy and/or keep warm.

Islands That Float Reading Answers (Passage 2)

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14.	C The answer is located in paragraph H “… winemakers cannot produce (wine) every year (but) Canadian winemakers can… “
15.	NG There is nothing in the passage about this!
16.	T locate keywords in the question and scan for the keywords are heavy storms and landslide read in detail to find out about these terms locate the words, “… in two common ways: landslides… or… after storm surges…”
17.	F locate the keywords in the question keywords are Cuba and Haiti scan for them read in detail to find out if there have been many floating islands locate the words, “… sighting of floating islands is rare… unscheduled, short-lived and usually undocumented”
18.	NG There is nothing in the passage about this!
19.	T locate the keywords in the question keywords are scientists and local residents read in detail to ‘Accounts of how the floating islands were formed have been given by local residents. These accounts have not been disputed in the scientific literature. “
20.	F scan for the name ‘Burns’. once located, read carefully what is written before and after locate the words “… comparatively low wind… establish(es) free-floating islands with vegetation… two meters… tall”
21.	A scan for the name ‘Peterson’ once located, read carefully what is written before and after locate the words “… floating islands… are analogous to floating mobile ice chunks…”
22.	G scan for the name ‘McWhirter* once located, read carefully what is written before and after a long description of the floating island in Cuban waters begins with the words “McWhirter described the island…¹¹
23.	C scan for the name “Hesser’ once located, read carefully what is written before and after locate the words “… Longevity studies in lakes have been carried out by Hesser”. In other words, how long islands last in a closed area (a lake). Therefore the answer is “C”
24.	F study the two diagrams carefully locate the section of the reading passage which deals with the Pirron Yallock Islands notice that the 5th paragraph states, “This causeway restricted flow between the depression and its former southern arm.” the section of the diagram is clearly positioned in the south, therefore, the causeway must be the answer
25.	B study the two diagrams carefully locate the section of the reading passage which deals with the Pirron Yallock Islands notice that the 6th paragraph states, “The main island then broke up into several smaller islands which… range in size from 2 to 30 meters in diameter.” the section of the diagram is clearly positioned over the largest island so it must be the maximum size mentioned – 30 meters.
26.	26. D study the two diagrams carefully locate the section of the reading passage which deals with the Pirron Yallock Islands notice that the 6th paragraph states, “The main island then broke up… drift(ing) slowly for up to 200 meters within the confines of the lake.” the section of the diagram clearly relates to the total length of the lake and the maximum distance given is 200 meters so this is the answer.
27.	C study the two diagrams carefully locate the section of the reading passage which deals with the Pirron Yallock Islands notice that the 6th paragraph states, ’Peat… had been isolated by the fire (and) broke away from the rocky, basalt floor.’ the section of the diagram is clearly pointing to the floor or base of the lake, therefore, it must be the basalt floor

Ocean Plant life in decline Reading Answers (Passage 3)

28.	D Read the information in the questions carefully and determine the keywords the keywords in this question are ‘plankton, carbon dioxide, vehicles” skim the passage looking for those keywords and/or their synonyms the answer is paragraph D.
29.	G Read the information in the questions carefully and determine the keywords the keywords in this question are “animals affected, icebergs, break off¹ skim the passage looking for those keywords and/or their synonyms the answer is located in the latter part of paragraph G.
30.	A Read the information in the questions carefully and determine the keywords the keywords in this question are “impact, higher temperatures’ skim the passage looking for those keywords and/or their synonyms the answer is in the middle part of paragraph A.
31.	F Read the information in the questions carefully and determine the keywords the keywords in this question are ‘naming icebergs’ skim the passage looking for those keywords and/or their synonyms the answer is paragraph F.
32.	E Read the information in the questions carefully and determine the keywords the keywords in this question are “importance phytoplankton, food chain* skim the passage looking for those keywords and/or their synonyms the answer is paragraph E.
33.	(powerful) wind(s) Read the questions carefully selecting keywords. The keywords are “iron, transported to the ocean”. Scan the passage for those keywords and locate the area that addresses the gist of the passage. Paragraph B makes mention of powerful winds that sweep iron-containing dust across the oceans…” Make sure you use the word(s) directly from the passage.
34.	plankton (productivity) Read the questions carefully selecting keywords. The keywords are “increase in greenhouse gasses, decrease in.” Scan the passage for those keywords and locate the area that addresses the gist of the passage. Paragraph D states that “The loss of plankton productivity in the oceans also means the loss of an important factor in removing much of the principal greenhouse gas that has been a primary cause of the world’s climate to warm for the past century or more.’ Make sure you use the word(s) directly from the passage.
35.	base Read the questions carefully selecting keywords The keywords are “phytoplankton, food web.” scan the passage for those keywords and locate the area that addresses the gist of the passage paragraph E makes mention of”… avast ocean area of phytoplankton that is the base of the food web…” Make sure you use the word(s) directly from the passage.
36.	calved Read the questions carefully selecting keywords the keywords are “piece, detached ice, main block” scan the passage for those keywords and locate the area that addresses the gist of the passage paragraph G states. “Huge as it is, the C-19 iceberg is only the second-largest recorded in the Ross Sea region. An even larger one, dubbed B-15, broke off, or ‘calved’ in 2001.” Make sure you use the word(s) directly from the passage.
37.	satellites and ships Identify the keywords in the summary sentences. In the first sentence “decline, plant life and validated” are the keywords. Scan the paragraphs A-C for the keywords or synonyms of those keywords. Read the sentence(s) which relate to the keywords. In paragraph A it states that the diminishing (or declining) productivity of microscopic plants is being confirmed (validated) by satellites and ships.
38.	phytoplankton Identify the keywords in the summary sentences. In the third sentence “… the rise in ocean temperatures, the 1980s, 1990s… ” are the keywords. Scan paragraphs A-C for the keywords or synonyms of those keywords. Read the sentence(s) which relate to the keywords. In paragraph A it states that “… the greatest loss of phytoplankton has occurred where ocean temperatures have risen most significantly between the early 1980s and the late 1990s.”
39.	iron Identify the keywords in the summary sentences. In the fourth sentence ‘higher temperatures, deficiencies, the decline in plankton” are the keywords. Scan the paragraphs A-C for the keywords or synonyms of those keywords. Read the sentenced) which relate to the keywords. In paragraph B it states, “… winds sweep iron-containing dust across the oceans from continental deserts. When those winds diminish or fail, plankton can suffer.’
40.	carbon cycle Identify the keywords in the summary’ sentences. In the fifth sentence “impacts upon, world’s” are the keywords. Scan the paragraphs A-C for the keywords or synonyms of those keywords and the relationship with the previous sentence in the summary. Read the sentence(s) which relate to the keywords. In paragraph C it states, “The significant decline in plankton productivity has a direct effect on the world’s carbon cycle.”