# AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN THE USA: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 1, Reading Passage 2

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 8, Test 1, Reading Passage 2. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 | ii | An accident that occurred in the skies over the Grand Canyon in 1956 resulted in the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration |
| 15 | iii | this was fortuitous, for the advent of the jet engine suddenly resulted in a large number of very fast planes |
| 16 | v | This is a very incomplete part of the picture. |
| 17 | iv | from 365m above the ground and higher, the entire country is blanketed by controlled airspace |
| 18 | viii | In good meteorological conditions, flying would be permitted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) ... Poor visibility necessitated a set of Instrumental Flight Rules (IFR) |
| 19 | vii | Controlled airspace is divided into several different types, designated by letters of the alphabet. |
| 20 | FALSE | resulted in the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ... It was only after the creation of the FAA that full-scale regulation of America's airspace took place, and this was fortuitous |
| 21 | FALSE | Rudimentary air traffic control (ATC) existed well before the Grand Canyon disaster. |
| 22 | NOT GIVEN | beacons and flashing lights were placed along cross-country routes to establish the earliest airways |
| 23 | TRUE | improved radio communication brought about by the Second World War |
| 24 | TRUE | Uncontrolled airspace is designated Class F ... has only to stay in uncontrolled airspace, below 365m |
| 25 | FALSE | The difference between Class E and A airspace is that in Class A, all operations are IFR ... accommodates both VFR and IFR operations in the same airspace |
| 26 | TRUE | These correspond roughly to small municipal, medium-sized metropolitan and major metropolitan airports respectively |

## Why these answers are right

**14. ii.** Paragraph A explains that a 1956 accident over the Grand Canyon resulted in the creation of the FAA to regulate crowded American skies. The accident is the aviation disaster, and setting up a regulating body is the action it prompted, so heading ii fits.

**15. iii.** Paragraph C says full regulation came only after the FAA was created, and calls this fortuitous because the jet engine suddenly filled the skies with very fast planes. Fortuitous means happening by lucky chance, so two coincidental developments, heading iii, sums up the paragraph.

**16. v.** Paragraph D starts with a common belief that ATC is just controllers watching radar screens at airports, then calls this a very incomplete part of the picture. A popular but incomplete belief is an oversimplified view, which is heading v.

The why and the trap for questions 17 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/air-traffic-control-in-the-usa/answers).

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