# Conquering Earth's space junk problem: answers and explanations

Cambridge IELTS 18, Test 1, Reading Passage 3

Source: Passage, questions and answer key from Cambridge IELTS 18, Test 1, Reading Passage 3. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Used for educational practice. Explanations and evidence notes are written by Testmigo.

## Answer key

| Q | Answer | Proof |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 27 | C | companies, governments and other players in space are collaborating in new ways to avoid a shared threat |
| 28 | F | "I want to make space a place that is safe to operate, that is free and useful for generations to come." |
| 29 | A | a US commercial Iridium satellite smashed into an inactive Russian communications satellite called Cosmos-2251 |
| 30 | E | it's similar to managing traffic on the roads or in the air |
| 31 | B | Others are developing taxonomies of space debris |
| 32 | sustainability | International groups such as the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee have developed guidelines on space sustainability. |
| 33 | fuel | venting pressurised materials or leftover fuel |
| 34 | explosions | leftover fuel that might lead to explosions |
| 35 | bankrupt | "What happens to those that fail or go bankrupt?" he asks. |
| 36 | C | "If you knew precisely where everything was, you would almost never have a problem," |
| 37 | D | that is free and useful for generations to come |
| 38 | B | only about half of all missions have abided by this 25-year goal |
| 39 | D | the US and Russian sources contain two completely different orbits for the same object |
| 40 | A | "If we go on like this, we will reach a point of no return," |

## Why these answers are right

**27. C.** Section C says companies, governments and other players are collaborating in new ways to avoid a shared threat. Collaborating is cooperation, and avoiding a threat is minimizing risk, so the reference is in section C.

**28. F.** At the end of section F, Moriba Jah calls himself a space environmentalist and states what he wants: to make space safe, free and useful for generations to come. A statement of what someone wants to achieve is an explanation of that person's aims.

**29. A.** Section A reports that ten years ago an Iridium satellite smashed into the Russian satellite Cosmos-2251, creating thousands of pieces of shrapnel. Smashed into means collided with, and thousands of fragments shows it was major, so the answer is A.

The why and the trap for questions 30 onwards are free with an account on the [answers page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/reading/conquering-earths-space-junk-problem/answers).

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