Cleaning up the Thames IELTS Reading Academic
Reading Passage 3
Cleaning up the Thames
The River Thames, which was biologically “dead” as recently as the 1960s, is now the cleanest metropolitan river in the world, according to the Thames Water Company. The company says that thanks to major investment in better sewage treatment in London and the Thames Valley, the river that flows through the United Kingdom capital and the Thames Estuary into the North Sea is cleaner now than it has been for 130 years.
The Fisheries Department, who are responsible for monitoring fish levels in the River Thames, has reported that the river has again become the home to 115 species of fish including sea bass, flounder, salmon, smelt, and shad. Recently, a porpoise was spotted cavorting in the river near central London.
But things were not always so rosy. In the 1950s, sewer outflows and industrial effluent had killed the river. It had starved of oxygen and could no longer support aquatic life. Until the early 1970s, if you fell into the Thames you would have had to be rushed to the hospital to get your stomach pumped. A clean-up operation began in the 1960s. Several Parliamentary Committees and Royal Commissions were set up, and, over time, legislation has been introduced that put the onus on polluters-effluent-producing premises and businesses to dispose of waste responsibly. In 1964 the Greater London Council (GLC) began work on greatly enlarged sewage works, which had completed in 1974.
The Thames clean up is not over, though. It is still going on, and it involves many disparate arms of government and a wide range of non-government stakeholder groups, all representing a necessary aspect of the task. In London’s case, the urban and non-urban London boroughs that flank the river’s course each has its own reasons for keeping “their” river nice. And if their own reasons do not hold out a sufficiently attractive carrot, the government also wields a compelling stick. IELTS XPress
The 2000 Local Government Act requires each local borough to “prepare a community strategy for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area.” And if your area includes a stretch of river, that means a sustainable river development strategy.
Further legislation aimed at improving and sustaining the river’s viability has been proposed. There is now legislation that protects the River Thames, either specifically or as part of a general environmental clause, in the Local Government Act, the London Acts, and the law that created the post of the mayor of London. And these are only the tip of an iceberg that includes industrial, public health and environmental protection regulations. The result is a wide range of bodies officially charged, in one way or another, with maintaining the Thames as a public amenity.
For example, Transport for London – the agency responsible for transport in the capital – plays a role in regulating river use and river users. They now are responsible for controlling the effluents and rubbish coming from craft using the Thames. This is done by officers on official vessels regularly inspecting craft and doing spot checks. Another example is how Thames Water (TW) has now been charged to reduce the amount of litter that finds its way into the tidal river and its tributaries. TW’s environment and quality manager, Dr. Peter Spillett, said: “This project will build on our investment which has dramatically improved the water quality of the river.
“London should not be spoiled by litter which belongs in the bin not the river.” Thousands of tons of rubbish end up in the river each year, from badly stored waste, people throwing litter off boats, and rubbish in the street being blown or washed into the river. Once litter hits the water it becomes too heavy to be blown away again and therefore the rivers act as a sink in the system.
While the Port of London already collects up to 3,000 tons of solid waste from the tideway every year, Thames Water now plans to introduce a new device to capture more rubbish floating down the river. It consists of a huge cage that sits in the flow of water and gathers the passing rubbish. Moored just offshore in front of the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, south-east London, the device is expected to capture up to 20 tons of floating litter each year. ielts xpress
If washed out to sea, this rubbish can kill marine mammals, fish, and birds. This machine, known as the Rubbish Muncher, is hoped to be the first of many, as the TW is now looking for sponsors to pay for more cages elsewhere along the Thames.
Monitoring of the cleanliness of the River Thames in the past was the responsibility of a welter of agencies – British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environment groups. If something was not right, someone had bound to call foul and hold somebody to account, whether it was the local authority, an individual polluter, or any of the many public and private sector bodies that bore a share of the responsibility for maintaining the River Thames as a public amenity.
Although they will all still have their part to play, there is now a central department in the Environment Agency, which has the remit of monitoring the Thames. This centralization of accountability will, it is hoped, lead to more efficient control and enforcement. ielts xpre ss
[Source: US Water News 2000]
Questions 27-32
Some of the actions taken to clean up the River Thames are listed below.
The writer gives these actions as examples of things that have been done by various agencies connected with the River Thames.
Match each action with the agency responsible for doing it.
Write the appropriate letters (A-G ) in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.
Actions to clean up the River Thames
A. Operating the Rubbish Muncher
B. Creating Community Strategies
C. Monitoring the Cleanliness of the River Thames
D. Monitoring Fish Levels
E. Collecting Solid Waste from the Tideway
F. Creating Enlarged Sewage Works
G. Controlling the River Thames’ Traffic
27. The Environment Agency
28. Transport for London
29. The Greater London Council
30. Thames Water
31. Port of London
32. Local Boroughs
Questions 33–40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the reading passage on Cleaning up the Thames?
In Boxes 32-39 write:
YES – if the statement agrees with the writer
NO – if the statement doesn’t agree with the writer
NOT GIVEN – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this IELTSXpress
33. The Thames is now cleaner than it was in 1900.
34. Swimming in the Thames now poses no health hazards.
35. It is now mainly the responsibility of those who pollute the Thames to clean their waste up.
36. All local London boroughs are now partly responsible for keeping the Thames clean.
37. Transport for London now employs a type of River Police to enforce control of their regulations.
38. Rubbish Munchers are now situated at various locations on the Thames.
39. Previously no one department had overall responsibility or control for monitoring the cleanliness of the Thames.
40. British Waterways will no longer have any part in keeping the Thames clean.
Cleaning up the Thames IELTS Reading Answers
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27. C
28. G
29. F
30. A
31. E
32. B
33. YES
34. NOT GIVEN
35. NO
36. YES
37. YES
38. NO
39. YES
40. NO
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Cleaning up the Thames Answers Explanation
Q27.
Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Monitoring of the cleanliness of the River Thames in the past was the responsibility of a welter of agencies – British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environmental groups. IEL T S X pr ess
Keyword: River Thames, Environment Agency
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, 1st line
Explanation: In paragraph 6, it explains that River Thames cleanliness was the responsibility of British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water.
Q28.
Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: For example, Transport for London – the agency responsible for transport in the capital – plays a role in regulating river use and river users.
Keyword: Transport for London, transport, regulating river use and river users.
Keyword Location: Para 4, 7th line
Explanation: In Paragraph 4, it gives an example of transport for London.
Q29.
Answer: F
Supporting Sentence: In 1964 the Greater London Council (GLC) began work on greatly enlarged sewage works, which were completed in 1974.
Keyword: Greater London Council, Sewage works
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, last sentence
Explanation: In Paragraph 2, the Greater London Council started to work as an enlarged sewage.
Q30.
Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: Thames Water now plans to introduce a new device to capture more rubbish floating down the river. This machine, known as the Rubbish Muncher, is hoped to be the first of many. IEL TSX pr ess
Keyword: Rubbish Muncher, Thames Water
Keyword Location: Para 5, last sentence
Explanation: Right now, there is only one Muncher, however, Thames Water (TW) is looking for sponsors to pay for more cages so that they can install new munchers.
Q31.
Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: While the Port of London already collects up to 3,000 tons of solid waste from the tideway every year.
Keyword:Tideway, Port of London, Solid Waste
Keyword Location: Para 6, 2nd line
Explanation: The welter of agencies, which included British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environmental groups are different agencies. IELT SX pre ss
Q32.
Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: The 2000 Local Government Act requires each local borough to “prepare a community strategy for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area.”
Keyword: Local Borough, Community Strategy, Environmental
Keyword Location: Para 3, 2nd last line
Explanation: The London Locals are responsible since they are now preparing a community strategy to promote and improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area. When their area manages to reach a certain level, that means sustainable river development.
Q33. The Thames is now cleaner than it was in 1900.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: The River Thames, which was biologically “dead” as recently as the 1960s, is now the cleanest metropolitan river in the world, according to the Thames Water Company.
Keyword: Biologically “dead”, Cleanest metropolitan river, the 1960s
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, 1st line
Explanation: The entire 20th century is considered a part of the 1900s, except the year 2000. Therefore, after the 20th century, the river is considered much cleaner. IELTSX press
Q34. Swimming in the Thames now poses no health hazards.
Answer: Not Given
Q35. It is now mainly the responsibility of those who pollute the Thames to clean their waste up.
Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: If something was not right, someone was bound to call foul and hold somebody to account, whether it was the local authority, an individual polluter or any of the many public and private sector bodies that bore a share of the responsibility for maintaining the River Thames as a public amenity. Although they will all still have their part to play, there is now a central department in the Environment Agency, which has the remit of monitoring the Thames.
Keyword: Central Department, Environmental Agency, Individual Polluter
Keyword Location: Para 6, last sentence IELTSX press
Explanation: In the case of the rule the person polluting has to take care of cleaning, one can easily blame someone else for the pollution they have caused. To avoid this, the Environmental Agency is monitoring the progress of the Thames River and has the responsibility of keeping it pollutant free.
Q36. All local London boroughs are now partly responsible for keeping the Thames clean.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: The 2000 Local Government Act requires each local borough to “prepare a community strategy for promoting or improving the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area.” And if your area includes a stretch of river, that means a sustainable river development strategy.
Keywords:Local London Boroughs, Community Strategy, Wellbeing of the area
Keyword Location: Para 3, 2nd last line
Explanation:The London Locals are responsible since they are now preparing a community strategy to promote and improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area. When their area manages to reach a certain level, that means sustainable river development.
Q37. Transport for London now employs a type of River Police to enforce control of their regulations. IELTSXpress.com
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: For example, Transport for London – the agency responsible for transport in the capital – plays a role in regulating river use and river users. They now are responsible for controlling the effluents and rubbish coming from craft using the Thames.
Keywords: River Thames, Transport for London, Rubbish
Keyword Location: Para 4, 7th line
Explanation: A specific body has now been given the responsibility of controlling the effluents and rubbish. This body falls under the Transport for London body.
Q38. Rubbish Munchers are now situated at various locations on the Thames.
Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: This machine, known as the Rubbish Muncher, is hoped to be the first of many, as the TW is now looking for sponsors to pay for more cages elsewhere along the Thames.
Keyword: Rubbish Munchers, Thames
Keyword Location: Para 5, last sentence
Explanation: Right now, there is only one Muncher, however, Thames Water (TW) is looking for sponsors to pay for more cages so that they can install new munchers.
Q39. Previously no one department had overall responsibility or control for monitoring the cleanliness of the Thames.
Answer: Yes
Supporting Sentence: Monitoring of the cleanliness of the River Thames in the past was the responsibility of a welter of agencies – British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environmental groups.
Keywords: Cleanliness, River Thames, Monitoring
Explanation: The welter of agencies, which included British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environmental groups are different agencies. Therefore, one agency alone never had the responsibility of keeping the River Thames clean.
Q40. British Waterways will no longer have any part in keeping the Thames clean.
Answer: No
Supporting Sentence: Monitoring of the cleanliness of the River Thames in the past was the responsibility of a welter of agencies – British Waterways, Port of London Authority, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Commission, Thames Water – as well as academic departments and national and local environment groups IELT SX press
Keywords:British Waterways, Thames
Explanation: It has not been mentioned that the British Waterways gives up the responsibility of the Thames river. Although, it has been mentioned that the British Waterways is a part of the team that looks after the River Thames. This is why it is considered that the River Thames still falls under the British Waterways.
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