Building Houses out of Earth Reading Answers

This reading passage is all about Building houses out of earth. This IELTS reading passage give insights about clay soils dug from the earth, its origin, and how it has transformed now. From this passage totally 11 questions are asked. They are of MCQ, Short Answer questions and Matching Features type. Read the passage and then answer the questions. We also have given the answers with explanation to cross check with your answers. 

Reading Passage

Building Houses out of Earth

A On every continent, one can find houses or other buildings made of the clay–bearing soils dug up from the ground. In some places, earth building technologies have been around for a very long time. In the southwestern United States, for example, American Indian tribes such as the Pueblo people have been building earth houses and other earth structures for thousands of years. And in China’s Xinjiang Province, archaeologists have found entire earth villages dating back over 2500 years. While building houses out of earth is certainly not new, it has never been very common because of the preference for other materials.

B In some parts of the world, however, there has been renewed growth in the popularity of earth building. Two such places are Australia and New Zealand, where the practice did not exist until the relatively recent arrival of European settlers. It is estimated that there are now over 2100 houses made of earth in Australia, and 35% of them were built within the past decade. An equal proportion of the 550 earthen structures in New Zealand were built in the last five years. This trend appears to reflect growing earth construction in North America and Eastern Europe.

C Why the renewed interest in earth building? The building material itself is probably the reason. Earth is available virtually anywhere, literally under our feet. And unlike many other building materials that typically require treatment with chemical preservatives, the earth is non-toxic. This cannot be said for commercially sold timber and brick products.

D Another well-known characteristic of earth houses is their passive solar capacity – their ability to retain warmth in the winter and keep cool in the summer without the need for dedicated solar panels, plumbing or fossil fuel energy sources. This comes entirely from the effective way in which earthen walls act to store heat.

E Some people claim that earth buildings are cheaper to build than conventional brick or wooden houses, the two most common types in Australia and New Zealand. This appears to be true, according to data from the New Zealand Construction Quarterly. Assuming walls make up 15% of the cost of building a house, then the use of earthen walls would bring a total saving of 10% over timber frame construction and 38% over brick.

F But perhaps most attractive of all is the unique atmosphere provided by earth houses, with their natural colors, their acoustic properties and thick, solid walls. Not all the earth building is done the same way. The technologies used vary from region to region, depending on the types of earth available and local building traditions. They are also undergoing constant study and improvement, with a view to bettering resistance to earthquakes and weather.

G In New Zealand, stabilisers such as cement, sand, straw, even cow dung, have been found to make a stronger and longer-lasting material when added to earth. The downside of using particularly effective stabilisers like cement is that they can be expensive and their manufacture may create much pollution. Thus, their use should be kept to a minimum.

H Those who choose to build with earth should also be careful about using paints or other coatings on the surface of the earth’s walls. Some coatings have the effect of preventing the walls from ‘breathing’. When this happens, any water that gets absorbed into the walls may not have a way of escaping and get trapped. This may lead to cracks or other signs of the early deterioration of the earthen material.

Questions

Question 1

Choose the appropriate letter (A – D) and write it in box 1 on your answer sheet.

1 In ‘Building houses out of earth’, the writer’s main aim is to ….…

A provide an overview of earth building.
B promotes the building of earth houses.
C reviews the history of earth building.
D examines the variety of earth buildings.

Questions 2 and 3

Write your answers in boxes 2-3 on your answer sheet.

2 Name places where earth building practices have existed for a long time.

Southwestern United States and …….…(2)……….

3 Name places where earth building is becoming more popular.

Australia, North America and ……..(3)………

Questions 4-7

In ‘Building houses out of earth’, the writer mentions several reasons why some people prefer earth houses.
Read the list of reasons below and choose FOUR that are referred to in the passage.
Write your answers in boxes 4-7 on your answer sheet.

A cost of construction

B resistance to earthquakes

C stability of earth

D heat storage capacity

E availability of materials

F construction technology

G appearance and character

Questions 8-11

Using a NUMBER or NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, answer the following questions. Write your answers in boxes 8-11 on your answer sheet.

8 What percentage of earth buildings in New Zealand were constructed in the past 5 years?

9 Name ONE building material that contains chemical preservatives.

10 Name the feature of earth houses that enables them to keep temperatures low in summer.

11 Name ONE substance that can lengthen the life of earth as a building material.

Answers with Explanation

1. Answer: A

Explanation: When you read the whole passage, it is clear that writer is trying to give us the overview of the earth building, Like how it is made, materials used, its characteristics, where are they popular etc are discussed. Hence the answer is "A. provide an overview of earth building" .

2. Answer: China’s Xinjiang Province

Explanation: In paragraph B“In the southwestern United States, for example, American Indian tribes such as the Pueblo people have been building earth houses and other earth structures for thousands of years. And in China’s Xinjiang Province, archaeologists have found entire earth villages dating back over 2500 years.”  with these lines we can conclude that apart from Southwestern United States,  China’s Xinjiang Province also had the earth buildings. Hence the answer is "China’s Xinjiang Province".

3. Answer: Eastern Europe

Explanation: In paragraph B, it is said that “An equal proportion of the 550 earthen structures in New Zealand were built in the last five years. This trend appears to reflect growing earth construction in North America and Eastern Europe.”Hence we can conclude that apart from NewZealand, Australia and North America Eastern Europe this trend is increasing.

4. Answer: A (Cost of Construction)

Explanation: In paragraph E, “Assuming walls make up 15% of the cost of building a house, then the use of earthen walls would bring a total saving of 10% over timber frame construction and 38% over brick.” this line confirms that a percentage of amount can be saved in frame and brick costs. Hence answer A.

5. Answer: D

Explanation: “This comes entirely from the effective way in which earthen walls act to store heat.”This line in paragraph D supports the statement "heat storage capacity". Hence the answer D. 

6. Answer: E

Explanation: – In the paragraph C, The building material itself is probably the reason. Earth is available virtually anywhere, literally under our feet.,it is said that  earth materials are easily available and supports the statement "availability of materials". 

7. Answer: G

Explanation: The specified line in paragraph F states that “But perhaps most attractive of all is the unique atmosphere provided by earth houses, with their natural colors, their acoustic properties and thick, solid walls. explains the appearance and the characters of a earth house. Hence the answer G.

8. Answer: 35

Explanation: “… in Australia, and 35% of them were built within the past decade. An equal proportion of the 550 earthen structures in New Zealand were built in the last five years.”This lines of paragraph B states that 35% of earth buildings are built in last 10 years. Hence the answer is 35. 

9. Answer: brick/ commercially sold timber

Explanation: “And unlike many other building materials that typically require treatment with chemical preservatives, the earth is non-toxic. This cannot be said for commercially sold timber and brick products.” These lines in paragraph C states that commercial timber and bricks can have toxic materials. Hence the answer.

10. Answer: passive solar capacity

Explanation: In paragraph D, “Another well-known characteristic of earth houses is their passive solar capacity – their ability to retain warmth in the winter and keep cool in the summer without the need for dedicated solar panels, plumbing or fossil fuel energy sources.”  these lines confirms that without any extra efforts, the earth house characteristic of earth house itself keeps the house warm in winter and cool in summer. Hence the answer is Passive solar capacity.  

11. Answer: cow dung/straw/sand/cement

Explanation: “In New Zealand, stabilisers such as cement, sand, straw, even cow dung, have been found to make a stronger and longer-lasting material when added to earth.”These lines in paragraph G indiacates that cow dung/straw/cement can make a durable material when added to earth.  Hence the answer.

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