Running Dry Reading Answers

Running dry reading answers for the IELTS Cambridge Official guide test reading passage 1 is as follows.

1. E	5. YES	9. POPULATION	13. BOTTLED WATER
2. B	6. NO	10. 5.6%
3. A	7. NOT GIVEN	11. STERILISATION
4. C	8. YES	12. CANCER

The solutions for reading passage 2: how to reduce employee turnover, and reading passage 3 are given at the end of this post. So, practise those sample questions too. 

Running Dry Reading Answers with Location

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Running dry reading answers with location tells you where each answer is located in reading passage 1. In the IELTS reading test, you must locate the answers on your own in 20 minutes.  

Running Dry

We have always had problems with water shortages. Worldwide water consumption doubles every 20 years, a solution is urgently needed.

1. Maps from the State Water Commission in Mexico show 96 overexploited aquifers. Q3. Seawater has polluted another 17 through excessive pumping, while toxic seepage is rapidly spreading, Q5. Mexican children develop digestive diseases due to poor water storage. Mexico City, built on huge lagoons eight centuries ago, may its 22 million inhabitants do not have enough water, cycling in many cities around the world, less half of the city's waste is treated, the rest sinks into underground lakes or rivers in the gulf. of Mexico, turning rivers into sewers. This represents an extremely difficult outlook for Mexico's future. Mexico's National Water Commission lists around 35 cities that will have to be drastically reduced if more water is not found. It suggests it will happen next week, but it's a ghost haunting Mexico's future.
   
   
2. Q6. Most of the water that Mexico depends on is the same as that urgently needed in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. One prediction is that Corpus Christi, Texas (residents: 277,454 residents) will run out of water around 2018. Now the problem is getting more and more serious. Cantu Suarez, Deputy Director of Mexico’s National Water Agency, said: Q2. “In Oaxaca, south of Mexico City, women line up at dawn to fill plastic containers with a passing water wheel. In the north, old aquifers are pumped. The speed is five times the speed limit."
   
   
3. Mexico is just one example of the world’s extreme water shortage; parts of the country are dying, salt-poisoned fields and villages’ wells are drying up; and lawsuits are coming. When he reached the fertile farmland of Baja California, his own water crisis turned into a muddy trickle. Q4. Under a complex water agreement with the United States, Mexico can draw water from the Rio Grande, but it must be returned. The repayment is sufficient to flood Delaware’s debt, but since Mexico is already short of water, it is unrealistic to think this might happen.
   
   
4. Most people think that Canada has thousands of lakes and rivers, which are inexhaustible sources of water. Compared with Africa and other arid regions, most of Canada's waters are clear. The cities of Victoria on the west coast and Halifax on the east are still discharging billions of litres of untreated sewage into the ocean. Some experts believe that they contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides and sewage.Q8. Too many rivers and streams in Canada are seriously polluted by industrial activities.
   
   
5. Humans can live for about a month without food, but they can only live for a few days without drinking water. Since 70% of the human body is made up of water, the weight loss of some rapid diets due to water loss is very high. Only about 2.5% of the world's total water is freshwater, two-thirds of which are enclosed by glaciers and ice sheets. No one knows how much water is in the ground or permafrost. All life on earth is supported by one percent of the world's water. Q1. (About 1.3 gallons) is the world's water, and there is not enough fresh water available for a teaspoon.
   
   
6. Generally speaking, most areas on the earth have enough water to meet human needs; however, a big problem is the rapid population growth in places with insufficient water resources and the abuse of available resources. Q10. The world's population accounts for 5.6% of the available fresh water. China has 22% of the world's population, but available fresh water only accounts for 5.7% of the world. We cannot simply send fresh water to the places where it is most needed, such as the Sahara Desert in Ethiopia, Somalia or India.
   
   
7. In January 2000, the Newfoundland government identified potentially dangerous levels of THM (trihalomethane) in the water sources of more than a dozen communities. Q11. In order to solve this problem, scientists have proposed a basic solution-water sterilization. This method can also cause problems. Q12. Drinking water for a long time can cause bladder cancer and colon cancer, but health experts believe that the benefits far outweigh these risks. Therefore, the bottled water business is booming. In just ten years, sales in the United States alone rose from $2.6 billion to $7.7 billion. This is equivalent to an increase of 10% in the past 10 years. But is it safe? Q13. The testing standards for bottled water in Canada are lower than municipal water supplies. There is no guarantee that bottled water is better than tap water.
   
   
8. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 1.65 billion people; one hundred years later, there will be more than 6 billion, and the United Nations estimates that it will reach 9 billion by 2050. However, the annual supply of renewable fresh water will remain the same, so the amount of water available for each person is decreasing andQ9. The population continues to grow, increasing the possibility of water shortages. Ensuring future water safety is an important challenge that future managers must face.

Running Dry Reading Questions

Questions 1 - 4

Reading Passage 1 has eight paragraphs A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
 
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
 
1)   where most fresh water is located in the world
Answer: E [Locate]
 
2)   a way Mexican women obtain water
Answer: B [Locate]
 
3)   the effect of waste upon Mexican rivers
Answer: A [Locate]
 
4)   Mexico’s financial commitment for its water
Answer: C [Locate]
 
Also Read: IELTS Reading Locating Information

Questions 5 - 8

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1 ?
In boxes 5-8 on your answer sheet write
 
YES if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO                              if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN             if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
 
5)   Unhealthy water is causing illness amongst Mexican children.
Answer: Yes [Locate]

6)   Mexicans are moving to other cities because of water shortages.
Answer: No [Locate]

7)   Mexican food crops will fail without water from America.
Answer: Not Given

8)   Drinking water in Canada has been polluted by industry.
Answer: Yes [Locate]
 
Also Read: IELTS Reading Yes No Not Given

Question 9 - 13

Complete the summary of paragraphs F - H below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answer in boxes 9 - 13 on your answer sheet.

The main issue that confronts cities with poor water supplies is their growing 9) ___________ Canada, which contains 10) ____________ of the world’s fresh water, has dealt with water pollution in some cities through a process of 11) ____________ . Although treated for dangerous pollution, some health experts believe city water to be a cause of 12) ______________ . Not all people are content to drink town water and this has added to a demand for 13) _______________ .

9)   Answer: population(s) [Locate]
10) Answer: 5.6 percent [Locate]
11) Answer: Sterilisation [Locate]
12) Answer: Cancer(s) [Locate]
13) Answer: Bottled water [Locate]

Also Read: IELTS Reading Summary Completion

Running Dry Reading Answers with Explanations

After taking this sample reading test, check out the running dry reading answers with explanations. 

1. Answer: E
Keywords: fresh water, locked up in glaciers and ice caps
Explanation - The fifth paragraph talks about humans dependency on water. Since 70 percent of the human body is water, weight loss in some quick diets is dramatic due to water loss. Of all the water in the world, only about 2.5 percent is fresh and two thirds of this is locked up in glaciers and ice caps. 
 
2. Answer: B
Keywords: line up at dawn, few plastic containers, water truck
Explanation - The second paragraph clearly states that a deputy director of the Mexican National Water Commission Cantu Suarez reports, “In Oaxaca, south of Mexico City, women line up at dawn to fill a few plastic containers from a passing water truck. In Alamos, far to the north, ancient aquifers are pumped at five times the sustainable rate.” 
 
3. Answer: A
Keywords: less than half of the city’s waste is treated, too much pumping, toxic seepage is spreading fast
Explanation - The first paragraph describes the effects of water shortage in Mexico. According to the Government water commission, 96 aquifers are overexploited, 17 others were caused by too much pumping; toxic seepage is spreading fast. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals that children face digestive diseases due to poor water storage. 
 
4. Answer: C
Keywords: draw water from the Rio Grande, Delaware’s debt
Explanation - The third paragraph highlights Mexico's financial commitment for its water. Since Mexico is facing the world’s extreme water shortage, certain areas are salt-poisoned fields and villages’ wells have dried up. Under a complex water agreement with the United States, Mexico can draw water from the Rio Grande, however it must be returned. And the repayment is sufficient to flood Delaware’s debt. 
 
5. Answer: Yes
Keywords: digestive diseases, toxic seepage is rapidly spreading
Explanation - The first paragraph briefly discusses the aftermath of poor water shortage in Mexico and how children are badly affected. Mexican children develop digestive diseases due to poor water storage. This represents an extremely difficult outlook for Mexico’s future. 
 
6. Answer: No
Keywords: Mexico depends on water, same as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
Explanation - In the entire running dry reading passage, there is nothing about Mexicans moving to other cities due to lack of water. There is no information about migrating from one place to another due to water shortages. However, in the second paragraph, it talks about Mexico's dependence on water, same as California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. 

7. Answer: Not Given
Keywords: Not Available
Explanation - There is no information about Mexican food crops dying without water from America in the reading passage.
 
8. Answer: Yes
Keywords: toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides and sewage
Explanation - The fourth paragraph describes the clean and clear water in Canada. However, some experts believe that they contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides and sewage. Many rivers and streams in Canada are seriously polluted by industrial activities.
 
9. Answer: population(s)
Keywords: rapid population growth, insufficient water resources
Explanation - In the sixth paragraph, the author says that most areas on the Earth have enough water to meet human needs. But, a big problem is the rapid population growth in places with insufficient water resources and the abuse of available resources. Based on the above information, the answer to the question is the population and not a single community or a group of people.
 
10. Answer: 5.6 percent
Keywords: World’s population, available fresh water
Explanation - The answer is 5.6 percent. Since it’s a factual question, it’s clearly given as the world’s population accounts for 5.6% of the available fresh water. But, don’t get confused with the subsequent sentence saying China has 22% of the world population, however the available freshwater only accounts for 5.7% of the world. 
 
11. Answer: Sterilisation
Keywords: identified potentially dangerous levels of THM, water pollution, basic solution-water
Explanation - The seventh paragraph talks about the potentially dangerous levels of THM (trihalomethane) in the water sources of more than a dozen communities. To solve this problem, scientists have proposed a basic solution-water sterilization.
 
12. Answer: Cancer(s)
Keywords: benefits outweigh risks, bladder cancer, colon cancer
Explanation - The seventh paragraph highlights the effects of drinking water to humans like bladder cancer and colon cancer. Thus, health experts believe that the benefits far outweigh these risks. 
 
13. Answer: Bottled water
Keywords: bottled water business, booming
Explanation - The seventh paragraph mentions that the bottled water business is booming. The testing standards for bottled water in Canada are lower than municipal water supplies. Moreover, there is no guarantee that bottled water is better than tap water. 

Conclusion

“Running dry reading answers” are frequently viewed by students during IELTS practice tests. Since the reading section contains different question types, you must take more mock tests to improve each question type and score better.