How Bad Is Ocean Garbage, Really? IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“How Bad Is Ocean Garbage, Really?” is Passage 3 of Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Reading Test 4. This page gives the answers for Questions 27–40 with a short explanation of why each answer is right, so you can check your work and learn from every mistake. The question types are: True / False / Not Given, Note Completion, One Choice.

Quick answers: Questions 27–40

Question	Answer
27	FALSE
28	NOT GIVEN
29	FALSE
30	TRUE
31	FALSE
32	TRUE
33	NOT GIVEN
34	large
35	microplastic
36	populations
37	concentrations
38	predators
39	disasters
40	A

Questions 27–33: True / False / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
27	Rochman and her colleagues were the first people to research the problem of marine debris.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
28	The creatures most in danger from ocean trash are certain seabirds.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
29	The studies Rochman has reviewed have already proved that populations of some birds will soon become extinct.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
30	Rochman analysed papers on the different kinds of danger caused by ocean trash.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
31	Most of the research analysed by Rochman and her colleagues was badly designed.	FALSE	The passage contradicts this statement.
32	One study examined by Rochman was expecting to find that mussels were harmed by eating plastic.	TRUE	The passage agrees with this statement.
33	Some mussels choose to eat plastic in preference to their natural diet.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.

Questions 34–39: Note Completion

Q	Question	Answer	Why
34	—	large	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
35	—	microplastic	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
36	—	populations	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
37	—	concentrations	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
38	—	predators	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
39	—	disasters	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 40–40: One Choice

Q	Question	Answer	Why
40	—	A	Option A is the one the passage supports.

Tips for these question types

• True / False / Not Given: TRUE means the passage says the same thing, FALSE means it says the opposite, and NOT GIVEN means it does not say. Never use your own knowledge.
• Completion tasks: check the word limit and the grammar of the gap before you write the answer exactly as it appears in the passage.
• Multiple choice: eliminate options that are only partly right, and watch for words like only, always and never.
• Review every mistake. Find the exact sentence in the passage that proves the answer so you can spot the same trap next time.

FAQ

How many questions does this passage have? How Bad Is Ocean Garbage, Really? covers Questions 27–40, which is 14 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS 14, Academic Test 4.

How should I use these answers? Attempt the passage under timed conditions first, then check your answers here and read the reason for every mistake.

Cambridge IELTS 14 Reading Test 4: all passages
Part 1: The Secret of Staying Young  |  Part 2: Why Zoos Are Good  |  Part 3: How Bad Is Ocean Garbage, Really? (you are here)

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