Is There Anybody Out There? The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence IELTS Reading Answers with Explanation

“Is There Anybody Out There? The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence” is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 9 Academic Reading Test 1. This page gives the answers for Questions 14–26 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: Matching Headings, Short Answers, Yes / No / Not Given.

Quick answers: Questions 14–26

Question	Answer
14	iv
15	vii
16	i
17	ii
18	several billion years
19	radio waves / radio signals / radio
20	1000 stars / 1000
21	YES
22	YES
23	NOT GIVEN
24	NO
25	NOT GIVEN
26	NO

Questions 14–17: Matching Headings

Q	Question	Answer	Why
14	Paragraph B	iv	Heading iv best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
15	Paragraph C	vii	Heading vii best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
16	Paragraph D	i	Heading i best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.
17	Paragraph E	ii	Heading ii best sums up the main idea of this paragraph.

Questions 18–20: Short Answers

Q	Question	Answer	Why
18	What is the life expectancy of Earth?	several billion years	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
19	What kind of signals from other intelligent civilisations are SETI scientists searching for?	radio waves / radio signals / radio	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.
20	How many stars are the world's most powerful radio telescopes searching?	1000 stars / 1000	Use exactly this wording from the passage, within the word limit.

Questions 21–26: Yes / No / Not Given

Q	Question	Answer	Why
21	Alien civilisations may be able to help the human race to overcome serious problems.	YES	The passage agrees with this statement.
22	SETI scientists are trying to find a life form that resembles humans in many ways.	YES	The passage agrees with this statement.
23	The Americans and Australians have co-operated on joint research projects.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
24	So far SETI scientists have picked up radio signals from several stars.	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.
25	The NASA project attracted criticism from some members of Congress.	NOT GIVEN	The passage gives no clear information to confirm or reject this statement.
26	If a signal from outer space is received, it will be important to respond promptly.	NO	The passage contradicts this statement.

Tips for these question types

• Matching headings: read each paragraph for its main idea, not a single detail, and cross out headings once used.
• Short answers: answer with words from the passage and respect the word limit.
• Yes / No / Not Given: these test the writer's opinion or claim. YES agrees with the writer, NO contradicts the writer, NOT GIVEN means the writer does not say.
• 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? Is There Anybody Out There? The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence covers Questions 14–26, which is 13 questions.

Where is this passage from? It is Reading Passage 2 in Cambridge IELTS 9, Academic Test 1.

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 9 Reading Test 1: all passages
Part 1: William Henry Perkin  |  Part 2: Is There Anybody Out There? The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (you are here)  |  Part 3: The History of the Tortoise

← Previous: Part 1Next: Part 3 answers →

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