The Chemistry of Everyday Plastics: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “Plastics are so common in modern life that it is easy to forget how unusual they are as materials. A single family of substances can be moulded into a rigid water pipe, a flexible carrier bag, a transparent bottle or a stretchy fibre, and all of these share the same basic chemistry.”
- Passage length: about 822 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: True / False / Not Given, Multiple Choice, Short Answer
“The Chemistry of Everyday Plastics” is an original IELTS-style practice passage written by IELTS-Bank. It is not taken from an official IELTS or Cambridge test, so these answers only apply to our version.
Answer key at a glance
The Chemistry of Everyday Plastics answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: True / False / Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees, FALSE if it contradicts, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information.
- 1
A polymer molecule is very large compared with a molecule of water.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…the resulting molecules are enormous compared with those of ordinary liquids such as water or alcohol.”
- 2
A thermoplastic can be melted and reshaped many times.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…a thermoplastic can be melted down and moulded into a new shape over and over.”
- 3
Heating a thermosetting plastic after it has set will cause it to soften.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Once this network has set, further heating will not soften the material; instead it will eventually char or burn.”
- 4
Most conventional plastics are made from crude oil.
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Answer: TRUE
Why: This sentence confirms the statement, so the answer is TRUE.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “The raw material for most conventional plastics is crude oil.”
- 5
Plastics made from plants always break down quickly in the environment.
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Answer: FALSE
Why: This sentence directly contradicts the statement, so the answer is FALSE.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…a plastic made from plants is not automatically one that decomposes quickly”
- 6
Plastic packaging is cheaper to recycle than glass packaging.
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Answer: NOT GIVEN
Why: The statement claims that plastic packaging is cheaper to recycle than glass packaging, but the passage never confirms or denies this, only discussing the recyclability of thermoplastics without comparing costs to other materials.
Closest related text · Paragraph 3 “This property is what makes many everyday plastics, such as those used in bottles and packaging, relatively straightforward to recycle.”
Question 7: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. The colour of the material
- B. The shape and arrangement of its chains
- C. The temperature of the surrounding air
- D. The number of times it has been recycled
- 7
What determines whether a plastic is soft or stiff?
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Answer: B — The shape and arrangement of its chains
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — The shape and arrangement of its chains.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “The behaviour of a plastic depends heavily on the shape and arrangement of its chains.”
Question 8: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. Because heating creates new permanent bonds
- B. Because heating loosens the tangle of chains without breaking them
- C. Because the chains dissolve in water
- D. Because the monomers separate completely
- 8
Why can thermoplastics be reshaped repeatedly?
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Answer: B — Because heating loosens the tangle of chains without breaking them
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — Because heating loosens the tangle of chains without breaking them.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…heating merely loosens the tangle of chains without breaking the chains themselves”
Question 9: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. It conducts electricity well
- B. It is heavy and opaque
- C. It is light, clear and resists gases
- D. It decomposes within days
- 9
Why is the plastic used in many drink bottles valued?
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Answer: C — It is light, clear and resists gases
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — It is light, clear and resists gases.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “…it is light, clear and resists gases, keeping fizzy drinks from going flat.”
Question 10: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- A. The transparency of plastics
- B. The durability that resists breakdown
- C. The high cost of plastics
- D. The softness of thermoplastics
- 10
What does the passage identify as the source of a serious environmental problem?
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Answer: B — The durability that resists breakdown
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — The durability that resists breakdown.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “The very durability that makes plastics so useful is also the source of a serious environmental problem.”
Questions 11–14: Short Answer
Answer the questions below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
- 11
What are the small repeating units that make up a polymer called?(max 2 words)
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Answer: monomers (also accepted: monomer)
Why: The answer “monomers” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “The small repeating units are called monomers”
- 12
What is the process of linking the small units together called?(max 2 words)
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Answer: polymerisation
Why: The answer “polymerisation” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 1 “…the process of linking them is called polymerisation.”
- 13
What type of plastic develops permanent bonds that lock its chains into a rigid network?(max 3 words)
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Answer: thermosetting (also accepted: a thermosetting plastic / thermoset)
Why: The answer “thermosetting” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 3-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “When it is first heated and formed, permanent chemical bonds develop between neighbouring chains, locking them into a rigid network.”
- 14
What name is given to the tiny fragments that plastics shatter into?(max 2 words)
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Answer: microplastics (also accepted: microplastic)
Why: The answer “microplastics” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 2-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…these tiny pieces, often called microplastics, do not truly disappear.”
Estimated band score for this test
Your raw score out of 14 scaled to the 40-question IELTS Reading (Academic) conversion table. This is the same estimate the practice page shows after you submit. A single passage is a small sample, so treat it as a guide.
| Correct answers | Estimated band |
|---|---|
| 14 / 14 | 9.0 |
| 13 / 14 | 8.5 |
| 12 / 14 | 7.5 |
| 11 / 14 | 7.0 |
| 10 / 14 | 6.5 |
| 8–9 / 14 | 6.0 |
| 7 / 14 | 5.5 |
| 6 / 14 | 5.0 |
| 5 / 14 | 4.5 |
| 4 / 14 | 4.0 |
| 3 / 14 | 3.5 |
| 2 / 14 | 3.0 |
| 1 / 14 | 2.0 |
| 0 / 14 | 0.0 |
Full-test score? Use the IELTS band calculator.
Tips for the question types in this test
True / False / Not Given
- Read the statement first and underline the key idea, especially any qualifiers like "all", "only", "never", "always", "more than" or dates and numbers.
- Because the questions follow the order of the passage, scan for the paragraph that deals with the same topic rather than re-reading everything.
Common trap: Confusing "False" with "Not Given": choose False only when the passage actively contradicts the statement; if the passage is silent, it is Not Given.
Full True / False / Not Given strategyMultiple Choice
- Read the question stem carefully before the options so you know exactly what is being asked.
- Because multiple-choice questions follow passage order, locate the relevant section and read it in full — the answer usually depends on more than one sentence.
Common trap: Distractors that use exact words from the passage but distort the meaning.
Full Multiple Choice strategyShort Answer
- Read the instructions and note the exact word limit; going over it means zero marks even if the meaning is right.
- Turn each question into a set of keywords and predict what kind of answer it needs (a person, a date, a place, a noun).
Common trap: Exceeding the word limit (writing four words when only three are allowed).
Full Short Answer strategyPractise “The Chemistry of Everyday Plastics” under exam conditions
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