The Quiet Revolution of the Lithium-Ion Battery: Reading Answers & Explanations
IELTS Reading practice test · 14 questionsAcademicmedium
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About this passage
The passage opens: “The mobile telephone in a pocket, the laptop on a desk and the electric car on the road all share a hidden ingredient that makes them possible: a small, rechargeable store of electricity known as the lithium-ion battery. Quietly, over the past few decades, this device has transformed daily life, freeing our machines…”
- Passage length: about 632 words
- Questions: 14
- Question types: Matching Sentence Endings, Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers, Note Completion
“The Quiet Revolution of the Lithium-Ion Battery” 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 Quiet Revolution of the Lithium-Ion Battery answers with explanations
Questions 1–6: Matching Sentence Endings
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-J, from the box below.
- A. its two electrodes as it is charged and then used.
- B. through the wires of the circuit to do useful work.
- C. it is the lightest of all the metals and stores much energy for its weight.
- D. be recharged and used again hundreds of times.
- E. loses some of its capacity and holds less energy than when it was new.
- F. it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire.
- G. it must be thrown away once it becomes flat.
- H. it needs no metals or mining to produce.
- I. it can only be used while plugged into a socket.
- J. it becomes lighter each time it is charged.
- 1
A lithium-ion battery stores and releases energy by moving ions between
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Answer: A — its two electrodes as it is charged and then used.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — its two electrodes as it is charged and then used..
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…there are two electrodes ... the lithium ions are driven across to one electrode ... they move back again to the other electrode”
- 2
When the battery is used, a stream of electrons is pushed out
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Answer: B — through the wires of the circuit to do useful work.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports B — through the wires of the circuit to do useful work..
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…pushes a matching stream of electrons out through the wires of the circuit to do useful work.”
- 3
Lithium is chosen for batteries because
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Answer: C — it is the lightest of all the metals and stores much energy for its weight.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports C — it is the lightest of all the metals and stores much energy for its weight..
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Lithium is the lightest of all the metals, so a battery made with it can store a great deal of energy without being heavy”
- 4
Unlike older, disposable batteries, a lithium-ion cell can
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Answer: D — be recharged and used again hundreds of times.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports D — be recharged and used again hundreds of times..
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…a lithium-ion cell can be recharged and used again hundreds of times”
- 5
After several years of use the battery gradually
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Answer: E — loses some of its capacity and holds less energy than when it was new.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports E — loses some of its capacity and holds less energy than when it was new..
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…after a few years it loses some of its capacity and can hold less energy than when it was new”
- 6
One safety concern with these batteries is that
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Answer: F — it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire.
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports F — it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire..
Evidence · Paragraph 5 “…if such a battery is damaged, overcharged or badly made it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire”
Questions 7–8: Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers
Questions 7 and 8. Choose TWO letters, A-G for each question.
- A. mobile phones
- B. electric cars
- C. losing capacity as they age
- D. the risk of catching fire
- E. running on petrol
- F. being too heavy to carry
- G. producing no waste at all
- 7
Which TWO of the following are given in the passage as uses of lithium-ion batteries?
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Answer: A — mobile phones; B — electric cars
Why: This is the part of the passage that supports A — mobile phones; B — electric cars.
Evidence · Paragraph 4 “It powers the mobile phones and laptops ... it drives the growing fleet of electric cars".”
- 8
Which TWO of the following are given in the passage as drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries?
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Answer: C — losing capacity as they age; D — the risk of catching fire
Why: "after a few years it loses some of its capacity" and "it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire".
Where to find it · Paragraph 5 “There are safety concerns too, for if such a battery is damaged, overcharged or badly made it can overheat and, in rare cases, catch fire, which is why they must be built and handled with care.”
Questions 9–14: Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Complete the notes using ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. How a lithium-ion battery works Charged particles called (9) ______ move between the two electrodes. The electrodes are separated by a liquid called the (10) ______ . Why lithium is used Lithium is the (11) ______ of all the metals, so the battery is not heavy. Unlike old disposable batteries, the cell can be (12) ______ and used again. Problems Making batteries needs the (13) ______ of metals, which can harm the environment. Worn-out batteries are hard to take apart, so better ways of recovering materials when they are (14) ______ are needed.
- 9
Charged particles called ______ move between the two electrodes.(max 1 word)
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Answer: ions
Why: The answer “ions” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…tiny charged particles, known as ions, are able to move.”
- 10
The electrodes are separated by a liquid called the ______ .(max 1 word)
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Answer: electrolyte
Why: The answer “electrolyte” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 2 “…separated by a liquid called the electrolyte through which tiny charged particles ... are able to move.”
- 11
Lithium is the ______ of all the metals, so the battery is not heavy.(max 1 word)
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Answer: lightest
Why: The answer “lightest” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “Lithium is the lightest of all the metals, so a battery made with it can store a great deal of energy without being heavy”
- 12
Unlike old disposable batteries, the cell can be ______ and used again.(max 1 word)
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Answer: recharged
Why: The answer “recharged” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 3 “…a lithium-ion cell can be recharged and used again hundreds of times”
- 13
Making batteries needs the ______ of metals, which can harm the environment.(max 1 word)
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Answer: mining
Why: The answer “mining” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “Making these batteries requires the mining of certain materials, including lithium itself and several other metals”
- 14
Worn-out batteries are hard to take apart, so better ways of recovering materials when they are ______ are needed.(max 1 word)
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Answer: recycled (also accepted: recycling)
Why: The answer “recycled” is taken from this sentence — copy the word(s) exactly as they appear. It fits the 1-word limit.
Evidence · Paragraph 6 “…improving how batteries are recycled so that their valuable materials can be recovered”
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
Matching Sentence Endings
- Read each beginning and predict its grammatical and logical continuation.
- Eliminate endings that cannot fit grammatically before consulting the text.
Common trap: Choosing an ending that is grammatically smooth but unsupported.
Full Matching Sentence Endings strategyMultiple Choice — Multiple Answers
- Underline exactly how many answers are required.
- Locate the relevant passage section and read its full scope.
Common trap: Choosing too many or too few answers.
Full Multiple Choice — Multiple Answers strategyNote Completion
- Use headings and indentation to identify the topic of each blank.
- Predict the answer type and mark the word limit.
Common trap: Treating bullets as unrelated when they belong to one passage section.
Full Note Completion strategyPractise “The Quiet Revolution of the Lithium-Ion Battery” under exam conditions
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