I’m Jonathan Mitchell, an IELTS Reading specialist and science writer with over a decade of experience analysing Cambridge IELTS passages. My mission is to help learners decode complex environmental texts and achieve Band 7 and above scores.
Cambridge 19 Reading Test 4 Passage 2 – Deep-Sea Mining explores the tension between the search for life-saving medicines and the commercial drive to exploit ocean-floor minerals. The passage weighs scientific discovery against environmental risk, drawing on the views of leading experts such as Mat Upton, Julie Hunter and Mike Johnston.
Cambridge 19 Reading Test 4 Passage 2
🔹 Questions 14–17 | Matching Information
Learn this strategy 👉 Matching Information
14) C – reference to the rapidly increasing need for one raw material in the transport industry
- Keywords: need, transport, battery metals
- Location: Paragraph C (mid)
- Locator: “demand for … cobalt for electric car batteries … is soaring.”
- Explanation: Refers to rising demand in the transport industry → C
15) F – a rough estimate of the area of the Earth covered by the oceans
- Keywords: 70 percent, planet
- Location: Paragraph F (opening)
- Locator: “The oceans occupy around 70 % of the planet.”
- Explanation: States the global ocean coverage → F
16) E – how a particular underwater habitat is formed
- Keywords: hydrothermal vents, volcanic magma
- Location: Paragraph E (opening)
- Locator: “Hydrothermal vents … created when seawater meets volcanic magma.”
- Explanation: Explains formation of vents → E
17) D – countries have yet to agree on rules for exploration
- Keywords: no regulatory framework
- Location: Paragraph D (mid)
- Locator: “global regulatory framework is not yet drafted.”
- Explanation: World rules still missing → D
🔹 Questions 18–23 | Matching People (A–E)
Study this pattern 👉 Matching Features
18) D – Mike Johnston
- Keywords: move away from land resources
- Location: Paragraph F (opening)
- Locator: “Instead of continually looking at fast depleting land resources.”
- Explanation: Supports shift from land to sea → D
19) B – Julie Hunter, Julian Aguon & Pradeep Singh
- Keywords: ignoring local impacts
- Location: Paragraph D (mid)
- Locator: “disregard for environmental and social impacts, and the marginalisation of indigenous peoples.”
- Explanation: They criticise harm to communities → B
20) A – Professor Mat Upton
- Keywords: extract something better than minerals
- Location: Paragraph A & B
- Locator: “bioactive potential … medicines or drugs down there before we destroy it.”
- Explanation: Believes deep sea is valuable for medicine → A
21) E – Verena Tunnicliffe
- Keywords: most destructive impact on marine life
- Location: Paragraph F (end)
- Locator: “Mining will be the greatest assault on deep-sea ecosystems ever inflicted by humans.”
- Explanation: Predicts severe damage → E
22) B – Julie Hunter et al.
- Keywords: more known about space than oceans
- Location: Paragraph D (end)
- Locator: “Moon, Mars and Venus have been mapped in greater detail.”
- Explanation: Shows space better understood than deep sea → B
23) C – Dr Jon Copley
- Keywords: habitat where mining should not take place
- Location: Paragraph E (end)
- Locator: “On deep sea vents, scientists are clear: We don’t want mining on them.”
- Explanation: Copley opposes mining at hydrothermal vents → C
🔹 Questions 24–26 | Summary Completion (ONE WORD ONLY)
Improve accuracy 👉 Summary Completion
24) waste
- Keywords: removed without producing much ___
- Location: Paragraph C (mid)
- Locator: “far superior ore … with little, if any, waste.”
- Explanation: Companies claim less waste.
25) machinery
- Keywords: equipment adapted from land
- Location: Paragraph C (mid)
- Locator: “employing some form of converted machinery previously used in terrestrial mining.”
- Explanation: Uses adapted machinery.
26) caution
- Keywords: concerned groups, unidentified consequences
- Location: Paragraph D (opening)
- Locator: “Environmental and legal groups have urged caution.”
- Explanation: They call for caution before mining.
Practice & Further Resources
Excellent work completing Cambridge 19 Reading Test 4 Passage 2 – Deep-Sea Mining!
Now reinforce your skills with:
Tips for Success
- Identify which expert each quote belongs to — names signal answers.
- Scientific texts use synonyms (e.g., ramifications = consequences).
- In Summary Completion, check grammar before writing one word.
- Look for comparison markers (instead of, rather than, while) to find answers quickly.
New Vocabulary
Abyss – a deep part of the ocean. (Scientists explored the Pacific abyss.)
Hydrothermal vent – an opening on the sea floor emitting hot mineral water. (Unique species live around hydrothermal vents.)
Sediment plume – cloud of particles stirred up by disturbance. (Mining creates sediment plumes that reduce visibility.)
Biodiversity – variety of life in an ecosystem. (Deep-sea biodiversity is poorly understood.)
Caution – care to avoid danger. (Environmental groups urge caution before mining.)
Ore – natural rock containing valuable metals. (The ore is brought to the surface for processing.)
Expand your vocabulary 👉 IELTS Vocabulary in Context
FAQ
Q1. What is deep-sea mining?
It is the process of extracting metals and minerals from the ocean floor at depths of up to 6,000 metres.
Q2. Why do scientists oppose it?
Because it threatens marine ecosystems and may destroy unknown species.
Q3. What alternative benefit does Mat Upton suggest?
He believes marine organisms could yield new antibiotics and medicines.
Q4. Which habitat is strictly off-limits for mining?
Hydrothermal vents, as confirmed by Dr Jon Copley and Verena Tunnicliffe.
External References
For official IELTS information and practice materials, visit the British Council, IDP IELTS, and IELTS.org — the organisations that administer the exam worldwide. For structured learning and expert guidance, explore IELTS Preparation Courses on Course Line, covering Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
Final Thoughts
The Cambridge 19 Reading Test 4 Passage 2 – Deep-Sea Mining passage balances scientific promise against environmental risk. It shows how technological innovation can clash with ethics and ecology — a perfect IELTS Reading example for practising inference and opinion-matching skills.
Next → Cambridge 19 Reading Test 4 Passage 3 – The Unselfish Gene.
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