The First Antigravity Machine Reading Answer with Passage

The First Antigravity Machine Reading Answer: As IELTS aspirants, we often encounter reading passages that test our ability to comprehend complex scientific concepts and assess the credibility of various claims. The First Antigravity Machine, as the title suggests, is one such reading that delves into the realm of advanced technology and experimental research. Scientific or technological themes are quite common in IELTS reading passages, as they provide an opportunity to test candidates’ understanding of intricate information, ability to evaluate claims, and knowledge of scientific processes. Working through such passages in preparation for the IELTS exam can significantly enhance crucial skills such as skimming for main ideas, scanning for specific information, and managing time effectively. These skills are essential for success in the reading section of the IELTS exam.

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IELTS Reading Passage on the First Antigravity Machine 

The First Antigravity Machine Reading Answer explores Dr. Evgeny Podkletnov’s experiments with a superconductive disc that allegedly reduced gravitational pull on objects above it. It details the scientific setup, experimental results, and the controversy arising from claims that seem to contradict Einstein’s theory of gravity. The passage also covers the reactions from the scientific community, including skepticism, attempts at replication, and involvement of major corporations. Students should read this IELTS reading passage and answer the questions that follow.

IELTS Passage on First Antigravity Machine

It was one of the biggest science stories of the 1990s. Even now, the facts behind it remain hotly disputed. And small wonder, for if the claims made for the small disc, the focus of the controversy, are true, it may be possible to break through one of the great barriers in the scientific world and control the most potent of cosmic forces: gravity. Huge innovations in flight and space travel could arise from that.

The first gravity-blocking system to be taken seriously by scientists appeared in a laboratory at Tampere University of Technology, Finland. A Russian scientist named Dr. Evgeny Podkletnov created a disc 275mm across, made from a substance that combined copper, barium, and the 'rare Earth metal' called yttrium, which is known to be a high-temperature superconductor (a substance that conducts electricity without resistance). When chilled with liquid nitrogen at -196°C (a high temperature compared with other superconductors), this material loses all its electrical resistance and can levitate (lift) in a magnetic field. That may seem amazing for a ceramic-like material, and it won a Nobel Prize for the scientists Karl Muller and Johannes Bednorz, who first demonstrated it in the 1980s. But according to Podkletnov, the disc had another far more astounding property.

In 1992, while experimenting with rotating superconductors, Podkletnov noticed that pipe smoke from a nearby researcher was drifting into a vertical column above the spinning disc. Intrigued by this phenomenon, he decided to devise an experiment to investigate further. A superconductive disc, surrounded by liquid nitrogen, was magnetically levitated and rotated at high speed - up to 5,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) in a magnetic field. An object was suspended from a sensitive balance above the disc. It was enclosed in a glass tube to shield it from any effects of air currents. During a series of tests, Podkletnov was able to observe that the object lost a variable amount of weight from less than 0.5 percent to 2 percent of its total weight. The effect was noted with a range of materials from ceramics to wood. The effect was slight, yet the implications were revolutionary: the disc appeared to be partly shielding the object from the gravitational pull of the Earth.

This was just the start, claimed Podkletnov. While far short of the 100 percent reduction in the weight needed to send astronauts into space, for example, it was infinitely greater than the amount predicted by the best theory of gravity currently in existence. Einstein's theory of general relativity (GR), was published in 1905. According to Einstein, gravity is not some kind of 'force field' like magnetism, which can, in principle at least, be screened out. Instead, GR views gravity as a distortion in the very fabric of space and time that permeates the whole cosmos. As such, any claim to have shielded objects from gravity is to defy Einstein himself. Podkletnov's claims were subjected to intense scrutiny when he submitted them for publication.

The UK Institute of Physics had Podkletnov's paper checked by three independent referees, but none could find a fatal flaw. His research was set to appear in the respected Journal of Physics when events took an unexpected turn. The claims were leaked to the media, sparking worldwide coverage of his apparent breakthrough. Then Podkletnov suddenly withdrew the paper from publication and refused to talk to the press.

Rumors began to circulate of unknown backers, demanding silence until the device had been fully patented. But for many scientists, the strange events were all too familiar. Podkletnov was just the latest in a long line of people to have made claims about defying gravity. Most of these have come from madcap inventors, with bizarre devices, often with some kind of spinning disc. But occasionally respectable academics have made such claims as well. One instance of this occurred in the late 1980s when scientists at Tohoku University, Japan, made headlines with research suggesting that the apparatus known as the gyroscope, lost 0.01 percent of its weight when spinning at up to 13,000 rpm. Oddly the effect only appeared if the gyroscope was spinning anticlockwise - raising suspicions that some mechanical peculiarity was to blame. Attempts by scientists at the University of Colorado to replicate the effect failed.

Then Professor Giovanni Modanese, an Italian theoretical physicist, became interested. He had read an earlier paper by Podkletnov, hinting at a connection between superconductivity and gravity shielding. Modenese wondered if the magnetic field surrounding the superconductive disc might somehow assimilate part of the gravitational field under it. He published some calculations based on his idea in 1995- and soon discovered that taking 'antigravity' seriously was a career- limiting move.

The revelations about Podkletnov's antigravity research led to reports of major corporations setting up their studies. In 2000, the UK defense contractor BAE systems were said to have launched "Project Greenglow" to investigate Podkletnov's gravity shield effect. Then it emerged that the US aircraft builder Boeing was also investigating, suggesting it too had an interest in the effect. Groups in other countries were also rumored to be carrying out studies. Yet not one of the teams had reported confirmation of the original findings. Some projects have been wound up without producing results either way. So for the time being, it seems that the dream of controlling gravity will remain precisely that.

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The First Antigravity Machine Reading Answer IELTS Questions

The following are different types of IELTS questions on the basis of the First Antigravity Machine reading passage, which is given above. The students are advised to read each question carefully to know what is required in the question and then try to answer the questions.

Questions 1–7: True / False / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information in the passage?

• Podkletnov’s gravity-blocking disc was invented in Japan.

• The disc had to be super-cooled before the experiments were performed.

• Podkletnov’s disc causes all materials to lose the same proportion of their weight.

• Podkletnov’s discovery appears to disprove Einstein’s theory of gravity.

• Podkletnov retracted his paper after it had been accepted by the Journal of Physics.

• Scientists at Tohoku University have found similar effects to those of Podkletnov.

• Modanese published his calculations before Podkletnov published his paper.

Questions 8–13: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct option A, B, C, or D.

Q.8 What did Podkletnov notice was strange about the smoke?

A) It condensed to liquid

B) It traveled sideways

C) It traveled in a vertical column

D) It solidified immediately

Q.9 During the weight loss tests, a glass tube was used to…

A) Contain the smoke.

B) Calibrate the temperature.

C) Protect the object from air currents

D) Enhance the weight loss effect.

Q.10 Podkletnov reported weight losses of…

A) 10–15%.

B) 2–5%.

C) 0.5–2%.

D) More than 20%.

Q.11 Why did Podkletnov retract his paper?

A) It was found to be incorrect.

B) He received threats.

C) It was leaked to the press.

D) He lost his data.

Q. 12 The experiment where weight loss was only observed when spinning anticlockwise was:

A) Project Greenglow.

B) The Boeing experiment.

C) Tohoku University's gyroscope.

D) Colorado University's attempted replication.

Q. 13 Antigravity research is now considered to be…

A) Widely accepted.

B) Confirmed by all countries.

C) Not yet proven.

D) Banned internationally.

Questions 14–19: Summary Completion

Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage.

Dr. Evgeny Podkletnov, working at (14)__________, claimed to develop a rotating (15)__________ that could reduce the (16)__________ of objects placed above it. The disc was made using a combination of copper, barium, and (17)__________, a rare Earth metal. When cooled with (18)__________, the material became a superconductor. The observed effect contradicted (19)__________, which describes gravity as a curvature of space-time.

IELTS Reading Answers for First Antigravity Machine

Here are passage-based questions of the IELTS reading section on the First Antigravity Machine. The candidates should go through the answers only after they have tried all the practice questions themselves:

Answers 1–7: True / False / Not Given

1. False (The disc was made in Finland at the Tampere University, not Japan.) (Paragraph B)

2. True (The disc was cooled in liquid nitrogen at –196°C to turn it into a superconductor.) (Paragraph B)

3. False (The object reduced in weight by a variable amount – less than 0.5% to 2%, so it was not the same for all materials.) (Paragraph C)

4. False (It was in conflict with Einstein’s theory, but did not disprove it. General relativity is still believed to be true.) (Paragraph D)

5. True (The passage states that Podkletnov’s paper was due to be published but was then withdrawn.) (Paragraph E)

6. Not Given (Tohoku University only reported weight loss, it is not stated if results were similar to Podkletnov’s.) (Paragraph F)

7. False (Modanese published his calculations after reading Podkletnov’s paper, not before.) (Paragraph F)

Answers 8–13: Multiple Choice

8. C) It moved in a vertical column (The smoke moved in a vertical column above the disc, which was an unexpected observation.) (Paragraph C)

9. C) To shield the object from air currents (The glass tube was used to isolate it from any air currents.) (Paragraph C)

10. C) 0.5–2% (The amount of weight loss reported was from less than 0.5% to 2%.) (Paragraph C)

11. C) It was leaked to the media (His results were leaked to the press before publication.) (Paragraph E)

12. C) Tohoku University’s gyroscope (They reported loss of weight, but only when their gyroscope was spinning anticlockwise.) (Paragraph F)

13. C) Not yet verified (No one has successfully duplicated their results, so the effect has not been verified.) (Paragraph G).

Answers 14–19: Summary Completion

14. Tampere University (Podkletnov carried out his experiments at the Tampere University of Technology in Finland.) (Paragraph B)

15. Superconductive disc (He used a disc that was superconductive in his experiment.) (Paragraph C)

16. weight (Podkletnov discovered that the weight of various materials was reduced.) (Paragraph C)

17. yttrium (The disc was made of several metals, one of them was yttrium.) (Paragraph B)

18. liquid nitrogen (Podkletnov cooled his disc in liquid nitrogen.) (Paragraph B)

19. Einstein’s theory (The effect seemed to violate Einstein’s theory of general relativity.) (Paragraph D)

How to Solve the IELTS Reading Passage on Antigravity

This IELTS reading passage is based on a scientific experiment and contains technical terms, dates, and names. Your goal is to scan smartly and understand the main ideas without getting lost in heavy details.

• Skim the Passage (2–3 minutes): Scan for headings, opening lines, as well as any names or dates. Do not attempt to look up or read everything! This should only take a minute or two to get a feel for what is being talked about in each paragraph.

• Go to the Questions First: You should be looking at the questions before reading the text properly. This way you will be aware of the information you should be looking for when scanning through the passage later on.

• True / False / Not Given: These questions ask if a statement is in agreement with the text. Do not answer based on what you already know. Match up the statements to the passage, and if it is word-for-word, then it is true. If it is the opposite of the text, then it is false. If it is not stated at all then it is not given.

• Multiple Choice: For these questions, you should read both the question and the possible answers. After this, you can then go back to the passage and scan to find the section that deals with the question. You must then pick an answer that gives the same meaning, not necessarily using the same wording.

• Summary Completion: You’ll be given a short summary with blanks. Your task is to fill in those using words from the passage. The answer must be grammatically correct and within the word limit mentioned in the instructions.

Guidance of PW IELTS

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