Questions 31-37
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
• Can heat buildings or produce electricity
• Key advantage: reliable supply
Where it is easiest to extract
• Countries on tectonic plate boundaries
How a geothermal power plant works
• Cold water pumped down a production well
• Released gases include hydrogen sulphide, smelling like rotten eggs
The correct answer is reserves. After mentioning coal, gas and oil, the lecturer says those reserves will eventually run out.
Associated Text:
Burning coal, gas and oil to meet that demand creates serious pollution, and at some point those reserves will simply run out.
The correct answer is interior. The lecturer defines geothermal energy as heat that comes from the interior of the planet.
Associated Text:
geothermal energy, very simply, is heat that comes from the interior of our planet.
The correct answer is depth. Outside volcanic regions, the difficulty is reaching the heat economically, so the depth of the drilling is the main problem.
Associated Text:
The challenge for the rest of the world is reaching the heat economically. So the depth of the drilling required is one of the main difficulties of working in non volcanic regions.
The correct answer is steam. In the production well, cold water meets hot rock and turns into superheated steam.
Associated Text:
One of these is called the production well: cold water is pumped down it, where it meets hot rock and turns into superheated steam.
The correct answer is injection. After the steam cools back into water, it is pumped down through a second well called the injection well.
Associated Text:
Once the steam has done its job, it cools, condenses back into water, and is pumped back down through a second well, called the injection well, where it can be reheated and used all over again.
The correct answer is deposits. The lecturer explains that dissolved minerals leave mineral deposits inside the pipes, creating a maintenance problem.
Associated Text:
So a major maintenance problem for any geothermal plant is the build up of these mineral deposits inside the pipework
The correct answer is dissolved. The note reverses the lecture wording: gases are released at the surface because they were previously dissolved in hot underground water.
Associated Text:
Hot underground water often releases small amounts of dissolved gases when it reaches the surface
Questions 38-40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, or C.
Write your answers in boxes 38-40
on your answer sheet.
38. What local benefit is expected during construction of the Hellisheidi plant?
39. What risk does the lecturer identify if water use is not carefully controlled?
40. What visual problem may occur in scenic areas?
(A) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: cheaper household electricity.
(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: new tourism facilities.
(C) is correct. The lecturer says the construction phase will create skilled engineering positions locally.
Associated Text:
the construction phase will create a substantial number of skilled engineering positions for several years. So a real local economic benefit of the project is the new engineering jobs it will create.
(A) is correct. Careless water use can lower groundwater levels, with effects on nearby agriculture.
(B) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: steam may become too hot to reuse safely.
(C) is incorrect. The recording does not support this option: the plant may need to reduce electricity output permanently.
Associated Text:
if a project is run carelessly it can lower the level of the local groundwater significantly, with knock on effects for nearby agriculture
(A) is incorrect. A and C are not mentioned.
(B) is correct. The lecturer says visible steam and pipe networks can dominate the view in scenic areas.
(C) is incorrect. A and C are not mentioned.
Associated Text:
the steam rising from the cooling towers and the network of pipes that runs across the landscape can dominate the view in what are often very scenic areas
