Part 2
World History

TOEFL iBT Reading

Chernobyl

In late April of 1986, during routine testing, the number four reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in present-day Russia exploded in a fury four hundred times more powerful than an atomic bomb. The result was the most catastrophic nuclear disaster ever, as radioactive levels spiked in the surrounding areas, causing lethal exposure to numerous people in the immediate vicinity as well as neighboring countries as the fallout from the blast was carried away by prevailing winds. Today, the threat from Chernobyl is far from over, as the nuclear chamber continues to smolder and emit harmful radiation into the air and water. If the area is not safely contained and cleaned up soon, another potential blast just as deadly, if not more, as the initial one could arise. There are a number of reasons why Chernobyl continues to be a major threat.

First, immediately following the meltdown, the initial response was one hasty and poor planning. Obviously, there was no definitive emergency system in place in case the reactor began to go out of control. Emergency workers, called liquidators, were quickly recruited and bused in to help with cleaning up waste and debris and putting out the fire. They were not trained in the least in the handling or proper containment of nuclear waste, nor were they cognizant or even told by the government of the lethal levels of radioactivity they were exposing their bodies to. Luckily, most of them were able to recover. Desperately, the liquidators dumped sand and lead into the reactor and buried the reactor fuel and other waste from the blast in random, shallow ditches around the plant.

After two full weeks of working around the clock, the fire from the explosion was finally extinguished, and it was now the job of the liquidators to attempt to close off and contain the reactor site to prevent the least amount of radiation from leaking into the environment. It took them another six months to construct a metal containment structure, called the sarcophagus, over the plant. The main issue with the sarcophagus is that, again, it was merely thrown together as fast as possible, resulting in a fragile, rickety structure with many of its supporting beams not even welded together. In many ways, it is simply a band-aid, which can only provide minimal and short-lived containment of the radioactivity and which could also collapse, even today, twenty years later, at any given moment. If it were to do so, the two hundred plus tons of nuclear waste, uranium, and plutonium could once again be directly exposed to the open air and atmosphere.

A Today, as it has been for two decades, the major threat is water due to the poor construction of the sarcophagus, which has numerous holes and cracks within its structure. B Because of these, precipitation such as rain and water can enter directly into the pool of nuclear waste, mix with it, and ooze out into the environment, including the water aquifer. C The other effect precipitation has on the nuclear waste is much more immediate and ominous. D Water can aid in and speed up a nuclear reaction, which means that, if the recipe is just right, an entirely new explosion could occur all over again, causing major nuclear fallout and putting millions of people at risk of dangerous radioactive exposure in the surrounding areas.

Due to poor preparation and the implementation of containment measures, Chernobyl has remained, since its initial explosion, a ticking time bomb with the full potential and fuel for a fresh explosion at any given moment. In 2006, new teams entered the reactor zone to attempt to clean up what they could and dispose of it properly, and construction began on a new protective building to replace the old, bulging sarcophagus. It is being built at a safe distance from the reactor area and, once completed, will slide over the old sarcophagus and reactor pit. The new shell, still, will take at least five years to build, which will be another very tense time due to the condition of the sarcophagus. It will become another first in history for Chernobyl; it will be the largest moveable structure ever created.

21. The word lethal in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A harmful

B inadvertent

C fatal

D direct

22. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true of the nuclear blast at Chernobyl?

A It immediately injured and killed numerous people in the surrounding area.

B It was instantly contained and cleaned up by brave liquidators.

C It was the greatest manmade explosion in the history of the world.

D It resulted from an atomic bomb test at a nearby military installation.

23. The author discusses the emergency system in paragraph 2 in order to

A note how the damage could have been much more devastating

B argue that the disaster might have been dealt with better

C indicate how such systems have improved since Chernobyl

D support the action taken by work crews after the initial blast

24. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the government?

A It did everything in its power to minimize the impact of the incident.

B It could have implemented better safety procedures in the reactor.

C It did not seek out international aid to help it contain the explosion.

D It tried to hide the truth about the incident from the public.

25. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect answer choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

A If the sarcophagus had been welded, there would be no issue with it.

B The weak sarcophagus was a result of marginal construction work.

C Speed was essential in creating the wobbly structure called the sarcophagus.

D Issues continue with the design and construction of the sarcophagus.

26. According to paragraph 4, the greatest risk involving the Chernobyl disaster today is

A the multitudinous effects precipitation can have on the vulnerable reactor

B radioactive waste seeping into the water supply and harming people

C the potential for a fresh blast to occur from the number four reactor

D nuclear fallout putting many more people in harm’s way of radioactivity

27. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.

As a result, the ecosystem could become contaminated with even more deadly radiation.

Where would the sentence best fit?

Click on a square [■] to add the sentence to the passage.

28. The word it in the passage refers to

A reactor zone

B construction

C building

D sarcophagus

29. According to paragraph 5, which of the following is true of the new, protective building?

A It will be built directly on top of the old sarcophagus that was first erected.

B It will be a pioneering effort both by the engineers and the architects.

C It will be attached to the remaining shell to serve as a protective barrier.

D It will be constructed slowly because of the condition of the sarcophagus.

30. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some answer choices do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points .

The Chernobyl reactor still poses a threat today to humans and the surrounding ecosystem.

·

·

·

Answer Choices

A Water could mix with nuclear fuel and cause another explosion.

B The new protective building will take five years to construct.

C The number three reactor exploded in a force of more than four hundred atom bombs.

D Liquidators buried the reactor fuel in shallow ditches near the facility.

E The environment could be contaminated by nuclear waste mixed with rain.

F A new sarcophagus is mandatory to reduce the risks of another disaster.