APIEIELTS Writing: Deep-Sea Exploration and Mining
Deep-sea exploration and mining
Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.
Module 1: Warm-up
Warm up with the words, phrases and patterns you need for the essay.
💡 How to use this lesson
👩🏫 For Teachers
- • Plan 55 minutes: about 15 for Module 1, 30 for the essay in Module 2 and 10 for the model essay in Module 3.
- • Check Module 1 together using the feedback, then read each essay and look for the four starters and the Unit words.
🎓 For Learners
- • Do Module 1 first, so the words and phrases are fresh before you write.
- • Then write your essay in Module 2 and read the model essay in Module 3 to compare.
A. Word forms
Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. Scientists found a thick _____ layer under the old riverbed. (sediment)
2. The company hired a _____ with ten years of experience underground. (mine)
3. Several firms want to _____ valuable metals from the seabed. (mining)
4. Deep-sea _____ could change the ocean for ever. (mine)
5. Large parts of the ocean floor are still _____. (chart)
B. Collocations
Choose the word that fits best.
6. The ship used _____ to map the ocean floor.
7. A large research _____ left the port with twenty scientists.
8. A _____ submersible can carry two people to the bottom of the sea.
9. Deep-sea _____ could damage the ocean floor.
10. Engineers sent a robot to collect samples of _____ from the seabed.
C. Essay phrases
Fill each gap with one phrase from the box. Use each phrase once.
11. _____ the high cost of the equipment, several firms still want to take part.
12. Some experts think the sea has many hidden resources. _____, others warn that we know very little about it.
13. _____, the plan would create jobs, but many people still oppose it.
14. The pipes cracked under the pressure. _____, the project stopped for a month.
15. _____ every country should share the profits from the ocean.
D. Paraphrase
Choose the sentence that says the same thing in different words.
16. Original: "Mining the deep sea could give us important metals, but it may damage the ocean."
17. Original: "Very little is known about the animals that live on the deep seabed."
18. Original: "Because the seabed belongs to nobody, many people think that all countries should decide together."
E. Grammar recap
Three quick questions about so and such.
19. Which sentence is correct?
20. Which word completes the sentence? _____ was the force of the wave that the boat turned over.
21. Which sentence has the correct word order?
Deep-Sea Mining Essay Task
In this module, you will write a full IELTS Writing Task 2 essay weighing the advantages and disadvantages of seabed mineral extraction.
Essay Prompt
"Several countries are interested in digging for valuable metals on the deep sea floor. What are the advantages and disadvantages of mining the deep sea?"
Word Count
Write at least 250 words.
Target Grammar
Include at least 3 sentences using So / Such inversion structures.
Target Vocabulary
Use at least 5 Unit words (e.g., seabed, trench, sediment, uncharted, submersible, sonar, vessel, mineral, ore, mining).
4-Paragraph Essay Outline
Organize your response following this strict 4-paragraph structure. Begin each paragraph using the mandatory opening sentence starters below:
Essay Self-Checklist
Before submitting your essay, verify that your writing satisfies all four requirements:
Write Your Essay
Compose your complete response below. Your essay is graded on these four things.
Assessment Criteria
C1 Model Essay Analysis
Read this model essay of 274 words, written the way a strong C1 student writes. The bold sentences use So / Such inversion, and a short note under each one says why it works.
C1 Sample Essay: Deep-Sea Mining
Several countries want to dig for metals on the deep sea floor, and people disagree about whether this is a good idea. This essay will weigh the advantages and the disadvantages.
One clear advantage is that the seabed holds large amounts of mineral deposits, and many of them are getting harder to find on land. Phones and batteries need metals, so seafloor ore could help to meet that demand. So dense are these mineral deposits across uncharted abyssal plains that a single harvesting operation could yield large amounts of valuable metal.
Modern sonar also lets a research vessel find the deposits without doing much damage at the surface. Consequently, we might need less mining on land, which often harms the countryside.
Against this, deep-sea mining puts fragile habitats at risk. Such is the fragility of the deep seabed ecosystem that even small disturbances can destroy living things that may take a very long time to grow back.
When heavy mining submersibles scrape the floor, they throw up clouds of sediment, and these clouds may drift a long way, even into deep ocean trench areas. Admittedly, nobody knows exactly how fast these places recover, but it is probably very slowly. So fragile are these deep ecosystems that any damage from industrial mining could prove permanent.
On balance, I think the benefits are real, but the risks are too serious to ignore while we still know so little about the seabed. Until safer methods exist, strong international rules would be a sensible way to protect the ocean and the animals that live in it. A little patience now is better than a mistake we cannot undo.
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