CELPIP Reading Part 3Reading for Information Practice

A. Natural rubber begins as latex, a milky fluid produced in specialized vessels beneath the bark of certain trees. A tapper makes a shallow sloping cut that opens those vessels without reaching deeply into the wood. Latex follows the cut into a cup until the flow naturally slows and the exposed channel begins to close. Repeated cuts must be spaced and timed carefully so the tree remains productive rather than suffering a broad wound. Observations of latex production and careful tree tapping show why the same process may appear somewhat different from one site to another as surrounding conditions continue to change.

B. Fresh latex contains rubber particles suspended in water along with small amounts of other natural substances. Producers may preserve it as a liquid or add acid so rubber particles join and separate from the watery portion. The soft mass is washed and passed through rollers that remove moisture and create sheets of even thickness. Textured rollers can increase surface area, helping smoke or circulating air dry the sheets more consistently. Understanding harvesting and processing natural rubber therefore requires attention to both immediate effects and slower forms of change within the whole connected system.

C. Raw rubber becomes sticky in heat and stiff in cold, which limits its usefulness in demanding products. Manufacturers mix it with selected additives and heat it with sulfur in a process called vulcanization. Cross-links form between long rubber molecules, improving elasticity, strength, and resistance to temperature changes. The amount of sulfur and the heating conditions are adjusted for products ranging from soft bands to hard components. For drying, mixing, and vulcanization, this wider context prevents one striking feature from being mistaken for the whole story during a quick first inspection.

D. Natural rubber provides grip and flexibility in tyres, seals, gloves, footwear, and many vibration-control parts. Used rubber is difficult to return fully to its original state because vulcanization created permanent links. It can nevertheless be ground for surfaces, incorporated into new products, or processed by specialized recovery methods. Responsible production also considers tree health, soil, biodiversity, and working conditions across the plantation landscape. Together, these details place harvesting and processing natural rubber within a broader pattern shaped by the surrounding environment over a meaningful period of time.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.