Agriculture and Tourism - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation
IELTS reading section assesses the students reading prowess over a set of passages and 40 questions of different kinds and skillet . The IELTS Reading test helps students in improving their skills which includes reading, accessing and analyzing. In this IELTS Reading Section, there are few questions divided into sets, each demanding the performance of a different type of task.
The following IELTS reading sample - Agriculture and tourism have three question types:
- Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes
- Choose A, B or C for each question.
- Use no more than two words to complete the paragraph
Check: Get 10 Free IELTS Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now
Section 1
Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions
Agriculture and Tourism IELTS Reading Sample
- Agricultural tourism is a worldwide trend which offers city dwellers a chance to escape urban concrete and re-discover their rural roots. In addition, visiting farmers, agronomists and other agricultural experts can evaluate worldwide developments in agriculture, which have been greatly influenced by modern technology. Agriculture and tourism—two of Wisconsin’s most important industries—are teaming up in southwestern Wisconsin. A pilot project has found that tourists, rural communities, and some farmers could benefit from stronger efforts to promote and market agricultural tourism there. More than one-half of those surveyed responded favourably to a proposed tour, saying they would be interested in participating in some types of agricultural tour in southwestern Wisconsin.
- In 1990, agricultural tourism project members surveyed 290 visitors to the annual Monroe Cheese Festival and 164 visitors to the Picnic on the Farm, a one-time event held in Platteville in conjunction with the Chicago Bears summer training camp. Survey respondents reported that they would prefer to visit cheese factories, sausage processing plants, dairy farms, and historical farm sites, as well as enjoy an old-fashioned picnic dinner. The study also found strong interest in visiting specialty farms (strawberries, cranberries, poultry, etc.). More than 75 percent of the Cheese Day visitors planned ahead for the trip, with 3 7 percent planning at least two months in advance. More than 40 percent of the visitors came to Monroe for two- or three-day visits. Many stopped at other communities on their way to Cheese Days. Visitors at both events indicated that they were there to enjoy themselves and were willing to spend money on food and arts and crafts. They also wanted the opportunity to experience the “country” while there.
- The study found that planning around existing events should take into account what brought visitors to the area and provide additional attractions that will appeal to them. For example, visitors to Cheese Days said they were on a holiday and appeared to be more open to various tour proposals. Picnic visitors came specifically to see the Chicago Bears practice. They showed less interest in a proposed agricultural tour than Cheese Day visitors, but more interest in a picnic dinner. (The table below results from the 1990 survey of Monroe Cheese Days and Picnic on the Farm visitors and shows how the visitors would rank various activities in the proposed tour.)
Interest in specific activities in proposed tour
| Activity | Cheese Days (Rank) | Picnic (Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Factory Visit | 1 | 2 |
| Sausage Processing Visit | 2 | 2 |
| Dairy Farm Visit | 3 | 5 |
| Picnic Dinner | 3 | 1 |
| Historical Farm Visit | 3 | 3 |
| Crop Farm Visit | 4 | 6 |
- Agricultural tourism can serve to educate urban tourists about the problems and challenges facing farmers, says Andy Lewis, Grant county community development agent. While agriculture is vital to Wisconsin, more and more urban folk are becoming isolated from the industry. In fact, Lewis notes, farmers are just as interested in the educational aspects of agricultural tours as they are in any financial returns. “Farmers feel that urban consumers are out of touch with farming,” Lewis says. “If tourists can be educated on issues that concern farmers, those visits could lead to policies more favourable to agriculture.” Animal rights and the environment are examples of two issues that concern both urban consumers and farmers. Farm tours could help consumers get the farmer’s perspective on these issues, Lewis notes.
- Several Wisconsin farms already offer some types of learning experience for tourists. However, most agricultural tourism enterprises currently market their businesses independently, leading to a lack of a concerted effort to promote agricultural tourism as an industry. Lewis is conducting the study with Jean Murphy, assistant community development agent. Other participants include UW-Platteville Agricultural Economist Bob Acton, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, UW-Extension Recreation Resources Center, the Wisconsin Rural Development Center, and Hidden Valleys, a Southwestern Wisconsin regional tourism organization.
- This past fall, Murphy organized several workshops with some Green and Grant County farmers, local business leaders, and motor coach tour operators to discuss how best to organize and put on farm tours. Committees were formed to look at the following: tour site evaluations, inventory of the area’s resources, tour marketing, and familiarization of tours. The fourth committee is organizing tours for people such as tour bus guides and local reporters to help better educate them about agricultural tourism. Green County farmers already have experience hosting visitors during the annual Monroe Cheese Days. Green County Tourism Director Larry Lindgren says these farmers are set to go ahead with more formal agricultural tours next year. The tours will combine a farm visit with a visit to a local cheese factory and a picnic lunch.
- Another farm interested in hosting an organized tour is Sinsinawa, a 200-acre Grant County farm devoted to sustainable agriculture and run by the Dominican Sisters. Education plays a major role at the farm, which has an orchard, dairy and beef cows, and hogs. Farm tours could be combined with other activities in the area such as trips to the Mississippi River and/or visits to historical towns or landmarks, Lewis says. The project will help expose farmers to the tourism industry and farm vacations as a way to possibly supplement incomes, he adds. While farm families probably wouldn’t make a lot of money through farm tours, they would be compensated for their time, says Lewis. Farmers could earn additional income through the sale of farm products, crafts, and recreational activities.
Section 2
Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-4
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-G.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-G, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.
- About half of all the tourists would spend several days in Monroe.
- Most visitors responded positively to a survey project on a farm tour.
- Cooperation across organisations in research for agriculture tours has been carried out.
- Agriculture tour assists tourists to understand more issues concerning animal and the environment.
Answer 1: Paragraph B
Supporting sentence: More than 40 percent of the visitors came to Monroe for two- or three-day visits.
Keyword: Monroe
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 4th line
Explanation: According to the paragraph, tourists were more interested in visiting the Annual Monroe Cheese Festival as compared with the picnic farms. The visitors to cheese days said that they were on their holidays and wished to make a tour proposed to them. About more than 40 percent of the population wished to pay a two-three day visit to Monroe.
Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples
Answer 2: Paragraph A
Supporting sentence: More than one-half of those surveyed responded favourably to a proposed tour, saying they would be interested in participating in some types of agricultural tour in southwestern Wisconsin.
Keyword: survey
Keyword location: Paragraph A, last line
Explanation: The people who participated in the survey responded positively. One-half of them stated that they were more interested in doing agricultural tours. The visitors positively class that they would prefer to visit cheese factories, dairy farms and historical sites as part of their tour.
Answer 3: Paragraph E
Supporting sentence: Lewis is conducting the study with Jean Murphy, assistant community development agent. Other participants include UW-Platteville Agricultural Economist Bob Acton, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, UW-Extension Recreation Resources Center, the Wisconsin Rural Development Center, and Hidden Valleys, a Southwestern Wisconsin regional tourism organization.
Keyword: study, tour
Keyword location: Paragraph E, line 3
Explanation: These lines state that the agriculture tour was conducted in cooperation with various organizations like Jean Murphy, a community development agent, Bob Acton UW-Extension recreation resources centre etc…
Answer 4: Paragraph D
Supporting sentence: “If tourists can be educated on issues that concern farmers, those visits could lead to policies more favourable to agriculture.”
Keyword: tourist
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 5th sentence
Explanation: The urban tourists could be educated about the problems faced by farmers and they can also get a perspective of two important issues related to animals and the Environment. Moreover, several Wisconsin farms provide an appropriate setting through which the tourists can easily comprehend and grasp things and can get a better insight of the working of the farms.
Questions 5-9
Which of the following statements belongs to the visitor categories in the box
Please choose A, B or C for each question.
Write the correct letter A, B or C, in boxes 5-9 on your answer sheet.
NB: You may use any letter more than once.
- Cheese Festival visitors
- Picnic visitors
- Both of them
- have a focused destination.
Answer: Option B
Supporting sentence: Picnic visitors came specifically to see the Chicago Bears practice.
Keyword: Picnic visitors, specifically
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 3rd sentence
Explanation: The people who come for picnic have a focussed destination and they do not like to visit multiple places.
- majority prepare well before going beforehand.
Answer: Option A
Supporting sentence: More than 75 percent of the Cheese Day visitors planned ahead for the trip, with 3 7 percent planning at least two months in advance.
Keyword: planned
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 4th statement
Explanation: More than half, which is the majority of the visitors, plan well before going on trip as per the passage.
- are comparably less keen on picnic meals.
Answer: Option A
Supporting sentence: Survey respondents reported that they would prefer to visit cheese factories, sausage processing plants, dairy farms, and historical farm sites, as well as enjoy an old-fashioned picnic dinner.
Keyword: picnic
Keyword location: Paragraph B, 2nd line
Explanation: The cheese festival visitors are more interested in cheese factories, dairy farms and an old fashioned picnic dinner
- show interest in activities such as visiting factory tours and fruit.
Answer: Option C
Supporting sentence: The tours will combine a farm visit with a visit to a local cheese factory and a picnic lunch.
Keyword: factory
Keyword location: Paragraph F, last line
Explanation: The interest shown by people visiting for the tours are in factory visit and other activities also. The survey showed that ad hence, such tours were orgnized.
- are willing to accept a variety of tour recommendations.
Answer: Option A
Supporting sentence: For example, visitors to Cheese Days said they were on a holiday and appeared to be more open to various tour proposals.
Keyword: tour, variety
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 2nd line
Explanation: The cheese festival visitors are open to tour recommendations and various proposals.
Questions 10-14
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using no more than two words from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 10-14 on your answer sheet.
Through farm tours, visitors can better understand significant issues such as 10________ and the environment. In autumn, Murphy organised several parties and arranged 11__________ to develop a local tour market. Larry Lindgren said the farmers already had the experience of farm tours with factory visiting and a 12_________ In Sinsinawa, a large area of the farmland contains an orchard, cow etc which is managed and operated by 13_________ Lewis said the project will probably bring extra 14_________ for local farmers.
Answer 10: Animal Rights
Supporting sentence: Animal rights and the environment are examples of two issues that concern both urban consumers and farmers. Farm tours could help consumers get the farmer’s perspective on these issues, Lewis notes.
Keyword: Animal rights
Keyword location: Paragraph D, last 2 lines
Explanation: According to these lines through farm tours, the urban tourist can get educated about significant issues like Animal rights and the environment.
Answer 11: Workshops
Supporting sentence: This past fall, Murphy organized several workshops with some Green and Grant County farmers, local business leaders, and motor coach tour operators to discuss how best to organize and put on farm tours.
Keyword: Workshops
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 1st line
Explanation: According to these lines, Murphy has organized various workshops to develop and organize farm tours.
Answer 12: Picnic [LUNCH]
Supporting sentence: Green County Tourism Director Larry Lindgren says these farmers are set to go ahead with more formal agricultural tours next year. The tours will combine a farm visit with a visit to a local cheese factory and a picnic lunch.
Keyword: Picnic
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 5th and 6th line
Explanation: The lines state that the farmer's tour will comprise both the farm visit to a local cheese factory and simultaneously picnic lunch.
Answer 13: Dominican sisters
Supporting sentence: Another farm interested in hosting an organized tour is Sinsinawa, a 200-acre Grant County farm devoted to sustainable agriculture and run by the Dominican Sisters.
Keyword: Sinsinawa
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 1st line
Explanation: The lines states that large farmland in Sinsinawa a sustainable agricultural land is run by Dominican sisters.
Answer 14: Income
Supporting sentence: The project will help expose farmers to the tourism industry and farm vacations as a way to possibly supplement incomes, he adds.
Keyword: farmers, income
Keyword location: Paragraph G, 4th sentence
Explanation: According to these lines, the farm tours will help the farmers to raise additional incomes.
Comments