Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers has 13 questions to answer within 20 minutes. Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers is taken from the book named Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Student's Book with Answers. Mostly the questions asked in this IELTS passage are – Fill in the blanks, True/False/Not Given. The IELTS Reading Section Module Evaluates the English Language Proficiency of the students by testing them by giving passages & questions based on it. The students are supposed to answer 40 varied question types.

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This IELTS Reading Practice Sample- Crop-Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers is an Academic topic and has two types of questions:

No more than two words
True/False/Not Given

Similar topics are available in IELTS reading practice papers.

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers

By the year 2050, nearly 80% of the Earth’s population will live in urban centres. Applying the most conservative estimates to current demographic trends, the human population will increase by about three billion people by then. An estimated 109 hectares of new land (about 20% larger than Brazil) will be needed to grow enough food to feed them, if traditional farming methods continue as they are practised today. At present, throughout the world, over 80% of the land that is suitable for raising crops is in use. Historically, some 15% of that has been laid waste by poor management practices. What can be done to ensure enough food for the world’s population to live on?

The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes and other produce has been in vogue for some time. What is new is the urgent need to scale up this technology to accommodate another three billion people. Many believe an entirely new approach to indoor farming is required, employing cutting-edge technologies. One such proposal is for the ‘Vertical Farm’. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which food crops are grown in environmentally controlled conditions. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they would drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers.

Vertical farms would need to be efficient, cheap to construct and safe to operate. If successfully implemented, proponents claim, vertical farms offer the promise of urban renewal, sustainable production of a safe and varied food supply (through year-round production of all crops), and the eventual repair of ecosystems that have been sacrificed for horizontal farming.

It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. Within that same time frame, we evolved into an urban species, in which 60% of the human population now lives vertically in cities. This means that, for the majority, we humans have shelter from the elements, yet we subject our food- bearing plants to the rigours of the great outdoors and can do no more than hope for a good weather year. However, more often than not now, due to a rapidly changing climate, that is not what happens. Massive floods, long droughts, hurricanes and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops.

The supporters of vertical farming claim many potential advantages for the system. For instance, crops would be produced all year round, as they would be kept in artificially controlled, optimum growing conditions. There would be no weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods or pests. All the food could be grown organically, eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. The system would greatly reduce the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface. Although the system would consume energy, it would return energy to the grid via methane generation from composting nonedible parts of plants. It would also dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, by cutting out the need for tractors, ploughs and shipping.

A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial light. Without it, those plants nearest the windows would be exposed to more sunlight and grow more quickly, reducing the efficiency of the system. Single-storey greenhouses have the benefit of natural overhead light: even so, many still need artificial lighting. A multi-storey facility with no natural overhead light would require far more. Generating enough light could be prohibitively expensive, unless cheap, renewable energy is available, and this appears to be rather a future aspiration than a likelihood for the near future.

One variation on vertical farming that has been developed is to grow plants in stacked trays that move on rails. Moving the trays allows the plants to get enough sunlight. This system is already in operation, and works well within a single-storey greenhouse with light reaching it from above: it is not certain, however, that it can be made to work without that overhead natural light.

Vertical farming is an attempt to address the undoubted problems that we face in producing enough food for a growing population. At the moment, though, more needs to be done to reduce the detrimental impact it would have on the environment, particularly as regards the use of energy. While it is possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in future, most experts currently believe it is far more likely that we will simply use the space available on urban rooftops.

Section 2

Solution With Explanation

Question 1- 7

Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 1- 7 on your answer sheet.

Some food plants, including __________ are already grown indoors.
Vertical farms would be located in __________ meaning that there would be less need to take them long distances to customers. Urban centers/ centers
Vertical farms could use methane from plants and animals to produce _________. Energy
The consumption of __________ would be cut because agricultural vehicles would be unnecessary. Fossil fuel
The fact that vertical farms would need _________light is a disadvantage. Artificial
One form of vertical farming involves planting in ___________ which are not fixed. (Stacked) trays
The most probable development is that food will be grown on ________ in towns and cities. (Urban) rooftops

Answer-

Some food plants, including __________ are already grown indoors.

Answer: Tomatoes
Supporting sentence: The concept of indoor farming is not new, since hothouse production of tomatoes and other produce has been in vogue for some time.
Keywords: indoor farming, grown indoor, tomatoes
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 1st line
Explanation: In this paragraph, it is clearly mentioned that the production of tomatoes and other produce has already started for a while now and indoor farming is not new. Hence, the selected answer from paragraph C is an appropriate answer for this sentence.

Vertical farms would be located in __________ meaning that there would be less need to take them long distances to customers.

Answer: Urban centres/ centers
Supporting sentence: One such proposal is for the ‘Vertical Farm’. The concept is of multi-storey buildings in which food crops are grown in environmentally controlled conditions. Situated in the heart of urban centres, they would drastically reduce the amount of transportation required to bring food to consumers.
Keywords: urban centres, vertical farm, customers
Keyword location: Paragraph C, 4th line
Explanation: In the paragraph, it is stated that if vertical farms would be located in urban centres of urban areas then it will be easier to supply the food products to the consumers as it will drastically reduce the transportation cost so it will be cheaper as well. Hence, the selected answer from Paragraph C is an appropriate answer for this sentence.

Vertical farms could use methane from plants and animals to produce _________.

Answer: Energy
Supporting sentence: The supporters of vertical farming claim many potential advantages for the system….. Although the system would consume energy, it would return energy to the grid via methane generation from composting non-edible parts of plants.
Keywords: energy, return energy, vertical farming, consume energy, methane.
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 1st and 6th line
Explanation: In this paragraph, it is mentioned that the supporters of vertical farming have claimed that Vertical farms would consume energy from plants and animals to produce energy and return back the energy to nature. The supporting sentence is the evidence that the selected answer is correct.

The consumption of __________ would be cut because agricultural vehicles would be unnecessary.

Answer: Fossil fuel
Supporting sentence: It would also dramatically reduce fossil fuel use, by cutting out the need for tractors, ploughs, and shipping.
Keywords: fossil fuel, reduce fossil fuel use, cutting out, tractors
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 7th line
Explanation: In paragraph E it is clearly seen that the selected answer is the appropriate answer for this sentence. As in the paragraph they mentioned that in vertical farms the use of fossil fuel would reduce dramatically by cutting out the need for agricultural vehicles.

The fact that vertical farms would need _________light is a disadvantage.

Answer: Artificial
Supporting sentence: A major drawback of vertical farming, however, is that the plants would require artificial light.
Keywords: Artificial light, light, vertical farms, drawback
Keyword location: Paragraph F, 1st line
Explanation: In the paragraph, it is clearly mentioned that when it comes to vertical farming the major drawback is that it would require artificial light for the plants to grow as there is a lack of natural sunlight in vertical farms. Hence the selected answer from the paragraph is the appropriate answer for this sentence.

One form of vertical farming involves planting in ___________ which are not fixed.

Answer: Stacked trays
Supporting sentence: One variation on vertical farming that has been developed is to grow plants in stacked trays that move on rails. Moving the trays allows the plants to get enough natural sunlight.
Keywords: stacked trays, moving the tray, rails, vertical farming
Keyword location: Paragraph H, 1st line
Explanation: In the paragraph, it is mentioned that another form of vertical farming is growing the plants in the stacked trays as they are not fixed in one place and can be moved on rails as moving of these trays allows the plants to go to the place that gets enough sunlight. Hence, the selected answer is the correct answer for this sentence.

The most probable development is that food will be grown on ________ in towns and cities.

Answer: Urban rooftops
Supporting sentence: While it is possible that much of our food will be grown in skyscrapers in the future, most experts currently believe it is far more likely that we will simply use the space available on urban rooftops.
Keywords: urban rooftops, food grown, urban
Keyword location: Paragraph I, 4th line
Explanation: The paragraph mentioned that it is believed that food will be grown in the available space of urban rooftops. So the selected answer is the correct answer to this sentence.

Question 8- 13:
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE, if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE, if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN, if there is no information on this

Methods for predicting the Earth’s population have recently changed. Not given
Human beings are responsible for some of the destruction to food-producing land.
The crops produced in vertical farms will depend on the season.
Some damage to food crops is caused by climate change.
Fertilizers will be needed for certain crops in vertical farms.
Vertical farming will make plants less likely to be affected by infectious diseases.

Answers-

Methods for predicting the Earth’s population have recently changed.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: Nowhere in the passage the methods for predicting earth’s population is mentioned.

Human beings are responsible for some of the destruction to food-producing land.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: It took humans 10,000 years to learn how to grow most of the crops we now take for granted. Along the way, we despoiled most of the land we worked, often turning verdant, natural eco-zones into semi-arid deserts.
Keywords: despoiled, verdant, semi-arid desert
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 1st line
Explanation: The paragraph clearly mentioned that we humans take the growing of crops and plants for granted. We despoiled the lands and turned them into dessert. So it’s true that we humans are responsible for the destruction of food-producing land and hence, the statement is true.

The crops produced in vertical farms will depend on the season.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: There would be no weather-related crop failures due to droughts, floods, or pests.
Keywords: no weather-related, grown organically
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 2nd line
Explanation: This statement is not true because crops that are grown in vertical farms don’t have to worry about seasonal crop failures as the crops will be grown indoors with the help of artificial light which is available all year long.

Some damage to food crops is caused by climate change.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: However, more often than not now, due to a rapidly changing climate, that is not what happens. Massive floods, long droughts, hurricanes, and severe monsoons take their toll each year, destroying millions of tons of valuable crops.
Keywords: rapidly changing climate, destroying, valuable crops
Keyword location: Paragraph D, 6th line
Explanation: In the paragraph, it is mentioned that due to rapidly changing weather millions of crops are destroyed. So this statement is true.

Fertilizers will be needed for certain crops in vertical farms.

Answer: False
Supporting sentence: All the food could be grown organically, eliminating the need for herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers.
Keywords: eliminating, fertilizer
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 4th line
Explanation: The paragraph mentioned that all food could be grown organically which will eliminate the need for pesticides and fertilizers. So, the statement is false.

Vertical farming will make plants less likely to be affected by infectious diseases.

Answer: True
Supporting sentence: The system would greatly reduce the incidence of many infectious diseases that are acquired at the agricultural interface.
Keywords: reduce, infectious diseases, agricultural
Keyword location: Paragraph E, 5th line
Explanation: The statement is true because the passage also says that a vertical farming system would reduce many infectious diseases which means it is less likely to be affected by infectious diseases.

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