Diamonds of the Kitchen Reading Answers

Oct 17, 2024

Diamonds of the Kitchen Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Diamonds of the Kitchen Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set, there are questions where you have to tell whether the statement is true or false. In the next statement, you have to fill in the blanks with the correct answers. Also, there are questions where you have to choose the correct option from the given statements.

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the IELTS exam, designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend and analyze different types of texts. In this passage, you will engage with a series of IELTS reading practice questions that simulate real test scenarios. These questions are aimed at improving your skills in identifying key ideas, extracting specific information, and making inferences. Whether you are preparing for the Academic or General Training module, practicing these IELTS reading questions will help you become familiar with the format and boost your confidence for the actual test.

Section 1

DIAMONDS OF THE KITCHEN

We are in the Perigord province of France, in a damp forest, and a father, Jean-Claude, and his son lead their pet pig on a leash through the oak trees. Suddenly, the pig stops and buries its nose in the leafy ground, snorting loudly. Yes, the animal has found one. The pig is immediately and unceremoniously hauled away before it can eat the discovery, which is one of the reasons dogs are sometimes preferred for this task. The son falls to his knees and begins carefully excavating the ground. He pulls out a small black lumpy mass. It smells of soil and mushrooms, and is about five centimetres in diameter. This is a relatively large specimen, and everyone is happy, except the pig.

This part of France is known for its cuisine-wines, vegetables, and bread, but, historically, it is most famous for these edible pieces of fungi, known as truffles. They are also known as 'diamonds of the kitchen', with their pungent earthly scent gracing the tables of the best restaurants in Europe, and eaten with relish by those who can afford them. Yet, with such a high price tag and (in the case of the white variety) particularly powerful flavour, truffles are not eaten in bulk. They are a rare delicacy, generally served raw, cut into very thin slices to adorn the top of hot pasta or cold salad dishes. Slices may also be inserted into certain meats and cheeses to add a particularly unique flavour.

Although truffles come in various types, usually known by their colour (white, black, and burgundy) and can fruit throughout the year, they are certainly not common. They grow only among the roots of specific tree species, with whom they form a beneficial partnership, known in nature as a symbiosis. The truffles assist the trees in the uptake of inorganic compounds, such as nitrate and phosphate, while gaining shade, shelter, and moisture from the trees' root systems. In the case of the black truffle, that tree can only be an oak. Even then, truffles, particularly large ones, are difficult to find, and consequently, as a product they sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars per pound, making them a very costly treat indeed. The larger the truffle, the more expensive it becomes-and the largest of all have set some record prices. When an Italian, Luciano Savini, and his dog Rocco, discovered a 1.5 kilogram truffle-one of the biggest found in decades-it was immediately announced around the world, and auctioned internationally to the highest bidder. That bidder was the billionaire casino owner, Stanley Ho, from Macau. He paid a staggering US$330,000 for this single lump of fungus. Obviously liking the taste, he paid the same amount again three years later for another pair of white truffles, one of them weighing nearly a kilogram.

No wonder then that modern chefs no longer peel truffles, instead preferring to carefully brush them with the skin on. No part of this most precious object can be wasted. Obviously then, growing truffles commercially would seem a viable operation, but their domestication had long frustrated both farmers and businessmen. Among local peasants it was common wisdom that truffles grew among the roots of certain trees, and in the early 1800s, one French entrepreneur, upon hearing this, sowed acorns from oak trees whose root systems were known

to have truffles. But such trees grow particularly slowly, and many years had to pass before truffles could be found. Eventually though, patience paid off, and truffles were finally able to be harvested in commercial quantities. Everything thus seemed set for

a thriving new industry, but it was not to be. Two world wars, domestic turmoil, industrialisation, and the consequent drift of agricultural labour to the big cities, all saw the decline of the commercial truffle growers, apart from which, the locals were happy to keep the prices high by discouraging such ventures.

It is only in recent decades that interest in this industry has grown again, with mass production starting in many countries where truffles are not native, among them being the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. Even in France, the traditional home of the wild truffle, 80% of truffles eaten originate now from specially planted fields. But to Jean-Claude and his son, such products do not taste the same, and take away all the history and tradition. Jean-Claude holds up the wild truffle, passing it to his son. Both of them inhale the sharp earthy aroma with evident satisfaction. One suspects that, for these two men, the best aspect of truffles is the finding of them.

Questions 1 to 4

Write True, False, or Not Given, according to the information given in the reading passage.

1. Dogs are better at finding truffles.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The passage explains that dogs are sometimes preferred over pigs because pigs tend to eat the truffles they find. However, it does not explicitly say that dogs are better at finding truffles. It only mentions one reason dogs are used.

2. Perigord is well-known for its truffles.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “........This part of France is known for its cuisine—wines, vegetables, and bread, but, historically, it is most famous for these edible pieces of fungi, known as truffles.......”

Keywords: famous, truffles

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 2

Explanation: The statement confirms that the region of Perigord in France is renowned for many types of food, but especially for truffles. The phrase "most famous for" directly indicates the association of the region with truffles, confirming that Perigord is well-known for them.

3. Black truffles have a stronger flavour.

Answer: FALSE

Supporting statement: “.......Yet, with such a high price tag and (in the case of the white variety) particularly powerful flavour, truffles are not eaten in bulk........”

Keywords: white, powerful

Keyword Location: para 2, Line 5

Explanation: The passage states that it is the white variety of truffles that has a particularly powerful flavor, not the black ones. This contradicts the idea that black truffles have a stronger flavor. Thus, the answer is FALSE.

4. A symbiosis is helpful to both participants.

Answer: TRUE

Supporting statement: “.......They grow only among the roots of specific tree species, with whom they form a beneficial partnership, known in nature as a symbiosis........”

Keywords: beneficial, symbiosis

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 3

Explanation: The passage defines symbiosis as a "beneficial partnership" between truffles and tree roots, where both organisms gain advantages. This supports the notion that symbiosis is mutually beneficial, making the statement TRUE.

Questions 5 to 8

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

5. What trees do black truffles associate with?

Answer: OAK / OAKS

Supporting statement: “.......In the case of the black truffle, that tree can only be an oak........”

Keywords: black, oak

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 6

Explanation: The text clearly states that black truffles only grow in association with oak trees. No other tree species are mentioned in relation to black truffles. Therefore, the correct answer is OAK or OAKS.

6. Why are truffles so expensive?

Answer: DIFFICULT TO FIND

Supporting statement: “.......truffles, particularly large ones, are difficult to find, and consequently, as a product they sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars per pound........”

Keywords: difficult, find

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 7

Explanation: The passage states that the scarcity of truffles, especially large ones, drives up their price. Since they are rare and hard to find, this makes them valuable, explaining their high cost. Thus, the answer is difficult to find.

7. After how many years did Stanley Ho buy truffles?

Answer: THREE

Supporting statement: “.......he paid the same amount again three years later for another pair of white truffles........”

Keywords: three, later

Keyword Location: para 3, Line 12

Explanation: The text mentions that Stanley Ho bought a second set of white truffles three years after his initial purchase. This is a direct answer based on the time gap provided.

8. Whose knowledge did the first successful truffle-grower use?

Answer: LOCAL PEASANTS

Supporting statement: “........Among local peasants it was common wisdom that truffles grew among the roots of certain trees.......”

Keywords: local, peasants

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 2

Explanation: The passage explains that the first successful truffle-grower relied on the local peasants' knowledge about the relationship between trees and truffles. This information played a key role in establishing early truffle cultivation.

Questions 9 - 11

Which THREE factors (A-F) resulted in the fall of truffle production in France?

A. Unhelpful country people

B. Commercial activities

C. Industrial unrest

D. Fewer available workers

E. International conflicts

F. Domestic politics

Answer: A

Supporting statement: “.......the locals were happy to keep the prices high by discouraging such ventures........”

Keywords: locals, discouraging

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 12

Explanation: The passage mentions that locals preferred to discourage commercial truffle-growing operations to keep prices high. This resistance from local people contributed to the decline in large-scale truffle production, making A a correct answer.

Answer: D

Supporting statement: “........the consequent drift of agricultural labour to the big cities, all saw the decline of the commercial truffle growers.......”

Keywords: labour, cities

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 10

Explanation: The industrialization process caused workers to migrate to cities, leaving fewer people available for agricultural work. This shift in labor force led to a reduction in commercial truffle cultivation.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: “.......Two world wars...saw the decline of the commercial truffle growers........”

Keywords: world, wars

Keyword Location: para 4, Line 8

Explanation: The two world wars caused widespread disruption, impacting many industries, including truffle production. This historical factor played a significant role in the decline of truffle cultivation, making E a correct answer.

Questions 12 and 13

Complete the sentences with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

12. In many countries, truffles are now

Answer: MASS PRODUCED

Supporting statement: “.........with mass production starting in many countries where truffles are not native.......”

Keywords: mass, production

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 2

Explanation: The passage states that truffles are now being produced on a large scale (mass production) in various countries outside their native regions. This shift represents a move from traditional truffle hunting to commercial farming practices.

13. Jean-Claude believes the domestication of truffles ignores

Answer: HISTORY AND TRADITION

Supporting statement: “.......such products do not taste the same, and take away all the history and tradition........”

Keywords: history, tradition

Keyword Location: para 5, Line 5

Explanation: Jean-Claude expresses disappointment with mass-produced truffles, saying that they lack the essence of wild-harvested truffles and take away the historical and traditional value. This is a key reason he and his son continue to search for wild truffles.

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