Tomato Ripening Reading Answers

Dec 13, 2022

Tomato Ripening Reading Answers contains paragraphs and 14 different types of questions. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Tomato Ripening Reading Answers comprises of three types of questions: Matching heading, sentence completion, and Choose the correct option. For the Matching heading, candidates need to thoroughly go through each passage. For sentence completion, candidates need to skim the passage for keywords and understand the concept. To choose the correct option, candidates must read the IELTS Reading passage and understand the statement provided.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Tomato Ripening Reading Answers

Tomato Ripening

Tomatoes give off minute quantities of ethylene gas which is active in starting the natural ripening process. If left to nature; however, the tomatoes ripen randomly. The trickled ethylene gas process of tomato ripening consists of exposing the tomatoes to a low concentration of ethylene gas under controlled temperature conditions in a special tomato-ripening room. This treatment initiates and controls the speed of the natural ripening and coloring process in the tomatoes.

Controlled ripening and coloring enable the grower to market tomatoes of more uniform color and quality than is possible with green or field-ripened produce. The timing of harvesting and marketing may, within limits, also be regulated by the use of controlled ripening and coloring in in order to achieve maximum returns and make the best use of labor and equipment.

Ripening Conditions

All fruit must be mature green at harvest for controlled ripening to be successfully carried out. Relative humidity does not appear to be of great importance in the tomato-ripening process. Little moisture loss from the tomatoes occurs during the ripening process due to the relatively impermeable nature of the tomato skin. Ripening time will depend on the ripening temperature range, however, ripening temperatures above 24°C will result in poor color development with yellow or orange fruit rather than red. The heating and cooling capacity should be such that the tomatoes can be brought to the recommended ripening temperature within 24 hours.

General Arrangement

A typical arrangement for a tomato ripening room is shown in Figure 1 with the essential components of the system identified.

Room Size and Construction

For efficiency and convenience in operation, on-farm tomato ripening rooms are usually sized to accommodate the normal daily tomato pick during the peak harvest time. The room capacity is generally in the range of two to ten tonnes of tomatoes; however, larger rooms may sometimes be installed. Since the average ripening time is three or four days, the provision of multiple rooms on one farm is generally desirable.

Air Circulation and Ventilation System

Fan-forced air circulation is required for adequate and uniform temperature control and ethylene gas distribution in the ripening room. An air circulation rate of two-room air volumes per minute is recommended for good results. This is equivalent to around 480 cubic meters of air per hour per tonne of tomatoes. At the recommended heating or cooling capacity of 0.6 to 1.2 kW per tonne of tomatoes, this gives an air temperature differential of 3.5 to 7°C across the heating or cooling system. These high air circulation rates are necessary to limit variations in temperature in different parts of the room to acceptable levels and to achieve an adequate rate of heating or cooling of the tomatoes. The ventilation system circulates the room air continuously, introducing a small proportion of fresh air and exhausting a similar amount of air at the same time. This prevents a build-up of ethylene gas in the room and also removes carbon dioxide produced by the fruit during respiration. If this carbon dioxide were allowed to build up to too high a level in the room atmosphere, it would interfere with the ripening process.

Temperature Control System

The temperature of tomatoes in the ripening room has a great influence on the ripening process. The product heat load usually represents around 80% of the total heat load. The remainder is due to heat transmission through the external walls of the room and the fresh air exchange rate. In some cases, both heating and cooling are required to maintain the room temperature within the required range. The time required for ripening can be reduced to some extent by increasing the temperature. Reverse cycle air-conditioners are successfully used for both heating and cooling in tomato-ripening rooms where humidity control does not appear to be of great importance.

Supply and Control Systems

With the trickled ethylene gas system, a low concentration of ethylene gas is maintained in the ripening room atmosphere by a continuous small, controlled flow of gas of about 10 parts per million (ppm). Ethylene gas is supplied as a bottled gas under high pressure and it is released into the ripening room through a pressure regulator and metering system. The outlet gas pressure is adjusted through the gas pressure regulator and the gas flow rate is then adjusted by the fine needle valve. A normally closed solenoid valve in the ethylene gas supply line ensures that gas is not discharged into the room unless the fans and ventilation system in the ripening room is operating. The solenoid valve is electrically interlocked with the operation of the ventilation system fans and is also controlled by an airflow switch. A gas control thermostat is used to measure when gas should be supplied to the room. The temperature-sensing element of this thermostat is pushed into a tomato so that it senses the pulp temperature of the tomatoes in different parts of the room. Provided that the ethylene gas supply and control systems are correctly arranged, the ethylene gas concentration in the room will not exceed the low level which is sufficient for ripening but is far below the explosion hazard level. Under these conditions, tomato-ripening rooms installed on farms and used only for ripening fruit produced by the owner have been approved by certain Electricity Commissions as not constituting a hazardous location.

Section 2

Solution with Explanation
Questions 1– 3:
Complete the table in the box below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Requirements for successful use of the Ethylene Gas System for Tomato Ripening:

Tomatoes should be picked when they are _____________.

Answer: (mature) green
Supporting Statement: all fruit must be mature green at harvest for controlled ripening to be successfully carried out.
Keywords: Fruits, mature green, harvest, controlled ripening.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: These lines suggest that in order for ripening to occur successfully, all fruits, including tomatoes, must be fully mature and green at harvest. Tomatoes should therefore be chosen when they are fully grown and green. The solution is (mature) green.

Room temperature must be ______________ °C.

Answer: under/ below/ up to/ less than 24
Supporting Statement: ripening time will depend on the ripening temperature range, however, ripening temperatures above 24°C.
Keywords: ripening time, temperature range, 24 degree C.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3, line 4
Explanation: According to these lines, the room temperature should be below/ below/ up to/less than 24 C during the ripening period. Therefore, under/below/up to/less than 24 is the correct response.

Optimal ripening temperature for fruit must be achieved ___________.

Answer: within 24 hours
Supporting Statement: Heating and cooling capacity should be such that the tomatoes can be brought to the recommended ripening temperature within 24 hours.
Keywords: heating, cooling, tomatoes, ripening temperature.
Keyword location: Paragraph 3, last line
Explanation: These lines show that the fruit must reach the ideal ripening temperature within 24 hours. As a result, the response is given within a day.

Questions 4– 7:
Complete the flowchart below using information from the text. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 4– 7on your Answer Sheet.

Tomatoes are harvested => Placed in the ripening room to regulate ripening and 4 _________ Coloring process => Room air circulation limits temperature 5 ______________variation => Air conditioning controls temperature & humidity => Ideal temperature is reached => Ventilation system controls the amount of 6 _____________Ethylene & 7 _________________Carbon Dioxide => Ethylene gas supplied in pressurized form => Tomatoes are ripened & removed => Tomatoes are marketed.

Question 4:

Answer: color/ coloring (process)
Supporting Statement: this treatment initiates and controls the speed of the natural ripening and coloring process in the tomatoes.
Keywords: treatment, natural ripening, coloring process.
Keyword location: Paragraph 1
Explanation: These lines indicate that tomatoes are picked and then placed in a room to manage ripening, which improves the hues and coloring process.

Question 5:

Answer: variation
Supporting Statement: the high air circulation rates are necessary to limit variations in temperature in different parts of the room to acceptable levels and to achieve an adequate rate of heating or cooling of the tomatoes.
Keywords: high air circulation rates, limit variations, heating, cooling.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 6
Explanation: These lines make it clear that high air circulation rates are necessary to prevent temperature fluctuations around the room. So, variation is the answer.

Question 6:

Answer: carbon dioxide/ ethylene gas
Supporting Statement: the ventilation system circulates the room air continuously, introducing a small proportion of fresh air and exhausting a similar amount of air at the same time. This prevents a build-up of ethylene gas in the room and also removes carbon dioxide produced by the fruit during respiration.
Keywords: ventilation system, room air, ethylene gas, carbon dioxide.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 9
Explanation: These lines indicate that the ventilation moves the air in the room while also adding a tiny amount of fresh air. This minimizes the buildup of ethylene gas in the space and removes carbon dioxide that the fruit produces as it is respiring. Therefore, carbon dioxide is the solution.

Question 7:

Answer: ethylene gas/ carbon dioxide
Supporting Statement: the ventilation system circulates the room air continuously, introducing a small proportion of fresh air and exhausting a similar amount of air at the same time. This prevents a build-up of ethylene gas in the room and also removes carbon dioxide produced by the fruit during respiration.
Keywords: ventilation system, room air, ethylene gas, carbon dioxide.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 9
Explanation: These lines show that the ventilation system regulates the levels of carbon dioxide and ethylene gas. The solution is therefore ethylene gas.

Questions 8— 14:
Below is a list of assumptions. Using the information given in the passage, choose:

TRUE if it is a reasonable assumption
FALSE if it is NOT a reasonable assumption
NOT GIVEN if it is not possible to assume the information in the text.

Write your answers in boxes 8– 14on your Answer Sheet.

Example: Ethylene gas systems improve the grower’s chance of selling the tomatoes.
Answer: TRUE

Carbon dioxide is not beneficial to the ripening process.

Answer: False
Supporting Statement: The ventilation system circulates the room air continuously, introducing a small proportion of fresh air and exhausting a similar amount of air at the same time. This prevents a build-up of ethylene gas in the room and also removes carbon dioxide produced by the fruit during respiration. We can understand from the lines that the ventilation system controls the amount of ethylene and carbon dioxide during respiration.
Keywords: ventilation system, room air, ethylene gas, carbon dioxide.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 9
Explanation: Therefore, it is evident that the ripening process is not aided by carbon dioxide. Because the assertion is false and the information is true, the solution is false.

The outside air temperature determines the amount of extra heating needed in the ripening room.

Answer: False
Supporting Statement: at the recommended heating or cooling capacity of 0.6 to 1.2 kW per tonne of tomatoes, this gives an air temperature differential of 3.5 to 7°C across the heating or cooling system.
Keywords: heating, cooling capacity, air temperature.
Keyword location: Paragraph 6, line 4
Explanation: These lines show that, with the estimated heating/cooling capacity of 0.6 to 1.2 kW per tonne of tomato, the air temperature varies from 3.5 to 7 across the heating or cooling system. As a result, the assertion is false and the information is true.

Increased temperature can speed up the maturing process.

Answer: True
Supporting Statement: the time required for ripening can be reduced to some extent by increasing the temperature. Reverse cycle air-conditioners are successfully used for both heating and cooling in tomato-ripening rooms where humidity control does not appear to be of great importance.
Keywords: ripening, reverse cycle air conditioners, humidity.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7, line 5
Explanation: These lines suggest that a rise in temperature can quicken maturation. Since the information and the statement are consistent, the solution is True.

For successful tomato ripening, humidity levels need to be carefully monitored.

Answer: False
Supporting Statement: reverse cycle air-conditioners are successfully used for both heating and cooling in tomato-ripening rooms where humidity control does not appear to be of great importance.
Keywords: reverse cycle air conditioners, heating and cooling, tomato ripening, humidity.
Keyword location: Paragraph 7, last line
Explanation: These lines indicate that in the tomato ripening rooms, where humidity controls don't seem to be as crucial, reverse cycle air conditioners are employed for both heating and cooling. The answer is False because the statement goes against the data.

The solenoid valve has to be checked at regular intervals.

Answer: Not Given
Explanation: No relevant information was found in the reading passage.

A build-up of ethylene gas may result in an explosion.

Answer: True
Supporting Statement: Provided that the ethylene gas supply and control systems are correctly arranged, the ethylene gas concentration in the room will not exceed the low level which is sufficient for ripening but is far below the explosion hazard level.
Keywords: ethylene gas, control system, explosion hazard level.
Keyword location: Paragraph 8, line 11
Explanation: From these lines, it is clear that there are supply and control systems in place for ethylene. As a result, the room's ethylene gas concentration won't rise over a low level that is sufficient for ripening but is well below the threshold at which an explosion could occur. Therefore, it is obvious that an explosion could occur if ethylene gas builds up. As a result, the proposition and the data are consistent, hence the answer is True.