Vines in the Sky Reading Answers

Mar 14, 2024

Vines in the Sky Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Vines in the Sky Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. This topic has 6 questions in which we have to fill up the black choosing appropriate paragraph which contains the statement. All the rest of the questions are fill in the blanks using no more than three words.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as Vines in the Sky Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

VINES IN THE SKY

The future farms may be built right in the middle of your neighbourhood. Suburban sprawl, combined with huge economies of scale in agricultural operations, have driven food production away from centres of population, with an increase in travel cost and risk of spoilage en route. However, the days of market gardens in cities supplying fresh food items may soon be over; mass urban farming may soon replace them. A visionary microbiologist, David Michael from U of T, sees our future cities filled with a new kind of market garden. The creator of this radical 'vertical farming' thought describes the evolution of concept from older idea of 'rooftop gardening' in Manhattan. While this was amazing, it couldn't be made sustainable on a mass scale. But it planted the seed of another great idea. Looking at greenhouse development projects in New York, the resulting concept was mass-scale, indoor, urban farming in sky scrappers.
Following this, David set up lab projects aimed at different design challenges and attracted a huge range of enthusiastic collaborators and contributors. He believes this vertical farming method possess solutions to some of the world's critical issues. The world population is expected to grow by 3.5 billion to 8.6 billion over the next half century. By then, some 80% will live in the cities, and they will neec something to eat. At the same time, conventional agriculture and grazing land takes up an enormous amount of space, with over 1/3rd of the world's surface currently used for farming. David figures that in the next 5 decades an area new arable land of roughly the size equivalent to Brazil will be required to feed the world's growing population - land that simply non existent.
David's concept relies on using green architecture methods and materials to build sky scrappers that grow and produce agricultural crops. New technologies like cheaper reflectors, which reflect sunlight where it's required, more efficient energy solar panels and system-wide recycling are central to the plan. One usual feature is the use of a type of shellfish for the filteration of water. These can clean urban waste to a state more suitable for irrigation.
'Outside, one acre of land means single crop per year,' says David. 'Indoors, you can cultivate single crop every three months. You can get four different crops per year.' He suggests that 150 such buildings could feed the entire neighbourhood of New York for one year Indoor crops require less pesticides and are less vulnerable to natural problems, such as famine. Some academics say that a single sky scrapper farm covering 1.5 hectares could produce enough food to feed 35,000 people for one year - the same as 450 hectare farm Each floor would be rigged up with with special hydroponic watering systems, solar panels to provide electricity and artificial lighting However, vertical farming is not without difficulties. One is - artificial lighting uses a great amount of electricity and generate considerable amount of heat as well. Another is cost, with some $95 million per building for construction and another $5 million for operation per year
Among experts, opinions vary on the success of this project. It is a serious challenge to create conditions suitable for growth, and some even think the yield from crop would not be economically viable. 'My biggest reservation is that the basic premise has flaws. We already know the ways to increase food production from existing land resources, particularly in areas with surplus land area for instance, sub Saharan Africa. It's just that we do it incredibly wrong at the moment, says Rob Sinha, a rural development researcher at the University of Whales. 'This is a rich person's aspiration.'
Yet there are strong supporters everywhere. Luc Jarvis, an advocate at Canda's IDRC, says the vertical farm is not only possible, but will happen very soon. 'It would gather at one site different elements already at work around the world, he says. David has the backing of his University as well as venture capitalists from China, India, Middle East and Netherlands. If the vertical farming vision becomes a reality we could expect fresh fruits and veggies sourced from just around the corner, except these might come from the 51st floor.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Question 1-6

Which section contains the information given below ?

Write the correct letter, A-F.

You may use any letter more than once.

Doubts about the feasibility and viability of the project -

Answer: E
Supporting statement: “.......Among experts, opinions vary on the success of this project. It is a serious challenge to create conditions suitable for growth, and some even think the yield from crop would not be economically viable...........”
Keywords: think, crop
Keyword Location: para E, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the experts were thinking about the success of this project. It was a serious challenge to create conditions suitable for growth.

The idea of shifting market gardens from the outskirts to inner-city circles -

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “........However, the days of market gardens in cities supplying fresh food items may soon be over; mass urban farming may soon replace them. .........”
Keywords: fresh, farming
Keyword Location: para A, line 4
Explanation: It is given that the days of the market gardens had been shifting to the inner city circles.

How the system would avoid existing agricultural problems -

Answer: D
Supporting statement: “........ 'Outside, one acre of land means single crop per year,' says David. 'Indoors, you can cultivate single crop every three months..........”
Keywords: indoors, cultivate
Keyword Location: para D, line 1
Explanation: It is given that the para D mentions that farming inside is better than farming outside.

A previous program that was impractical for widespread usage -

Answer: A
Supporting statement: “.........thought describes the evolution of concept from older idea of 'rooftop gardening' in Manhattan. While this was amazing, it couldn't be made sustainable on a mass scale........”
Keywords: evolution, scale
Keyword Location: para 8, line 8
Explanation: It is given that the previous program was impractical for widespread usage. The idea of rooftop gardening could not be increased to mass scale.

Sources of financial support to the proposal -

Answer: F
Supporting statement: “........Yet there are strong supporters everywhere. Luc Jarvis, an advocate at Canda's IDRC, says the vertical farm is not only possible, but will happen very soon. 'It would gather at one site different elements already at
work around the world, he says. .........”
Keywords: advocate, world
Keyword Location: para F, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the advocates were worried about the financial support to the proposal.

A method of dealing with waste substance -

Answer: C
Supporting statement: “........ New technologies like cheaper reflectors, which reflect sunlight where it's required, more efficient energy solar panels and system-wide recycling are central to the plan.........”
Keywords: system, central
Keyword Location: para C, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the cheaper reflectors are used to recycle waste substances.

Question 7-10

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER

from the passage for each answer.

Population within 50 years thought to reach ………….

Answer: 8.6 billion
Supporting statement: “........The world population is expected to grow by 3.5 billion to 8.6 billion over the next half century.........”
Keywords: population, century
Keyword Location: para B, line 4
Explanation: It is given that the world population is thought to grow by 3.5 billion to 8.6 billion to next century.

Population within 50 years ........ living in rural areas.

Answer: 80%
Supporting statement: “........By then, some 80% will live in the cities, and they will neec something to eat..........”
Keywords: need, something
Keyword Location: para B, line 5
Explanation: It is given that the 80% of population were living in rural areas.,

Proportion of earth now used for farming ………….

Answer: OVER 1/3
Supporting statement: “........At the same time, conventional agriculture and grazing land takes up an enormous amount of space, with over 1/3rd of the world's surface currently used for farming.........”
Keywords: conventional, farming
Keyword Location: para B, line 3
Explanation: It is given that the proportion of earth that is used for farming is around ⅓.

We will need an extra area as large as ...... provide food.

Answer: BRAZIL
Supporting statement: “........ David figures that in the next 5 decades an area new arable land of roughly the size equivalent to Brazil will be required to feed the world's growing population - land that simply non existent..........”
Keywords: roughly, population
Keyword Location: para 5, line 5
Explanation: It is given that in next 5 decades the area with the size of brazil is needed to provide food for the people.

Questions 11-13

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.

How will the indoor farms generate energy?

Answer: SOLAR PANELS
Supporting statement: “........New technologies like cheaper reflectors, which reflect sunlight where it's required, more efficient energy solar panels and system-wide recycling are central to the plan..........”
Keywords: sunlight, central
Keyword Location: para C, line 4
Explanation: It is given that the solar panels are used to generate electricity in the farms.

Besides the expense, what is the other challenge for indoor farms?

Answer: LIGHT
Supporting statement: “........However, vertical farming is not without difficulties. One is - artificial lighting uses a great amount of electricity and generate considerable amount of heat as well..........”
Keywords: artificial, amount
Keyword Location: para D, line 9
Explanation: It is given that the light used great amount of electricity and also generates a huge amount of heat as well.

When does Luc Jarvis believe that David's idea become a reality?

Answer: WITHIN THIS GENERATION
Supporting statement: “.......IDRC, says the vertical farm is not only possible, but will happen very soon. 'It would gather at one site different elements already at work around the world..........”
Keywords: elements, site
Keyword Location: para F, line 2
Explanation: It is given that the idea will become reality within this generation.

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