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IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 11

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This reading practice simulates one part of the IELTS General Reading test. You should spend about twenty minutes on it. Read the passage and answer questions 15-28.

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Section AThe role of governments in environmental management is difficult but inescapable. Sometimes, the state tries to manage the resources it owns and does so badly. Often, however, governments act in an even more harmful way. They actually subsidize the exploitation and consumption of natural re...
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Questions 15-19
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 15-19 on your answer sheet, write

YES   if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
NO   if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

15. Research completed in 1982 found that in the United States soil erosion reduced the productivity of farmland by 20 percent.

16. By the mid-1980s, farmers in Denmark used twice as much fertiliser as they had in 1960.

17. Farm diversification increased in New Zealand after 1984.

18. Other countries, including the European Union, agreed with the long-term benefit of ending subsidies.

19. The Uruguay Round agreements on trade will encourage more sustainable farming practices in the long term.

The answer is NO. The statement says that research in 1982 found that soil erosion reduced the productivity of farmland by 20 percent. However, Section C states, "about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soil's productivity," which means 20% of farmland was affected, not that productivity fell by 20%. Therefore, the statement contradicts the information in the passage.

Associated Text:
about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soil's productivity.

The answer is YES. The statement matches the information in Section D, which says, "Fertiliser use doubled in Denmark in the period 1960-1985," meaning by the mid-1980s, fertilizer usage was twice as much as in 1960. Thus, the writer’s claim aligns with the statement.

Associated Text:
Fertiliser use doubled in Denmark in the period 1960-1985

The answer is YES. In Section D, it is written: "The removal of subsidies also stopped land clearing and excess farming, which were the principal causes of erosion at that time. Farms began to diversify." This means after 1984 in New Zealand, when subsidies were removed, farm diversification increased, directly supporting the statement.

Associated Text:
Farms began to diversify.

The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage, specifically in Section D, discusses the actions of the European Union and other countries regarding subsidies but does not mention whether they agreed with the long-term benefits of ending subsidies. It only states that the trend has been to reduce rather than eliminate subsidies, but no opinion or agreement about long-term benefits is provided.

Associated Text:
In other countries, including the European Union, the trend has been to reduce rather than eliminate subsidies, and to introduce new payments to encourage farmers to treat their land in environmentally friendlier ways, or to stop farming on it.

The answer is YES. Section F mentions, "it will also have many desirable environmental effects. The intensity of farming in the developed world may decline, and the use of chemical inputs will diminish. ... And more farmers in poor countries will have the money and the incentive to manage their land in ways that are sustainable in the long run." This shows that the agreements will encourage more sustainable farming practices.

Associated Text:
But it will also have many desirable environmental effects. The intensity of farming in the developed world may decline, and the use of chemical inputs will diminish. ... more farmers in poor countries will have the money and the incentive to manage their land in ways that are sustainable in the long run.

Questions 20-25
The reading passage has six sections, A-F.

Choose the correct heading for sections A-F from the list of headings below.

Write the correct number i-x in boxes 20-25 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
  1. The probable effects of the new international trade agreement
  2. World food output as a result of modern farming
  3. The effects of soil erosion on farming
  4. The effects of government policy in rich countries
  5. The management of the environment
  6. The effects of government policy in poor countries
  7. The environmental impact of farming
  8. Government policy on food output
  9. The prospects for world trade
  10. Movement of farming to developed countries

20. Section A

21. Section B

22. Section C

23. Section D

24. Section E

25. Section F

The answer is v. Section A discusses the challenging role of governments in environmental management, describing how state actions (such as subsidies) impact the environment and economic efficiency. This matches heading v: The management of the environment.

Associated Text:
The role of governments in environmental management is difficult but inescapable. Sometimes, the state tries to manage the resources it owns and does so badly. Often, however, governments act in an even more harmful way. They actually subsidize the exploitation and consumption of natural resources.

The answer is ii. In Section B, it is stated that world food output per head rose by 4 percent between the 1970s and 1980s, mainly due to increases in yields and larger amounts of land being farmed. This directly relates to heading ii: World food output as a result of modern farming.

Associated Text:
World food output per head rose by 4 percent between the 1970s and 1980s. This was mainly as a result of increases in yields from land already in cultivation, but it was also due to larger amounts of land being farmed.

The answer is vii. Section C focuses on the environmental impacts of farming, listing deforestation, water contamination, soil erosion, and loss of crop variety as consequences of farming activities. This fits heading vii: The environmental impact of farming.

Associated Text:
All these activities may have damaging environmental impacts. For example, clearing land for agriculture is the single largest cause of deforestation. Additionally, chemical fertilisers and pesticides may contaminate water supplies, while more intensive farming practices of constantly farming the land tend to exacerbate soil erosion. Finally, the spread of monoculture and use of high-yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of crops which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in the future.

The answer is iv. Section D describes how government policies in rich countries, such as subsidies for crops and price supports, have affected farming practices and the environment, including shifts in fertilizer and pesticide use. This matches heading iv: The effects of government policy in rich countries.

Associated Text:
Government policies have frequently made the environmental damage that farming can cause even worse. In the rich countries, subsidies for growing crops and price supports for farm output drive up the price of land.

The answer is vi. Section E discusses the effect of government policies in poor countries, focusing on subsidies for pesticides and fertilizers, and their consequences for the environment and human health. This clearly aligns with heading vi: The effects of government policy in poor countries.

Associated Text:
In poor countries, governments aggravate other sorts of damage. Subsidies for pesticides and artificial fertilizers encourage farmers to use greater quantities than are needed to get the highest economic crop yield.

The answer is i. Section F talks about the probable effects of the Uruguay Round of world trade negotiations, focusing on reductions in subsidies, movement of food production, and environmental consequences. This fits heading i: The probable effects of the new international trade agreement.

Associated Text:
As a result of the Uruguay Round of world trade negotiations, there is likely to be a reduction of 36 per cent in the average levels of farm subsidies paid by rich countries in 1986-1990. ... Some environmentalists worry about this outcome. It will undoubtedly mean more pressure to convert natural habitat into farmland. But it will also have many desirable environmental effects.

Questions 26-28
Complete the table using the list of words, A-I, below.
  1. Soil erosion
  2. Clearing land for cultivation
  3. Increased use of chemical inputs
  4. Increased irrigation
  5. Disappearance of old plant varieties
  6. Insurance against pests and diseases
  7. More intensive farming
  8. Abandonment of fallow period
  9. Deforestation
Agricultural  practice Environmental damage that may result
Soil erosion
Expansion of monoculture
Degraded water supply

The answer is G. The table asks for an agricultural practice that may cause soil erosion. Section C says, "more intensive farming practices of constantly farming the land tend to exacerbate soil erosion," which matches practice G: Intensive farming.

Associated Text:
more intensive farming practices of constantly farming the land tend to exacerbate soil erosion

The answer is E. To match expansion of monoculture with its environmental damage, Section C says, "the spread of monoculture and use of high-yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of crops which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in the future." This matches E: Disappearance of old crop varieties.

Associated Text:
the spread of monoculture and use of high-yielding varieties of crops have been accompanied by the disappearance of old varieties of crops which might have provided some insurance against pests or diseases in the future.

The answer is C. The table matches an agricultural practice to degraded water supply. Section C states, "chemical fertilisers and pesticides may contaminate water supplies," so C: Use of chemicals is the correct answer.

Associated Text:
chemical fertilisers and pesticides may contaminate water supplies

Answer Sheet
1
N/A
2
N/A
3
N/A
4
N/A
5
N/A
6
N/A
7
N/A
8
N/A
9
N/A
10
N/A
11
N/A
12
N/A
13
N/A
14
N/A
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
N/A
30
N/A
31
N/A
32
N/A
33
N/A
34
N/A
35
N/A
36
N/A
37
N/A
38
N/A
39
N/A
40
N/A
Score Summary
0 / 1
Multiple Choice
Matching Sentence Endings
Note Completion
Table Completion
Flow Chart Completion
Summary Completion
Multiple Selection
Short Answer
Matching Headings
Matching Features
Matching Information
Identifying Information
Identifying Viewer Claims
Sentence Completion
Diagram Labelling
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Tips to improve your reading speed
To get a high score on the IELTS reading section, you need to have a fast reading speed. To have a fast reading speed, you need to improve your vocabulary and practice dissecting sentences. One strategy to dissect a sentence is to look for the subject and verb of the sentence. Finding the subject and verb will help you better understand the main idea of said sentence. Keep in mind, a common feature of a IELTS reading passage is to join strings of ideas to form long compound sentences. This produces large chunks that students have a hard time absorbing. Do not get overwhelmed by its length, just look for the subject and verb, the rest of the ideas will flow.

Keep in mind, having a slow reading speed makes skimming or scanning a reading passage more difficult. The process of quickly skimming through a reading passage for specific keywords or main ideas is a requirement for you to employ successful reading strategies to improve your IELTS reading score. In other words, skimming and scanning are critical skills to ensure you complete all questions in the allotted time frame.
IELTS Reading Strategies
Once you can read and comprehend a passage with a rate of, at least, 220 words per minute, you'll be ready to start implementing our strategies. All too often, students spend too much time reading the passages and not enough time answering the questions. Here is a step by step guide for tackling the reading section.

  1. Step 1: Read questions first

    One of the most common mistakes that candidates make when approaching the reading exam is reading every single word of the passages. Although you can practice for the exam by reading for pleasure, "reading blindly" (reading without any sense of what the questions will ask) will not do you any favors in the exam. Instead, it will hurt your chances for effectively managing your time and getting the best score.

    The main reason to read the questions first is because the type of question may determine what you read in the passage or how you read it. For example, some question types will call for the "skimming" technique, while others may call for the "scanning" technique.

    It is important to answer a set of questions that are of the same question type. You'll need to determine which question type you want to tackle first. A good strategy would be to start with the easier question type and move on to more difficult question types later. The Easiest question types are the ones where you spend less time reading. For example, the Matching Heading question type is an easier one because you only need to find the heading that best describes the main idea of a paragraph. An example of a difficult question type would be Identifying Information. For this question type, you'll need to read each paragraph to find out if each statement is TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN according to the passage.

    Here is a table that lists the difficulty levels for each question type. Use this table as a reference when choosing which question type you want to tackle first.

    Difficulty level Question Type
    Easy Sentence Completion
    Short answer
    Medium Matching Features
    Multiple choice
    Matching Headings
    Summary, Table, Flow-Chart Completion
    Difficult Matching Sentence Endings
    Matching Information
    Identifying Information (TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN)
    Identifying Viewer's claims (YES/NO/NOT GIVEN)

  2. Step 2: Read for an objective

    After you've read the questions for the passage, you will be able to read for an objective. What does this mean? For example, if you come across a question that includes the year "1896", you can make a note of when this year comes up in the text, using it to answer the question later on. There are two reading techniques that will help you stay on track with reading for an objective. The first one, skimming, is best defined as reading fast in order to get the "gist", or general idea, or a passage. With this technique, you are not stopping for any unfamiliar words or looking for specific details. The second technique, scanning, is best defined as reading for specific information. With this technique, you are not reading for the overall gist, but rather, specific information. Notice how each of these techniques has a specific objective in mind. This will help you find information more quickly.

  3. Step 3: Take notes

    As you're reading for an objective, you should also be making notes on the margins of the passage, placing stars next to key information, or underlining things that you believe will help you answer the various questions. This will make it easier for you to check back when you are asked certain things in the questions. Choose whichever note-taking system is right for you - just make sure you do it!

  4. Step 4: Answer wisely

    After you've read the questions, read the passage, and have taken any appropriate notes, you you should have located the part of the text where you where you need to read carefully. Then just read carefully and think critically to determine the correct answer.

IELTS Reading Question Types

The IELTS reading test contains many different question types:

Matching HeadingsIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Headings
Matching InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Information
Matching FeaturesIELTS Reading Lesson: Matching Features
Summary CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Summary Completion
Identifying InformationIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Information
Identifying Writer's claimsIELTS Reading Lesson: Identifying Writer's claims
Multiple ChoiceIELTS Reading Lesson: Multiple Choice
Short AnswerIELTS Reading Lesson: Short Answer
Match Sentence EndingIELTS Reading Lesson: Match Sentence Ending
Sentence CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Sentence Completion
Table CompletionIELTS Reading Lesson: Table Completion
 
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