IELTS® Academic Reading Practice 61

The answer is v. Section A is best matched with heading v: 'Minerals contained in seaweed.' The passage provides detailed information about the variety of minerals and vitamins seaweed absorbs and concentrates, such as aluminum, barium, calcium, chlorine, copper, iodine, and iron. It also links these nutrients to health outcomes, for example, the low incidence of goitre among Japanese and Maori populations due to the high iodine content of seaweed. All the evidence comes from Section A, focusing specifically on the nutritional and mineral content of seaweed.

Associated Text:
Seaweed is a particularly nutritious food, which absorbs and concentrates traces of a wide variety of minerals necessary to the body's health. Many elements may occur in seaweed - aluminum, barium, calcium, chlorine, copper, iodine and iron, to name but a few... this may well be attributed to the high iodine content of this food.

The answer is i. Section B is best matched with heading i: 'How many species of seaweed are there in New Zealand?' The paragraph begins by stating New Zealand has about 700 species of seaweed and highlights the country's unique and diverse collection, mentioning, for example, the 30 species of Gigartina. The entire section is focused on quantity and uniqueness of seaweed species found in New Zealand.

Associated Text:
New Zealand lays claim to approximately 700 species of seaweed, some of which have no representation outside this country. For example, it is estimated that New Zealand has some 30 species of Gigartina, a close relative of carrageen or Irish moss. These are often referred to as the New Zealand carrageens.

The answer is viii. Section C is most accurately paired with heading viii: 'New Zealand’s commercial seaweed.' This section discusses the lack of commercial exploitation of seaweed prior to 1940, stating that New Zealand used to import seaweed products, but now produces agar domestically. These points highlight the changing commercial status of seaweeds in New Zealand.

Associated Text:
before 1940 relatively little use was made of them. New Zealand used to import the Northern Hemisphere Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) from England and ready-made agar from Japan. Happily, New Zealand-made agar is now obtainable in health food shops.

The answer is iii. Section D fits heading iii: 'Seaweed classification and distribution.' The paragraph explains the three classes of seaweeds based on color: red, brown, and green, and links each to specific habitats and tidal zones. The details about where each color of seaweed typically grows and their physical appearances reinforce the focus on classification and distribution throughout Section D.

Associated Text:
Seaweeds are divided into three classes determined by color, red, brown and green, and each tends to live in a specific location. the green seaweeds are mainly shallow-water algae; the browns belong to medium depths, and the reds are plants of the deeper water.

The answer is vi. Section E matches heading vi: 'The propagation of seaweed.' This section immediately discusses how seaweeds propagate, either by spores or fertilization of egg cells. It is also emphasized that seaweeds lack typical plant features such as roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, or seeds, and absorb nutrients through their fronds, clarifying methods of reproduction and growth.

Associated Text:
Propagation of seaweeds occurs by spores, or by fertilization of egg cells. None have roots in the usual sense; few have leaves, and none have flowers, fruits or seeds. The plants absorb their nourishment through their fronds when they are surrounded by water: the base or 'holdfast' of seaweeds is purely an attaching organ, not an absorbing one.

The answer is vii. Section F is best matched with heading vii: 'Looking at the cells of seaweeds.' This paragraph focuses on the cellular and structural adaptations of seaweed, such as air-filled floats, swollen stems, slimy fluids, and mucilage coatings. These details pertain to the inner anatomy and microscopic features of seaweed.

Associated Text:
Some of the large seaweeds maintain buoyancy with air-filled floats; others, such as bull kelp, have large cells filled with air. Some, which spend a good part of their time exposed to the air, often reduce dehydration either by having swollen stems that contain water, or they may (like Venus' necklace) have swollen nodules, or they may have distinctive shape like a sea bomb. Others, like the sea cactus, are filled with slimy fluid or have coating of mucilage on % the surface. In some of the larger kelps, this coating is not only to keep the plant moist but also to protect it from the violent action of waves.