Fordlandia IELTS Reading Answers

To achieve a high band score in the  IELTS Reading section, it's essential to master various question types through consistent practice. One effective way to do this is by working through real test passages like Fordlandia Reading Answers. This academic passage, which appeared in a past IELTS test, comes with a total of 13 questions covering three different question types. Ideally, you should aim to complete it within 20 minutes, simulating real exam conditions.  

The question types featured in the Fordlandia Reading Answers include:

• True/False/Not Given (Q.1-4)
• Table Completion (Q. 5-10)
• Sentence Completion (Q. 11-13)

 Before you take the test, learn some tips from this video to get that perfect IELTS reading score!

Fordlandia IELTS Reading Passage

A Natural latex, or rubber, comes from the sap of rubber trees. Native to the Amazon region of South America, they had long been a Brazilian monopoly, and the boom in wild rubber had made many remote jungle towns rich, until thousands of seeds of the tree were smuggled out by an entrepreneurial Brit, Henry Wickham. These were used to start plantations throughout British East-Asia, where the trees, facing none of their natural insect or fungal enemies, thrived. Thus, the Brazilian rubber boom crashed, leaving control of the world’s supplies with the plantation owners in Malaysia (where to this day, most of the world’s natural rubber is still produced).

B But in the late 1920s, the automobile tycoon, Henry Ford, had a vision. He believed in vertical integration—that is, a supply chain of car parts and products united through his ownership. With his factories producing hundreds of thousands of cars, each of them needing rubber tyres, Ford wanted his own source of rubber and resented dealing with the British plantation interests. He therefore decided to buy a huge tract of Amazonian rainforest, where he would transplant his American workers and lifestyle, in order to make the largest rubber plantation on the planet. It would be called Fordlandia — ambitious, grandiose, and doomed from the beginning.

C The first mistake was to hire a rather untrustworthy Brazilian to scout for the best location in the Amazon. This man recommended a damp, rocky, and infertile series of hillsides near the Tapajos river, a tributary of the wide and mighty Amazon. In 1928, Ford blindly acquired a 10,000-square-kilometre concession and immediately ordered an immense amount of infrastructure to be built—at huge cost. To this end, earth-moving equipment arrived, tractors, stump-pullers, trains, prefabricated living quarters, and food-making equipment. The surface jungle was cleared, scores of Ford’s employees were relocated, and out of this wilderness sprang an instant slice of America, complete with a modern hospital, library, hotels, ice cream makers, and row upon row of prefabricated houses positioned along nicely paved streets.

D The second big mistake was that, incredibly, Ford never thought to consult trained horticulturists. He naively assumed that his own company engineers, who had proven their worth in the production of cars, would prove equally adept at this agricultural endeavour. Thus, they planted the rubber trees thickly together, believing that they would nourish in their home environment. However, in the Amazonian jungle, wild rubber trees are actually few and far between — a defence against the prodigious insect life which chews, drills, sucks, and bites. In such environments, monocultural farming approaches are dubious at best. Ford’s young rubber trees had no sooner appeared from the ground than they were attacked by caterpillars, ants, red spiders, and most significantly, South American leaf blight, which, to this day, limits the number of rubber plantations in this, the tree’s native land.

E The next problem was based on cultural differences. The newly planted fields needed hundreds of local workers, who, although well paid, were expected to follow Ford’s patronising vision of a healthy lifestyle. Instead of the local custom of working before and after the roastingly hot middle of the day, Ford’s workers were forced to do the standard company 9-to-5 shift. Similarly, they had to eat American food and take part in weekend activities considered sufficiently wholesome, such as poetry reading and square-dancing. Alcohol was strictly forbidden at work, in the housing estates, or within Fordlandia’s sphere of influence. After a year denied their local customs, the disgruntled workers had had enough, and a riot followed, leaving the hapless American staff scurrying into the jungle to escape injury. It was all finally quelled with the arrival of the Brazilian army.

F After three years, and no significant quantity of rubber to show for it all, Ford did what he should have done from the beginning—hired a trained horticulturist, who ultimately concluded that, in whatever manner the rubber trees were planted, the land was not appropriate for their cultivation. With such humiliating news, anyone less stubborn would have given up, yet Ford purchased another tract of land some fifty miles downstream of the Tapajos river—flatter, drier, better drained, and more suitable for machinery — and started all over again. This time, Ford imported blight-resistant Malaysian rubber trees, and much more horticultural expertise. Still, 10 years later, in 1942, the operation could only produce a paltry 750 tons of latex rubber. Ford’s factories were hoping for almost 40,000.

G The final nail in the coffin was the development of synthetic rubber, and in 1945, it was time to admit defeat, although it was not Ford who did so. By that time he was old and ill and had relinquished control of his company to his grandson, Henry Ford II, who closed down the entire rubber operation. The holdings were sold back to the Brazilian government for a pittance, leaving a loss of over $20 million (which would be over 10 times that much in today’s terms) — a complete and utter financial disaster.

Fordlandia IELTS Reading Questions

Questions 1- 4

1 Henry Wickham destroyed the Brazilian rubber boom.

2 Rubber trees are well suited to Malaysia.

3 The Tapajos river is very wide.

4 Fordlandia may have succeeded.

Questions 5-10

Questions 11-13

The natural enemy of rubber trees is 11…………

Plantations definitely need the skills of 12…………

Fordlandia closed down upon the invention of 13…………

Fordlandia IELTS Reading Answers With Location And Explanations

Let’s now review the answers to the questions from the passage in the reading section, Fordlandia IELTS Reading Answers, and assess your improvement for a high IELTS Reading band score.

1 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 2-line 4

Answer explanation: In the first paragraph, it is noted – “…until thousands of seeds of the tree were smuggled out by an entrepreneurial Brit, Henry Wickham. These were used to start plantations throughout British East-Asia, where the trees, facing none of their natural insect or fungal enemies, thrived. Thus, the Brazilian rubber boom crashed, leaving control of the world’s supplies with the plantation owners in Malaysia (where to this day, most of the world’s natural rubber is still produced).”. From these lines, it can be said that the smuggling of thousands of seeds of the rubber plant by Henry Wickham led to the crash in the Brazilian monopoly (rubber boom) and increasing the Malaysian control. As the statement agrees with the information, the answer is True.

2 Answer: True

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph A, line 4

Answer explanation: In the second paragraph, it is noted that “…the world’s supplies with the plantation owners in Malaysia (where to this day, most of the world’s natural rubber is still produced).”. It can be concluded that besides the Amazon area of South America, rubber plants are suited to be grown in Malaysia, which is still the largest producer of natural rubber. As the statement agrees with the information, the answer is True.

3 Answer: Not Given

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: N.A.

Answer explanation: Although there are references to the Tapajos river, there is no mention of its width. Hence, the answer is Not Given.

4 Answer: False

Question type: True/False/Not Given

Answer location: Paragraph B, line 5

Answer explanation: In the specified line of the referred paragraph, it is reported that “It would be called Fordlandia — ambitious, grandiose, and doomed from the beginning.”. From the term ‘doomed from the beginning’, it can be inferred that Fordlandia did not have any chance at success from the very beginning and was never to succeed. As the statement contradicts the information, the answer is False.

5 Answer: appropriate

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph C, line 2 & Paragraph 6, line 1

Answer explanation: In the mentioned paragraphs, it is stated that “This man recommended a damp, rocky, and infertile series of hillsides near the Tapajos river, a tributary of the wide and mighty Amazon…Ford did what he should have done from the beginning—hired a trained horticulturist, who ultimately concluded that, in whatever manner the rubber trees were planted, the land was not appropriate for their cultivation.”. From the given references, it can be said that the first mistake that Ford made was to choose a piece of land that was not appropriate for rubber cultivation. Hence, the answer is ‘appropriate’.

6 Answer: significant quantity

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph F, line 1

Answer explanation: In the indicated location, it is given that “After three years, and no significant quantity of rubber to show for it all, Ford did what he should have done from the beginning…”. The quoted line points out that as the land was inappropriate for rubber cultivation, even after three years, no significant quantity of rubber was produced. Hence, the answer is ‘significant quantity’.

7 Answer: company engineers

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1- line 2

Answer explanation: In the specified lines, it is given that “The second big mistake was that, incredibly, Ford never thought to consult trained horticulturists. He naively assumed that his own company engineers, who had proven their worth in the production of cars, would prove equally adept at this agricultural endeavour.”. In other words, Ford made a mistake in assuming that his company engineers would be adept in handling the rubber farming and did not consult trained horticulturists. Hence, the answer is ‘company engineers’.

8 Answer: monocultural (farming)

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 4- line 5

Answer explanation: In the fourth paragraph, it is stated that “However, in the Amazonian jungle, wild rubber trees are actually few and far between — a defence against the prodigious insect life which chews, drills, sucks, and bites. In such environments, monocultural farming approaches are dubious at best.”. Here, it is clear that monocultural farming was not suited for the Amazonian jungle and therefore proved to be an unwise (dubious) approach. Hence, the answer is ‘monocultural (farming)’.

9 Answer: local customs

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 1 & line 6

Answer explanation: In the cited lines, it is stated that “The next problem was based on cultural differences…After a year denied their local customs, the disgruntled workers had had enough, and a riot followed, leaving the hapless American staff scurrying into the jungle to escape injury.”. Based on these statements, it can be commented that the third mistake made was not to follow the local customs that led to riots. Hence, the answer is ‘local customs’.

10 Answer: riot (followed)

Question type: Table Completion

Answer location: Paragraph E, line 6

Answer explanation: In the indicated line, it is given that “After a year denied their local customs, the disgruntled workers had had enough, and a riot followed, leaving the hapless American staff scurrying into the jungle to escape injury.”. It can be concluded from the quoted line that the neglect of local customs led to a riot among the local workers. Hence, the answer is ‘riot (followed)’.

11 Answer: leaf blight

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 6

Answer explanation: In the fourth paragraph, it is noted that “Ford’s young rubber trees had no sooner appeared from the ground than they were attacked by caterpillars, ants, red spiders, and most significantly, South American leaf blight, which, to this day, limits the number of rubber plantations in this, the tree’s native land.”. This points out that other than insects, the natural enemy of rubber plants is South American leaf blight that affects them till now. Hence, the answer is ‘leaf blight’.

12 Answer: trained horticulturists

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph D, line 1

Answer explanation: In the referred line, it is said that “…Ford never thought to consult trained horticulturists.”. In other words, plantations definitely need the skills of trained horticulturists which Ford neglected. Hence, the answer is ‘trained horticulturists’.

13 Answer: synthetic rubber

Question type: Sentence Completion

Answer location: Paragraph G, line 1

Answer explanation: In the referenced line, it is stated that “The final nail in the coffin was the development of synthetic rubber, and in 1945, it was time to admit defeat, although it was not Ford who did so.”. It is clear that with the invention of synthetic rubber Fordlandia was closed down completely by Henry Ford II. Hence, the answer is ‘synthetic rubber’.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in the Fordlandia Reading Passage

Let us check out some quick IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ to answer the three types of questions in the Reading Answers.

True/False/Not Given: 

In IELTS Reading, ‘True/False/Not Given’ questions are based on facts. Several factual statements will be provided to you, and it is up to you to determine whether or not they are accurate by reading the text.

To answer this type of question, you can use the following strategies:

• Read the question and identify the keywords – Before reading the material, have a look at your list of True, False, and Not Given questions.
• Scan the passage for synonyms or paraphrased words of the keywords – When you have highlighted the keywords, swiftly read the text to look for paraphrases or synonyms.
• Match the highlighted words in the questions with their synonyms in the text – Once you find both sets of keywords, cross-check them to find the answer.
• Identify the answer – If the facts match, the answer is TRUE, and in case it doesn’t match, it is FALSE. If you are unable to find the answer or unsure of it, mark it NOT GIVEN.

Check Out – IELTS Reading Tips and Techniques to Increase your Reading Speed

Table Completion:

The way to solve the Table Completion questions of the IELTS Reading is similar to Summary Completion. You will be asked to fill in the blanks in a small passage given in the form of a note with the relevant words or numbers. So, let us revise the strategies.

• Read the instructions carefully. It will help you determine the word limit (no more than two, one word, etc) and important terms like ‘using words from the text’ or ‘from the text’. You have to follow these strictly.
• Go through the incomplete table first. Also, think about keywords and how they could be represented by synonyms or paraphrasing.
• Locate where the information is by scanning quickly. If you can’t, move on.
• Study the reading text by using the skimming and scanning techniques. It will help to establish the answer quickly. When scanning for your answer, make sure you are thinking about paraphrasing and synonyms.
• The answers appear in the same order as the questions.Also, check your spelling and remember that your answer should be grammatically correct.

Sentence Completion:

In the Sentence Completion of the IELTS Reading test, you will be asked to fill in the blanks in incomplete phrases with the relevant words or numbers.

• Read the instructions carefully. It will help you determine the word limit (no more than two, one word, etc) and important terms like ‘using words from the text’ or ‘from the text’. You have to follow these strictly.
• Read the incomplete sentences first. Also, think about keywords and how they could be represented by synonyms or paraphrasing.
• Locate where the information is by scanning quickly. If you can’t, move on.
• Study the reading text by using the skimming and scanning techniques. It will help to establish the answer quickly. When scanning for your answer, make sure you are thinking about paraphrasing and synonyms.
• The answers appear in the same order as the questions.Also, check your spelling and remember that your answer should be grammatically correct.

Mastering passages like “Fordlandia IELTS Reading Answers” can significantly boost your Reading IELTS band score. Regular practice with real exam-style questions not only improves speed and accuracy but also builds your confidence. Keep exploring different IELTS Reading passages and refine your techniques to ensure success on test day.

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