Vines in The Sky – IELTS Reading Answers

The ‘Vines in The Sky’ Academic Reading Passage is a good resource for anyone who is preparing for the IELTS Reading test. This passage will help you understand what kind of reading passages you will encounter and the questions that you will be asked to solve.

By taking the ‘Vines in The Sky’ IELTS Reading Answer, you can acquaint yourself with the types of questions that you will be asked and the level of difficulty that you can expect.

The question types in this Reading Passage include:

• Matching Information (Q. 1-6)
• Sentence Completion (Q. 7-10)
• Short Answer Questions (Q. 11-13)

For more IELTS Reading practice, take more IELTS reading practice tests.

Reading Passage

Vines in The Sky

A The future farms may be built right in the middle of your neighborhood. Suburban sprawl, combined with huge economies of scale in agricultural operations, has driven food production away from centers 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 the concept from the 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 skyscrapers.

B 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 possesses 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 need something to eat.

At the same time, conventional agriculture and grazing land take 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 of new arable land of roughly the size equivalent to Brazil will be required to feed the world’s growing population – land that is simply non-existent.

C David’s concept relies on using green architecture methods and materials to build skyscrapers 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 filtration of water. These can clean urban waste to a state more suitable for irrigation.

D ‘Outside, one acre of land means a single crop per year,’ says David. ‘Indoors, you can cultivate a single crop every three months. You can get four different crops per year.’ He suggests that 150 such buildings could feed the entire neighborhood 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 skyscraper farm covering 1.5 hectares could produce enough food to feed 35,000 people for one year – the same as a 450-hectare farm. Each floor would be rigged up 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 generates a 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.

E 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 crops 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 areas, 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.’

F Yet there are strong supporters everywhere. Luc Jarvis, an advocate at Canada’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, the Middle East, and the 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.

Question 1-6

1 Doubts about the feasibility and viability of the project – ………………

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

3 How the system would avoid existing agricultural problems – ………………

4 A previous program that was impractical for widespread usage – ………………

5 Sources of financial support to the proposal – ………………

6 A method of dealing with waste substance – ………………

Question 7-10

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

8 Population within 50 years ……………… living in rural areas

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

10 We will need an extra area as large as ……………… to provide food

Questions 11-13

11 How will the indoor farms generate energy? ………………

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

13 When does Luc Jarvis believe that David’s idea will become a reality? ………………

Vines in The Sky IELTS Reading Answers with Location and Explanation

1 Answer: E

Question Type: Matching Information

Answer Location: Para E, Line 2
Answer Explanation: It is a serious challenge to create conditions suitable for growth, and some even think the yield from crops would not be economically viable.

2 Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Para A, Section 2
Answer Explanation: Looking at greenhouse development projects in New York, the resulting concept was mass-scale, indoor, urban farming in skyscrapers.

3 Answer: D

Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Para D, Line 2
Answer Explanation: ‘Indoors, you can cultivate a single crop every three months. You can get four different crops per year.’ He suggests that 150 such buildings could feed the entire neighborhood of New York for one year. Indoor crops require less pesticides and are less vulnerable to natural problems, such as famine.

4 Answer: A

Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Para A, Section 2 (Line 2)
Answer Explanation: The creator of this radical ‘vertical farming’ thought describes the evolution of the concept from the older idea of ‘rooftop gardening’ in Manhattan.

5 Answer: F

Question Type: Matching Information
Answer Location: Para F, Section 2
Answer Explanation: David has the backing of his University as well as venture capitalists from China, India, the Middle East, and the 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.

Tips for Answering the Question Types in Vines in the Sky Reading Answers

Now let’s get started with the tips for each question type. It’ll help you understand how to approach the problem.

Matching Information

1. Underline or highlight: As you find information that matches the question, underline or highlight it in the passage. This will make it easier to refer back to when answering the questions.
2. Skim the passage: Quickly read through the passage to get a general sense of the content and layout. This will help you identify where the information you need might be located.
3. Read the instructions carefully: Before you start, make sure you understand what you need to match. Sometimes, you’ll be asked to match headings to paragraphs or statements to sections, so be clear on the task.
4. Use keywords: Look for keywords or key phrases in the question and the passage. These words are often repeated or paraphrased in the text and can guide you to the correct answer.
5. Check for synonyms: Be aware of synonyms and paraphrases. Sometimes, the exact words from the question may not appear in the passage, but similar words or phrases will. Keep an eye out for these.

Sentence Completion

1. Use your vocabulary: Draw on your vocabulary to come up with a suitable word for the gap. Ensure that the word you choose makes sense in the context of the sentence.
2. Look for clues: Scan the surrounding sentences for clues that can help you determine the missing word. Sometimes, the sentence structure or the words nearby can provide hints.
3. Read the sentence carefully: Begin by reading the sentence with the gap or blank. Try to understand the context and the type of word that should fit the gap (e.g., noun, verb, adjective).
4. Identify grammatical clues: Pay attention to the grammar of the sentence. If the sentence requires a verb, make sure you choose a verb form that fits the context. The same goes for nouns, adjectives, and other parts of speech.
5. Check for coherence: After you’ve filled in the gap, read the entire sentence to ensure that it flows naturally and makes sense. The completed sentence should be grammatically correct and logically coherent.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Paraphrase and summarize: Rewrite the information from the passage in your own words while staying within the word limit. Be concise and accurate. Avoid copying entire sentences.
2. Scan the passage: Quickly skim through the passage to identify the relevant paragraph or section containing the information needed to answer the question. Pay attention to keywords and synonyms.
3. Read the instructions carefully: Start by reading the instructions for the short-answer questions. Ensure you understand the word limit and whether you need to use singular or plural forms.
4. Focus on question words: Look for question words like “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” and “how.” These words will guide you in finding the specific information you need.
5. Check your spelling and grammar: Mistakes in spelling and grammar can cost you points, so review your answers for errors before moving on to the next question.

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