Crop Growing Skyscrapers - IELTS Reading Answers

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Passage Sample

Top help candidates ace the questions pertaining to the topic, we have provided a sample passage for the crop growing skyscrapers reading answers that they can refer to for practice. Read the passage carefully before moving on to answering the subsequent questions asked in the next section.

Read the passage given below on ‘crop growing skyscrapers’ that is a part of the IELTS Reading section of the IELTS Exam carefully:

By 2050, metropolitan areas will house over 80% of the world's population. Using the most conservative forecasts based on current demographic patterns, the human population will have increased by almost three billion people by then. If existing agricultural practices continue as they are, an estimated 109 hectares of additional land (approximately 20% bigger than Brazil) will be required to grow enough food to feed everyone.

Over 80% of the land suitable for food production is now in use across the world. Poor management techniques have historically destroyed 15% of that. What can be done to ensure that the world's population has enough food to eat?

Indoor farming is not a new notion, since the hothouse cultivation of tomatoes and other products has been popular for some time. What's new is the pressing need to scale up this technology to accommodate an additional three billion people. Many others feel that a whole new approach to indoor farming, including cutting-edge technologies, is necessary. The 'Vertical Farm' is one such proposal.

The idea is to have multi-story buildings where food crops can be cultivated in environmentally controlled circumstances. They would dramatically minimise the amount of transportation necessary to provide food to customers if they were located in the centre of urban areas.

Vertical farms would have to be efficient, inexpensive to build, and safe to run. Vertical farms, proponents argue, hold the promise of urban redevelopment, sustainable production of a safe and diverse food supply (with year-round production of all crops), and the ultimate rehabilitation of ecosystems that have been lost to horizontal farming.

Most of the crops we now take for granted were developed by humans over 10,000 years. We degraded the majority of the area on which we operated, frequently transforming green, natural ecozones into semi-arid deserts. We developed into an urban species throughout that time period, with 60% of the human population today living vertically in cities. This implies that, while the bulk of us have shelter from the elements, we leave our food-bearing plants to the elements and can only pray for a good weather year. However, because of a rapidly changing environment, this is not always the case. Every year, massive floods, protracted droughts, storms, and severe monsoons wreak havoc on millions of tonnes of precious crops.

Vertical farming proponents assert that the concept has several potential benefits. Crops, for example, would be produced all year since they would be kept under artificially regulated, ideal growth conditions. There would be no agricultural failures caused by weather events like droughts, floods, or pests. All food could be grown naturally, without the need for herbicides, pesticides, or fertilisers. Many infectious illnesses that are acquired at the agricultural interface would be considerably reduced by the approach. Although the device would use energy, it would also generate energy for the grid by composting non-edible plant components. It would also drastically reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by eliminating the need for tractors, ploughs, and shipping.

However, one significant disadvantage of vertical farming is that the plants would require artificial lighting. Without it, the plants closest to the windows would be exposed to more sunlight and develop faster, lowering the system's efficiency. Even while single-story greenhouses benefit from natural overhead illumination, many still require artificial lighting.

A multi-story building with no natural overhead lighting would need significantly more. Unless inexpensive, renewable energy is available, producing enough light might be too expensive, and this looks to be a distant ambition rather than a near-term possibility.

Growing plants in stacked trays that move on tracks are one vertical farming variation that has been created. Moving the trays helps the plants to receive adequate sunshine. This technology is already in use and works well within a single-story greenhouse with overhead natural light; however, it is not known if it can be made to operate without that above natural light.

Vertical farming is an attempt to solve the undeniable challenges of producing enough food for an expanding population. At the moment, however, more has to be done to limit the negative impact on the environment, particularly in terms of energy usage.

While it is feasible that some of our food could be produced in skyscrapers in the future, most experts believe that we will simply use the space available on the urban rooftops.

Recommended Reads:

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Practice Questions

Detailed below is a list of the different questions that lead to the crop growing skyscrapers reading answers key provided in the next section. It is advised to thoroughly read through the sample passage provided above before attempting to answer the following questions.

Questions 1-7: Fill in the blanks with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each question:

INDOOR FARMING 

1. Some food plants, such as _________________, are already grown inside.

2. Vertical farms would be positioned in _____________________, reducing the need to transport them vast distances to clients.

3. Vertical farms might make _____________ by using methane from plants and animals.

4. Because agricultural vehicles would be unnecessary, consumption of __________________ would be reduced.

5. The requirement for ________________ light in vertical farms is a drawback.

6. Planting in _______________ that are not fixed is one type of vertical farming.

7. The most likely development is that food will be farmed on ______________ in towns and cities.

Questions 8-13: Check if the following statements agree with the information given in the Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading passage. Choose among the following options:

• TRUE: If the statement corresponds to the passage given above.

• FALSE: If the statement contradicts the information given in the passage.

• NOT Given: If there is no information available on this in the passage.

8. Humans are not unfamiliar with the concept of indoor farming.

9. By 2050, metropolitan areas will house over 80% of the world's population.

10. Vertical farming cannot be kept by humans owing to the use of tractors, ploughs, and other agricultural machinery.

11. Droughts, floods, and pests will have no effect on vertical farming.

12. Using conservative projections of current demographic trends, the human population might rise to two billion.

13. The main disadvantage of vertical farming is that it promotes non-communicable illnesses.

Experts recommend attempting these questions as part of your practice to improve, not only your understanding of the topic but also to improve your speed and accuracy in answering the different questions.

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Answers Key

To get a clearer understanding of the topic and the reasoning behind each answer to the different questions, we have provided a crop growing skyscrapers reading answers key with complete explanations here.

1. Tomatoes 

Explanation: Indoor farming is not a new concept, since the hothouse cultivation of tomatoes and other products has been popular for some time.

2. Urban centres 

Explanation: The 'Vertical Farm' is one such proposal. The idea is to have multi-story buildings where food crops may be cultivated in environmentally controlled circumstances. They would dramatically minimise the amount of transportation necessary to provide food to customers if they were located in the centre of urban centres.

3. Energy 

Explanation: Although the device would use energy, it would also generate energy for the grid by composting non-edible plant components.

4. Fossil fuels 

Explanation: It would also drastically reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by eliminating the need for tractors, ploughs, and shipping.

5. Artificial 

Explanation: However, one significant disadvantage of vertical farming is that the plants would require artificial lighting.

6. Trays 

Explanation: Growing plants in stacked trays that move on tracks is one vertical farming variation that has been created.

7. Rooftops 

Explanation: While it is feasible that some of our food could be produced in skyscrapers in the future, most experts believe that we will simply use the space available on urban rooftops.

8. Not Given 

Explanation: By 2050, metropolitan areas will house over 80% of the world's population. Using the most conservative forecasts based on current demographic patterns, the human population will have increased by almost three billion people by then.

As you can see, no information about the methodologies used to anticipate the Earth's population is provided.

9. True 

Explanation: Over 80% of the land suitable for food production is now in use across the world. Poor management techniques have historically destroyed 15% of that.

10. False

Explanation: Vertical farms, proponents argue, hold the promise of urban redevelopment, sustainable production of a safe and diverse food supply (with year-round production of all crops), and the ultimate rehabilitation of ecosystems that have been lost for horizontal farming.

11. True 

Explanation: However, because of a rapidly changing environment, this is not always the case. Every year, massive floods, protracted droughts, storms, and severe monsoons wreak havoc on millions of tonnes of precious crops.

12. False

Explanation: All food could be grown naturally, which would eliminate the need for herbicides, pesticides, and fertilisers.

13. True 

Explanation: Many infectious illnesses that are acquired at the agricultural interface would be considerably reduced by the approach.

When practising the section or the topic, be sure to keep a note of the crop growing skyscrapers reading answers key provided on this page. In addition to helping candidates self-evaluate, the answer key will also allow students to understand each and every question with better knowledge.

Crop Growing Skyscrapers Reading Key Vocabulary

One of the best ways to improve one’s score on the topic is to improve the vocabulary they use while giving their crop growing skyscrapers reading answers to the different questions. Highlighted in the table below are some of the important words and phrases that test takers should learn and understand, in order to use them in their responses during the test.

While the above-mentioned words and phrases may help you improve your scores in the section, it is pertinent to learn at least 5 new words every day to further expand your knowledge, thus, improving one’s vocabulary for the test this year.

Differences Between Raise/Grow/Grow Up/Bring Up/Rear/Breed/Born

Crop Growing Skyscrapers is a perfect example of an IELTS Reading passage that aspirants must be careful with the differences between raise/grow/grow up/bring up/rear/breed/born, Here are some following examples that will help you understand the difference more clearly:

• A farmer grows crops.

• A farmer rears animals.

• A farmer raises crops and animals.

• A parent raises/rears/brings up children (but not grows up children)

• Children grow UP.

• Plants grow.

Common Expressions

Born/Grow Up 

• Where were you born? I was born in Delhi. (this is PASSIVE) 
• Where did you grow up? I grew up in Jaipur. 

Bring Up = Raise 

• I was brought up well. (Passive form) 
• My parents brought me up well. (Active form) 
• I am well brought up. (adjective form) 
• I had a good upbringing. (noun form) 

Grow 

• I grow lots of vegetables in my garden. (transitive - I grow something). 
• Tomatoes grow well in hot climates. (intransitive - something grows by itself). 
• Tomatoes are grown in South India (Passive - by the farmer).

Practice Questions to Answer 

• Where were you born?

• Where did you grow up?

• Were you brought up in a joint family?

• Have you ever tried to grow anything?

• Is there anything that you would like to grow?

• What kinds of food are grown in your country?