IELTS Academic Reading Test With Solution – Free Practice With Explained Answers

Paragraph A: The concept of **urban farming**, the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around densely populated areas, is rapidly gaining prominence as a critical component of sustainable city planning. Historically, city agriculture served primarily as a supplemental food source during **periods of scarcity**, but today, it is recognized for its multifunctional benefits. The increasing global population density, coupled with the **environmental costs** of conventional agriculture—namely, long-distance transportation and extensive water use—has made local food systems an **urgent priority** for municipal authorities.

Paragraph B: Urban farms manifest in diverse forms, each presenting distinct advantages. Rooftop gardens and **vertical farms**, for instance, utilize otherwise unused urban space. Vertical farming, which involves growing crops in stacked layers indoors under controlled lighting (often LEDs), dramatically increases yield per square foot. This method also **drastically reduces water consumption**, often recycling up to **95%** of the water used, and eliminates the need for chemical pesticides. However, the initial capital investment required for these high-tech indoor systems, particularly the **energy costs** associated with **supplemental lighting**, often results in a higher retail price for the produce compared to field-grown crops.

Paragraph C: In contrast, **community gardens** and converted **vacant lots** offer low-tech solutions that deliver significant social and ecological benefits. By converting abandoned areas into productive green spaces, these farms help to **mitigate the urban heat island effect**, as plants absorb solar radiation and release moisture. They also foster community cohesion, providing educational opportunities and increasing local access to fresh, nutritious food, a crucial factor in addressing **food deserts**—areas where residents have limited access to healthy and affordable food. Studies show that community-based initiatives contribute positively to the **mental health** of participants.

Paragraph D: The relationship between urban farming and conventional rural agriculture is often perceived as one of competition, but it is more accurately viewed as **complementary**. Urban farms cannot produce staple crops like **wheat or rice** at the scale needed to feed an entire city. Instead, their efficiency lies in producing high-value, perishable goods, such as **leafy greens, herbs**, and small fruits, which spoil quickly during long transit times from rural areas. By localizing the production of these perishables, urban farming effectively shortens supply chains, reduces $\text{CO}_2$ emissions from trucking, and provides **economic resilience** against **disruptions** in global food supply chains. For these reasons, municipal support, often through zoning and tax incentives, is becoming essential for the expansion of urban agriculture.