FOOD FOR THOUGHT - IELTS Reading Answers & Explanations
From Road to IELTS Academic Reading Test 2 · Part 2 · Questions 14–26
Reading Passage
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14–26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 on the following pages.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A Why not eat insects? So asked British entomologist Vincent M. Holt in the title of his 1885 treatise on the benefits of what he named entomophagy – the consumption of insects (and similar creatures) as a food source. The prospect of eating dishes such as “wireworm sauce” and “slug soup” failed to garner favour amongst those in the stuffy, proper, Victorian social milieu of his time, however, and Holt’s visionary ideas were considered at best eccentric, at worst an offense to every refined palate. Anticipating such a reaction, Holt acknowledged the difficulty in unseating deep-rooted prejudices against insect cuisine, but quietly asserted his confidence that “we shall some day quite gladly cook and eat them”.
B It has taken nearly 150 years but an eclectic Western-driven movement has finally mounted around the entomophagic cause. In Los Angeles and other cosmopolitan Western cities, insects have been caught up in the endless pursuit of novel and authentic delicacies. “Eating grasshoppers is a thing you do here”, bug-supplier Bricia Lopez has explained. “There’s more of a ‘cool’ factor involved.” Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization has considered a policy paper on the subject, initiated farming projects in Laos, and set down plans for a world congress on insect farming in 2013.
C Eating insects is not a new phenomenon. In fact, insects and other such creatures are already eaten in 80 per cent of the world’s countries, prepared in customary dishes ranging from deep-fried tarantula in Cambodia to bowls of baby bees in China. With the specialist knowledge that Western companies and organisations can bring to the table, however, these hand-prepared delicacies have the potential to be produced on a scale large enough to lower costs and open up mass markets. A new American company, for example, is attempting to develop pressurisation machines that would de-shell insects and make them available in the form of cutlets. According to the entrepreneur behind the company, Matthew Krisiloff, this will be the key to pleasing the uninitiated palate.
D Insects certainly possess some key advantages over traditional Western meat sources. According to research findings from Professor Arnold van Huis, a Dutch entomologist, breeding insects results in far fewer noxious by-products. Insects produce less ammonia than pig and poultry farming, ten times less methane than livestock, and 300 times less nitrous oxide. Huis also notes that insects – being cold-blooded creatures – can convert food to protein at a rate far superior to that of cows, since the latter exhaust much of their energy just keeping themselves warm.
E Although insects are sometimes perceived by Westerners as unhygienic or disease-ridden, they are a reliable option in light of recent global epidemics (as Holt pointed out many years ago, insects are “decidedly more particular in their feeding than ourselves”). Because bugs are genetically distant from humans, species-hopping diseases such as swine flu or mad cow disease are much less likely to start or spread amongst grasshoppers or slugs than in poultry and cattle. Furthermore, the squalid, cramped quarters that encourage diseases to propagate among many animal populations are actually the residence of choice for insects, which thrive in such conditions.
F Then, of course, there are the commercial gains. As FAO Forestry Manager Patrick Durst notes, in developing countries many rural people and traditional forest dwellers have remarkable knowledge about managing insect populations to produce food. Until now, they have only used this knowledge to meet their own subsistence needs, but Durst believes that, with the adoption of modern technology and improved promotional methods, opportunities to expand the market to new consumers will flourish. This could provide a crucial step into the global economic arena for those primarily rural, impoverished populations who have been excluded from the rise of manufacturing and large-scale agriculture.
G Nevertheless, much stands in the way of the entomophagic movement. One problem is the damage that has been caused, and continues to be caused, by Western organisations prepared to kill off grasshoppers and locusts – complete food proteins – in favour of preserving the incomplete protein crops of millet, wheat, barley and maize. Entomologist Florence Dunkel has described the consequences of such interventions. While examining children’s diets as a part of her field work in Mali, Dunkel discovered that a protein deficiency syndrome called kwashiorkor was increasing in incidence. Children in the area were once protected against kwashiorkor by a diet high in grasshoppers, but these had become unsafe to eat after pesticide use in the area increased.
H A further issue is the persistent fear many Westerners still have about eating insects. “The problem is the ick factor—the eyes, the wings, the legs,” Krisiloff has said. “It’s not as simple as hiding it in a bug nugget. People won’t accept it beyond the novelty. When you think of a chicken, you think of a chicken breast, not the eyes, wings, and beak.” For Marcel Dicke, the key lies in camouflaging the fact that people are eating insects at all. Insect flour is one of his propositions, as is changing the language of insect cuisine. “If you say it’s mealworms, it makes people think of ringworm”, he notes. “So stop saying ‘worm’. If we use Latin names, say it’s a Tenebrio quiche, it sounds much more fancy”. For Krisiloff, Dicke and others, keeping quiet about the gritty reality of our food is often the best approach.
I It is yet to be seen if history will truly redeem Vincent Holt and his suggestion that British families should gather around their dining tables for a breakfast of “moths on toast”. It is clear, however, that entomophagy, far from being a kooky sideshow to the real business of food production, has much to offer in meeting the challenges that global societies in the 21st century will face.
Questions
Questions 14–21 Matching Headings
Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A–I.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–H from the list of headings below.
i. A historical delicacy
ii. The poor may benefit
iii. Presentation is key to changing attitudes
iv. Environmentally friendly production
v. Tradition meets technology
vi. A cultural pioneer
vii. Western practices harm locals
viii. Good source of nutrients
ix. Growing popularity
x. A healthy choice
xi. A safety risk
Questions 22–26 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Van Huis
- Insects are cleaner & do not release as many harmful gases
- Insects use food intake economically in the production of protein as they waste less 22
Durst
- Traditional knowledge could be combined with modern methods for mass production instead of just covering 23
- This could help 24 people gain access to world markets.
Dunkel
- Due to increased 25, more children in Mali are suffering from 26
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q14 | vi | The prospect of eating dishes such as “wireworm sauce” and “slug soup” failed to garner favour amongst those in the stuffy, proper, Victorian social milieu of his time, however, and Holt’s visionary ideas were considered at best eccentric, at worst an offense to every refined palate | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that although Holt's ideas about eating insects were seen as very weird or rude by people in the past, he was a 'visionary'—someone who thinks about and plans for the future in a creative and original way. Answer Explanation: The answer 'vi' means that Section A describes a person from the past who was the first to suggest a new idea that most people at the time did not accept. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'vi' because Section A introduces Vincent M. Holt, who suggested eating insects in 1885. He was a 'pioneer'—an early leader in a field—because he promoted this idea long before it became a modern movement. Even though people in his time thought he was 'eccentric' (strange) and that his 'visionary ideas' were wrong, he was confident that society would one day change its mind. This describes the actions of someone who was ahead of their culture. |
| Q15 | ix | It has taken nearly 150 years but an eclectic Western-driven movement has finally mounted around the entomophagic cause “Eating grasshoppers is a thing you do here”, bug-supplier Bricia Lopez has explained. “There’s more of a ‘cool’ factor involved.” Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization has considered a policy paper on the subject, initiated farming projects in Laos, and set down plans for a world congress on insect farming in 2013 |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that a new group of people in the West is supporting eating insects, and in some cities, it is now considered a stylish thing to do. It also states that international official groups are treating the topic seriously by planning world meetings and farming projects. Answer Explanation: The answer 'ix' means that Section B is about the increasing amount of people who are interested in eating insects. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ix' because the section explains that after many years, a movement for eating insects has finally started to grow. It mentions that in cities like Los Angeles, eating insects is now seen as trendy or 'cool.' Additionally, it notes that the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is organizing projects and planning a global meeting, which shows that this practice is gaining more attention and becoming more popular worldwide. |
| Q16 | v | Eating insects is not a new phenomenon. In fact, insects and other such creatures are already eaten in 80 per cent of the world’s countries, prepared in customary dishes ranging from deep-fried tarantula in Cambodia to bowls of baby bees in China. With the specialist knowledge that Western companies and organisations can bring to the table, however, these hand-prepared delicacies have the potential to be produced on a scale large enough to lower costs and open up mass markets | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that eating insects is a very old habit in most countries. It then notes that modern Western expertise can take these traditional foods and use new methods to produce them in much larger quantities for many more people. Answer Explanation: The answer 'v' (Tradition meets technology) means that Section C focuses on how long-standing cultural habits of eating insects are being combined with modern technical methods and expertise. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'v' because the paragraph first establishes that eating bugs is a 'customary' practice and 'not a new phenomenon', which represents tradition. It then explains how Western companies can use 'specialist knowledge' and develop 'pressurisation machines' to process these insects on a large scale. This combination of old cultural food habits and new industrial technology perfectly matches heading 'v'. |
| Q17 | iv | Insects certainly possess some key advantages over traditional Western meat sources. According to research findings from Professor Arnold van Huis, a Dutch entomologist, breeding insects results in far fewer noxious by-products. Insects produce less ammonia than pig and poultry farming, ten times less methane than livestock, and 300 times less nitrous oxide | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that farming insects is better than farming traditional meat because it creates much less pollution. It explains that insects produce fewer harmful gases, making them a more environmentally friendly option for food production. Answer Explanation: The answer 'iv. Environmentally friendly production' means that making food from insects is good for the Earth because it creates less pollution than farming traditional animals like cows or pigs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'iv' because Section D highlights that raising insects produces fewer 'noxious by-products' (harmful waste) compared to traditional farming. It provides specific examples of how insects release much less ammonia, methane, and nitrous oxide—gases that are bad for the environment. Additionally, it mentions that insects are more efficient at turning food into protein, which means they use resources better for production. |
| Q18 | x | Although insects are sometimes perceived by Westerners as unhygienic or disease-ridden, they are a reliable option in light of recent global epidemics Because bugs are genetically distant from humans, species-hopping diseases such as swine flu or mad cow disease are much less likely to start or spread amongst grasshoppers or slugs than in poultry and cattle |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that while some people think insects are dirty, they are actually a safe food choice because they do not easily pass dangerous illnesses (sickness) to humans like traditional farm animals do. Answer Explanation: The answer is option x, which means that Paragraph E's main idea is that eating insects is a "healthy choice." Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'x' because Paragraph E discusses the safety and cleanliness of insects as a food source. It explains that insects are a "reliable option" for eating, especially compared to other animals. The main reason provided is that bugs are very different from humans genetically, which means "diseases" like swine flu or mad cow disease are "much less likely" to be passed from them to people. Because they are safe and less likely to carry sickness, they are described as a healthy food choice. |
| Q19 | ii | This could provide a crucial step into the global economic arena for those primarily rural, impoverished populations who have been excluded from the rise of manufacturing and large-scale agriculture | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that selling insects can be a very important way for poor people living in the countryside to finally join the world's economy and make money. Answer Explanation: The answer means that people who do not have much money or who live in poor areas might get a chance to improve their lives by selling insects. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'ii' because paragraph F explains how the insect business can help 'impoverished populations'—which is another way to say poor people. The text mentions that people living in the countryside have a lot of knowledge about insects. If they use modern technology to sell these insects to others, they can enter the global economy. This gives them a way to make money that they didn't have before because they were left out of big farming and factory work. |
| Q20 | vii | One problem is the damage that has been caused, and continues to be caused, by Western organisations prepared to kill off grasshoppers and locusts – complete food proteins – in favour of preserving the incomplete protein crops of millet, wheat, barley and maize Children in the area were once protected against kwashiorkor by a diet high in grasshoppers, but these had become unsafe to eat after pesticide use in the area increased |
Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that Western groups have caused harm by killing insects that are actually a healthy food source just to save grain crops. It also notes that local children are getting sick because the insects they used to eat have become poisonous due to the increased use of chemical sprays. Answer Explanation: The answer means that ways of doing things from Western countries are hurting people who live in local areas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is vii because Section G describes how Western organizations have caused 'damage' to local communities. It explains that these groups kill insects (like grasshoppers) to protect grain crops. This practice harms the local people because those insects were a vital source of protein for their children. Now, because of the 'pesticide use' introduced by these practices, the insects are unsafe to eat, leading to health problems (protein deficiency) among the local children. |
| Q21 | iii | For Marcel Dicke, the key lies in camouflaging the fact that people are eating insects at all. Insect flour is one of his propositions, as is changing the language of insect cuisine | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage says that the most important thing is to hide the fact that people are eating bugs. Using bug flour and using different words for the food are ways to do this. Answer Explanation: The answer says that the way food is shown and named is very important for helping people feel good about eating it. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer choice is 'iii' because paragraph H discusses the 'ick factor'—the fear and disgust Westerners feel when they see insect parts like wings or eyes. To solve this and change people's attitudes, the text suggests changing the presentation of the food by hiding the insects (using flour instead of whole bugs) and using better-sounding names. This proves that how the food is 'presented' to the consumer is the most important factor in making it acceptable. |
| Q22 | energy | Huis also notes that insects – being cold-blooded creatures – can convert food to protein at a rate far superior to that of cows, since the latter exhaust much of their energy just keeping themselves warm | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that insects are better at changing food into protein because they are cold-blooded. It explains that cows waste a lot of their energy (power) simply trying to stay warm, while insects do not have to do this. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies that insects do not lose or waste a lot of the power they get from food compared to other animals like cows. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'energy' because Paragraph D discusses how Arnold van Huis found that insects are very efficient at making protein. He explains that insects are cold-blooded, so they don't have to use up their energy to stay warm. In contrast, cows 'exhaust' or use up most of their energy for warmth, meaning they waste more of the food they consume. |
| Q23 | subsistence needs | Until now, they have only used this knowledge to meet their own subsistence needs, but Durst believes that, with the adoption of modern technology and improved promotional methods, opportunities to expand the market to new consumers will flourish | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that before now, people used their skills with insects only to get enough food for themselves to live. But a man named Durst believes that if they use new tools and better ways of selling, they can sell insects to many more people. Answer Explanation: The answer "subsistence needs" refers to the very basic things, like food, that a person needs just to stay alive and healthy. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "subsistence needs" because the text in paragraph F describes the work of Patrick Durst. It explains that rural people already know a lot about using insects for food. In the past, they used this knowledge only for their own "subsistence needs"—meaning they only caught enough to feed themselves. Durst suggests that by using modern technology, they can move past just eating for survival and start producing enough to sell to other people around the world. |
| Q24 | rural impoverished / rural,impoverished / rural / impoverished | This could provide a crucial step into the global economic arena for those primarily rural, impoverished populations who have been excluded from the rise of manufacturing and large-scale agriculture | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that expanding the insect market could help people in poor, countryside areas join the international business world. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to people living in the countryside who have very little money. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is derived from Paragraph F, which focuses on Patrick Durst's views. He believes that by using modern technology and marketing to sell insects, people in poor, remote areas can finally participate in the world economy. The passage uses the phrase 'global economic arena' as a synonym for 'world markets' and identifies the target group as 'rural, impoverished populations'. |
| Q25 | pesticide use | Children in the area were once protected against kwashiorkor by a diet high in grasshoppers, but these had become unsafe to eat after pesticide use in the area increased | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage explains that kids used to stay healthy by eating grasshoppers, but those insects became harmful to eat because the use of chemicals (pesticides) in that area went up. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the act of using chemicals on crops to kill pests, which became more common and made insects dangerous for humans to eat. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found in paragraph G, which describes Florence Dunkel's findings in Mali. She observed that children were suffering from a health condition because they could no longer safely eat grasshoppers. The reason the grasshoppers were no longer safe is that the 'pesticide use' (the chemicals sprayed to protect crops) in that region had 'increased'. |
| Q26 | protein deficiency syndrome / protein deficiency / kwashiorkor | While examining children’s diets as a part of her field work in Mali, Dunkel discovered that a protein deficiency syndrome called kwashiorkor was increasing in incidence | Excerpt/Passage Explanation: The passage states that when Dunkel looked at what children were eating in Mali, she found that more children were getting a sickness named kwashiorkor, which is caused by not having enough protein. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a medical condition caused by a lack of protein in the diet, which is called kwashiorkor or protein deficiency syndrome. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is located in Paragraph G, which discusses the research of Florence Dunkel in Mali. The passage explains that children in this area began suffering more from a 'protein deficiency syndrome' or 'kwashiorkor' because their previous source of protein—grasshoppers—became dangerous to eat due to a rise in the use of pesticides. The keyword 'incidence' in the passage relates to how often the sickness was 'increasing' or occurring among the children. |