Should we stop eating meat?
Read Should we stop eating meat? and check the IELTS Reading answers. The call for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing louder, so if less is good, wouldn't none be better? To find out, let's imagine what would happen if the world eliminated meat, milk and eggs from its diet, then…
Passage preview
The call for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing louder, so if less is good, wouldn't none be better? To find out, let's imagine what would happen if the world eliminated meat, milk and eggs from its diet, then trace the effects. Last year the world consumed 289 million tonnes of meat, 700 million tonnes of milk and 1.2 billion eggs. Environmentally speaking, this came at an enormous cost.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- animal welfare noun
The physical and psychological well-being of non-human animals, specifically regarding their health, comfort, and humane treatment in captivity.
New European regulations mandate stricter animal welfare standards for livestock transported across international borders.
- ardent adjective
Demonstrating intense enthusiasm, passionate commitment, or strong loyalty toward a specific cause, belief system, or academic philosophy.
The environmental activist was an ardent supporter of rewilding projects aimed at restoring native forest ecosystems.
- drug-resistant bacteria noun
Strains of microscopic organisms that have mutated or evolved to survive exposure to standard antimicrobial or antibiotic medications.
The overuse of antibiotics in livestock feed has contributed significantly to the global rise of drug-resistant bacteria.
- environmentally disastrous adjective
Causing extreme, widespread, and potentially irreversible damage to natural ecosystems, atmospheric conditions, or biological diversity.
Unchecked industrial runoff into pristine marine habitats can trigger environmentally disastrous coral bleaching events.
- food insecurity noun
The condition of lacking reliable, consistent access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, safe, and nutritious dietary options.
Prolonged droughts in developing regions often exacerbate food insecurity among vulnerable rural populations.
- intensive farming noun
An agricultural system characterized by high inputs of labor, capital, and chemical fertilizers to maximize productivity per unit area.
Environmental groups critique intensive farming for causing soil degradation and accelerating local biodiversity loss.
- marginal land noun
Arid or poor quality agricultural land that has little economic value and is barely profitable for cultivating traditional crops.
Goats and sheep are frequently grazed on marginal land where the soil quality is insufficient for commercial farming.
- offspring noun
The immediate descendants or young produced by an animal, plant, or organism through sexual or asexual reproductive processes.
Avian parents invest considerable energy into protecting their vulnerable offspring from predatory animals during the nesting season.
- subsist verb
To maintain or support oneself at a minimal level, especially concerning acquiring food or essential nourishment for survival.
Certain isolated communities continue to subsist primarily on traditional agricultural techniques and seasonal foraging activities.
- utopian adjective
Characteristic of an idealized, perfect state of society or future condition that is practically impossible or unrealistic to achieve fully.
Philosophers often critique the concept of a completely automated society as an unrealistic, utopian vision.
Answers with explanations
- 14. E
Paragraph E discusses a scenario where livestock are fed leftovers, which would change the type of meat produced. The text explicitly states people would have to **get used to** (adapt to) chicken with **less fat** (a different quality of meat).
- 15. D
Paragraph D looks at the **past** by referencing "For most of human history." It describes how **livestock grazed** (the way animals fed) on marginal land rather than consuming crops grown specifically for them.
- 16. H
Paragraph H contains a specific **prediction** about the future. It states that by 2050, the world will need to double meat production to meet **human demand**.
- 17. F
Paragraph F discusses the downsides of a meat-free world, specifically mentioning the loss of **leather** and **wool** used to make **clothing** (textile industries). This outlines the potential consequences for these industries.
- 18. irrigation
The summary mentions the frequent use of something in modern farming, along with cutting down trees (felled forests). The text directly pairs the felled forests with the common use of **irrigation** systems, making this the correct word.
- 19. transport
The summary asks what agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than. The text clearly compares agriculture's emissions to all methods of **transport** combined.
- 20. land
The summary points out that a meat-free diet would result in less of something being used for crops. The passage states that the **land** required for crops would drop (be used less) by 21 percent.
- 21. nitrogen
The summary refers to chemical pollution that would be reduced. The text specifies that the pollution from **nitrogen** would fall by 60% if dairy and egg products were eliminated.
- 22. erosion
The summary requires a word describing the considerable damage caused by the demand for grazing land in the US. The text states that in the US, livestock account for 55% of **erosion**, driven by the need for grazing land.
- 23. C
Annette Pinner (C) cautions against assuming that the whole world going vegetarian would be the best solution. This matches the statement that a vegetarian diet might not be **right for everyone**.
- 24. E
The statement says farming animals in **limited space** can be **economically preferable**. Scan the names for a speaker discussing which livestock systems to keep. Walter Falcon says that if the aim is the most meat at the lowest cost, the **intensive** systems are the ones to keep, rather than free-range animals in open fields. Intensive farming means many animals in small areas, which matches limited space. Other speakers discuss land use or waste, not cost-driven farming choices, so only Falcon fits.
- 25. D
The statement says abandoning meat without also abandoning dairy makes **no sense**. Helmut Haberl discusses a **no-meat-but-milk diet**, calling it difficult because dairy cows must **calve** every year and half the offspring are male. He sees no practical reason to waste so much meat, so giving up meat while keeping milk is illogical. Other speakers talk about pollution, leftovers, or poor countries, not the link between milk production and meat, so Haberl is the match.
- 26. B
The statement describes animals fed so that **waste is recycled**. Look for a speaker who mentions feeding animals something other than grain. Tara Garnett points out that chickens can live on **leftovers**: by giving them your leftovers, they deal with your **rubbish** and you get meat. Turning household waste into food is exactly the recycling idea in the statement. No other speaker discusses feeding animals waste, so Garnett is the only match.