The Fruit Book
Read The Fruit Book and check the IELTS Reading answers. *It’s not every scientist who writes books for people who can’t read. And how many scientists want their books to look as dog-eared as possible? But Patricia Shanley, an ethnobotanist, wanted to give something back. After the poorest people o…
Passage preview
*It’s not every scientist who writes books for people who can’t read. And how many scientists want their books to look as dog-eared as possible? But Patricia Shanley, an ethnobotanist, wanted to give something back. After the poorest people of the Amazon allowed her to study their land and its ecology, she turned her research findings into a picture book that tells the local people how to get a good return from their trees without succumbing to the lure of a quick buck from a logging company. It has proved a big success.*
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- coexist verb
To exist together at the same time or in the same place peacefully, harmoniously, or simultaneously.
Different wildlife species manage to coexist in the dense jungle by hunting at completely separate hours.
- commercial potential noun
The capacity, readiness, or likelihood of a product, resource, or service to achieve financial market success.
Venture capital investors evaluated the commercial potential of the new battery technology before providing funds.
- ethnobotanist noun
A scientist who studies the practical and cultural relationships between local human populations and indigenous plants.
The experienced ethnobotanist spent two years recording how indigenous tribes used rainforest roots as medicine.
- exhaustive adjective
Fully comprehensive, thorough, and considering all aspects, details, or options without leaving anything out.
The committee conducted an exhaustive investigation into the structural causes of the aircraft engine failure.
- exploitation noun
The action of making use of and benefiting from natural resources, often unfairly or unsustainably.
Global environmental groups work tirelessly to prevent the unfair exploitation of natural mineral reserves in Africa.
- pittance noun
A very small or inadequate amount of money paid to someone as an allowance, wage, or compensation.
The seasonal laborers worked long hours in the fields but received only a miserable pittance.
- seminal paper noun
A highly influential and original academic publication that strongly provides a base for future scientific developments.
Albert Einstein published a seminal paper in 1905 that fundamentally transformed the field of modern physics.
- subsistence use noun
The practice of utilizing natural resources purely to support basic survival requirements rather than commercial profit.
The isolated tribe relies on forest hunting for subsistence use rather than participating in regional trade markets.
- succumb verb
To fail to resist pressure, temptation, or some other negative force; to yield or surrender completely.
Many weak retail companies succumb to intense financial pressure during periods of severe economic recession.
- yield verb
To produce or provide a natural product, result, financial profit, or crop through cultivation or research.
Specialized agricultural methods can yield significantly higher crop harvests without depleting valuable soil nutrients.
Answers with explanations
- 27. D
Paragraph D describes how Shanley decided to **start from scratch with a scientific study** and outlines her **initial data collection**, where she spent years gathering data on fruiting behavior and had families weigh the forest resources they consumed.
- 28. A
Paragraph A states that a **government official** (Brazil's environment minister, Marina Silva) contributed to the book by writing the foreword because the book’s blend of hard science and local knowledge had been **so well received**.
- 29. C
Paragraph C details the specific **reasons why the community asked Shanley to conduct the research**: they wanted to find out if it made more economic sense to conserve the forest for fruit and subsistence uses instead of selling off their trees for timber.
- 30. B
Paragraph B explicitly refers to the **starting point of her research**, noting that her work began a decade ago following a direct plea for help from the union representing the local farmers.
- 31. E
Paragraph E highlights that **two factors**, specifically **fire and logging**, were responsible for drastically changing the nature of the caboclo diet, leading to a significant drop in their consumption of game and fruit.
- 32. I
Paragraph I explicitly states the reason **why the book is successful**: it was designed so that people with poor literacy skills could easily understand it through its use of illustrations, stories, and songs.
- 33. ["forest fruit","fruit"]
The summary notes that villagers consumed less of three things following the forest fire. The text states that the household consumption of **forest fruit** dropped significantly. Thus, 'forest fruit' or 'fruit' correctly fills the blank.
- 34. fibre
Continuing the list of what villagers consumed less of, the passage notes that **fibre** use also dropped. 'Fibre' perfectly fits the grammatical list alongside game and fruit.
- 35. ["uxi","uxi trees"]
The summary asks under which tree the least amount of game was hunted. The text compares *piquia* (232 kg), *copaiba* (63 kg), and **uxi** (38 kg). Since 38 kg is the lowest yield, 'uxi' or 'uxi trees' is the correct answer.
- 36. unpredictable
The summary asks for an adjective describing the yield of the *uxi* tree. The text specifically describes the fruiting patterns of *uxi* as being **unpredictable**, making this the correct word to complete the sentence.
- 37. piquia trees
The summary states that it is more reasonable to keep a specific type of tree. The passage explains that selling **piquia trees** made little sense because of their high local value in providing fruit and attracting game. Therefore, 'piquia trees' is the right answer.
- 38. ["subsistence","subsistence use"]
The summary notes that all the trees can be used for a specific purpose besides being sold. The text emphasizes that wild fruit trees are critical for **subsistence**. The word 'subsistence' accurately reflects this alternative, crucial use.
- 39. commercial potential
The summary explains why subsistence use is often ignored: because most research focuses on something else. The text confirms that current research tends to focus on the **commercial potential** of the trees.
- 40. ["non-timber forest products","NTFPs"]
The final sentence of the summary defines the main purpose of the book: to give information about a specific subject. Paragraph I states that the book helps people understand information about **non-timber forest products** (or NTFPs). Both forms are acceptable to complete the phrase.