Traditional Farming in Zambia’s Luapula Province
Read Traditional Farming in Zambia’s Luapula Province and check the IELTS Reading answers. By tradition, land in Luapula Province is not owned by individuals, but, as in many other parts of Africa, is allocated by the headman or headwoman of a village to people of either sex according to need. Sinc…
Passage preview
By tradition, land in Luapula Province is not owned by individuals, but, as in many other parts of Africa, is allocated by the headman or headwoman of a village to people of either sex according to need. Since land is generally prepared by hand, a single family group cannot take on a very large area, so land has not been a limiting resource over large parts of the province. However, that situation has already changed near the main towns, and there has long been a scarcity of land for cultivation in the river valley. In both these areas, registered ownership patterns are becoming prevalent.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- agro-forestry noun
Land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland
Fruit trees grown around houses form a traditional agro-forestry system that provides both food and income.
- alleviate verb
To make a problem, pain, or suffering less severe or easier to endure
The nutritional deficiency of protein could be alleviated when fresh or dried fish was readily available.
- animal husbandry noun
The branch of agriculture concerned with the care, breeding, and management of livestock
Small numbers of cattle are kept in the province, as animal husbandry is limited by the tsetse fly.
- depleted adjective
Greatly reduced in quantity, size, or power; exhausted of resources or nutrients
As the agricultural cycle progresses, soil nutrients eventually become depleted and the plot must be abandoned.
- ingenious adjective
Showing remarkable cleverness, originality, or inventiveness in design or application
Citemene has been an ingenious system for providing high-quality cereals in regions with heavily leached soils.
- reciprocal working relationships noun
A cooperative arrangement where two or more parties exchange labor or services for mutual benefit
The distribution of cipumu is essential in cementing reciprocal working relationships among the village community members.
- remunerative adjective
Providing payment or financial reward; a more formal synonym for profitable or high-paying
Fishing has historically been a far more remunerative activity in Luapula than traditional crop husbandry.
- subsistence noun
The action or fact of maintaining or supporting oneself at a minimum level
Plots tended primarily by women provide essential subsistence for the family when forest land is unavailable.
- unobtrusive adjective
Not conspicuous or attracting attention; acting in a way that does not cause offense or notice
Men traditionally stake out plots in an unobtrusive manner to avoid appearing provocative to their neighbours.
- whereby adverb
By which or through which; a conjunction used to introduce a method or mechanism of action
The citemene system is a method whereby crops are grown on the ashes of burned tree branches.
Answers with explanations
- 1. need
The gap requires a noun detailing the criteria for giving land. The question's **given to people on the basis of** paraphrases **allocated ... according to** in the text. The passage states land is allocated according to **need**, which is the exact word required and complies with the word limit.
- 2. ashes
The gap needs a noun to describe what crops are planted in under the citemene system. The passage mentions that **crops are grown on the ashes of tree branches**. The question's phrase **wood** is a direct paraphrase of **tree branches**, making **ashes** the correct completion.
- 2-3: limestone
2: The gap needs a noun to describe what crops are planted in under the citemene system. The passage mentions that **crops are grown on the ashes of tree branches**. The question's phrase **wood** is a direct paraphrase of **tree branches**, making **ashes** the correct completion.
3: The gap requires the name of the final crop. The question's **last crop to be planted** is reflected in the text as the crop the sequence **ends with**. The passage names this crop directly as **cassava**, which fits both the grammar of the gap and the word limit perfectly.
- 3. cassava
The gap requires the name of the final crop. The question's **last crop to be planted** is reflected in the text as the crop the sequence **ends with**. The passage names this crop directly as **cassava**, which fits both the grammar of the gap and the word limit perfectly.
- 3-4: NOT GIVEN
3: The gap requires the name of the final crop. The question's **last crop to be planted** is reflected in the text as the crop the sequence **ends with**. The passage names this crop directly as **cassava**, which fits both the grammar of the gap and the word limit perfectly.
4: The gap needs a noun phrase detailing where crops are planted when trees are absent. The question's **areas without trees** paraphrases **When forest is not available**. In this situation, the text says crops are planted in a **series of ridges**. This phrase provides the exact location.
- 4. series of ridges
The gap needs a noun phrase detailing where crops are planted when trees are absent. The question's **areas without trees** paraphrases **When forest is not available**. In this situation, the text says crops are planted in a **series of ridges**. This phrase provides the exact location.
- 5. houses
The gap requires a noun for the location of the fruit trees. The question's **If conditions are right** matches **Where their roots have year round access to water**, and **fruit trees** corresponds to mango, guava, and oil-palm. The text says these are **grown around houses**, yielding the answer **houses**.
- 6. A
The question asks which animal yields the biggest profits. The text describes **Fishing** as a **far more remunerative activity** and the **one substantial source of cash**. The word "remunerative" directly matches the idea of yielding profits, making the option for fish the correct match.
- 7. B
The question refers to animals consumed on special occasions. The passage notes that **chickens and goats** may be **occasionally slaughtered for ceremonies, or for entertaining important visitors**. Both are special occasions, meaning the option for goats is the correct match.
- 8. C
The question identifies an animal that does not thrive due to insect pests. The text states that only small numbers of **cattle or oxen** are kept because of the **prevalence of the tsetse fly**, which is an insect pest. This directly points to the option for oxen.
- 9. A
The question describes animals that are preserved and sold externally. The passage states that **fish is dried** (a method of preservation) **for sale to areas away from the main waterways** (outside the local area). This confirms the option for fish is the correct answer. Note the source OCR error "Mueh" for "Much".
- 10. TRUE
The claim is that oxen are rarely used to prepare agricultural land. The text explicitly supports this, noting an **absence of animal power** for pulling machinery because few oxen are kept, and stating that land preparation is limited to **hand-hoeing**. Since the text supports the claim, it is TRUE.
- 11. NOT GIVEN
The claim suggests children provide extra labour. The passage details the division of labour during agricultural cycles, mentioning that **Women and men cooperate** and that **harvesting is always done by women**. However, it makes no mention of children helping during busy periods. Because the text is silent on this, it is NOT GIVEN.
- 12. FALSE
The claim states that chickens are eaten on a regular basis. The passage directly contradicts this by stating that chickens and goats are **not a standard part of most people's diet**, and are only eaten occasionally for ceremonies or guests. Thus, the answer is FALSE.
- 13. C
The question asks for the writer's opinion on traditional farming methods. The writer concludes that these **traditional practices** are not capable of **supporting the expanding population** sustainably. This aligns perfectly with the option stating they will be **inadequate to support a growing population**. Options about meeting dietary needs or underexploited resources are contradicted by the text.