IELTS Reading Mock Test 3

📘 Passage A – The Rise of Vertical Farming

As urban populations grow and arable land becomes scarce, vertical farming has emerged as a promising solution. This method involves cultivating crops in stacked layers, often within controlled indoor environments. By using hydroponics and LED lighting, vertical farms can produce food year-round with minimal water and land usage. Cities like Tokyo and New York have adopted vertical farming to reduce food miles and improve sustainability.

Despite its advantages, vertical farming faces challenges. High energy costs, technical complexity, and limited crop variety are common concerns. Critics argue that the technology is not yet scalable for staple crops like wheat or rice. However, ongoing research and investment are driving innovation, and proponents believe vertical farming could play a key role in future food security.

❓ Questions

1. What is one benefit of vertical farming?

2. Vertical farming is widely used for wheat and rice.

3. Match the paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Paragraph 2:

4. Complete the summary:
Vertical farms use and lighting to grow crops.

5. Cities mentioned for vertical farming include .

6. Which city is mentioned for adopting vertical farming?

7. Technologies mentioned:

8. What is one challenge of vertical farming?

9. Critics believe vertical farming is scalable for all crops.

10. Complete the table:
| Benefit | Challenge |
|----------------------|-------------------------|
| Year-round production| costs |
| Sustainability | Limited |

11. Fill in the flowchart:
Urban demand → Innovation → → Food security

12. Why are cities adopting vertical farming?

📊 IELTS Band Score Reference

Correct AnswersEstimated Band Score
129.0
118.5
108.0
97.5
87.0
76.5
66.0
55.5
45.0
0–3Below Band 5

💡 Note: This is an estimated band score based on your reading performance. Actual IELTS scores depend on official test conditions and scoring rubrics.