Seaweed
Read Seaweed and check the IELTS Reading answers. Seaweed, a common plant that grows in the sea, has been an important food, fuel, and fertilizer since prehistoric times. For example, it has supplemented the diet of sheep in the Orkneys, islands off the coast of Scotland, since Neolithic times, rou…
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Seaweed, a common plant that grows in the sea, has been an important food, fuel, and fertilizer since prehistoric times. For example, it has supplemented the diet of sheep in the Orkneys, islands off the coast of Scotland, since Neolithic times, roughly 5000 years ago. In the early part of the 8th century in Japan, seaweed was already such a key part of people's regular diet that legislation was introduced giving people the right to pay their taxes to the Emperor in the form of seaweed. The oldest evidence of seaweed use was found in South America, dating from 12,500 years ago. The remains of red seaweed mixed with a medicinal herb were discovered on the floor of a medicine hut at Monte Verde, Chile, one of the oldest human habitation sites in the Americas. The Monte Verde findings led to a re-evaluation of the importance of plants to the communities of that region. It was previously believed that their diet was predominantly meat-based, and therefore reliant on the hunting skills of men. However, these findings suggest that women, known to be responsible for the gathering of plants such as seaweed, also played an important part in the provision of food.
Vocabulary from this passage
10 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- artificially adverb
Produced by human effort or intervention rather than occurring naturally through biological or environmental processes
Scientists used ultraviolet lamps to artificially stimulate the growth of plants during the dark winter season.
- biofuel noun
A fuel derived immediately from living matter, such as plant material or animal waste, rather than geological processes
Engineers are developing advanced types of biofuel that can power commercial aircraft much more efficiently than before.
- constraint noun
A limitation or restriction that prevents something from developing or working as effectively as it otherwise might
A lack of private funding remains a primary constraint on the expansion of scientific research programs.
- cultivation noun
The process of preparing land and growing crops, or the purposeful raising of specific plants for human use
The cultivation of seaweed has become a vital source of income for many coastal communities in Asia.
- deplete verb
To use up the supply or resources of something; to exhaust the abundance of a natural or material source
Large-scale overfishing continues to deplete the natural fish stocks in several regions of the Atlantic Ocean.
- economically viable adjective
Capable of working successfully and producing enough profit to justify the investment of time, money, and resources
The government provided financial subsidies to make the new renewable energy project more economically viable for investors.
- predominantly adverb
To be present as the strongest or main element; mostly or mainly in terms of composition or influence
The local economy is predominantly based on tourism and agricultural exports during the peak summer months.
- re-evaluation noun
The act of considering or assessing something again, especially in a different way or in light of new information
Recent archaeological discoveries at the site have prompted a major re-evaluation of the region's early history.
- supplement verb
To add an extra element or amount to something in order to enhance or complete its nutritional or functional value
People often supplement their diet with vitamins to ensure they receive all the essential nutrients for health.
- sustainable adjective
Able to be maintained at a certain level or rate without depleting natural resources or causing environmental damage
Businesses are increasingly adopting sustainable practices to protect natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
Answers with explanations
- 1. TRUE
The text states that seaweed **supplemented the diet of sheep** (**feed animals**) on **islands off the coast of Scotland** (**some Scottish islands**) about **5000 years ago** (**for thousands of years**). Because all parts of the statement are directly supported by the text, the correct answer is TRUE.
- 2. FALSE
The question claims that eating seaweed was **reserved for special occasions**, but the passage explicitly states it was a key part of people's **regular diet**. Since the passage directly contradicts the statement, the correct answer is FALSE.
- 2-3: Gaulish
2: The question claims that eating seaweed was **reserved for special occasions**, but the passage explicitly states it was a key part of people's **regular diet**. Since the passage directly contradicts the statement, the correct answer is FALSE.
3: The text explains that earlier assumptions credited men's hunting, but the **findings suggest** (**revealed new information**) that **women** actually **played an important part** in providing food (**significance of women's roles**). This matches the claim exactly, making the answer TRUE.
- 3. TRUE
The text explains that earlier assumptions credited men's hunting, but the **findings suggest** (**revealed new information**) that **women** actually **played an important part** in providing food (**significance of women's roles**). This matches the claim exactly, making the answer TRUE.
- 3-4: A
3: The text explains that earlier assumptions credited men's hunting, but the **findings suggest** (**revealed new information**) that **women** actually **played an important part** in providing food (**significance of women's roles**). This matches the claim exactly, making the answer TRUE.
4: The text confirms that Norway exported 1500 tonnes of potash in 1800. However, it does not provide any comparative information stating whether potash was the country's **largest export**. Because we cannot determine this from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 4. NOT GIVEN
The text confirms that Norway exported 1500 tonnes of potash in 1800. However, it does not provide any comparative information stating whether potash was the country's **largest export**. Because we cannot determine this from the text, the answer is NOT GIVEN.
- 5. TRUE
The phrase **hardly anyone has heard of** her in the **UK** contrasts directly with her fame in **Japan**, where she is called 'Mother of the Sea' and has a statue. This confirms she is **more famous in Japan**, so the answer is TRUE.
- 6. typhoons
The question requires a noun that caused the destruction of the seaweed industry alongside pollution. The text identifies **increased pollution** combined with **a series of typhoons** as the cause of the **total collapse**. The exact word is 'typhoons'.
- 7. laver
We are looking for the name of a **seaweed species similar to nori** that Dr. Drew-Baker was researching. The text names this species as **laver** and describes it as the Welsh equivalent (similar to) nori. The correct word is 'laver'.
- 8. kelp
The prompt requires the name of the **type of seaweed** that became a successful crop due to new methods. The passage mentions Professor Yarish's work making **kelp** an economically viable crop. The correct noun is 'kelp'.
- 9. fishermen
The gap requires the name of a group of people who gained an **alternative source of income** (a viable crop). The text specifically states it became an economically viable crop for the New England **fishermen**. The correct noun is 'fishermen'.
- 10. chemicals
The sentence requires a plural noun describing what industries (**farms, factories**) produce that seaweed can minimise. The text states seaweed can absorb environmentally unfriendly **chemicals** discharged by these places. The correct word is 'chemicals'.
- 11. markets
The question identifies two things preventing growth: the cost of production (**relative expense**) and a shortage (**lack**) of something. The text says the constraint is the **lack of markets**. The correct word is 'markets'.
- 12. jobs
The gap requires a plural noun that would be created in **very large numbers** (50 million). The text states that reaching this production mark would generate 50 million **jobs**. The exact word is 'jobs'.
- 13. vehicles
The sentence needs a noun showing what could be powered by seaweed biofuel instead of oil (**fossil fuels**). The passage specifies it could act as a biofuel for **vehicles**. The correct word is 'vehicles'.