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 question asks on what basis land is traditionally given out. The text specifically states that the headman or headwoman allocates land **according to need**. The word grammatically fulfills the sentence requirement of a noun representing the basis of allocation.
- 2. ashes
The sentence asks what the *citemene* system involves planting crops in. The text explains that it is a system where crops are grown on the **ashes** of tree branches. 'Ashes' completes the phrase indicating the specific material.
- 2-3: limestone
2: The sentence asks what the *citemene* system involves planting crops in. The text explains that it is a system where crops are grown on the **ashes** of tree branches. 'Ashes' completes the phrase indicating the specific material.
3: The question asks for the last crop to be planted. The text explains that the crop sequence **ends with the vegetable cassava**. Therefore, cassava is the final item introduced in this traditional sequence.
- 3. cassava
The question asks for the last crop to be planted. The text explains that the crop sequence **ends with the vegetable cassava**. Therefore, cassava is the final item introduced in this traditional sequence.
- 3-4: TRUE
3: The question asks for the last crop to be planted. The text explains that the crop sequence **ends with the vegetable cassava**. Therefore, cassava is the final item introduced in this traditional sequence.
4: The question requires the structure in which crops are planted when there are no trees. The text states that when forest is not available, a **series of ridges** is built for planting various crops, making it the correct completion.
- 4. series of ridges
The question requires the structure in which crops are planted when there are no trees. The text states that when forest is not available, a **series of ridges** is built for planting various crops, making it the correct completion.
- 5. houses
The sentence asks where fruit trees are planted under the right conditions (year-round access to water). The text specifies that these trees are grown around **houses**, successfully answering the prompt.
- 6. A
The question asks which animal yields the biggest profits. The text says that **fishing** is a far more 'remunerative' (profitable) activity than crop husbandry. Therefore, 'fish' (A) is the correct answer.
- 7. B
The question looks for an animal consumed on special occasions. The text explicitly states that **goats** (and chickens) are occasionally slaughtered for ceremonies or entertaining important visitors. This aligns with 'special occasions'.
- 8. C
The question describes an animal that does not thrive due to insect pests. The text states that small numbers of **oxen** are kept because of the prevalence of the tsetse fly, a known insect pest that severely restricts their survival.
- 9. A
The question asks which animal is preserved and sold outside the local area. The text states that **fish** is dried (preserved) for sale to areas away from the main waterways, satisfying the description. Therefore, fish (A) is correct.
- 10. TRUE
The statement claims agricultural land is prepared without oxen. The text confirms that the absence of animal power limits the ability to plough, meaning a married couple has to prepare land **by hand-hoeing**. This directly supports the statement. Answer: TRUE.
- 11. NOT GIVEN
The statement asserts that children are a source of extra labor. While the text discusses the specific division of labor between **men and women**, it completely omits any mention of children participating in the work. Therefore, the information is NOT GIVEN.
- 12. FALSE
The statement claims people eat chicken on a regular basis. The passage explicitly states that chickens and goats are **not a standard part of most people's diet**, contradicting the claim. Answer: FALSE.
- 13. C
The question asks for the writer's opinion on traditional farming. The text explicitly concludes that traditional practices are no longer capable of **supporting the expanding population** in a sustainable manner, perfectly matching the correct option. Distractors about untapped resources or labor force are contradicted or not supported.