28-Day Panner: Day 20 [The vocabulary you need for the IELTS Listening Test]
This is an essential IELTS vocabulary topic.
Watch the video below, or scroll down to test yourself and listen to the podcast.
Listen to the podcast for explanations:
Listen while you do the test:
Questions 31 – 40: Write ONE word only for each answer
The use of soil to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere
Rattan Lal:
- Claims that 13% of CO2 in the atmosphere could be absorbed by agricultural soils
- Erosion is more likely in soil that is 31________________
- Lal found soil in Africa that was very 32 _______________
- It was suggested that carbon from soil was entering the atmosphere
Soil and carbon:
- Plants turn CO2 from the air into carbon-based substances such as 33 _______________
- Some CO2 moves from the 34 __________________ of plants to microbes in the soil
- Carbon was lost from the soil when agriculture was invented
Regenerative agriculture:
- Uses established practices to make sure soil remains fertile and 35 __________________
- E.g. through year-round planting and increasing the 36 ____________________________ of plants that are grown
California study:
- Taking place on a big 37 ____________________ farm
- Uses compost made from waste from agriculture and 38 ___________
Australia study:
- Aims to increase soil carbon by using 39 ___________ that are always green
Future developments may include:
- Reducing the amount of fertilizer used in farming
- Giving farmers 40_________________________ for carbon storage, as well as their produce.
Rattan Lal:
- Erosion is more likely in soil that is 31 dry
Carbon-rich soil is dark, crumbly and fertile, and retains some water. But erosion can occur if soil is dry, which is a likely effect if it contains inadequate amounts of carbon.
- Lal found soil in Africa that was very 32 hard
Lal was studying soils in Africa so devoid of organic matter that the ground had become extremely hard.
- It was suggested that carbon from soil was entering the atmosphere
Soil and carbon:
- Plants turn CO2 from the air into carbon-based substances such as 33 sugars
Plants absorb CO2 from the air and transform it into sugars and other carbon-based substances.
- Some CO2 moves from the 34 roots of plants to microbes in the soil
While a proportion of these carbon products remain in the plant, some transfer from the roots to fungi and soil microbes, which store the carbon in the soil.
- Carbon was lost from the soil when agriculture was invented
Regenerative agriculture:
- Uses established practices to make sure soil remains fertile and 35 moist
Some growers have already started using an approach known as regenerative agriculture. This aims to boost the fertility of soil and keep it moist through established practices.
- E.g. through year-round planting and increasing the 36 variety of plants that are grown
These include keeping fields planted all year round, and increasing the variety of plants being grown.
California study:
- Taking place on a big 37 cattle farm
Soil scientist Wendy Silver of the University of California is conducting a first-of-its-kind study on a large cattle farm in the state.
- Uses compost made from waste from agriculture and 38 gardens
She and her students are testing the effects on carbon storage of the compost that is created from waste – both agricultural, including manure and cornstalks, and waste produced in gardens such as leaves branches and lawn trimmings.
Australia study:
- Aims to increase soil carbon by using 39 grasses that are always green
In Australia, soil ecologist Christine Jones is testing another promising soil-enrichment strategy. Jones and 12 farmers are working to build up soil carbon by cultivating grasses that stay green all year round.
Future developments may include:
- Reducing the amount of fertilizer used in farming
- Giving farmers 40 payment for carbon storage, as well as their produce.
Rattan Lal argues that farmers should receive payment not just for the corn or beef they produce, but also for the carbon they can store in their soil.
KEY VOCAB
Check the meaning, form and pronunciation of these key words – get my agriculture mindmap as part of the 28-Day Planner:
to absorb – absorption
carbon-rich soil
moist – dry
erosion – erode
to grow crops
to breed animals
a pioneer
domesticated animals
to boost the fertility of the soil
to increase the variety of plants being grown
to combat climate change
cattle
compost
agricultural waste – manure
soil-enrichment
to fertilise – fertiliser – fertile – fertility
to cultivate grasses
to reduce the harmful effects of greenhouse gasses
Get the full 28-Day Vocabulary Course in the Members Academy.
Get more listening practice here.
How to listen for signals and signposts (especially in Section 3).
Why you need to learn Modals of Deduction for the Listening Test.
How to keep your place in Listening Part 4.
How to do Multiple Choice Questions in Listening Part 4.
How to identify the distractors in Listening Part 3.
How to deal with a difficult Listening Part 4.
How to do a Gapfill Summary in Listening Part 4.
How to choose from a list in Listening Part 2.
How to complete a table in Listening Part 2.
How to label a map in Listening Part 2.
How to recognise distractors in Listening Part 4.
Multiple Choice and Tables in Part 4.
Listening to an expert interview (and an Australian accent) in Part 3.
How to review IELTS vocab topics through Listening Part 4.
Hi Fiona, This lecture was great and I like the idea that you have the lecture itself, so we can practice before we listen to your answers and explanations.
HI Mariela. Thank you so much for your support – I’m glad you enjoyed it!