IELTS Reading 練習 7 城市垂直農業（含題目+詳解）

Urban Vertical Farming

Vertical farming — the practice of growing crops in stacked layers inside controlled indoor environments — has moved from a theoretical proposal to a commercial reality in less than two decades. The concept was popularised by the American ecologist Dickson Despommier in 2010, who argued that cities could meet a significant share of their fresh produce demand from buildings rather than fields. By 2023, commercial vertical farms were operating in more than thirty countries, with the largest single facility, in Dubai, producing more than three tonnes of leafy greens a day.

Most operations rely on either hydroponics, which circulates nutrient-rich water around plant roots, or aeroponics, which mists the roots directly. Soil is absent. Growth is driven by LED lighting tuned to specific wavelengths, typically a combination of red and blue light, which maximises photosynthesis while minimising wasted energy. Temperature, humidity and carbon-dioxide levels are tightly controlled, producing predictable yields unaffected by weather or season.

Proponents highlight several advantages. Vertical farms use roughly 95 per cent less water than conventional agriculture, thanks to closed-loop irrigation. They require no pesticides, occupy little land and allow produce to be harvested metres from its point of sale, reducing transport emissions. Lettuce grown in a Tokyo vertical farm typically reaches supermarket shelves within six hours of cutting, against an average of five to seven days for imported equivalents.

Critics, however, point to energy. LED lighting, climate control and pumping together consume large amounts of electricity; unless this power comes from low-carbon sources, the climate benefits of reduced transport may be offset. A 2022 peer-reviewed study estimated that vertical farms in countries with coal-heavy grids produced lettuce with a carbon footprint up to four times higher than open-field equivalents.

Current commercial viability remains narrow. Vertical farms produce economic returns mainly on high-value, short-shelf-life crops such as salad greens, herbs and strawberries. Staple crops — wheat, rice, potatoes — remain firmly the domain of traditional fields, and most analysts expect this to continue for the foreseeable future.

1. Dickson Despommier invented vertical farming in 2010.
2. Aeroponic systems grow plants without soil.
3. Lettuce from a Tokyo vertical farm is cheaper than imported lettuce.

1. According to the passage, the main environmental concern about vertical farming is:

- A. excessive water use - B. heavy pesticide application - C. high electricity consumption - D. loss of farmland

1. The writer suggests that vertical farms are currently most profitable when growing:

- A. staple crops such as wheat and rice - B. leafy greens and herbs - C. tree fruits - D. root vegetables

Match each fact 6-9 with the correct category A-D.

• A. Hydroponics
• B. LED lighting
• C. Closed-loop irrigation
• D. Coal-dependent grids

1. uses combinations of red and blue wavelengths
2. delivers nutrients through circulating water
3. enables water savings of around 95 per cent
4. can cause vertical-farm produce to have a larger carbon footprint than field crops

1. FALSE Supporting sentence: "The concept was popularised by the American ecologist Dickson Despommier in 2010". "Popularised" is not "invented" — he did not invent it. Misrepresents the passage.

2. TRUE Supporting sentence: "aeroponics, which mists the roots directly. Soil is absent." Directly supported.

3. NOT GIVEN Supporting sentence: "Lettuce grown in a Tokyo vertical farm typically reaches supermarket shelves within six hours of cutting". The passage discusses freshness, not price. No comparison of cost — choose NOT GIVEN.

4. C — high electricity consumption Supporting sentence: "LED lighting, climate control and pumping together consume large amounts of electricity; unless this power comes from low-carbon sources, the climate benefits ... may be offset". Option A is a trap (water use is a benefit, not a concern).

5. B — leafy greens and herbs Supporting sentence: "Vertical farms produce economic returns mainly on high-value, short-shelf-life crops such as salad greens, herbs and strawberries". Salad greens = leafy greens.

6. B — LED lighting Supporting sentence: "LED lighting tuned to specific wavelengths, typically a combination of red and blue light".

7. A — Hydroponics Supporting sentence: "hydroponics, which circulates nutrient-rich water around plant roots". Direct match.

8. C — Closed-loop irrigation Supporting sentence: "Vertical farms use roughly 95 per cent less water than conventional agriculture, thanks to closed-loop irrigation". Attribution is explicit.

9. D — Coal-dependent grids Supporting sentence: "vertical farms in countries with coal-heavy grids produced lettuce with a carbon footprint up to four times higher than open-field equivalents". "Coal-heavy" = "coal-dependent".