Cambridge IELTS 17 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 2
A Second Attempt At Domesticating The Tomato — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for A Second Attempt At Domesticating The Tomato, Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 2, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
← All Cambridge 17 Test 2 answers
A Second Attempt At Domesticating The Tomato answer key at a glance
Questions 14–26. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with Matching Information (Q14–18), Matching Features (Q19–23), Sentence Completion (Q24–26). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 14–18: Matching Information
Strategy: Scan for the idea, not the exact words. The answer is a paragraph letter, and one paragraph may be used more than once unless the instructions say otherwise.
a reference to a type of tomato that can resist a dangerous infection.
“The team in China re-domesticated several strains of wild tomatoes with desirable traits lost in domesticated tomatoes. In this way they managed to create a strain resistant to a common disease called bacterial spot race, which can devastate yields.”
Paragraph C reports a strain 'resistant to a common disease called bacterial spot race, which can devastate yields', a tomato resisting a dangerous infection.
an explanation of how problems can arise from focusing only on a certain type of tomato plant.
“But every time a single plant with a mutation is taken from a larger population for breeding, much genetic diversity is lost. And sometimes the desirable mutations come with less desirable traits.”
Paragraph B warns that when one mutated plant is taken for breeding, 'much genetic diversity is lost' and less desirable traits can follow.
a number of examples of plants that are not cultivated at present but could be useful as food sources.
“The three teams already have their eye on other plants that could be ‘catapulted into the mainstream’, including foxtail, oat-grass and cowpea. By choosing wild plants that are drought or heat tolerant, says Gao, we could create crops that will thrive even as the planet warms.”
Paragraph E names foxtail, oat-grass and cowpea as plants that could be 'catapulted into the mainstream'.
a comparison between the early domestication of the tomato and more recent research
“It took at least 3,000 years for humans to learn how to domesticate the wild tomato and cultivate it for food. Now two separate teams in Brazil and China have done it all over again in less than three years.”
Paragraph A contrasts 3,000 years of early domestication with two teams repeating the process 'in less than three years'.
a personal reaction to the flavour of a tomato that has been genetically edited
“‘They are quite tasty,’ says Kudla. ‘A little bit strong. And very aromatic.’”
Kudla's reaction - 'They are quite tasty ... A little bit strong. And very aromatic' - is a personal verdict on the edited tomato's flavour.
Questions 19–23: Matching Features
Strategy: Match the statement to the named person or thing. Names can repeat, so check each option against what that person actually says.
Domestication of certain plants could allow them to adapt to future environmental challenges.
“By choosing wild plants that are drought or heat tolerant, says Gao, we could create crops that will thrive even as the planet warms.”
Gao says choosing 'wild plants that are drought or heat tolerant' could create crops that 'will thrive even as the planet warms', so B.
The idea of growing and eating unusual plants may not be accepted on a large scale.
“This approach could boost the use of many obscure plants, says Jonathan Jones of the Sainsbury Lab in the UK. But it will be hard for new foods to grow so popular with farmers and consumers that they become new staple crops, he thinks.”
Jonathan Jones thinks 'it will be hard for new foods to grow so popular with farmers and consumers that they become new staple crops', so D.
It is not advisable for the future direction of certain research to be made public.
“But Kudla didn’t want to reveal which species were in his team’s sights, because CRISPR has made the process so easy. ‘Anyone with the right skills could go to their lab and do this.”
Kudla 'didn't want to reveal which species were in his team's sights' because CRISPR makes copying easy, keeping the research direction private, so A.
Present efforts to domesticate one wild fruit are limited by the costs involved.
“‘There’s potential for this to be a commercial crop,’ says Van Eck. But she adds that taking the work further would be expensive because of the need to pay for a licence for the CRISPR technology and get regulatory approval.”
Van Eck says taking the work further 'would be expensive because of the need to pay for a licence' and gain regulatory approval, so C.
Humans only make use of a small proportion of the plant food available on Earth.
“This could transform what we eat,’ says Jorg Kudla at the University of Munster in Germany, a member of the Brazilian team. ‘There are 50,000 edible plants in the world, but 90 percent of our energy comes from just 15 crops.’”
'There are 50,000 edible plants in the world, but 90 percent of our energy comes from just 15 crops', so only a fraction is used, A.
Questions 24–26: Sentence Completion
Strategy: Find the stem's keyword in the passage, then complete the sentence with the exact words the grammar requires, within the word limit.
“And sometimes the desirable mutations come with less desirable traits. For instance, the tomato strains grown for supermarkets have lost much of their flavour.”
The gap needs what supermarket tomato strains have lost; 'have lost much of their flavour' supplies 'flavour'.
“For instance, they tripled the size of fruit by editing a gene called FRUIT WEIGHT, and increased the number of tomatoes per truss by editing another called MULTIFLORA.”
The gap needs what was tripled by editing FRUIT WEIGHT; 'they tripled the size of fruit' gives 'size'.
“They also created another strain that is more salt tolerant – and has higher levels of vitamin C.”
The gap needs what the new strain tolerates more of; 'more salt tolerant - and has higher levels of vitamin C' gives 'salt'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the A Second Attempt At Domesticating The Tomato passage come from?
It is Passage 2 of Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 14–26.
What question types appear in A Second Attempt At Domesticating The Tomato?
The passage is tested with Matching Information, Matching Features, Sentence Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.