Reading Test may contain a question that requires you to identify which paragraph information is

found in or match headings to the correct paragraph. For this type of question, you need to

understand the main topic of each paragraph and choose the most appropriate answer.

Here are our top tips for ‘Matching Paragraph Information’ questions:

Read through the whole article to get the ‘gist’ but do not worry about understanding all parts

Make notes as you skim through the article on any key themes emerging from paragraphs

After skimming through the whole article, look at the questions

If any paragraph information matches are immediately obvious, record that answer and

remove that option from the list. This helps by reducing the options for the paragraphs you are

not so sure about

When reading the statements you are trying to match, consider how the information could be

paraphrased to help you to locate the information

Once you have matched the questions you are able to do easily, go back to the remaining

paragraphs.

Re-skim through the paragraph, think about what is being discussed and consider which

paragraph best fits

Don’t spend too much time on these questions

This task will also give you exposure to a topic that may come up in any of the IELTS tests and will

support you to learn and understand new vocabulary. You are also going to be practising your
reading skills so this will help you with the tests whether a question like this comes up or not!

Level: Hard

Due to the complex vocabulary included in the text and the lengthier paragraphs, this exercise is
classed as hard. If you have not tired an activity of this kind previously, it is recommended that you

try an easier level exercise first.

Soil Erosion

1.__________________________

If none of the options listed above suits your needs, you have another alternative that doesn’t

require planting of other plants or crops on your land and allows you to create a clean look to your

property. You can protect the soil by covering exposed spots around the plants with a mulching

material. By putting down mulch, you are keeping bare soil from being washed and eroded away, as
well as helping to retain soil moisture and eliminate weed growth around your carefully selected

plants. Mulching layer stabilizes soil temperature, protecting plants and soil from the effects of

fluctuating temperature in winter.

2. __________________________

You can create neatly looking dry creeks that direct water away from your land or channel runoff to

your designated area from where you can reuse it (e.g. for irrigation). Dry creeks look like a small

version of a rocky river bed and even imitate its function. You also have an option to plant vegetated

filter strips or simply install drainage pipes to gather water and carry it away from critical areas.

Some people choose to protect land around their houses by implementing so called French drains.

French drains are trenches along outer house walls that contain drainage pipes covered by

permeable gravel.

3. _________________________
Growing crops on slopes can be particularly challenging and plowing on slopes can easily lead to soil

erosion. However, there are several techniques for cultivating crops on slopes that prevent erosion.

These include contour farming, where farmers plow and plant across a slope along its contour lines

as opposed to planting in downhill facing lines.

4. _________________________

When talking about soil erosion control measures, we should not neglect the areas that have already

been damaged but have a potential for great improvement when managed properly. Restoration of
degraded ecosystems and protection of marginal areas to ensure that we will place sufficient soil

erosion prevention methods in place is crucial.

5.________________________
Land that is used for livestock grazing is often hilly or is located in marginal areas that are

unsuitable for crop cultivation. Unsustainable livestock management on such lands leads to

overgrazing and decreases the protective groundcover. When more than 60 percent of vegetation

gets removed, the rate of erosion accelerates, and topsoil is more likely to be washed off with every

rainfall event.

6. _______________________

Whether on a large scale, like rice fields, or on a smaller scale in your backyard, terracing allows

cultivation and erosion control of many difficult slopes that would otherwise be unsuitable for any

activity. With the structural support of retaining walls, terraces can create a nice decorative element
on your property, giving it a new look. They can be useful for the creation of raised garden beds that

are for many gardeners more comfortable to maintain.

7. ______________________

It is recommended to plant cover crops after the harvest of the main crop. Take for example corn.

Once you harvest corn, the land will most likely remain barren over the winter. This means that the

soil will lack the protective layer of growing vegetation in the season when it rains or snows a lot

and the land is subjected to cycles of freezing and unfreezing. This easily damages soil structure and

increases the risk of soil loss.

Source of passage: https://greentumble.com/how-can-we-prevent-erosion/#cover

1. Match the following paragraph headings with the correct paragraph in the text.

A) Protecting soils with cover crops

B) Afforestation and sustainable management of marginal areas

C) Mulching

D) Controlling water flow across your land

E) Terracing with retaining walls & edging

F) Contour farming and gardening & strip cropping

G) Preventing soil disturbance by livestock

2. In which paragraph will I find the following information? Give the paragraph number as

your answer. Numbers may be used more than once.

A) A number of techniques allow farmers to overcome issues with slanted landscapes in farming.

B) Without an abundance of plants, the wind and rain will wear away the land more quickly.

C) When the land is emptier, it is more prone to damage and lose earth.

D) Adding a cover protects the land and keeps soil from being harmed by fluctuating temperatures.
E) Another way to protect soil is to redirect water away from where plants are being grown.

F) By becoming frozen and then thawing out, farmers may experience harm to soil or a reduction in

the amount of soil.

Answers:

Question 1:

A) 7

B) 4

C) 1

D) 2

E) 6

F) 3

G) 5

Question 2:

A) 3

B) 5

C) 7

D) 1

E) 2

F) 7