Palm oil is in everything because it stays solid and keeps food fresh, and production has soared. Conservationists blame it for deforestation and endangered orangutans, but the picture is mixed: it lifts people out of poverty, gives far higher yields per hectare than rival oils, can be certified sustainable by the RSPO, and plantations might regain biodiversity with bird's nest ferns.
The section matching (14-20) uses seven of the eight sections, one each (only D is left out). The RSPO question (21-22) is in G. The sentence completions (23-26) run through A, C, G and H in order.
Matching information (sections A-H)
Questions 14-20
How to attack this block: Each section has one clear job. A shows palm oil in everyday products, and B gives the growth figures. C lists the endangered animals. E makes the economic case against a boycott, and F gives the environmental arguments in palm oil's favour. G is the RSPO, and H is the fern.
Question 14
Answer: FSection F
Which section gives examples of ways oil palm farming might help the environment?
That immensely high yield… is potentially also an ecological benefit… palm oil production actually sequesters more carbon in some ways than other alternatives
Question says → Passage says
potential environmental advantagespotentially also an ecological benefit
a range ofThat immensely high yield / sequesters more carbon
Why: F gives two green arguments for palm oil: higher yield means less land needs clearing, and it can store more carbon than alternatives. 'Potentially' matches 'potential'.
The trap: Section H is about improving the environment too, but through a fern, not through oil palm cultivation itself. Section G's standards limit harm rather than show advantages.
Question 15
Answer: GSection G, first sentence
Which section describes a group that regulates palm oil's environmental impact?
The industry is now regulated by a group called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
Question says → Passage says
an organisationa group called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
which controlsregulated by
Why: 'Controls' = 'regulates', and G then describes who's in the RSPO and the sustainability standards it sets. That's a description of the organisation.
The trap: D names experts from universities, but they're individuals giving opinions, not an organisation controlling production.
Question 16
Answer: ASection A, first two sentences
Which section shows how widely palm oil is used around the world?
currently the most consumed vegetable oil in the world. It is almost certainly in the soap we wash with in the morning, the sandwich we have for lunch, and the biscuits we snack on
Question says → Passage says
widespread global usethe most consumed vegetable oil in the world
examplesthe soap… the sandwich… the biscuits
Why: Soap, sandwiches and biscuits are everyday examples, and 'most consumed in the world' covers 'global'. A.
The trap: B shows how fast production has grown, which is about expansion, not examples of use.
Question 17
Answer: HSection H
Which section mentions one species that could improve the plantations' ecosystem?
Ellwood believes that reintroducing the bird's nest fern into oil palm plantations could potentially allow these areas to recover their biodiversity
Question says → Passage says
a particular speciesThe bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus)
benefit the ecosystemrecover their biodiversity / a keystone species
Why: H names one plant, the bird's nest fern, and says it could help plantations recover their biodiversity. That's a species benefiting the ecosystem.
The trap: C names a particular species too, the Sumatran orangutan. But it's a victim of plantations, not something that could help them.
Question 18
Answer: BSection B
Which section gives numbers showing how fast the palm oil industry has grown?
the global land area devoted to growing oil palm trees grew from 6 to 17 million hectares
Question says → Passage says
figures6 to 17 million hectares / two million tonnes / 60 million tonnes
rapid expansiongrew from
Why: B is all growth figures: land area nearly tripled and annual production went from 2 to 60 million tonnes. 'Figures' + 'expansion' points straight here.
The trap: G has numbers too (12 million tonnes, 21 percent), but they measure certified sustainable oil, not how fast the industry grew.
Question 19
Answer: ESection E, first sentence
Which section gives an economic reason not to oppose the palm oil industry?
One response to the boycott movement has been the argument for the vital role palm oil plays in lifting many millions of people in the developing world out of poverty.
Question says → Passage says
not opposing the palm oil industryOne response to the boycott movement
an economic justificationlifting many millions of people… out of poverty / depend on it for their livelihoods
Why: E answers the boycott idea with an argument about poverty and livelihoods. That's money, so it's an economic justification.
The trap: D also mentions a boycott, but there it's a question environmentalists ask. Shankar's 'nuanced story' in D is not an economic argument yet.
Question 20
Answer: CSection C, last sentence
Which section gives examples of animals harmed by new oil palm plantations?
Endangered species - most famously the Sumatran orangutan, but also rhinos, elephants, tigers, and numerous other fauna - have suffered from the unstoppable spread of oil palm plantations.
Question says → Passage says
creaturesfauna
badly affectedhave suffered
Why: C lists the animals: orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers, all 'suffering' from plantation spread. That's the examples of creatures.
The trap: D says rainforest 'is where all the species are', but it names none. No examples, no match.
Multiple choice (choose TWO)
Questions 21-22
How to attack this block: G says the standards were agreed 'gradually' over about ten years and require transparency. Growing membership, comparison with other industries and who asked for the RSPO are all absent.
Question 21-22
Answer: B and C (in either order)Section G, second and third sentences
Which two things does the passage say about the RSPO?
Over the past decade or so, an agreement has gradually been reached regarding standards… The RSPO insists upon no virgin forest clearing, transparency and regular assessment of carbon stocks
Question says → Passage says
open and honest about their practicestransparency
took several years to establish its set of criteriaOver the past decade or so, an agreement has gradually been reached regarding standards
Why: B: 'transparency' is being open and honest, and the RSPO insists on it. C: agreeing the standards 'gradually' over about a decade means the criteria took years to set up.
The trap: A is the tempting one, because 'the past decade' and the list of members are right there. The passage lists who is in the RSPO, but never says membership grew. D and E aren't mentioned at all.
Sentence completion (NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
Questions 23-26
How to attack this block: Two answers use the full two words: the named endangered species and what growers must check regularly. The other two are single words: the state palm oil stays in at room temperature, and what the fern could restore.
Question 23
Answer: solidSection A, last sentence
What state does palm oil stay in when it isn't kept in a fridge?
its unique properties - such as remaining solid at room temperature - make it an ideal ingredient for long-term preservation
Question says → Passage says
staysremaining
even when not refrigeratedat room temperature
Why: 'Room temperature' is the opposite of being refrigerated, and 'stays' = 'remaining'. The word between them is 'solid'.
The trap: 'Edible' and 'ideal' are adjectives nearby that could grammatically fit, but they don't describe a state at room temperature.
Question 24
Answer: Sumatran orangutanSection C, last sentence
Also accepted: orangutan / orang-utan
Which animal is the most famous victim of habitat loss from plantations?
Endangered species - most famously the Sumatran orangutan
Question says → Passage says
the best known of the animalsmost famously
suffering habitat losshabitat destruction / have suffered
Why: 'Best known' = 'most famously', and the animal named right after it is the Sumatran orangutan. Two words fits the limit. 'Orangutan' alone is also accepted.
The trap: Rhinos, elephants and tigers are in the same list, but they come after 'but also'. They're not the best known.
Question 25
Answer: carbon stocksSection G, third sentence
What must growers check regularly to get RSPO certification?
The RSPO insists upon no virgin forest clearing, transparency and regular assessment of carbon stocks, among other criteria.
Question says → Passage says
check ___ on a routine basisregular assessment of
As one of its criteriaamong other criteria
Why: 'Check' = 'assessment' and 'routine' = 'regular'. What's assessed is carbon stocks. Write both words: 'carbon' alone doesn't say what's measured.
The trap: 'Virgin forest' is in the same list, but that's something growers mustn't clear, not something they check regularly.
Question 26
Answer: biodiversitySection H, last sentence
What could the bird's nest fern help plantation areas get back?
could potentially allow these areas to recover their biodiversity, providing a home for all manner of species
Question says → Passage says
restorerecover
areas where oil palm trees are grownthese areas
Why: 'Restore' and 'recover' both mean getting something back, and what the areas recover is their biodiversity. One word.
The trap: 'Nutrients' appears earlier in H, but the fern takes no nutrients from the tree. That's about how it grows, not what it restores.
F. Higher yield means less land cleared, and more carbon is sequestered in some cases. These potential environmental advantages sit in the paragraph that opens with 'not as straightforward'.
Write 'carbon stocks', both words. 'Regular assessment of carbon stocks' is the criterion. 'Carbon' alone is incomplete.
Words from this passage worth keeping
derived from(A)
made from or coming from
seized the opportunity(B)
quickly took advantage of a chance
dwindling(C)
getting gradually smaller
nuanced(D)
showing small but important differences, not simple
bone of contention(E)
a subject people keep arguing about
sequester(F)
absorb and store (carbon)
transparency(G)
openness about what you do
keystone species(H)
a species the whole ecosystem depends on
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The full Cambridge 17 Test 3 reading paper: all three passages, 60 minutes, marked the second you finish with a review of every answer. Already done it? Take it again and see if the same traps still get you.
Cambridge IELTS 17, Test 3, Reading Passage 2. The passage and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full text, or sit the test on Langujet.
