IELTS Reading — Test 4 · Passage 2: "The Hidden World of Soil" | ProPrep

📖 IELTS Academic Reading — Passage 2. Read along in the video (you have ~20 min), answer the questions below, and check the ANSWER KEY at the end! — QUESTIONS 14–26 — Questions 14–18 — Which paragraph (A–F) contains the following information? 14. a description of how earthworms improve the soil 15. the contrast between how slowly soil forms and how quickly it can be lost 16. the role of bacteria and fungi in breaking down dead material 17. the importance of the spaces between soil particles 18. the partnership between fungi and plant roots Questions 19–22 — Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A–F. 19. Bacteria and fungi release nutrients by... 20. Many fungi help plants by... 21. As earthworms burrow, they... 22. When soil structure is destroyed, water... Endings: A) breaking down dead plants and animals. B) supplying water and nutrients through a network of threads. C) runs off the surface rather than soaking in. D) create channels for air and water. E) forming new rock. F) killing plant roots. Questions 23–26 — Choose A, B, C or D. 23. Soil is often wrongly assumed to be: A) full of life B) inert and lifeless C) easy to study D) rare 24. Why may a plant "grow poorly even in soil that appears rich"? A) the soil is too wet B) it has been deprived of its fungal partners C) earthworms have eaten its roots D) the soil is compacted 25. A well-structured soil can: A) prevent all plant growth B) absorb heavy rain and release it slowly C) form quickly D) survive without organisms 26. The writer's main point in the final paragraph? A) soil forms quickly and is easily replaced B) healthy soil is a living system that should be protected, not exhausted C) erosion is beneficial D) farming cannot affect soil 👉 Comment your answers! ✅ Answer key at the end of the video. 🎯 Want all 120 mock tests (IELTS + TOEFL) with human correction and a study plan? Sign up for ProPrep → proprep.app #IELTS #IELTSReading #IELTSAcademic #estudarfora #intercâmbio #ProPrep