Are you struggling to find the accurate “How Deserts Are Formed” IELTS reading answers? This specific passage is a staple of the IELTS Academic module, focusing on the complex interplay between natural sand movement and human-driven desertification. Whether you are aiming for a Band 7.0+ or simply trying to understand the logic behind the test, this guide provides the official answer key, detailed evidence from the provided text, and a breakdown of the academic vocabulary.
|
Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS Academic Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan (Limited seats available!) |
To master this passage, you must understand that it moves from general definitions to specific physical processes, and finally to socio-economic impacts and solutions.
A.
A desert refers to a barren section of land, mainly in arid and semi-arid areas, where there is almost no precipitation, and the environment is hostile for any creature to inhabit. Deserts have been classified in a number of ways, generally combining total precipitation, how many days the rainfall occurs, temperature, humidity, and sometimes additional factors. In some places, deserts have clear boundaries marked by rivers, mountains or other landforms, while in other places, there are no clear-cut borders between deserts and other landscape features.
B.
In arid areas where there is not any covering of vegetation protecting the land, sand and dust storms will frequently take place. This phenomenon often occurs along the desert margins instead of within the deserts, where there are already no finer materials left. When a steady wind starts to blow, fine particles on the open ground will begin vibrating. As the wind picks up, some of the particles are lifted into the air. When they fall onto the ground, they hit other particles which will then be jerked into the air in their turn, initiating a chain reaction.
C.
There has been a tremendous deal of publicity on how severe desertification can be, but the academic circle has never agreed on the causes of desertification. A common misunderstanding is that a shortage of precipitation causes desertification—even the land in some barren areas will soon recover after the rain falls. In fact, more often than not, human activities are responsible for desertification. It might be true that the explosion in world population, especially in developing countries, is the primary cause of soil degradation and desertification. Since the population has become denser, the cultivation of crops has gone into progressively drier areas. It’s especially possible for these regions to go through periods of severe drought, which explains why crop failures are common. The raising of most crops requires the natural vegetation cover to be removed first; when crop failures occur, extensive tracts of land are devoid of a plant cover and thus susceptible to wind and water erosion. All through the 1990s, dryland areas went through a population growth of 18.5 percent, mostly in severely impoverished developing countries.
D.
Livestock farming in semi-arid areas accelerates the erosion of soil and becomes one of the reasons for advancing desertification. In such areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses, the breeding of livestock is a major economic activity. Grasses are necessary for anchoring barren topsoil in a dryland area. When a specific field is used to graze an excessive herd, it will experience a loss in vegetation coverage, and the soil will be trampled as well as pulverised, leaving the topsoil exposed to destructive erosion elements such as winds and unexpected thunderstorms. For centuries, nomads have grazed their flocks and herds to any place where pasture can be found, and oases have offered chances for a more settled way of living. For some nomads, wherever they move to, the desert follows.
E.
Trees are of great importance when it comes to maintaining topsoil and slowing down the wind speed. In many Asian countries, firewood is the chief fuel used for cooking and heating, which has caused uncontrolled clear-cutting of forests in dryland ecosystems. When too many trees are cut down, windstorms and dust storms tend to occur.
F.
What’s worse, even political conflicts and wars can also contribute to desertification. To escape from the invading enemies, the refugees will move altogether into some of the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. They bring along their cultivation traditions, which might not be the right kind of practice for their new settlement.
G.
In the 20th century, one of the states of America had a large section of farmland that had turned into desert. Since then, actions have been enforced so that such a phenomenon of desertification will not happen again. To avoid the reoccurring of desertification, people shall find other livelihoods which do not rely on traditional land uses, are not as demanding on local land and natural resource, but can still generate viable income. Such livelihoods include but are not limited to dryland aquaculture for the raising of fish, crustaceans and industrial compounds derived from microalgae, greenhouse agriculture, and activities that are related to tourism. Another way to prevent the reoccurring of desertification is to bring about economic prospects in the city centres of drylands and places outside of drylands. Changing the general economic and institutional structures that generate new chances for people to support themselves would alleviate the current pressures accompanying the desertification processes.
H.
In nowadays society, new technologies are serving as a method to resolve the problems brought by desertification. Satellites have been utilised to investigate the influence that people and livestock have on our planet Earth. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that alternative technologies are not needed to help with the problems and process of desertification.
Questions 14-20: Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
14. A reference to the irregular movement of particles
15. Mention of a productive land turning into a desert in the 20th century
16. Types of deserts
17. Mention of technical methods used to tackle the problems of deserts
18. The influence of migration on desertification
19. Lack of agreement among the scientists about the causes of desertification
20. A description of the fatal effects of farming practice
Questions 21-26: Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
21. It is difficult to ascertain where the deserts end in some areas.
22. Media is uninterested in the problems of desertification.
23. The most common cause of desertification is the lack of rainfall.
24. Farming animals in semi-arid areas will increase soil erosion.
25. People in Asian countries no longer use firewood as the chief fuel.
26. Technology studying the relationship of people, livestock and desertification has not yet been invented.
Before you answer any questions, label each paragraph A-H with a 1-line purpose. This is the fastest way to stop rereading and start “jumping” straight to the evidence.
| Paragraph | Quick label (what it’s mainly about) | Keywords to remember |
| A | Definition + classification of deserts + unclear boundaries | barren, arid/semi-arid, precipitation, classified, boundaries |
| B | How sand/dust storms happen (particle movement + chain reaction) | vegetation cover, margins, vibrating, lifted, fall, chain reaction |
| C | Desertification causes: debate + key point = mainly human activities | publicity, no agreement, misunderstanding, human activities, crop failure, erosion |
| D | Overgrazing/livestock damages soil; nomads and “desert follows” | grasses, herd, trampling, exposed topsoil, erosion, nomads |
| E | Deforestation for firewood increases wind/dust storms | trees, topsoil, wind speed, firewood, clear-cutting |
| F | Wars/refugees/mass movement worsens fragile ecosystems | conflicts, refugees, vulnerable ecosystems, cultivation traditions |
| G | 20th-century example + prevention through alternative livelihoods | farmland turned desert, enforced actions, aquaculture, tourism, city prospects |
| H | Modern tech solutions: satellites track human/livestock impact | technologies, satellites, investigate influence, alternative technologies |
First, the basic concept of deserts is to define their characteristics. Deserts have different classifications due to varying degrees of clarity for their boundaries based on geographical location. Scientific discussions are ongoing regarding the emergence of desertification, though the majority of evidence indicates that the use of land by humans increases the likelihood of desertification through intensive farming practices, overpopulation, and abuse of natural resources.
Finally, it shows how desertification can be worsened by conflict and migration, while prevention and solutions include policy changes, alternative livelihoods, and modern technologies such as satellite monitoring.
Keywords: vibrating, lifted into the air, fall onto the ground, hit other particles, chain reaction, steady wind
Keywords: cultivation, vegetation cover removed, crop failures, exposed topsoil, erosion, livestock grazing, excessive herd, trampling, pulverised
Keywords: nomads, refugees, political conflicts, wars, move altogether, vulnerable ecosystems, desert follows
Keywords: enforced actions, alternative livelihoods, aquaculture, greenhouse agriculture, tourism, economic prospects, satellites, investigate, technologies
Tip: For Matching Information, your fastest path is to connect a keyword to the paragraph label, then confirm by reading 2-4 lines for proof.
| Question No. | Answer |
| 14 | B |
| 15 | G |
| 16 | A |
| 17 | H |
| 18 | D |
| 19 | C |
| 20 | C |
| 21 | TRUE |
| 22 | FALSE |
| 23 | FALSE |
| 24 | TRUE |
| 25 | NOT GIVEN |
| 26 | FALSE |
Questions 14-20: Matching Information (A-H)
Question 14. A reference to the irregular movement of particles:
Answer: B
Where to find it: Paragraph B
Key evidence to scan: “When a steady wind starts to blow, fine particles on the open ground will begin vibrating. As the wind picks up, some of the particles are lifted into the air. When they fall onto the ground, they hit other particles which will then be jerked into the air in their turn, initiating a chain reaction.”
Why B is correct: The question targets unpredictable / non-linear particle movement. Paragraph B describes a sequence of motions – vibrate → lift → fall → collide → launch other particles – creating a chain reaction, which perfectly matches “irregular movement.”
Question 15. Mention of a productive land turning into a desert in the 20th century:
Answer: G
Where to find it: Paragraph G
Key evidence to scan: “In the 20th century, one of the states of America had a large section of farmland that had turned into desert.”
Why G is correct: “Productive land” paraphrases directly to farmland, and “turning into a desert” matches “had turned into desert.” The time marker “in the 20th century” also indicates that this paragraph is uniquely identifiable.
Question 16. Types of deserts.
Answer: A
Where to find it: Paragraph A
Key evidence to scan: “Deserts have been classified in a number of ways, generally combining total precipitation, how many days the rainfall occurs, temperature, humidity, and sometimes additional factors.”
Why A is correct: “Types of deserts” in this paragraph means how deserts are categorized. Paragraph A describes exactly the classification criteria, which is exactly what IELTS means by “types.”
Question 17. mention of technical methods used to tackle the problems of deserts.
Answer: H
Where to find it: Paragraph H
Key evidence to scan: “new technologies are serving as a method… Satellites have been utilised to investigate…”
Why H is correct: “Technical methods” = “new technologies,” and “tackle” aligns with solving/handling the issue. Paragraph H is the only one that clearly presents technology (satellites) as a practical tool for addressing desertification-related problems.
Question 18. the influence of migration on desertification.
Answer: D
Where to find it: Paragraph D
Key evidence to scan: “nomads… grazed… wherever they move to, the desert follows”
Why D is correct: The movement of nomads from place to place represents migration, and the phrase “the desert follows” shows the impact of that movement on land degradation/desertification.
Question 19. Lack of agreement among the scientists about the causes of desertification.
Answer: C
Where to find it: Paragraph C
Key evidence to scan: “the academic circle has never agreed on the causes of desertification”
Why C is correct: “Academic circle” is a direct synonym for scientists/researchers, and “has never agreed” is the clearest possible paraphrase of lack of agreement.
Question 20. A description of the fatal effects of farming practice.
Answer: C
Where to find it: Paragraph C (middle section about crops)
Key evidence to scan: “raising crops requires… vegetation cover to be removed… land devoid of plant cover… susceptible to wind and water erosion”
Why C is correct: The passage explains the damaging chain effect of farming: vegetation removed → crop failure → bare land → severe erosion. That is exactly what the question means by “fatal effects” (seriously harmful outcomes).
Questions 21-26: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Question 21. It is difficult to ascertain where the deserts end in some areas.
Answer: TRUE
Where to find it: Paragraph A
Key evidence to scan: “in other places, there are no clear-cut borders…”
Why TRUE: If there are no clear borders, then it’s difficult to know precisely where deserts end. The statement matches the passage.
Question 22. Media is uninterested in the problems of desertification.
Answer: FALSE
Where to find it: Paragraph C (opening)
Key evidence to scan: “There has been a tremendous deal of publicity…”
Why FALSE: It implies a lot of publicity, which does not go along with the word “uninterested.”
Question 23. The most common cause of desertification is the lack of rainfall.
Answer: FALSE
Where to find it: Paragraph C
Key evidence to scan: “A common misunderstanding is that a shortage of precipitation causes desertification… In fact… human activities are responsible…”
Why FALSE: The passage explicitly labels “lack of rainfall” as a misconception and shifts the main responsibility to human activity (population pressure, cultivation in drier zones, erosion). That directly contradicts the statement.
Question 24. Farming animals in semi-arid areas will increase soil erosion.
Answer: TRUE
Where to find it: Paragraph D
Key evidence to scan: “Livestock farming… accelerates the erosion of soil…”
Why TRUE: The word “Accelerate” directly corresponds to “Increase”, and the paragraph describes how overgrazing eats away from existing vegetation and leaves the topsoil exposed.
Question 25. People in Asian countries no longer use firewood as the chief fuel.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Where to find it: Paragraph E
Key evidence to scan: “In many Asian countries, firewood is the chief fuel…”
Why NOT GIVEN: The passage states that the main source of fuel for these countries is firewood without any statements of time changes such as “no longer” or “stopped”. The usage of “no longer” is a time-specific claim, and since the passage contains nothing indicating a time shift, we cannot say whether or not this is TRUE or FALSE.
Question 26. Technology studying the relationship of people, livestock and desertification has not yet been invented.
Answer: FALSE
Where to find it: Paragraph H
Key evidence to scan: “Satellites have been utilised to investigate the influence that people and livestock have…”
Why FALSE: The statement says the technology doesn’t exist, but the passage states it already exists and is used (satellites). That is a direct contradiction.
IELTS rarely repeats the same words from the question in the passage. Instead, it tests whether you can recognize paraphrases. For this passage, the “How Deserts Are Formed” logic is built around definition → causes → human impact → solutions/tech, so paraphrase tracking is the fastest way to locate answers.
| Q# | Keyword(s) in the question | Likely paraphrase(s) in the passage | Why this mapping works |
| 14 | irregular movement of particles | vibrating, lifted into the air, fall onto the ground, hit other particles, jerked into the air, chain reaction | Movement is described as a step-by-step bouncing/launching process |
| 15 | productive land → desert (20th century) | farmland… had turned into desert… in the 20th century | “Productive land” = farmland; “turning into” = had turned into |
| 16 | types of deserts | classified in a number of ways… precipitation… temperature… humidity | “Types” is tested as “classification categories” |
| 17 | technical methods to tackle problems | new technologies… serving as a method… satellites… investigate | “Technical methods” = technologies; “tackle” = resolve |
| 18 | migration influences desertification | nomads… move… wherever they move to, the desert follows | Migration is shown through movement of nomads and the spread effect |
| 19 | scientists disagree on causes | academic circle has never agreed on the causes | “Academic circle” = scientists; “never agreed” = lack of agreement |
| 20 | fatal effects of farming practice | raising crops requires vegetation removed… land devoid of plant cover… susceptible to erosion | “Fatal effects” = severe consequences like erosion after vegetation loss |
| 21 | hard to know where deserts end | no clear-cut borders between deserts and other landscape features | “Difficult to ascertain” = boundaries unclear |
| 22 | media uninterested | tremendous deal of publicity | Publicity directly contradicts “uninterested” |
| 23 | lack of rainfall is main cause | common misunderstanding… human activities are responsible… primary cause… | IELTS tests “misunderstanding” → FALSE logic |
| 24 | animals farming increases erosion | livestock farming… accelerates the erosion of soil | “Accelerates” = increases; clear cause-effect |
| 25 | no longer use firewood | firewood is the chief fuel… | Passage states current fact but no “change over time” → NOT GIVEN |
| 26 | tech not invented yet | satellites have been utilised to investigate… | Passage proves the tech exists → statement is FALSE |
Expert Tip: Never ignore the instruction “NB You may use any letter more than once.” In this specific passage, Paragraph C contains the answers for both questions 19 and 20. If you limit yourself to using a paragraph only once, you will lose points!
Find keywords and spot “common misunderstanding”, “not yet”, and absolute terms to avoid False/Not Given mistakes.
There are words that indicate a correct answer is near. In addition to the “signal words,” other words indicate where to find a correct answer.
In the passage, IELTS tests for two related terms: deserts (natural landforms) and desertification (the human-caused phenomenon that causes land to transition to a desert-product of the desert).
By understanding the basics of the concepts and vocabulary in this section, you will recognize similar terms more quickly and feel less “science-text panic.”
Even though the passage focuses more on human-driven desertification, it still touches on key natural processes linked to dry environments, especially wind action and soil exposure.
To define a desert, as stated in Paragraph A, the following applies:
Therefore, it is important to understand that when discussing deserts on the IELTS, it does not necessarily mean “hot.” It is primarily about an area with very little or no precipitation and extreme environmental conditions.
Paragraph B explains a physical process common in arid areas:
Why this matters for Reading: This is classic IELTS “process language” (movement → sequence → result). Questions like Q14 target this type of description.
Paragraphs C and D describe the same mechanism from different perspectives:
Desertification is often thought of as a chain reaction initiated by humans whereby once vegetation is removed from the land, the amount of erosion increases and the ability to restore the land decreases.
The factors identified in the following list:
Below are the high-value terms from the passage (and common IELTS equivalents). Learn them as meaning clusters, not isolated words.
| Academic term/phrase | Meaning in simple English | Common IELTS paraphrases / synonyms |
| arid / semi-arid | very dry / partly dry | dry regions, low-rainfall areas |
| precipitation | rainfall (and other forms of moisture) | rainfall, rain, moisture |
| classified (in a number of ways) | grouped into types | categorized, divided, grouped |
| clear boundaries / no clear-cut borders | easy/hard to define edges | distinct limits / unclear edges |
| vegetation cover | plants covering the ground | plant cover, natural cover |
| fine particles | tiny bits of sand/dust | dust, small grains, sediments |
| vibrating / lifted / jerked | moving irregularly due to wind | bounce, rise, launch, be thrown up |
| chain reaction | one action triggers another | knock-on effect, domino effect |
| desert margins | edges of the desert | border areas, outer zones |
| desertification | land becoming desert-like | land degradation, drying out process |
| academic circle | researchers/scientists | scientists, scholars, experts |
| misunderstanding | wrong belief | misconception, false assumption |
| soil degradation | soil quality getting worse | soil damage, loss of fertility |
| susceptible to erosion | easily damaged by wind/water | prone to erosion, vulnerable |
| erosion (wind/water) | soil being worn away | wearing away, soil loss |
| livestock / herd | farm animals / a group of them | grazing animals, cattle, flock |
| trampled / pulverised | crushed by animals’ feet | compacted, broken down |
| clear-cutting | cutting down lots of trees | deforestation, logging |
| vulnerable ecosystems | easily damaged environments | fragile habitats, sensitive areas |
| livelihoods | ways to earn money | income sources, jobs |
| enforced actions | official measures taken | regulations, policies, controls |
| satellites utilised | satellites used for study | satellite monitoring, remote sensing |
| investigate the influence | study the effect | examine impact, analyze relationship |
To score well in IELTS Reading, your goal is not to “understand everything” but it’s to find evidence fast and match meaning accurately. This passage is perfect for practicing a two-step method: skim for structure, scan for proof.
Distractors are designed to look like the correct answer but contain a logical flaw.
Is the rigid logic of IELTS Reading holding you back? Many students reach a “score plateau” because they overthink these logical traps. In IELTS, if it’s not in the text, it’s NOT GIVEN and don’t use your outside knowledge of geography! If you find this frustrating, the PTE Academic test offers an alternative. PTE uses AI-powered scoring, which many students find more consistent. At PTE Magic, we provide an AI-integrated platform that helps you master these patterns with instant feedback.
The “How Deserts Are Formed” passage is more sociological in nature than it is geographical. It states that the movement of sand is a physical event while the expansion of deserts occurs socially. By identifying the source of the evidence presented, students can learn to successfully respond to Matching Information and True/False questions.
|
Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS Academic Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan (Limited seats available!) |
Share
Lume Test
Editor
Lume Test is a leading platform offering practice questions and mock tests for major English exams like PTE, IELTS, TOEIC, Duolingo English Test, and more. We provide up-to-date, comprehensive materials designed to help learners improve their language skills and achieve high scores. With expert-crafted tests that closely mirror real exam formats, Lume Test ensures you're fully prepared for success. Your goals are our mission!
