IELTS Reading Practice: How to Reduce Environmental Impact in the Fashion Industry

The IELTS Reading section is a crucial component of the exam, testing your ability to comprehend complex texts and extract relevant information. Today, we’ll focus on a topic that has gained significant attention in recent years: reducing environmental impact in the fashion industry. This subject has appeared in various forms in past IELTS exams and, given its growing importance, is likely to resurface in future tests. Let’s dive into a practice passage and questions to help you prepare for this potential exam topic.

Fashion industry environmental impact

Practice Passage: Greening the Fashion Industry

The Environmental Cost of Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the world’s largest polluters, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions, water pollution, and textile waste. Fast fashion, characterized by cheap and trendy clothing produced and consumed in large quantities, has exacerbated these environmental issues. However, there is a growing movement within the industry to reduce its ecological footprint and move towards more sustainable practices.

Innovative Materials

One approach to reducing environmental impact is the development and use of eco-friendly materials. Designers and manufacturers are increasingly turning to organic cotton, recycled polyester, and innovative fabrics made from agricultural waste or even algae. These materials require less water, fewer pesticides, and have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional fabrics.

Circular Fashion

The concept of circular fashion is gaining traction as a way to minimize waste. This approach involves designing, producing, and using clothes, shoes, and accessories with the intention of circulating them responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible. It includes strategies such as clothing rentals, repair services, and take-back programs where brands collect used items for recycling or upcycling.

Energy-Efficient Manufacturing

Many fashion companies are investing in energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources for their manufacturing processes. This includes using solar power, implementing water recycling systems, and optimizing supply chains to reduce transportation emissions. Some brands are also exploring localized production to further decrease their carbon footprint.

Consumer Education

Educating consumers about the environmental impact of their clothing choices is crucial. Many brands are now providing transparency about their supply chains and the environmental cost of their products. They are also encouraging consumers to buy less, choose quality over quantity, and care for their clothes in ways that extend their lifespan, such as washing at lower temperatures and repairing items instead of discarding them.

Government Regulations

Governments around the world are beginning to implement regulations to address the environmental impact of the fashion industry. These include bans on the destruction of unsold goods, requirements for recycled content in new products, and extended producer responsibility laws that make manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products.

Future Outlook

While progress has been made, there is still much work to be done to truly reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact. As technology advances and consumer awareness grows, we can expect to see more innovative solutions and a continued shift towards sustainability in fashion.

Questions

True/False/Not Given

1. Fast fashion has contributed to increased environmental issues in the fashion industry.
2. All eco-friendly materials require less water than traditional fabrics.
3. Circular fashion aims to keep clothing items in use for as long as possible.
4. Solar power is the most widely used renewable energy source in fashion manufacturing.
5. Consumer education is considered unimportant in reducing fashion’s environmental impact.

Multiple Choice

6. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an eco-friendly material?
   A) Organic cotton
   B) Recycled polyester
   C) Bamboo fabric
   D) Algae-based fabric

7. The concept of circular fashion includes:
   A) Designing disposable clothing
   B) Encouraging frequent purchases
   C) Providing repair services
   D) Using non-recyclable materials

Matching Headings

Match the following headings to the paragraphs in the passage:

8. Paragraph 2: ____
9. Paragraph 4: ____
10. Paragraph 6: ____

Headings:
A) Legal Measures to Combat Fashion Pollution
B) Sustainable Fabric Alternatives
C) Optimizing Production Processes

Short Answer Questions

11. Name two strategies mentioned in the passage for extending the lifespan of clothes. (No more than 5 words for each)

    1. ---

    2. ---

12. What type of laws make manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products? (No more than 4 words)

    ---

Answer Key and Explanations

1. True – The passage states that “Fast fashion… has exacerbated these environmental issues.”
2. Not Given – While the passage mentions that eco-friendly materials generally require less water, it doesn’t state this is true for all such materials.
3. True – The passage defines circular fashion as involving “circulating them responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible.”
4. Not Given – Solar power is mentioned as an example, but the passage doesn’t indicate it’s the most widely used.
5. False – The passage emphasizes the importance of consumer education, stating it is “crucial.”
6. C – Bamboo fabric is not mentioned in the list of eco-friendly materials in the passage.
7. C – The passage mentions “repair services” as part of circular fashion.
8. B – This paragraph discusses new materials being used in fashion.
9. C – This paragraph talks about energy-efficient technologies and optimizing supply chains.
10. A – This paragraph discusses government regulations to address environmental impacts.
11. 1. Washing at lower temperatures
    2. Repairing instead of discarding
12. Extended producer responsibility laws

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overlooking specific wording: In True/False/Not Given questions, pay close attention to absolute terms like “all” or “most.” These can often be the key to determining if a statement is true or not given.

2. Falling for distractors: In multiple-choice questions, all options may seem plausible. Always refer back to the passage to verify your choice.

3. Misinterpreting headings: When matching headings, ensure you understand the main idea of each paragraph, not just focusing on a single detail.

4. Exceeding word limits: In short answer questions, stick strictly to the word limit. Practice rephrasing information concisely.

Vocabulary

• Exacerbate (verb) /ɪɡˈzæsəbeɪt/ – to make something worse
• Ecological footprint (noun) /ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˈfʊtprɪnt/ – the impact of a person or community on the environment
• Traction (noun) /ˈtrækʃn/ – the extent to which an idea, product, etc. gains popularity or acceptance
• Upcycling (noun) /ˈʌpˌsaɪklɪŋ/ – the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value

Grammar Focus

Pay attention to the use of present perfect tense to describe recent changes or ongoing situations:

• “Fast fashion… has exacerbated these environmental issues.”
• “Many fashion companies are investing in energy-efficient technologies…”

This tense is often used to connect past actions to the present situation, which is common in academic and news texts.

Tips for IELTS Reading Success

1. Time management is crucial. Allocate your time wisely across all sections of the reading test.
2. Skim the passage quickly before reading the questions to get a general idea of the content.
3. For True/False/Not Given questions, look for specific evidence in the text. If you can’t find information related to the statement, it’s likely “Not Given.”
4. Practice reading a variety of texts on different subjects to expand your vocabulary and improve your reading speed.
5. Don’t spend too much time on one question. If you’re unsure, make an educated guess and move on.
6. Always read the instructions carefully, as the type of question can change how you approach finding the answer.

By practicing with passages like this one on reducing environmental impact in the fashion industry, you’ll be better prepared for the diverse topics that may appear in your IELTS Reading test. Remember, consistent practice and familiarity with different question types are key to achieving a high score.

For more IELTS practice and tips, check out our articles on the importance of sustainable fashion and the impact of fast fashion on environmental sustainability. These resources will help you deepen your understanding of this topic and improve your reading skills for the IELTS exam.