Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the box.

fields grows dealers

vegetable machines fodder

 

Farmer Mitchell showed his visitors his (1) ___ fields ___ of barley, oats, rye and wheat and large fields of potatoes, cabbages and beet. He said: "I have more barley, oats and rye than wheat. Wheat does not grow well in this part of the country. I sell the barley and wheat and keep the rye and oats for (2) ______ for the animals. A large part of the potatoes, cabbages and beet also goes as fodder."

In the large (3) ______ garden, the farmer (4) ______ carrots, cauliflower, onions, beans, peas and lettuce. In spring he grows radishes and other spring vegetables. He keeps some of the vegetables for his family and sells the rest to (5)_____ in town.

Farmer Mitchell has agricultural (6) ______ for ploughing, sowing, harvesting and other work in the fields.

READING AND speaking

Match the words and phrases with their Ukrainian equivalents.

1) a weekend house 2) a sapling 3) seedlings 4) a greenhouse 5) to whitewash the trees 6) to acquire some habits 7) favourable period

a) сприятливий час b) білити дерева c) заміський будинок d) набувати вмінь e) молоде деревце f) теплиця g) розсада

 

Read and translate paying attention to the active words and phrases.

My Experience in Gardening

My family has got a small weekend house not far from the town. It’s set in the picturesque place near the river. Our garden is not very big, but still we have got plenty of work there. Working in the garden is our family’s hobby. It gives us a lot of moments of pleasure and excitement. Isn’t it amazing to put a seed into the ground and watch it grow, blossom and give fruit? But at the same time garden means a lot of work, because it needs a lot of care.

In spring when the nature awakens from its long winter sleep, we have to whitewash the trees, protecting them from harmful insects, to cut away useless branches. If we want to grow some vegetables, we must put some fertiliser, sow the seeds into the soil and water them carefully. Very often we grow seedlings of tomatoes, egg-plants in our small greenhouse and then plant them out. It helps us to grow the crop earlier. Summer is a busy time for a gardener. It is necessary to water plants, protect them from bugs. All the gardeners adore autumn, because they can see the results of their work: they gather nice crops, pick fruit and vegetables.

Last autumn I had a wonderful chance to acquire some habits in planting trees. My father made up his mind to plant 2 or 3 good apricot saplings. It was the end of October, the most favourable period for planting fruit trees. I prepared all necessary garden tools: spades, a rake, a ridging hoe, a fork, a gardener’s knife and others. After finding the most suitable place for the young plants Daddy began to dig a hole. Mummy started doing the watery fertiliser and I brought a water hose and waited patiently for other instructions.

When the hole was ready my Mummy put some fertiliser into it and placed one the saplings into the hole. She asked me to hold it straight and she accurately, standing on her knees spread its roots. Daddy began to throw the earth into the hole till it was full. After ramming the earth around it Mummy did a deep pit round the tree. Then it was my turn to take part in planting and I began watering to quench the thirst of the young apricot tree. That day I enjoyed helping my parents in the garden. I understood the importance of my Daddy’s words: ”Gardening takes much time and efforts but it brings you a great pleasure and satisfaction”.

 

Answer the questions.

1) Where is the weekend house situated?

2) What is family’s hobby?

3) What do the gardeners do in spring / summer / autumn?

4) What fruit tree did the family decide to plant?

5) What is the most favourable period for planting?

6) What garden tools were necessary for their work?

7) What did everybody do in the garden?

8) How do you understand father’s words: “Gardening takes much time and efforts but it brings you a great pleasure and satisfaction”?

 

Read the following instructions and put them in the correct order.

___ Spread the roots.

___ Place the sapling into the hole.

_ 1 _ Find a suitable place for the sapling.

___ Water the young tree.

___ Fill the hole with the soil.

___ Put some fertilizer.

___ Ram the earth around the sapling.

___ Dig the hole.

11. Give some tips on how to plant a tree. Use:

First … Then … After that … At last … Finally …

What do plants need to grow? Sun, water, air and soil are those natural factors that influence plant’s growth. Which in what way? Match the titles to the corresponding paragraphs.

Sun

Water

Air

Soil

 

__ 4 __

It provides the base which the roots hold on as a plant grows bigger. It also provides plants with water and the nutrients they need to be healthy. It also gives nutrients that help plants grow strong.

_____

It provides warmth and energy for plants to survive. Plants use this energy to make their own food energy in the leaves.

_____

It is very important to plant growth. It helps the plant move nutrients from the soil up through its stems and leaves. It also keeps the plant moist and flexible, and helps the plant make its own food.

_____

It is important because plants take in carbon dioxide to use during photosynthesis and give off oxygen as a result.

Read the text and say what in your opinion dacha is.

Ukrainian Dachas

… Dacha. What does this word mean for many Ukrainian city dwellers?

The meaning of the word is seriously different depending on who uses it. For some, a dacha is a tiny shack in the middle of small vegetable and fruit garden where every square inch is used to produce something eatable and storable for the coming autumn and winter. For others, it is a huge cottage surrounded by lawns, flowerbeds, and other masterpieces of landscape architects...

Oh dacha! This is the place to escape from the rush and the problems of a big city. This is the place where the retired people find the hobby of their life: orchards, gardens, farming. This is the place where the working people come during the weekends to take a breath of fresh air and to have some physical labour. Daсha is the best place for barbeque or shashlуk parties, singing songs with a guitar, swimming in rivers or lakes, sunbathing, biking or just walking around, and the place to hunt for wild berries and mushrooms in the forests. Dacha is the way to live closer to all these natural things for those who cannot afford or do not want the travels.

The last decade of April (if it's warm enough) is the beginning of the active farming at the dacha. But already in February when it is still frost and snow outside, the dacha fanatics start to grow seedlings of tomatoes and other vegetables to be replanted later, in early May, when it is warm enough and there is no threat of night frosts. June is still busy with planting, weeding, watering. And at last starts the season that all devoted dacha owners enjoy most of all. Here comes the time when every week brings new rewards for love and caring. New vegetables, berries, and fruits are greeting dacha people every morning. Lettuce and raspberries, cucumbers and apples, tomatoes and beets, radish and carrots... You would not believe how long is the list of what Ukrainians grow at their dachas! Plots are often cultivated manually using instruments like a spade or a fork. In autumn the grown potatoes and other crops are gathered and transported to the city where they are stored in cellars or in personal automobile garages.

Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1) For many pensioners dacha is a hobby.

2) Dacha is a perfect place for barbeques.

3) People start preparing for dacha season in May.

4) Harvest season begins in autumn.

5) Agricultural machines are widely used at dachas.

Make two lists of activities people can do at the daсha: one related to work and one to leisure. Then, in pairs, compare your lists and add activities not mentioned in the text.

Communication

16. a) Read and act out the dialogue.