U n i t 5 Wo r k i n g
t h e L a n d
L i s t e n i n g a n d
S p e a k i n g
( W o r k b o o k )
Learning objectives
In this class, you will
1. listen to three news reports about agriculture and
sort out the information;
2. report a news story about agriculture.
Lead-in activity: Think and share.
Each of the photos below represents an innovation in
agriculture. Share what you think these innovations
might be.
A B C
Lead-in activity: Think and share.
A woman is working in a
greenhouse with a tablet
computer (平板电脑).
Lead-in activity: Think and share.
A C h i n e s e m a n i s
examining a green plant.
Some new technology
may be applied to make
the plants more productive.
Lead-in activity: Think and share.
It is a vertical farm (垂直农场),
where plants are grown in trays
(托盘) in order to save space.
Listening activity: Listen and match.
Listen to three news reports about agriculture. Match
each report with one of the photos below.
News report 2
A B C
News report 1News report 3
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 1
Who ____________________
What The well-respected ________________and
agricultural ________died of ____________.
When He died on ________.
Where His work was at Hebei Agricultural
University and in ____________________.
Professor Li Baoguo
university professor
reformer a heart attack
10 April
the Taihang Mountains
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 1
Why He wanted ___________________________
_________________________________.
How He helped farmers to __________________
and escape _______.
to make the Taihang Mountains
poverty
improve their produce
green with many different types of trees
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 2
Who Intelligent Growth Solution
What _____ the UK’s first commercial vertical
farm.
When _____________
Where Near Dundee.
At the moment.
Built
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 2
Why Farmland has become _______________.
Meanwhile, many countries lack enough
____________ to grow the crops they need.
How ________________ in a greenhouse in large
trays, stacked one above the other.
increasingly rare
farm workers
Crops are produced
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 3
Who Gerald Kibugi
What Won an award for creating Green House Do
It Yourself software.
When _____
Where ______________________________ Fair,
Kenya.
The East African Farmer Innovation
Now.
Listening activity: Listen and take notes.(P91)
News report 3
Why Farmers do not have the time to read and
______________ learnt from books on
greenhouse farming.
How This software allows farmers to __________
__________on _____________________.
apply the lessons
look up
information how to use greenhouses
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 1
Today, in agricultural news, we are sad to report the
passing of Professor Li Baoguo. Li, a well-respected
professor at Hebei Agricultural University, died of a
heart attack on 10 April at the age of 58. Besides
teaching at university, Professor Li spent more than 30
years working to make the Taihang Mountains green
with many different types of trees.
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 1
This has had a direct impact on the lives of more than
100,000 local farmers, who have been able to escape
poverty through the regular harvesting and sale of
their produce, such as apples and walnuts. Though he
had a short life, he will be greatly remembered as an
agricultural reformer by the thousands of farmers
whose lives he had helped.
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 2
In other news, the first commercial vertical farm has
been built in the UK. In a vertical farm, crops are
produced in a greenhouse in large trays stacked one
above the other. With the growth of cities, farmland
has become increasingly rare. Meanwhile, many
countries lack enough farm workers to grow the crops
they need.
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 2
The vertical farm built by Intelligent Growth
Solutions near Dundee solves both these problems.
Not only does it use space efficiently, but the farm is
fully automated, and uses low amounts of energy and
water. At the moment, the farm produces just salad
leaves and herbs. However, future plans include
tomatoes and cucumbers.
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 3
Finally, the East African Farmer Innovation Fair has
just ended in Kenya. The fair’s aim was to encourage
innovation among farmers throughout the region. At
the end of the fair, the host country’s Gerald Kibugi
won an award for the creation of his software, Green
House Do It Yourself.
Speaking activity: Read the script aloud.
News Report 3
This software allows farmers to look up information
on how to use greenhouses. “Farmers do not have the
time to read and apply the lessons learnt from books
on greenhouse farming, which is why I developed this
software,” said Kibugi. Now with this program, all the
information farmers need about greenhouses is just a
mouse click away.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
Share a news story about agriculture that you have
heard about recently.
1. Answer questions about your story: who, what,
when, where, why, and how.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
Share a news story about agriculture that you have
heard about recently.
2. Use the answers to report your story. You can include
quotes in your talk.
“Farmers do not have the time to read and apply the
lessons learnt from books on greenhouse farming,
which is why I developed this software,” said Kibugi.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
In July, 2019, an American company called
Throwflame introduced the TF-19, which is a
flame-throwing drone (无人机) for agricultural use.
The drone can hold about four litres of petrol, and
can throw flames up to seven metres.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
The primary uses of the flame-throwing drone are
clearing away brush so that the land can be used
for agriculture, and pest control. For example, it
can be used to destroy a wasps (黄蜂) nest without
endangering humans. It is thought that the drone
could also be used to get rid of ice and snow.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
In July, 2019, an American company called
Throwflame introduced the TF-19, which is a
flame-throwing drone (无人机) for agricultural use.
The drone can hold about four litres of petrol, and
can throw flames up to seven metres.
Speaking activity: Report a news story.
The primary uses of the flame-throwing drone are
clearing away brush so that the land can be used for
agriculture, and pest control. For example, it can be
used to destroy a wasps (黄蜂) nest without
endangering humans. It is thought that the drone
could also be used to get rid of ice and snow.
Report the three pieces of news based on your notes.
H o m e w o r k
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