Text В Crop varieties
Crop production depends on different factors. Many of them cannot be controlled by man, but some of them can.
One of the important factors of high crop production depending on the farmer is selection of the best varieties. The most popular varieties for the area are those which produce high yields of high-quality product. These varieties should also be resistant to pests and diseases which are often a problem in many regions.
Information on the most important crops grown in the area may be obtained from regional experiment stations. They inform farm agronomists about yields, quality, disease resistance and other characteristics of different varieties. On the base of such information the agronomists select the varieties for their farms.
But as it is not possible to select ideal varieties, much work is done on their improvement. The aim of such improvement is development of a variety with combination of all the necessary characteristics.
Comprehension activities
9. Based on the contents of text B, tell us what are the main properties of crops to consider when selecting varieties for cultivation.
10. Formulate briefly the main idea of text B. Prepare a summary of text B in English.
Listening and Speaking Focus
11. Watch the video. Try to understand as much as you can, take notes and write down the words and phrases related to this lesson. S ay what the main idea of the video is.
What are food crops? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCGPE6Y4m90
12. Answer the following questions.
1. What are food crops?
2. What are wild plants?
3. What are non-food crops?
4. Give examples of each crop.
5. What is a nuisance plant?
13. Work in pairs or in a group. Discuss what factors are of the greatest importance in increasing yields of food crops? You may surf the Internet and find more details related to the topic of this unit, e.g. Factors that influence crop yield https://www.fertilizer.co.za/en/public-relations/news/2017/259-factors-that-influence-crop-yield
UNIT 2. CROP PLANTS AND ENVIRONMENT
| In this unit you will learn: | Grammar focus: - Tense forms of verbs (revision). - Uses of Passive Voice Peculiar to English. - Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs (revision). - Word ‘as’; constructions with ‘as’. - Word ‘most’. Vocabulary focus Reading and comprehension focus: - Text A. Crop plants and environment. - Text B. Plants in ecosystem. Listening and speaking focus |
Grammar Focus
Таблица временных форм глагола в страдательном залоге (Passive Form)
(на примере неправильного глагола)
| Passive Forms : To be в соответствующем времени + причастие II |
| Indefinite/Simple (to grow) | Continuous (to be growing) | Perfect (to have grown) | |
| Present |  Am
Is grown
are
|  Am
Is being grown
Are
|  Have been grown
Has
|
| Past |  Was grown
were
|  Was being grown
were
| Had been grown |
| Future |  Will be grown
Shall
| – |  Will have been grown
Shall
|
В английском языке сказуемое в страдательном залоге употребляется шире, чем в русском языке. Поэтому часто английскому предложению со сказуемым в страдательном залоге будет соответствовать русское предложение, в котором сказуемое употреблено в действительном залоге. При этом подлежащему английского предложения в русском предложении будет соответствовать дополнение.
| I was given an interesting book last week. | На прошлой неделе мне дали интересную книгу. |
| The agronomist is often asked about new high yielding varieties. | Агронома часто спрашивают о новых высокоурожайных сортах. |
Обратите внимание на глаголы, которые в русском языке требуют после себя предлога, а в английском – нет. Эти глаголы часто употребляются в страдательном залоге.
| To influence To affect To follow | Влиять (на) Воздействовать (на) Следовать (за) |
| Spring is followed by summer. The growth of plants is influenced by environmental conditions. | За весной следует лето. На рост растений влияют условия окружающей среды. |
Grammar Practice
Identify sentences with the predicate in the Passive:
1. Plant development is influenced by temperature conditions.
2. A new club has been built on our farm.
3. Planting should follow the seedbed preparation.
4. Progressive methods of crop production will influence the yields.
5. Crop improvement practices should be followed by higher yields.
Grammar Focus
| Degrees of comparison Степени сравнения прилагательных Adjectives |
| Положительная | Сравнительная | Превосходная | |
| Односложные | strong – сильный clever – умный fast – быстрый | stronger – сильнее cleverer – умнее faster – быстрее | the strongest – самый сильный the cleverest – самый умный the fastest – самый быстрый |
| Многосложные | useful – полезный rapid – быстрый beautiful – красивый | more useful – полезнее more rapid – быстрее more beautiful – красивее | the most useful – самый полезный the most rapid – самый быстрый the most beautiful – самый красивый |
| Исключения | good – хороший bad – плохой little – маленький/мало many/much – много | better – лучше worse – хуже less – меньше more – больше | the best – лучший /наилучший the worst - худший/наихудший the least - наименьший the most – наибольший |