(共112张PPT)
UNIT 5
Working the Land
Get to know an agricultural scientist
①Before you read, look at the photo and the title of the text. Discuss these questions in groups.
1 Who is the man in the photo What crop is he holding in his hands
2What do you know about the man what else do you want to know about him
2 Read the text. Match the main idea with each paragraph.
Paragraph 1 A Yuan conducted research and developed hybrid rice.
Paragraph 2 B Yuan worked hard to fulfil his dreams.
Paragraph 3 C Yuan considered himself a farmer.
Paragraph 4 D Yuan decided to study agriculture.
Paragraph 5 E Yuan's innovation has helped to feed more people.
Paragraph 6 F Yuan cared little for fame or wealth.
A PIONEER FOR ALL PEOPLE
Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice", was one of China's most famous scientists. Yet, he considered himself a farmer because he continually worked the land in his research. indeed, his slim but strong body was just like that of millions of Chinese farmers.to whom he had devoted his life.
Yuan Longping was born in 1930 in Beijing. His parents wanted him to pursue a career in science or medicine. However, what concerned him most was that farmers often had poor harvests and sometimes even had a serious shortage of food to eat. To tackle this crisis, he chose to study agriculture and received an education at Southwest Agricultural College in Chongqing.
After graduating in 1953, he worked as a researcher. YuanLongping realised that larger fields were not the solution. Instead, farmers needed to boost yields in the fields they had. How this could be done was a challenging question at the time. Yuan was convinced that the answer could be found in the creation of hybrid rice.
A hybrid is a cross between two or more varieties of a species. One characteristic of hybrids is that they usually attain a higher yield than conventional crops.
However, whether it was possible to develop a hybrid of self-pollinating plants such as rice was a matter of great debate. The common assumption then was that it could not be done.
Through intense effort, Yuan overcame enormous technical dificulties to develop the first hybrid rice that could be used for farming in 1974. This hybrid enabled farmers to expand their output greatly.
Today, it is estimated that about 60 percent of domestic rice consumption in China is comprised of crops generated from Yuan's hybrid strains,
and his strains have allowed China's farmers to produce around 200 million tons of rice per year, Yuan's innovation has helped feed not just China, but many other countries that depend on rice as well, such as India and Vietnam. Because of his invaluable contributions, Yuan Longping received numerous awards both in China and abroad.
Given that Yuan's hybrids made him quite wealthy, one might think he would have retired to a life of leisure. However, this is far from the case. Deep down, Yuan was still very much a farmer at heart. As a man of the soil, he cared little for celebrity or money, instead, he made large donations to support agricultural research.
What impressed people most about Yuan Longping was his ongoing ability to fulfil his dreams.
Long ago, he envisioned rice plants as tall as sorghum, with each ear of rice as big as a broom, and each grain of rice as huge as a peanut. He succeeded in producing a kind of rice that could feed more people at home and abroad.
His later vision for "sea water rice" also became a reality, and potentially opened up nearly one million square kilometres of salty land in China for rice production. Even in his later years, YuanLongping was still young at heart and full of vision, and everyone was always excited to see what he would dream up next.
③ Read the text again and answer the questions.
1 Why did Yuan Longping consider himself a farmer
Because he continually worked the land in his research.
2 Why did Yuan decide to study agriculture
To tackle the crisis that farmers often had poor even had a serious harvests and sometimes shortage of food to eat.
3 What is the main advantage of hybrid crops
They usually attain a higher yield than conventional crops.
4 How has Yuan's work helped China and other countries
About 60 percent of domestic rice consumption in China is comprised of crops generated from Yuan's hybrid strains, and his strains have allowed China's farmers to produce around 200 million tons of rice per year,
Yuan's innovation has helped feed not just China, but many other countries that depend on rice as well.
5 What was Yuan's later vision
Seawater rice.
④Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words in the box.
create estimation education generation graduate
1 This school has___________thousands of bright young students over the years。
2 Most students look for jobs after university__________
3 Because of the ____________ of new strains of hybrid crops, people in many parts of the world now have more food to eat.
4 Last year, this new electric power plant_____________
enough energy to power the whole city.
5 It was difficult to calculate exactly how many trees had been cut down. However, a general _____________ was possible.
Discuss these questions in groups.
1 Apart from rice, what are some other important crops in China What do you know about them
2 Other than hybrid rice, what other hybrid products do you know Can you think of new hybrid ideas
Build up your vocabulary
1 Replace the underlined words with the correct forms of the words from the text.
__________1 To deal with this crisis, he chose to study agriculture.
__________ 2 He is a very good actor and he commits himself to every role that he takes on.
dispose
bends
__________ 3 Yuan Longping strongly believed that the answer could be found in the creation of hybrid rice.
__________ 4 Yuan Longping, through intense effort, solved enormous difficulties and developed the first hybrid rice that could be used for farming.
trusted
settled
__________ 5 This hybrid enabled farmers to increase their output greatly.
__________ 6 Students are encouraged to try a variety of free-time activities to reduce the intense stress from studying.
rise
idle-time
2 Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the words from the text. Then use these words to make your own sentences.
1 The c__________________of a person are the special qualities that make him or her different from others.
2 Scientists from different countries have been pursuing various possibilities to overcome food s____________
haracteristics
hortage
3 Many of us a____________that earthquakes would never happen in our area.
4 With more and more farm machines being used in the fields, the c____________ of fuel has been increasing.
5 Newspapers should pay less attention to media c____________and more attention to our national heroes.
assume
onsumption
6 Our general manager tried his best to help overcome the difficulties we were facing during the financial c____________
7 My mother is very c____________and finds it hard to accept the modern lifestyle that l enjoy.
8 The government has decided to boost the programme to g__________more new jobs.
risis
onventional
enerate
3 Complete the news report below with the correct forms of the words and phrases in the box.
A vast underground shelter built during World War ll has been turned into an urban farm, supplying supermarkets and restaurants in London.
The shelter, which could protect up to8,000 people from wartime bombs,________________two large tunnels that were intended to one day become an extension of the London Underground. But that never became________ and the shelter was left for 70 years. Then businessmen decided to make use of it to grow green vegetables to meet increasing________________demands.
The tunnels are lit with pink LEDs as there is no natural light ___________ below the ground. The vegetables are grown in special liquids instead of the earth that is used as in ______________ farming. Many experts share a ________ that this kind of urban farming could help not only in ________ the problem of population growth, but also in adapting to climate change.
Discover useful structures
1 Look at the complex sentences below and state the functions of the noun clauses italicised, Then find similar complex sentences from the text.
What yuan Longping really cared about was not money or celebrity.
That Yuan Longping had realised his dream of seawater rice surprised the whole world.
It surprised the whole world that Yuan Longping had realised his dream of developing seawater rice.
2 Match the sentence parts, and then translate the completed sentences into Chinese. Pay attention to how the subjects are introduced differently.
3 Read the passage and underline all the subject clauses. Then in pairs, discuss whether the sentences with subject clauses can be paraphrased
Grandma has been complaining about the vegetables sold in the supermarket, which have been grown using chemical fertilisers, To her, that they look beautiful on the outside is obvious. However what she is unhappy about is the lower nutritional value and reduced flavour.
Now that both of my grandparents have retired from their jobs in the city, how they are going to spend their retirement is an important decision for them. Whether they can live a healthy life is the first thing they are considering. So they have made up their minds to move to the countryside, where they can live a green life.
4 What qualities do you think make a person like Yuan Longping so successful Work in groups. Have a discussion and prepare a presentation. The following points and expressions may help you.
his/her determination to tackle the crisis of....
his/her intense effort to overcome....
his/her dream to develop .....
his/her love and care for...
he/she succeeded in ...
he/she never gave up....
he/she is devoted to ...
What impresses me most is that
What makes him/her a great ... is that
it is important that ...
Whether ... depends on ..
That ... is his/her most important quality.
Explore the world hunger problem
① In pairs, discuss what you can see in the photos and how you think each photo relates to world hunger.
2 Listen to a radio interview and take notes. Then answer the following questions.
What is the FAO What is its mission
What can seriously affect crop production
What does the FAO think about nutritious food
What is the FAO doing to alleviate world hunger
What does the FAO suggest countries do
3 Listen again and identify how the speaker supports his facts. Match the supporting evidence with the facts.
1 According to our latest figures, ...
2 There is strong evidence to suggest that ...
3 Our research indicates that ...
A wars can heavily affect food production and transportation.
B (world hunger) stands at around 11% of the world's population.
C many people just can't afford to eat well.
Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions and then share your answers in class. Use a table like the one below to help you organise your thoughts.
1 What are all the possible causes of world hunger that you can think of
2 What can people and countries do to help alleviate these causes
Possible cause Possible solution
5 Work in groups to brainstorm ideas for some school activities that celebrate World Food Day. Use the expressions to help you communicate with your group members.
World Food Day (WFD)was created by the FAO in 1979.
It is celebrated in more than 150 countries,
raising awareness and knowledge of the problems and causes behind world hunger and poverty.
Evaluate chemical farming and organic farming
1 Read the text, and then answer the questions on page 56.
CHEMICAL VERSUS ORGANIC FARMING
Chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers have been in widespread use in farming since the middle of the 20th century.
When they were first introduced, many farmers welcomed them as a great way to fight crop disease and increase production.
Over time, however, what some scientists have found is that their long-term use can sometimes harm both the land and people's health.
For example, pesticides can damage the land by killing not only harmful bacteria and insects, but also helpful ones.
In addition, these chemicals can stay in the soil and underground water sources for along time.
This affects the crops grown on the land and, in turn, the animals and humans who digest them.
Many people worry that these chemicals may make them ill and even cause cancer.
In fact,some pesticides like DDT have been prohibited in most countries because of the damage they cause to people and the environment, As for chemical fertilisers, crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition.
They may look beautiful on the outside, but inside there is usually more water than essential minerals, and they often have less flavour as well.
As an alternative, some farmers have switched to organic farming, and many customers have turned to organic food when they shop at the local grocery.
Organic farming is simply faming without using any chemicals. Organic famers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease through natural means.
For example, many organic farmers use natural waste from animals as fertiliser, This makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals.
It also keeps the air, soil, water, and crops free of chemicals. Organic farmers also use many other methods to produce rich soil. They often change the kind of crop grown in each field every year. For instance, they may grow corn or wheat in a field one year, and then grow beans there the next.
Why different crops are grown is because they put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready for the next batch of crops.
Organic farmers also plant diverse crops that use different depths of soil to help keep it rich.
For example, peanuts grow on the ground's surface, but many other vegetables put down deep roots.
The goal of using different organic farming methods is to grow good food while avoiding damage to the environment or to people's health.
Some people would prefer to stop the use of man made chemicals in agriculture entirely. What keeps them from doing so is the fact that chemical farming serves the high demand for food around the world.
Organic farming is nowhere near able to meet that need. Therefore, there is still a long way to find a suitable solution that puts sufficient food on the dinner table while keeping people and the environment as healthy as possible.
1 Why did many famers welcome the introduction of chemical faming
Many farmers welcomed them as a great way to fight crop diseases and increase production.
2 What concerns many people about the use of pesticides
Their long-term use can sometimes harm both the land and people's health.
3 What is one problem with the use of chemical
fertilisers
Crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition.
4 How is organic farming different from chemical farming
Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. Organic farmers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of diseases through natural means.
5 Why do organic famers change the kind of crop grown in a field every year
Different crops are grown because they put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready for the next batch of crops.
6 What is the goal of using organic faming methods Do you think it can be reached Why or why not
The goal of using organic farming methods is to grow good food while avoiding damage to the environment or to people's health. Yes, I think this goal can be reached.
Farmers worked for centuries without using any kinds of chemicals and without harming the environment, and the food they produced was just fine.
2 Match the main ideas [A-D) below with the paragraphs. Then complete the sentences in the table.
A What organic farming is
B Why man-made chemicals are still used in farming
C Organic methods for producing rich soil
D The problems with chemical farming
bacteria and insects
exhibited
damage they cause
grow too fast
nutrition
natural waste from animals
change the kind of crop
every year
different depths
demand for food around the world
3 Write an argumentative essay giving your opinion on chemical or organic farming.
1 Discuss these questions in groups.
Is the author of the passage for or against organic farming How do you know
What other disadvantages of chemical farming did the author not list
How might the following items be problems and how important are they for organic farming
natural animal waste used as fertilizer
higher cost of producing food
greater effort required to farm
What other disadvantages of organic farming can you think of
2 Decide whether your group supports chemical farming or organic farming.
Come up with three main points to support your opinion, and then add at least one detail to support each main plete the outline below.
4 Exchange your draft with a partner.
1 Use this checklist to help you review your partner's draft.
√ Does the writer do a good job of expressing his/her opinion
√Does each paragraph have one main idea
√ Does each paragraph have at least one detail to support its main idea
√Does the writer sequence the points in a logical order
√ Does the writer do a good job persuading you to accept his/her opinion
2 Take your draft back and revise it.
Assessing Your Progress
1 Read and complete the passage with the correct forms of the words and phrases in the box. Then answer the questions.
attain essential be comprised of for instance
depth output diverse soil
曾任高阳郡(治高阳,今属山东临淄)太守,是中国古代杰出的农学家。约在北魏永熙二年至东魏武定二年间(533~544),贾思勰著成综合性农书《齐民要术》
Jia Sixie was a government official from Shandong Province who conducted a lot of agricutural research in the sixth century. In his travels, he observed that some farmers had much better _______ than others, so he decided to investigate the best ways of_________ good harvests.
output
attaining
After retiring, he wrote a book, Qi Min Yao Shu, which __________________ sound advice and practices for people doing agricultural work. In one piece of advice,______________, he told farmers to clear weeds from the ground before planting crops.
was comprised of
for instance
They could either let the animals eat the weeds or turn the _____ over so that the weeds were covered.
Then he gave advice on ploughing, suggesting that the autumn ploughing should be at a greater _______ than the spring ploughing.
soil
depth
He also suggested changing crops to get better harvests every year, Finally, he suggested that famers grow a __________ range of crops next to each other in the fields. Although it has been centuries since Jia Sixie died, Qi Min Yao Shu is still considered a(n)______________book in China's agricultural history.
diverse
essential
1 Why did Jia Sixie investigate good ways of farming
2 What makes Qi Min Yao Shu an important book in China's agricultural history
2 Fill in the blanks with that, whether, or wh- question words to complete the sentences.
1___________the research centre is to be set up has not been decided.
2_________many countries still face food shortages remains a big problem.
Whether
Where
That
3_________impressed me most was that the hybrid rice enabled farmers to expand their output greatly.
4_________the plan is to be carried out still needs discussing.
5 _________ the new chemical pesticide is effective remains to be seen.
What
Whether
When
Whether
6 _________ will join in the research team will be announced tomorrow.
7 _________ he quit his high-paying job is not difficult to understand. He wanted to start up his own business.
Who
Why
REFLECTING
What did you learn about agricuiture that you did not know before
What interested you most about agriculture in this unit Give your reasons.
What other important aspects of agriculture do you want to know about
Overall, l thought this unit was
□interesting □ useful □ so-so □ difficult.
*Project: Make a poster of your favourite dish, from field to plate
1 In groups, discuss this line of poetry, “Every single grain on your plate is the result of hard work.”
What does this line mean to you
How should this knowledge affect your daily life
2 Brainstorm a list of your favourite dishes. Each dish should be comprised of five or more ingredients.
3 Choose one dish from your list that everyone in your group likes. Find a list of its ingredients from a recipe or a product label.
EXAMPLE: Kung Pao Chicken is made with chicken, peanuts,onions, red peppers, Sichuan peppercors, ginger, garic, oil,cooking wine, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, etc.
宫保鸡丁是用鸡肉、花生、洋葱、红辣椒、四川胡椒、生姜、加里克、油、料酒、盐、酱油、醋等做成的。
4 Assign team members to research where and how each of these ingredients is produced.
EXAMPLE: Peanuts are planted in April or May, It takes around 120 to 160 days for them to be ready for harvesting. This is usually done by hand. The famer pulls the peanut plants out of the ground and leaves them in the field to dry,
The peanuts are then collected and separated from their vines.
They are dried for some more time and then taken to the market for sale.
5 Work together to make a poster about your favourite dish. Each team member should explain where at least one ingredient comes from and how it is produced.
6 Present your poster to the class.
Video Time
地球大学
地球大学是哥斯达黎加的一所特殊大学,学生们在这里学习可以保护环境的可持续农业方法。
BEFORE YOU WATCH
Complete the passage with the words in the box.
methods agricultural ecology
scholarships sustainable typical
profit unique
Earth University is located in Guacimo, Costa Rica. it is not a(n)______________university. what is_____________ about it is that students study both in classrooms and in the fields. That is because Earth University is a(n)________________ school where students learn about faming. The kind of farming taught here is called_____________ farming.
typical
unique
agricultural
sustainable
The farming___________ they learn have little or no, negative impact on the emvironment. In class, they also leam about___________,which is the study of how to protect the natural balance of the environment, The students grow bananas on the farm for_________.The money they get from these bananas goes towards____________ for students from poor areas.
methods
ecology
profit
scholarships
WHILE YOU WATCH
Circle the best answers.
1 Which is not a goal of Earth University
A To teach poor students.
B To teach students how to make food with bananas.
C To give students skills to protect the environment.
2 Most of the students are from___________
A Africa B Latin America C Costa Rica
3 Students have to work six days a week for___________
A half of the year
B most of the year
C the entire year
4Earth University students also learn about___________
A chemical farming
B leadership
C economics
AFTER YOU WATCH
Discuss these questions in groups.
1 What do you like about Earth University
I like the fact that it gives its students hands-on experience in sustainable farming techniques.
2 Would you like to study at Earth University Why or why not
No, I would not like to study at Earth University. I am sure that itis a good place , but I think I want to do something different while making contributions to the world.