Say if the following statements are true or false.
1) There are three agro-ecological zones in Ukraine.
2) Steppe is in the south-west.
3) The least ploughed zone is Forest Steppe.
4) Winter wheat is grown in all zones.
5) Polissia has the most favourable conditions for grapes growing.
6) Natural pastures in the Carpathians are suitable for sheep rearing.
10. Find in the text the English equivalents to the following Ukrainian words and phrases:
мішані ліси, сіножать, орна земля, бобові культури, фуражні культури, багаторічні трави, родючі ґрунти, лісова рослинність, дуб, граб, клен, липа, сосна, виноградарство, підніжжя гори, високогір’я, шавлія.
Complete the table.
| Zone | Ploughed area | Crops and farm animals | |
| Polissia | |||
| Forest Steppe | |||
| Steppe |
Read the text and give examples of different crop rotation schemes applied by the Ukrainian farmers.
Crop Rotation
The strategy of crop rotation involves changing the type of crops that are planted in a given section of field each growing season. Farms in Ukraine employ a variety of crop-rotation schemes, some including four or more crops, some only two.
A six-year crop rotation in the winter grain region often includes two consecutive years of wheat and one season of "clean fallow," during which no crop is sown. The chief reason for including fallow in the rotation is to replenish soil-moisture reserves, and it is more widely used in south-eastern Ukraine where drought is not uncommon. A typical crop sequence might be: fallow, winter wheat, winter wheat, sunflowers, spring barley, and corn. Wheat almost always follows fallow. This enables the wheat - which is typically the priority crop - to benefit from the reduced weed infestation. Some crop rotations include several consecutive years of a forage crop. An example of such a rotation would be: fallow, two years of winter wheat, and four years of perennial forage. The perennial forage is usually alfalfa. Farmers get three to four cuttings per year, five if the crop is irrigated.
A typical seven-year rotation might be: winter wheat, winter barley, sugar beets, winter wheat, winter barley, sunflowers, and corn. The vast majority of field crops, including grains, sunflowers, and sugar beets, are not irrigated. Traditionally, irrigation is used only on forage crops and vegetables. Roughly 5 percent of grains and 10 percent of potatoes, vegetables, and forage crops are irrigated.
13. Find in the text the English equivalents to the terms: сівозміна, земля під паром, засмічення бур’янами, зрошення. Match each term with its definition given below.
1) _________ - the delivery of water to grow crops.
2) _________ - the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons.
3) __________ - land left unseeded during a growing season.
4) __________ - the presence of a large number of unwanted plants in a field.
SPEAKING TASK
14. Speak about the main branches of Ukraine’s agriculture.
LANGUAGE FOCUS
Past Continuous Tense
Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous Tense.
1) The children were frightened because it _____ (get) dark.
2) Who _____ you _____ (talk) to on the phone as I came in? — I _____ (talk) to Mr Pitt.
3) While he _____ (learn) to drive he had twenty accidents.
4) This time yesterday I _____ (not/work), I _____ (lie) on the beach.
5) Tom ate nothing for lunch because he _____ (diet). He said he _____ (try) to lose 10 kilos.
6) The house was in great disorder because he _____ (redecorate) it.
7) She _____ (stand) at the bus stop. I asked her what bus she _____ (wait) for.
8) From the sounds it was clear that Mary _____ (practise) the piano.
9) Tom _____ (sit) in the corner with a book. I told him that he _____ (read) in very bad light.
10) Just as I _____ (wonder) what to do next, the phone rang.
11) I was alone in the house at that time because Mr Jones _____ (work) in the garage and Mrs Jones _____ (shop).
12) Where _____ he _____ (live) when you saw him last?
13) The traffic _____ (make) so much noise that I couldn't hear what he _____ (say).
14) When I walked in they all _____ (talk) about a new film.
15) I _____ (look) for my purse in every corner of the room.