Read the text and complete the missing words. Listen and check
Modern farming methods allow farmers to produce large amounts
0) of cheap food. There 1)............. a cost to the environment, though,
because intensive farming uses a lot of chemicals such 2)...........................
pesticides and fertilizers 3).................. damage ecosystems
and destroy wildlife. It also uses a lot of energy because
4).............. the amount of machinery used. Not only does
the soil suffer from these methods, but the quality of the food
is reduced, too.
Organic farming, on 5)................. other hand, aims to protect
the environment while producing high quality food. Natural
fertilisers such as manure and compost are used instead
6).............. man-made or chemical fertilisers. Organic
farmers also use natural methods of pest control. They use
ladybirds to combat greenfly 7)................... bum weeds or pull them
out by hand instead of using pesticides. They also use traditional
farming methods such as rotating crops to different fields
8).................... year to maintain the nutrients in the soil.
Organic food may be a bit expensive. However, it is healthy, tasty
and better for the environment.
b Answer the questions. Then explain all the words/phrases in bold.
1 How can conventional farming be harmful to the environment?
2 Why is organic farming better for the environment?
