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CHAPTER 9: I’m spring cleaning…

Unit 4: I'm planting...

Exercise 1: Picture Description

What do you see in the picture?

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Exercise 2: Vocabulary

Repeat after your tutor.

garden

We planted roses in the garden.

roots

A plant gets water from its roots.

fertilizer

This fertilizer will help your plant grow.

weed

Weeds need to be pulled out daily.

pest

A pest is an insect that harms plants.

harvest

You can harvest these apples next

week.

soil

This soil is good for growing tomatoes.

fertile

Many plants grow here because the land is fertile.

shovel

He used a shovel to dig a hole in the ground.

lawnmower

The new lawnmower cuts grass fast.

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Exercise 3: Let’s Talk

A. Read the dialogue with your tutor.

Tutor Let’s plant the tomato seeds today.

Student Sure. What do we need?

Tutor We need a shovel to dig the soil.

Student Okay. What else?

Tutor We’ll also need a watering can.

Student Okay, I’ll get the tools.

Tutor Thanks! I’ll meet you outside.

Student You’re welcome. I’ll be there in a bit.

Tutor I have some fertilizer for the plants.

Student Where did you get it?

Tutor I just made it from old leaves.

Student Really? That’s good for the environment.

Tutor It is! Let’s use it on the apple tree.

Student Alright. Let’s go.

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B. Repeat after your tutor.

1. tomato - | təˈmeɪˌtoʊ | or [tuh-mey-

toh] cà chua

2. hole - | hoʊl | or [hohl]

3.

watering - | ˈwɒtərɪŋ | or [waw-ter-

4.

ing]

environment - | ənˈvaɪrənmənt |or [en-vahy-ruh n-muh nt, -vahy-ern-] môi tr ng

5.

apple- | ˈæpl ̩|or [ap-uh l]

Exercise 4: Choose the correct word

Read the sentence to your tutor, then complete the sentence by choosing the correct

word.

Example:

Did you (water, pest) the plants?

1. When will you (weed, harvest) the fruits?

2. The (soil, pest) is perfect for growing oranges.

3. Use the (shovel, lawnmower) to cut grass.

4. The tree gets water from its (roots, pests).

5. You can use (fertilizer, shovel) to help a plant grow bigger.

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Exercise 5: What do you do with it?

Match the items with how they are used.

Example: seeds

b.

a. water the plants

1. shovel

b. plant it

2. watering can

c. pull them out

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3. weeds

d. dig a hole

4. lawnmower

e. harvest them

5. apples

f. cut grass

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Exercise 6: Planting / Harvest Time

Answer the questions based on the information in the

calendar.

NOVEMBER 11 月

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Broccoli harvesting

Fertilize plants

2 Water plants

3 Water plants

4 Water plants

5 Water plants

6 Water plants

7 Weed pulling

8 Fertilize plants

9 Water plants

10 Water plants

11 Water plants

12 Water plants

13 Water plants

14 Garlic planting

Weed pulling

15 Fertilize plants

Cabbage harvesting

16 Water plants

17 Water plants

18 Water plants

19 Water plants

20 Water plants

21 Weed pulling

22 Fertilize plants

Cabbage harvesting

23 Water plants

24 Water plants

25 Water plants

26 Water plants

27 Water plants

28 Onion planting

Weed pulling

Example:

Which month is this calendar for?

This calendar is for November.

1. How many times will the plants be watered in a week?

The plants will be watered times per week.

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2. According to the schedule, on what day will the plants be fertilized?

The plants will be fertilized every .

3. On what dates will the cabbages be harvested?

The cabbages will be harvested on .

4. How many times is weeding done in a week?

The weeds are pulled a week.

5. What plants will be grown in November?

The plants that will be grown in November are and .

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Exercise 7: Word Search

A. Find the five hidden words.

w a s g a d f a d t y seeds

water

shovel

fertilizer

soil

harvest

a c h h h a r v e s t

t c o k t e a g t e a

e b v a d f a c s b c

r k e a s e e d s o s

b s l x u b h s o i l

f e r t i l i z e r x

B. Match the word with its description.

Example: seeds

d. a. Used to keep plants alive

1. water b. Land where you grow plants

2. shovel c. Used on plants so they will grow strong

3. fertilizer d. Something that becomes a flower or tree

4. soil e. To get fruits from a tree/plant

5. harvest f. Used to dig a hole in the ground

Exercise 8: It already happened

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Read the sentence to your tutor, then fill in the blanks with the correct word.

Purpose Example

Describing your experience I have used a lawnmower before.

Describing something that has changed over time

This plant has grown two inches since I last saw it.

Describing an activity that is not completed yet

The tree still hasn’t produced fruits yet.

Describing activities that happened at different times

We have planted and harvested fruits this year.

Example: I have tried (have try: experience) to harvest

strawberries.

1. The soil (have become: changed) hard since summer

started.

2. The plants will dry up because it (have not rain: not completed

yet).

3. I (have visit: experience) her garden

already.

4. She (have try: different times) several fertilizers, but none

worked.

5. James (have not pull: not completed yet) out the weeds

yet.

6. I (have plant: experience) a tree

before.

7. The plants might die because he (have not water: not completed yet)

them.

8. The tree (have grow: changed) bigger since we used the

fertilizer.

9. We (have use: different times) this shovel

twice.

10. Jack (have dig: experience) a hole for the plant.

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Exercise 9: Create your own story

Complete the two stories by filling in the blanks with the correct statement. Fill in the last blank with

your own answer. Read the finished story to your tutor after answering the last number.

a. the long, boring drive to the garden

b. taking a nap in the car

c. we wanted to buy fresh vegetables for

dinner d. we cooked the vegetables for dinner

e. my family and I visited a vegetable garden

Last Saturday, Example: e. my family and I visited a vegetable garden. This was because (1)

. The worst part of it was (2) . I solved it by (3)

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.That night, (4) . The vegetable that tasted

best was (5) .

a. my flowers were dying

b. wearing a cap and using sunblock

c. grow well without the weeds.

d. the heat of the sun

e. I pulled weeds from our flower

garden

Last Saturday, Example: e. I pulled weeds from our flower garden. This was because (1)

. The worst part of it was (2) . I solved it by (3)

.The flowers will (4) .Next week, I will plant

(5) in the garden.