II. Reading.

Exercise 9. Read and translate Text A.

Cotton

Cotton is a natural vegetable fiber of great economic importance. It is used as a raw material for cloth. Its widespread use is largely due to the ease with which its fibers are spun into yarns.

Cotton is produced by small trees and shrubs of a genus belonging to the mallow family, which also included hibiscus, okra and the familiar swamp mallow. The immature flower bud, called a square, blossoms and develops into an oval boll that splits open at maturity. Then it reveals a mass of long white seed hairs, called lint, that cover a large number of brown or black seeds. The length of individual fibers ranges from 1,3 to 6 cm (0,5 to 2,5 in). Shorter fibers that grow from the seeds are called linters. A few species are grown commercially: these plants range from a small tree of Asia, to the common American Upland cotton, a low multibranched shrub that is grown as an annual. Another species included the long-fiber Egyptian and Sea Island cottons derived from the Egyptian species brought to the United States about 1900. Sea Island cotton thrives in the unique climate of the Sea Islands, located off the southeastern coast of the United States, and on the islands of the West Indies such as Barbados.

As with Egyptian cotton, the fiber is white and lustrous but its fiber length is longer than that of any other type of cotton, which permits the spinning of extremely fine yarns. Pima, originally called American-Egyptian cotton is a hybrid type. It is the only variety of long-fiber cotton now grown in commercially significant quantities in the United States, where it is cultivated under irrigation in the Southwest.

It is almost impossible to determine the original habitats of the various species of cotton. Scientists have determined fiber and boll fragments from the Jehuacon Valley of Mexico to be about 7000 years old. The plant has certainly been grown and used also by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians North and South Americans. It was one of the earliest crops grown by European settlers, having been planted at the Jamestown colony in 1607.

Exercise 10. Match words in column A with words in column B.

a). great economic importance b). cotton’s strength c). include d). immature flower bud e). boll that splits open f). at maturity g). reveals a mass of long white seed haves h). linters i). common cotton j). lustrous k). significant quantities

1). величезна кількість 2). коробка, яка розкривається 3). блискучий 4). звичайна бавовна 5). вивільняє пасма сімені 6). пух 7). величезне економічне значення 8). незрілий бутон квітки 9). міцність бавовни 10). включати 11). період зрілості

Exercise 11. Fill in the blanks using words in brackets:

• Then it reveals a mass of long white seed hairs, called (seeds, lint, shrub).

• A few species are grown (commercially, considerably, originally).

• Cotton (was planted, was used, was cultivated) also by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, North and South Americans.

• It was one of the earliest (islands, yarns, crops) grown by European settlers.

Exercise 12. Translate the following word-combinations with Participle II in the function of attribute, remember that Participle II is translated as дієприкметник з суфіксами –ний, -тий, -мий чи означальне підрядне речення.

Ex.: The immature flower bud called a square…недозрілий бутон квітки, який має назву коробка.

• a mass of long white seed hairs, called lint ...

• cottons derived from …

• species brought …

• Sea Islands, located off …

• Pima, ordinally called American-Egyptian cotton …

• Variety of long-fiber cotton now grown …