Exercises

1. Find words in the text opposite in meaning to the following:

Tight, inside, to separate, uniform, to increase, visible, smooth, solid.

2. Give the English equivalents for:

Семя бобовых; различимы; покрывать твердой оболочкой; удлиненный рубчик; рубчик семени; прикреплять к внутренней стороне стручка бобового; защищать нежные части семени от возможных повреждений; две дольки или семядоли; корешок, маленький стебель и почка; зародыш растения; плотно прилипать; погружать в воду; однородная мучнистая масса – альбумин или эндосперм; содержать питательные вещества; прорастание (всхожесть) семени; проникать в зародыш семени; хранящийся питательный материал; иметь две семядоли; семена гороха, чечевицы, огурцов, тыквы.

3. Choose the right form of the verb from the brackets.

1. Economic growth of any country … on the development of agriculture (depend/depends).

2. Now agriculture also … the use of land to breed farm animals (include/includes ).

3. Now crop production and animal husbandry … highly developed branches of agriculture (is/are).

4. Farm crops … …for many different purposes (is used/ are used).

5. Our farm … … … animals (is not breeding/ does not breed).

6. Our farm … higher crop yields now than last year (have /has).

7. We … already … the crop yields (are increasing/ have increased).

4. Find words and word combinations, concerning farm terminology.

winter winds; winter rye; oak forest; food industry; grammar mistake; summer holidays; evening dress; state power; railway station; stone wall; iron ore; river transport; winter sport; heart diseases; apple orchard; war industry; passenger plane ; animal products.

5.Answer the questions:

1. What is the structure of a bean seeds?

2. What is the hilum?

3. What does the solid membrane of the bean seed do?

4. What consists of 2 lobes?

5. What forms the embryo of the plant?

6. What is the difference in the structure of a wheat seed and a bean seed?

6.Read and translate the text. Answer the questions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER FOR THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS

Water penetrating into the seed causes its swelling and the bursting of its outside coat. The embryo, freed from the solid skin, begins to grow rapidly. It is clear, therefore, that water in the first place is necessary for the germination of the seed.

Water is needed besides to dissolve the nourishing substances of the seed, since these substances can be absorbed by the seed only in liquid form.

Tests have proved that seeds of different plants need different amounts of water for their germination. This depends to a great extent on the composition of the seed. The largest amount of water is absorbed by the seed of the leguminous plants, containing a great deal of albuminous substances. These seeds swell up to double their original size. Grains, rich in starch, need half the amount of water for their germination. The least amount of water is required by oil plants.

Seeds of leguminous plants and those of beets and cucumbers, which require much moisture for their germination are usually soaked before sowing.

The sowing of field cultures must be done as early in spring as possible, while the soil is still richly saturated with spring moisture. In the drought belt of our Union an „overearly" sowing has been practised lately, the seeds being sowed at the beginning of spring, right after the thawing of the snow cover. Due to such sowing the germinating seeds and the young plants obtain larger amounts of soil moisture: they reach a considerable growth and develop a strong root system before the beginning of drought.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

1. Is water necessary for the germination of seeds?

2. What for is water necessary besides germination?

3. Can seed absorb dry food?

4. In what form can nourishing substances of the seed be absorbed?

5. What seeds absorb the largest amount of water?

6. What seeds require the least amount of water?

7. What do we do with the seeds of leguminous plants before planting?

Lesson 2