10. Put the following sentences in Perfect Passive.

Example: We have found a new variety of wheat.

A new wheat variety has been found by us.

1. This scientist has developed a new drought resistant variety.

2. We have grown perfect crops of wheat on heavy loams and clays.

3.Our experimental station has developed a new frost resistant variety of wheat.

4. This winter wheat variety has produced a high yield.

5. The farmers of China have grown wheat at least 3000 years ago.

6. Roots are known to be classified into several types.

7. This scientist is said to have developed a new drought resistant variety of wheat.

8. The seeds of wheat are known to be planted much deeper than that of clover.

9. Wheat is said to have been grown in China 3000 years ago.

10. Wheat is believed to have been grown in Asia and Northern part of Africa from time immemorial.

11. No part of the world is considered too hot for the production of wheat.

11. Translate the sentences into Russian paying attention to « Nominative with the Infinitive».

1. The quality of wheat is expected to be poor on peaty soils.

2. Winter hardiness is considered to be of great importance in winter varieties.

3. The wheat proved to be self-fertilized.

4. The great majority of wheat appears to have been produced by artificial cross-fertilization of pre-existing varieties.

5. Wheat is thought to grow well on heavy loams and clays.

6. This crop seems to be greatly valued by plant breeders.

7. The cultivation of wheat is believed to have begun in prehistoric times.

8. Cultivated wheat seems to have originated from certain species of wild grasses.

9. Wheat is known to be an extremely deep-rooted and drought resistant crop.

12. Find in the text answers to the following questions.

1. What grass family does corn belong to?

2. In what areas can’t wheat be grown successfully?

3. Where is wheat grown in the USA?

4. What kind of plant is wheat?

5. What is the root system of wheat?

6. What stems has wheat?

7. What is the time and method of seed preparation determined by?

8. What is usually the first step in seedbed preparation?

13. Find key sentences in each paragraph of the text and give the short summary of the text.

14. Skim text b and say what is the text about? Text b

Neither the geographical, the historical, nor the biological origin of wheat is known. The evidence as exists seem to point to Mesopotamia as the original home of wheat, although there is a belief that the plant once grew wild in the Euphrates and the Tirgis valleys and spread from these regions to the rest of the world.

The most ancient languages mention wheat or corn, and the fact that it has been found in the prehistorichabitations of man notably in the earliest Swiss lake dwellings is proof of its antiquity. We also have evidence that wheat was cultivated in China 3,000 years B.C., and that it was the chief crop in ancient Egypt and Palestine.

Wheat is the most important grain crop in the world. Most of the wheat that is grown is made into flour. The flour is used for making products such as white bread, macaroni.

A small amount of wheat is also used in the manufacture of alcohol. Wheat is an excellent feed for livestock, but because of its importance as a human food, only a small part of it is used for this purpose. By-products of wheat are higher in content of protein than wheat itself and serve a valuable protein supplement in many livestock rations.

Wheat can be grown under a wide range of soil conditions, but it is best adapted to fertile, well-drained clay loam soils.

Wheat can withstand the cold of northern areas quite well, and yet it grows successfully in hot climates, if the humidity is not too high. When wheat is grown in the condition of high temperatures and high humidity during the summer months the plants grow tall and often lodge, which makes harvesting more difficult and it is often hard to reduce the moisture content of the grain. The quality of wheat is determined largely by the prevailing climatic conditions and to a lesser extent by the type of soil. Wheat grows best if it is sown in a well-prepared seedbed. Early plowing or seedbed preparation often results in increased yields of winter wheat.

Importance of selecting the proper variety.Choosing the best variety to be grown in a given area is not a simple thing. There is a large number of varieties grown throughout the world. Some of them have white grain, others have red grain. Some have beards, while others are beardless. The varieties are known to differ largely in height, winter hardiness, time of ripening and quality of grain.

It is often difficult to select the variety best adapted to any given region. That is why the Agricultural Experiment Stations in many countries are constantly conducting tests in order to determine the varieties to be best suited for various soil and climatic conditions. Before farmers choose a variety to be grown, they usually consult their local experimental stations for information on recommended varieties. The better is a given variety adapted to local conditions, the higher will be its yield.

Notes:

flour – мука

by-products–побочныйпродукт, отходы

supplement – добавка

15. Look through the text once again and define whether the following questions are discussed in it:

1. botanical characters of wheat;

2. soil and climatic conditions of wheat cultivation;

3. dates of sowing;

4. preparation of the soil;

5) the work of the Agricultural Experimental Station

16. Find information in the text and answer the following questions.

1) What conditions favor the extensive wheat growth and cause lodging?

2) What can you say about waste products of wheat and their application?

3) Under what conditions can wheat grow in hot climate?

4) What factors define the quality of wheat?

17. Enumerate in English the main problems mentioned in the text.

18. What sentences from the text will you use for annotation?

19. Translate the text from Russian into English without using the dictionary.

Text С

Wheat is the most important grain crop. The origin of wheat is unknown. The best quality wheat is produced in areas, where the winters are cold and the summer comparatively hot.

Wheat is best adapted to fertile medium-to-heavy soils that are well drained. It is an annual or winter annual grass, which is normally self-pollinated. Wheat varieties differ greatly in winter hardiness. The most commonly used fertilizers for wheat are potash, superphosphate, and sometimes nitrogen is applied as a top dressing in spring. It makes wheat higher in protein content. All fertilizers increase the yields of wheat.

Wheat is a leading food crop of the world. Wheat is widely grown all over the world. It is grown in approximately 50 different countries. Wheat is produced mostly for grain. The time of seeding wheat varies with climatic and soil conditions. There are spring and winter varieties of wheat. The usual depth of seeding varies from 1 to 3 inches. There exist many wheat varieties. Some of them have red grain, others have white grain, some have beards and are beardless.