3. Using the text above, finish the following sentences:

1) Agronomists also serve in such international organizations as…

2) Soil fertility and water quality continue…

3) Agronomists use biotechnology to extend and expedite…

4) Most agronomists are…

5) Insects and diseases continue to adapt…

6) Emerging biotechnologies will play an ever larger role…

7) They increasingly encourage the practice of…

4. Answer the following questions:

1) What’s the major result of past agricultural research? Is it still necessary? Why (not)?

2) What’s the role of new biotechnologies in agricultural research?

3) What will agricultural scientists be needed to?

4) How is it possible to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in agriculture?

5) What organizations do agronomists serve in?

5. Write the summary of the text above.

6. Retell the text “Agronomist Career Outlook”.

7. Translate from Russian into English:

1) Предполагается, что занятость агрономов вырастет на 9 процентов с 2006 по 2016 годы.

2) Научные исследования в области сельского хозяйства необходимы, чтобы улучшить плодородие почвы, качество воды и снизить адаптивность болезней растений к пестицидам.

3) Современные биотехнологии используются для создания новых продуктов и биотоплива.

4)Биотехнологии применяются в лабораторных исследованиях, тестирующих новые виды урожайных культур.

5) От агрономов зависит баланс между ростом урожайности и уровнем защиты почвы, воды и других экосистем.

Active Vocabulary 2

organic farming [ɔːˈɡanɪk ˈfɑːmɪŋ] – органическое земледелие

sewage sludge [ˈsuːɪdʒ| ˈslʌdʒ] – осадок сточных вод

animal manure [məˈnjʊə] – органическое удобрение (навоз)

plant breeding [plɑːnt briːdɪŋ] – растениеводство

crop rotation [ krɒp rə(ʊ)ˈteɪʃ(ə)n] – севооборот

crop yields [ krɒp jiːld] – урожайность

production strategies [prəˈdʌkʃ(ə)n ˈstratɪdʒiz] – стратегии производства

holistic [həʊˈlɪstɪk] – целостный

systems-based management approach – системный подход к управлению

genetically engineered crop [dʒɪˈnɛtɪkli endʒɪˈnɪəd krɒp] – генетически модифицированная культура

well-designed scientific experiment [wel dɪˈzaɪnd sʌɪənˈtɪfɪk ɪkˈspɛrɪm(ə)nt] – хорошо разработанный научный эксперимент

1. Translate the following word combinations into Russian:

Organic farming, production system for growing crops, preserve environmental quality, the fastest growing sectors within production agriculture, pose a significant threat to the environment, using man-made agricultural chemicals, organic farming methods, research on organic farming, advantages and disadvantages of organic farming.

2. Read the following text and say:

a) what the term “genetically engineered crops” means;

b) what subjects are touched upon in the text.

Text 2. Organic Farming

Organic farming is a production system for growing crops that avoids the use of most man-made fertilizers and pesticides, applications of sewage sludge, genetic engineering, and radiation. In their place, animal manure, crop rotation, traditional plant breeding, and other materials and strategies are used to maintain economic crop yields, manage pests, and preserve environmental quality. Organic farming has been one of the fastest growing sectors within production agriculture in the USA and several other industrialized countries, and there is little indication that the demand for food grown organically will decline anytime soon.

Organic farming advocates claim that growing crops without man-made agricultural chemicals and using production strategies that consider a holistic, systems-based management approach results in food that is healthier to eat and an environment that is safer to live in. Those skeptical of organic farming methods suggest that there is little evidence that foods are healthier when grown organically, or that man-made fertilizers and pesticides pose a significant threat to the environment when used correctly. Further, organic farming critics claim that the only way farmers can feed the growing human population in the future is by using man-made agricultural chemicals and growing genetically engineered crops when available.

Only limited research on organic farming has occurred in the USA and other industrial countries in the last several decades. This is beginning to change as more agronomists and other scientists are studying organic farming methods. More will be learned about the advantages and disadvantages of organic farming compared with other crop production methods as additional research and well-designed scientific experiments are completed. In the meantime, organic farming will continue to be a frequent topic of debate by those supporting and those opposing this increasingly popular crop production method.

3. Using the text above, finish the following sentences:

1) Other materials and strategies are used to…

2) There is little indication that the demand for food grown organically will…

3) Those skeptical of organic farming methods suggest that…

4) Organic farming critics claim that…

5) This is beginning to change…

6) More will be learned about…

7) In the meantime, organic farming will continue…

4. Answer the following questions:

1) What is organic farming? Explain the term.

2) What strategies are used to maintain economic crop yields?

3) What does organic farming result in?

4) What factors pose a significant threat to the environment?

5) Is research on organic farming still limited or changing for the better?

5. Write the summary of the text above.

6. Retell the text “Organic Farming”.

7. Translate from Russian into English:

1) Органическое земледелие является одним из наиболее быстро развивающихся секторов сельскохозяйственного производства США.

2) Некоторые скептики утверждают, что нет явных доказательств того, что органическое земледелие способствует выращиванию более здоровых продуктов питания.

3) Критики органического земледелия считают, что удовлетворить потребности населения в пище возможно только при использовании химических удобрений и генетически модифицируемых продуктов.

4) Количество исследований в области органического земледелия США небольшое, но ситуация меняется к лучшему в настоящий момент.

5) Дальнейшие исследования покажут преимущества и недостатки органического земледелия по сравнению с другими методами сельскохозяйственного производства.