Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What type of pollution does your country have?
- How do you think pollution affects the environment?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- fungus /FUHNG-guhs/
- decompose /dee-kuhm-POHZ/
- (rice) paddy /PAD-ee/
- harvesting /HAAR-vuh-stuhng/
- year-round /YEER-ROUND/
[noun] – any of various types of organisms that get their food from decaying material or other living things
The lawn has been covered in fungi.
[verb] – to decay, or to cause something to decay
Bacterial activity decomposes organic waste.
[noun] – a field planted with rice growing in water
Water buffaloes pulled plows in the (rice) paddies.
[noun] – the activity of picking and collecting crops, or of collecting plants, animals, or fish to eat
Women mostly did the harvesting of crops in this village.
[adjective] – happening, existing, or present during the whole of the year
Most teachers think that a year-round education would improve student performance.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Engineer and COO of a digital platform for sustainable agricultural solutions Dhruv Sawhney has recommended to Indian farmers a new organic microbial spray developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR) in Delhi to minimize air pollution caused by stubble burning. Called the Pusa Decomposer, it has seven different kinds of fungus that are naturally predominant in soil, says ICAR director Ashok Kumar Singh. Several lab tests revealed that these fungal species are highly effective at decomposing stubble for energy and nutrients. This microbial spray would completely and swiftly destroy the stubble that remained in the fields after paddy harvesting. The old stubble would then mix into the soil after three weeks and act as compost for the following planting season.
India has 21 of the world’s 30 cities with the worst levels of air pollution, according to the data revealed in the 2021 World Air Quality Report. New Delhi has the greatest level of dangerous air pollution in the country, with the worst year-round average for PM2.5 pollution of any capital city on the planet. Every year, nearly 4.2 million people die as a result of outdoor air pollution around the world.
India has 21 of the world’s 30 cities with the worst levels of air pollution, according to the data revealed in the 2021 World Air Quality Report. New Delhi has the greatest level of dangerous air pollution in the country, with the worst year-round average for PM2.5 pollution of any capital city on the planet. Every year, nearly 4.2 million people die as a result of outdoor air pollution around the world.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Who developed the Pusa Decomposer?
- What did several lab tests reveal about the fungi in the microbial spray?
- Upon using the Pusa Decomposer, what would happen to the stubble after three weeks?
- According to the 2021 World Air Quality Report, how many cities does India have with the worst levels of air pollution?
- According to the article, how many people die from outdoor air pollution yearly?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you know of any anti-pollution programs in your city/country? Please tell me more about them.
- What do you do every day that you think adds to pollution?
- Would you recommend the organic microbial spray by the ICAR? Why or why not?
- Is it possible for the Indian citizens (New Dehli in particular) to recover from the illnesses caused by stubble burning?
- Why do you think India’s government struggles to solve the country’s air pollution issues?