Pre-reading questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What crops are abundant in your country?
- What is your idea of a rooftop farm?
Vocabulary
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- import /im-PAWRT/
- resources /REE-sohrsiz/
- run /ruhn/
- harvest /HAHR-vist/
- commercial /kuh-MUR-shuhl/
[verb] – to buy or bring in products from another country
We import a lot of cars from Japan.
[noun] – things of value such as money or possessions that you can use when you need them
We lack the resources necessary to update our computer software.
[verb] – to be in control of something
He has been running a restaurant since graduating from university.
[verb] – to pick and collect crops, or to collect plants, animals, or fish to eat
Farmers sort vegetables after harvesting them.
[noun] – related to making money by buying and selling things
The company’s commercial future looks great.
Article reading
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
The Singaporean government has started renting out rooftop farms in 2020 as part of its initiatives to increase domestic food production. Currently, the country imports more than 90 percent of its food. At least a dozen of these rooftop farms have now popped up throughout the city state in Southeast Asia. “Food security is an existential issue for Singapore. As a globally connected small city-state with limited resources, Singapore is vulnerable to external shocks and supply disruptions. This is why it is important that we continuously take steps to secure our essential resources,” a Singapore Food Agency (SFA) spokesperson says.
Urban farmer Eyleen Goh runs a farm from the top deck of a parking garage. “We are harvesting every day. Depending on the vegetables we are growing, it can range from 100kg to 200kg to 400kg per day,” says Goh. However, because Singapore real estate is among the most expensive in the world, rooftop farmers are looking for alternative income sources. One farmer claims to have made a profit by charging guests a monthly fee to pick vegetables at his urban farm. He claims that because “it is a community kind of approach, rather than a commercial approach”, local families really enjoy the idea.
Urban farmer Eyleen Goh runs a farm from the top deck of a parking garage. “We are harvesting every day. Depending on the vegetables we are growing, it can range from 100kg to 200kg to 400kg per day,” says Goh. However, because Singapore real estate is among the most expensive in the world, rooftop farmers are looking for alternative income sources. One farmer claims to have made a profit by charging guests a monthly fee to pick vegetables at his urban farm. He claims that because “it is a community kind of approach, rather than a commercial approach”, local families really enjoy the idea.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Why has the Singaporean government started renting out rooftop farms?
- What percentage of its food does Singapore import?
- How many rooftop farms have appeared in Singapore?
- Where does Eyleen Goh run her farm?
- How has one farmer achieved financial success?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Are there many farms in your country? Please tell me more about them.
- What types of crops are grown in your country?
- If given the chance, would you like to own a rooftop farm? Why or why not?
- Are rooftop farms effective in increasing food production?
- Aside from rooftop farms, what else can the government do to increase food production in a country with expensive land?