Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Does your country prioritize agriculture? Please elaborate on your answer.
- Why does labor shortage happen?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- lead to /leed too/
- imported /im-PAWRT-id/
- seasonal /SEE-zuh-nl/
- reduction /ri-DUHK-shuhn/
- supply /suh-PLAHY/
[phrasal verb] – if an action or event leads to something, it causes that thing to happen or exist
Reducing speed limits should lead to fewer accidents on the road.
[adjective] – (of goods or services) brought into a country from abroad for sale
The imported cigarettes were bought by my dad.
[adjective] – relating to or happening during a particular period in the year
Seasonal changes require adaptations on the part of animals.
[noun] – the act of making something, or of something becoming, smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.
This price reduction is due to competition among suppliers.
[noun] – an amount of something that is available for use
Our food supply, at last, gave out.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Members of Parliament (MPs) have warned that chronic labor shortages in the agricultural and farming industries could lead to price hikes and a greater reliance on imported food in the UK. According to a study by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Committee, COVID and Brexit had a big impact on the sector. Ministers should make it simpler for competent personnel to speak in English, and the seasonal worker visa program should be expanded, according to MPs. The DEFRA has stated that it will continue to collaborate with the industry.
In the food and farming sector, a sharp reduction in offshore labor resulted in more than half a million job openings last year, out of a workforce of four million. Due to a lack of qualified butchers and abattoir workers, 35,000 pigs intended for sausages, bacon, and chops were incinerated or rendered, turning them to fat. When a shortage of labor and Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers threatened the supply of Christmas turkeys, the government intervened and set up a temporary immigration system. According to the committee, industry members had been warning the government since April 2021, and this was too little, too late. Animal welfare, food security, and worker mental health all suffer as a result.
In the food and farming sector, a sharp reduction in offshore labor resulted in more than half a million job openings last year, out of a workforce of four million. Due to a lack of qualified butchers and abattoir workers, 35,000 pigs intended for sausages, bacon, and chops were incinerated or rendered, turning them to fat. When a shortage of labor and Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers threatened the supply of Christmas turkeys, the government intervened and set up a temporary immigration system. According to the committee, industry members had been warning the government since April 2021, and this was too little, too late. Animal welfare, food security, and worker mental health all suffer as a result.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What do the MPs worry about?
- Based on the article, what should be expanded?
- What does DERFA stand for?
- How many pigs intended for sausages, bacon, and chops were incinerated?
- Who has been warning the government since April 2021 about the labor shortages?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you worked on a project where there was a shortage of workers? Could you tell me something about it?
- Does your country import products? Please expand your answer.
- If you had the authority, how would you address the problem of labor shortage?
- Do you agree with the reformation?
- Why is agriculture important? Please elaborate on your answer.