Farmers are using nets to help grow fruits. Nets can protect fruits from problems like insects and bad weather. They can also help farmers use fewer chemicals that can harm the environment.
Nets are not new. They have been used to grow vegetables for a long time. But now, farmers are using them for fruits too. Some nets protect fruits from hail, while others keep insects away. But, nets can also keep bees away, and bees help fruits grow. Farmers can open the nets at certain times to let bees in, or they can use them after the bees have helped the fruits.
Nets are used a lot in France and Italy to grow apples. They help with insects and make the fruit better. Some nets can even change the light that reaches the plants, which can make the fruit grow bigger and more colorful.
But nets are not perfect. They are not good for all kinds of farms, and they are often made of plastic, which is not good for the environment. Some companies are making nets from other materials, like plants. These new nets can break down and are better for the Earth.
In the future, nets may be used more to help grow fruits. They can help protect the environment and make better fruits for people to eat.
Original news source: Fruit producers turn to nets for better crops (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Fruit Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the students into two teams. Have one student from each team come up to the board and draw a fruit mentioned in the article (e.g., apple). The first team to correctly guess the fruit gets a point. Repeat with different students and fruits.
– Mime the Action
Instructions: Write several actions related to the article on small pieces of paper (e.g., picking fruit, putting a net on a tree, opening the net for bees). Have a student pick a paper and mime the action without speaking. The other students must guess the action in English. Repeat with different students and actions.
– Nets and Fruits Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down words related to the article on pieces of paper (e.g., farmer, net, insect, hail, bees). Have one student from each team pick a word and act it out without speaking. The team that guesses the word first earns a point. Continue with different students and words.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What do farmers use nets for?
2. What problems can nets protect fruits from?
3. What did farmers use nets for before fruits?
4. Why do nets sometimes keep bees away?
5. What can farmers do to let bees help the fruits?
6. In which countries are nets used a lot to grow apples?
7. What is not good about nets being made of plastic?
8. What are some new nets made from that is better for the Earth?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Farmers are using nets to help grow fruits. Nets can protect fruits from problems like insects and bad (1)______. They can also help farmers use fewer chemicals that can harm the environment.
Nets are not new. They have been used to grow vegetables for a long time. But now, farmers are using them for fruits too. Some nets protect fruits from hail, while others keep insects away. But, nets can also keep bees away, and bees help fruits grow. Farmers can open the nets at certain times to let bees in, or they can use them after the bees have helped the fruits.
Nets are used a lot in France and Italy to grow (2)______. They help with insects and make the fruit better. Some nets can even change the (3)______ that reaches the plants, which can make the fruit grow bigger and more colorful.
But nets are not perfect. They are not good for all kinds of (4)______, and they are often made of plastic, which is not good for the environment. Some companies are making nets from other materials, like plants. These new nets can break down and are better for the Earth.
In the future, nets may be used more to help grow fruits. They can help protect the environment and make better fruits for people to (5)______.
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Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Do you like to eat fruits?
2. What is your favorite fruit?
3. Have you seen a farm with nets?
4. What do nets protect fruits from?
5. Are nets good for the environment?
6. Do you know why bees are important for fruits?
7. Can you name a fruit that grows in France or Italy?
8. How can nets help fruits grow bigger and more colorful?
9. What are some problems with using nets on farms?
10. Can nets be made from plants?
11. Do you think using nets is a good idea?
12. How can nets make fruits better?
13. Do you like to eat apples?
14. Would you like to try fruits that grow with nets?
15. What can farmers do to help the environment?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. insects
2. environment
3. vegetables
4. hail
5. bees
6. apples
7. plastic
8. Earth
Shuffled Meanings:
A) Bugs that can fly or crawl
B) The world we live on
C) The air, water, and land around us where plants and animals live
D) Plants that people eat, like carrots and lettuce
E) Small, round pieces of ice that fall from the sky
F) Flying insects that help flowers and fruits grow
G) A type of material that does not break down easily and can be harmful
H) A type of fruit that is red, green, or yellow and can be eaten
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why are farmers using nets to grow fruits?
(a) to catch fish
(b) to protect fruits from insects and bad weather
(c) to make the fruits look pretty
(d) to play games
2. What can nets help farmers use less of?
(a) water
(b) soil
(c) chemicals
(d) sunlight
3. What have nets been used for in the past?
(a) growing vegetables
(b) making clothes
(c) building houses
(d) catching animals
4. What can nets keep away from fruits?
(a) water
(b) sunlight
(c) bees
(d) soil
5. Where are nets used a lot to grow apples?
(a) China
(b) France and Italy
(c) Brazil
(d) United States
6. What can some nets change for the plants?
(a) the soil
(b) the water
(c) the temperature
(d) the light
7. What is a problem with nets being made of plastic?
(a) they are too heavy
(b) they are too expensive
(c) they are not good for the environment
(d) they are too small
8. What are some companies making nets from?
(a) metal
(b) glass
(c) plants
(d) wood
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True or False Questions:
1. Farmers use nets to grow fruits.
2. Nets are bad for fruits.
3. Nets can help farmers use fewer chemicals.
4. Nets are only used for vegetables.
5. Bees can help fruits grow.
6. Nets are always made of plastic.
7. Nets can change the light that reaches the plants.
8. In the future, nets may be used less to help grow fruits.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What are farmers using to keep fruits safe from insects and bad weather?
2. Are nets new or have they been used for a long time?
3. How can nets help with the growth of fruits?
4. Which countries use nets to grow apples?
5. Are nets perfect for all kinds of farms? Why or why not?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What do farmers use nets for?
Farmers use nets to help grow fruits and protect them from problems.
2. What problems can nets protect fruits from?
Nets can protect fruits from insects and bad weather.
3. What did farmers use nets for before fruits?
Farmers used nets for growing vegetables before using them for fruits.
4. Why do nets sometimes keep bees away?
Nets keep bees away because they cover the fruits and block the bees.
5. What can farmers do to let bees help the fruits?
Farmers can open the nets at certain times or use them after bees help the fruits.
6. In which countries are nets used a lot to grow apples?
Nets are used a lot in France and Italy to grow apples.
7. What is not good about nets being made of plastic?
Plastic nets are not good for the environment because they do not break down.
8. What are some new nets made from that is better for the Earth?
Some new nets are made from plants, which are better for the Earth because they can break down.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. weather
2. apples
3. light
4. farms
5. eat
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. insects
Answer: A) Bugs that can fly or crawl
2. environment
Answer: C) The air, water, and land around us where plants and animals live
3. vegetables
Answer: D) Plants that people eat, like carrots and lettuce
4. hail
Answer: E) Small, round pieces of ice that fall from the sky
5. bees
Answer: F) Flying insects that help flowers and fruits grow
6. apples
Answer: H) A type of fruit that is red, green, or yellow and can be eaten
7. plastic
Answer: G) A type of material that does not break down easily and can be harmful
8. Earth
Answer: B) The world we live on
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why are farmers using nets to grow fruits?
Answer: (b) to protect fruits from insects and bad weather
2. What can nets help farmers use less of?
Answer: (c) chemicals
3. What have nets been used for in the past?
Answer: (a) growing vegetables
4. What can nets keep away from fruits?
Answer: (c) bees
5. Where are nets used a lot to grow apples?
Answer: (b) France and Italy
6. What can some nets change for the plants?
Answer: (d) the light
7. What is a problem with nets being made of plastic?
Answer: (c) they are not good for the environment
8. What are some companies making nets from?
Answer: (c) plants
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Farmers use nets to grow fruits.
Answer: True
2. Nets are bad for fruits.
Answer: False
3. Nets can help farmers use fewer chemicals.
Answer: True
4. Nets are only used for vegetables.
Answer: False
5. Bees can help fruits grow.
Answer: True
6. Nets are always made of plastic.
Answer: False
7. Nets can change the light that reaches the plants.
Answer: True
8. In the future, nets may be used less to help grow fruits.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧
