( Изучающее чтение )

Farm machinery, mechanical devices, including tractors and implements, are used in farming to save labor. Farm machines include a great variety of devices with a wide range of complexity: from simple hand-held implements used since prehistoric times to the complex harvesters of modern mechanized agriculture.

The operations of farming for which machines are used are diverse. For crop production they include handling of residues from previous crops; primary and secondary tillage of the soil; fertilizer distribution and application; seeding, planting, and transplanting; cultivation; pest control; harvesting; transportation; storage; premarketing processing; drainage; irrigation and erosion control; and water conservation.

    Agricultural implements and machines being very numerous and diversified now may be divided into 4 main groups: tillage equipment, planting equipment, fertilizing equipment, harvesting equipment.

    The primary tillage equipment used by the farmer includes plows, sub-soilers, and thinners. The secondary tillage equipment embraces harrows, rollers and tools for mulching and fallowing.

    There are several types of cultivators designed for special crops and conditions: beet and bean cultivators, lister cultivators, rotary hoe cultivators, rod weeders, field cultivators, sub-soil and chisel cultivators.

    Planting equipment is classified as row-crop planters, broad-cast planters, grain drills and planting attachments for other equipment.

    Applying such types of fertilizers as barnyard manure, granular fertilizers, and fertilizers in liquid and gaseous form is necessary where soils are deficient in plant food elements. Such fertilizing equipment as manure spreaders, fertilizer distributors, sprayers are in use.

    Crops are harvested by the use of many kinds of harvesting equipment for all types of crops. The principal machines required to make hay are mowers, rakes, balers. Grain and all types of seed crops are harvested by combine harvesters. Beet harvesters are available to harvest beet, potato harvesters and diggers being for potatoes.

Livestock production, which not so long ago depended primarily on the pitchfork and scoop shovel, now uses many complicated and highly sophisticated machines for handling water, feed, bedding, and manure, as well as for the many special operations involved in producing milk and eggs.

    The tractor is the most important machine pulling many kinds of implements that cultivate, plant, fertilize, and harvest. Wheeled tractors being used for general farm work, track-laying tractors or crawlers have the great advantage as they can be available for heavy loads on any class of land.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

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(А ) Exercise 1. What parts of speech do these words belong to? Classify the words into the following groups: NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, VERBS.

    Complex, complexity, distribution, fertilize, plow, sub-soiler, primary, planter, distributer, gaseous, attachment, cultivator, digger, pull, sprayer, crawler, harvest, available, principal, planting, diversified, feed.

(A) Exercise 2. Find in the text word combinations built on the model Adj+N, corresponding to the Russian phrases:

    Сельскохозяйственные машины, первичная обработка почвы, последующая обработка почвы, механические устройства, механизированное сельское хозяйство, предпродажная обработка, почвообрабатывающее оборудование, посевное оборудование, уборочные машины, гранулированные удобрения, современные (сложноустроенные) машины, колесный трактор, гусеничный трактор.

(B) Exercise 3. Match the word in A and its synonym in B.

(B) Exercise 4. Match the verbs in A with nouns in B.

(B)Exercise 5. Complete these world-building tables.

(C)Exercise 6. Write down sentences of your own using new word combinations.

· a great variety of devices

· simple hand-held implements

· complex harvesters

· applying fertilizers

· complicated and highly sophisticated machines

· wheeled tractors

· track-laying tractors

· have an advantage

·

TEXT STUDY

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(A)Exercise 1. Find the adjectives in the text which are used with the following words or phrases:

(А ) Exercise 2. Match the columns.

(A) Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions.

1. Farm machines include a great variety of devices … a wide range … complexity.

2. Agricultural implements and machines now may be divided … 4 main groups.

3. There are several types … cultivators designed … special crops and conditions.

4. Such fertilizing equipment as manure spreaders, fertilizer distributors, sprayers are … use.

5. Crops are harvested … the use of many kinds … harvesting equipment.

6. Livestock production now uses many complicated and sophisticated machines … handling water, feed, bedding, and manure.

7. Wheeled tractors are used … general farm work.

8. Crawlers have the great advantage as they can be available … heavy loads … any class of land.

(B) Exercise 4. Complete each sentence with the appropriate word: a, b, c.

1. The operations of crop production include:

a) handling water, feed, bedding, and manure.

b) tillage of the soil, fertilizers application, planting, cultivation, harvesting, transportation, storage, premarketing processing.

c) saving labor and doing general farm work.

2. Primary and secondary tillage equipment includes:

a) simple hand-held implements.

b) mowers, rakes, balers.

c) plows, sub-soilers, thinners, harrows, rollers and tools for mulching and fallowing.

3. Planting equipment embraces:

a) manure spreaders, fertilizer distributors, sprayers.

b) row-crop planters, broad-cast planters, grain drills and planting attachments for other equipment.

c) beet and bean cultivators, lister cultivators, rotary hoe cultivators, rod weeders, field cultivators, sub-soil and chisel cultivators.

4. Farmers use such fertilizing equipment as:

a) manure spreaders, fertilizer distributors, sprayers.

b) wheeled and track laying tractors.

c) combine harvesters, beet harvesters, potato harvesters and diggers.

5. Crops are harvested by the use of:

a) complicated and highly sophisticated machines.

b) a great variety of devices with a wide range of complexity.

c) mowers, rakes, balers, combine harvesters, beet harvesters, potato harvesters.

(B,C) Exercise 5. Match the words with the definitions below.