Table of Contents
Describe a Person You Know Who Loves to Grow Plants (e.g. vegetables/fruits/flowers etc.)
Cue card
You should say:
– Who this person is
– What he/she grows
– Where he/she grows them
– And explain why he/she enjoys growing plants
Sample answer 1
Gardening is becoming a very popular hobby in my country in recent years. I know many people who like to do gardening. However, today I am going to talk about my grandfather because I learnt about growing plants from him.
My grandfather started this hobby after retirement. He retired from China Agricultural University as a lecturer, so he had pretty good knowledge about plants. However, he never got much time, before retirement.
His house has a big backyard, so there is a lot of open space to grow plants. He started with flowers like roses and jasmine. Then he planted some fruit trees like apples, oranges, and pomegranates. Now, he has a kitchen garden, and he grows all his vegetables by himself.
There are a lot of pesticides and chemicals being used in farming nowadays. So, he doesn’t like to buy vegetables from the market. Although organically grown vegetables are also available in the market nowadays, their prices are too high currently. I also feel that the vegetables grown by him have a different taste. Maybe it is because instead of using chemicals, he uses kitchen waste as compost.
I guess I don’t have much of a green thumb，every year I plant cabbage, beans and sweet corn in my backyard but all I ever get is a lot of weeds. During corona time, however, I had a lot of free time and so I learnt a bit of gardening from my grandpa. That’s when I came to know about his love for gardening and how much knowledge he had. For example, he taught me how to safely and naturally deal with common pests, diseases, and weeds that can wreak havoc on the garden.
In the beginning, I started with just a few tomatos. But with grandpa’s guidence, now I can do really well in planting, caring for, and harvesting several kinds of vegetables. I guess this is the most fulfilling part for a gardener.
Sample answer 2
I wanna talk about my neighbour Teresa who’s keen on gardening and has inspired me to grow plants myself.
I first met her in the elevator in our apartment. She was reading a book, totally immersed in it that she forgot to push the button on the panel. So I asked her which floor she lived on. She said 6 and I realized we lived on the same floor. Out of curiosity, I asked her what she was reading, and she said the book is about indoor gardening. I told her I merely saw people grow vegetables on farmland, but I hardly knew how it could be done indoors.
I could see her face suddenly brightened and she started to introduce to me eagerly the concept and method of indoor gardening even after we stepped out of the elevator. That’s how we were introduced.
A few days later Teresa invited me to her home to take a visit of her indoor garden. There’s a big south-facing window in her sitting room by which she keeps her veggies. She told me that insufficient light is the major barrier to success in indoor gardening, so it’s important to select a spot that receives the strongest and most sustained sunlight.
Teresa grows a variety of veggies, including herbs like basil and parsley, which are common ingredients for many recipes and are also delightfully fragrant and pleasant to have at home. She also keeps green beans, spinach and arugula that can thrive indoors because they grow well even in partially shaded conditions.
After the visit, I was so inspired and decided to have a go at growing vegetables at home as well. I still remember vividly the moment the first seed I planted with my own hands popped up from dirt. It’s incredibly satisfying. For me, indoor gardening is an empowering pursuit that not only lowers my food bill but also engages my mind.
Part 3
1. Are there many people growing their own vegetables now?
Well, I think so. Before, there were only people in the countryside who grow their own veggies and fruits for sale. Because you know that was what they lived on right. But now more and more citizens start to grow those plants in their homes because of covid-19. You know people may be put in quarantine at any time and they may have no food to eat, just like people in Shanghai. So it’s getting popular these days for those City dwellers to grow their own food at their balconies such as growing onions and potatoes.
2. Do you think it’s good to let kids learn how to plant?
Sure, although some people may think that children should spend more time studying their subjects and planting skills are actually not helpful for their future career, I still think it’s beneficial for children if they learn something about planting. Because it can enable them to understand the nature better and get to appreciate
every single creature in life and try not to waste any food. Also, it can develop their practical skills and you know get some fun in the open air.
3. What do you think of the job of a farmer?
In the past, I thought farmers were not well educated and even illiterate, they had very harsh life because they needed to do the heavy farming work all day long and they had no chances to enjoy the urban entertainment. But now, I changed my mind. I think it’s not that bad to be a farmer because City life is so overwhelming and stressful. Living in the countries with animals is something that I’m dreaming of now. I can get away from all all the noise pollution and you know the bizarre human
beings in the city if I am a farmer who live in the countryside.
4. What are the differences between traditional and modern agriculture?
Well, economically modern agriculture is more profitable than the old one because of the advanced technology right. People nowadays can use many different machines to cut the crops or to process the raw materials. So, it’s more efficient.
Scientists also discover more techniques like hybrid crops to improve the yield. However, modern agriculture is not as environmental friendly as the traditional agriculture. Because people use more chemical fertilizers or pesticides, which would damage the soil. Also, nowadays people turn many Woodlands into Farmland. It will ruin the ecosystem and the biodiversity.
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Credits
Vocabulary: Cambridge Dictionary
Image : Photo by Filipp Romanovski on Unsplash
