The Reading / Listening - Farming - Level 1

The UK wants to change its farming industry. It will pay older farmers to retire. It wants more young farmers. Some older farmers could get $140,000 if they retire. The government wants to protect the environment. Older farmers use traditional methods to farm their land. These are not so environmentally friendly. The UK thinks younger farmers will use greener methods. It said older farmers were "standing in the way of change".

The average age of a UK farmer is 59. Around 40 per cent are over 65. The UK wants to help new farmers to reach their dream of farming land and help older farmers to retire. The plan is popular with older farmers. One farmers' group said 75 per cent of its farmers liked the plan. Another group said it wants to see a fair way for older farmers to retire. It wants older farmers to have enough time and information to make big life-changing decisions.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Farming - Level 0,  Farming - Level 2   or  Farming - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.thepigsite.com/news/2021/05/uk-government-publishes-consultation-on-paying-older-farmers-to-retire
  • https://www.thecattlesite.com/news/56944/uk-farming-groups-respond-to-lump-sum-exit-payment-consultation/
  • https://www.ft.com/content/4d4bbf25-97c4-498d-9772-80c0b165f52e


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. change its farming
  2. It wants more young
  3. farmers could get $140,000
  4. protect the
  5. Older farmers use traditional
  6. These are not so environmentally
  7. younger farmers will use
  8. standing in the
  1. if they retire
  2. greener methods
  3. methods
  4. way of change
  5. industry
  6. environment
  7. farmers
  8. friendly

Paragraph 2

  1. The average age of
  2. Around 40 per cent
  3. The UK wants
  4. reach
  5. The plan is popular
  6. farmers liked
  7. have enough time
  8. make big life-
  1. their dream
  2. and information
  3. with older farmers
  4. changing decisions
  5. the plan
  6. a UK farmer is 59
  7. are over 65
  8. to help new farmers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK wants (1) ___________________ farming industry. It will pay older (2) ___________________. It wants more young farmers. Some older farmers could get $140,000 if they retire. The government (3) ___________________ the environment. Older farmers use traditional (4) ___________________ their land. These are not so environmentally friendly. The UK thinks younger farmers will (5) ___________________. It said older farmers were "standing in the (6) ___________________".

The (7) ___________________ a UK farmer is 59. Around 40 per cent are over 65. The UK wants to help new (8) ___________________ their dream of farming land and help older farmers to retire. The (9) ___________________ with older farmers. One farmers' group said 75 per cent of its farmers (10) ___________________. Another group said it wants to see a fair way for older (11) ___________________. It wants older farmers to have enough time and information to make big (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKwantstochangeitsfarmingindustry.Itwillpayolderfarmerstore
tire.Itwantsmoreyoungfarmers.Someolderfarmerscouldget$140,0
00iftheyretire.Thegovernmentwantstoprotecttheenvironment.Olde
rfarmersusetraditionalmethodstofarmtheirland.Thesearenotsoenvi
ronmentallyfriendly.TheUKthinksyoungerfarmerswillusegreenerme
thods.Itsaidolderfarmerswere"standinginthewayofchange".Theave
rageageofaUKfarmeris59.Around40percentareover65.TheUKwants
tohelpnewfarmerstoreachtheirdreamoffarminglandandhelpolderfar
merstoretire.Theplanispopularwitholderfarmers.Onefarmers'group
said75percentofitsfarmerslikedtheplan.Anothergroupsaiditwantsto
seeafairwayforolderfarmerstoretire.Itwantsolderfarmerstohaveeno
ughtimeandinformationtomakebiglife-changingdecisions.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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