יש לקרוא את הטקסט ולענות באנגלית על השאלות בחלק A (70 נקודות). אחר כך עונים על חלק אוצר המילים (30 נקודות). אין להשתמש במילון: רשימת המילים שמתחת לטקסט מסבירה את המילים הקשות. אפשר לענות במילים שלך, אלא אם השאלה מבקשת להעתיק מהטקסט.
Read the text and answer the questions in Part A in English (70 points). Then do the Vocabulary part (30 points). You may NOT use a dictionary; the word list under the text explains difficult words. Answer in your own words if the question does not ask for words from the text.
An interview with urban farmer Gal Mizrahi
On the roof of an old office building in central Tel Aviv, between air
conditioners and water tanks, there are rows of lettuce, basil and cherry
tomatoes. The farm belongs to Gal Mizrahi, 34, who left a job in banking
five years ago to grow vegetables in the city. We asked her about her
unusual career.
Q: Why did you decide to become a farmer in the middle of a city?
A: I was sitting in an office all day, and I felt completely
disconnected from nature. One day I read that most vegetables in our
supermarkets travel a long way before they reach us. I thought, why not grow
food right where people live?
Q: How is it possible to farm without soil?
A: We use a method called hydroponics. The plants grow in pipes, and
their roots sit in water that contains all the minerals they need. This
system uses up to ninety percent less water than a traditional field,
because the water goes round and round instead of disappearing into the
ground.
Q: Who buys your vegetables?
A: Mostly restaurants in the neighbourhood and families who order a
weekly box. Because the farm is so close, we can pick the lettuce in the
morning and deliver it the same day.
Q: What are the biggest challenges?
A: The heat in summer is a real problem, so we cover the plants with
shade nets. Also, roof space is expensive, and many building owners are
nervous about having a farm over their heads. It took me almost a year to
persuade the owner of this building. And of course, we can't grow
everything. Wheat or potatoes would need far too much space.
Q: Can urban farms really feed a city?
A: Honestly, no, not on their own. But that isn't the main point. Urban
farms reduce transport, they make cities greener and cooler, and they
reconnect people with their food. Every week, groups of schoolchildren visit
us. Many of them have never seen a tomato growing on a plant before. When
they taste one straight from the plant, their faces light up.
Q: What advice would you give young people who are interested?
A: Start small. A few pots of herbs on a windowsill can teach you a lot.
And don't be afraid of failing. I killed a lot of plants in my first year!
Exercices
Part A — Reading comprehension
Exercice 1
Where is Gal Mizrahi's farm? Choose the correct answer. (lines 1–5)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : D On the roof of an old office building in Tel Aviv.
Exercice 2
Why did Gal decide to become a farmer in the city? Give TWO reasons. (lines 7–10)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|She sat in an office all day and felt completely disconnected from nature; She read that most supermarket vegetables travel a long way, so she wanted to grow food where people live.}}
Exercice 3
Complete the table about hydroponics. (lines 12–16)
Where do the plants grow? — ____
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : Where do the plants grow? — In pipes
Exercice 4
Complete the table about hydroponics. (lines 12–16)
What do the roots sit in? — ___
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|In water that contains all the minerals they need}}
Exercice 5
Complete the table about hydroponics. (lines 12–16)
How much water does it use compared with a field? — ___
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|Up to ninety percent less water}}
Exercice 6
Why does hydroponics use less water than a traditional field? (lines 14–16)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|Because the water goes round and round instead of disappearing into the ground.}}
Exercice 7
Gal sells her vegetables mainly to supermarkets.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : Faux · “Mostly restaurants in the neighbourhood and families who order a weekly box”
Exercice 8
It was easy for Gal to find a roof for her farm.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : Faux · “It took me almost a year to persuade the owner of this building”
Exercice 9
Gal believes that urban farms cannot feed a city on their own.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : Vrai · “Honestly, no, not on their own”
Exercice 10
What are TWO challenges of farming on a roof? (lines 22–26)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|The heat in summer (they need shade nets); Roof space is expensive / building owners are nervous about a farm over their heads / some crops (wheat, potatoes) need too much space.}}
Exercice 11
According to Gal, what are THREE benefits of urban farms? (lines 28–30)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|They reduce transport; They make cities greener and cooler; They reconnect people with their food.}}
Exercice 12
Answer the questions.
When the schoolchildren taste a tomato, "their faces light up" (line 32). What does this show about the children?
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|They are surprised and happy / excited; it is a new experience for them.}}
Exercice 13
Answer the questions.
Would you like to grow vegetables at home or at school? Give TWO reasons.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : {{en|Personal answer: two clear reasons that fit the question, for example fresh food, learning about nature, saving money / or not: no space, no time.}}
Part B — Vocabulary
Exercice 14
Complete each sentence with a word from the box. There are more words than you need
Words: harvest · rural · pollution · fresh · soil
We pick the apples in autumn, and the ____ usually takes two weeks.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : We pick the apples in autumn, and the harvest usually takes two weeks.
Exercice 15
Complete each sentence with a word from the box. There are more words than you need
Words: harvest · rural · pollution · fresh · soil
Life in ____ areas is usually quieter than life in the city.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : Life in rural areas is usually quieter than life in the city.
Exercice 16
Complete each sentence with a word from the box. There are more words than you need
Words: harvest · rural · pollution · fresh · soil
There is so much traffic that air ____ is a serious problem in big cities.
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : There is so much traffic that air pollution is a serious problem in big cities.
Exercice 17
Choose the answer closest in meaning to the word in the text “persuade” (line 25)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : B convince
Exercice 18
Choose the answer closest in meaning to the word in the text “reduce” (line 29)
Voir la réponse et le corrigé
Réponse : A make less