INSTITUCIN EDUCATIVA SAN VICENTE GRADO OCTAVO SEPTIEMBRE 26 DE 2011 THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

A. BEFORE YOU READ

The Industrial Revolution refers to the change from making products by hand to making them by machine. Look at the title of this article. What do you think the article will be about?

B. UNDERSTANDING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

In Lesson One you learned about two context clues: definitions and synonyms. There are also other types of context clues. Sometimes a new word looks like one you know. The "agricultural revolution" has mechanized farms. The verb mechanized is related to the adjective "mechanical." Can you guess what it means? Sometimes the new word can have only one logical meaning in the sentence. Computers help farmers decide what crops to plant. Even if you don't know the word crops, you know that they are something that farmers plant. Can you guess what crops means? Sometimes the article gives you examples of the word you don't know. Farmers raise chickens, pigs, cows, and other livestock. Can you guess what livestock means?

C. OTHER NEW WORDS

Before you read the article, you should know the meaning of these other new words. fertilizer insecticide hybrid hog grain

The Agricultural Revolution

1. On an old-time farm n America there were chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, and other livestock, but there were very few machines. Most of the work was done by the entire farm family with the help of a "hired hand." Sometimes extra laborers were needed in the busy seasons. Horses provided about 80 percent of the power used, human labor 15 percent, and machines only 6 percent. 2. Today all that has changed. Just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have undergone an "agricultural revolution." On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power. Modern farmers now have mechanized "hired hands" and keep horses only for pleasure. Besides developing new machinery, scientists and engineers have helped the farmer in many ways. For example, they have developed stronger fertilizers, more effective insecticides, and hybrid seeds which produce larger, tastier fruits and vegetables. Some farmers even have computers which help them use their resources more efficiently. As a result, the farms of today are able to produce much more food with the same amount of labor. (See graph 2) This means fewer but larger farms and fewer but more prosperous farmers. However, the agricultural revolution is not over. In the future, farmers will receive even greater benefits from science and technology. 3. One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. At the moment, only 1 to 5 percent of the nation's farms use computers, but many people believe that this number will grow to 25 percent in the next five years.

4. Many computer companies are developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for hog producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs tailored to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power. 5. Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real "mechanized hired hand" that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computeraided robots will make startling changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the bam, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete robotization of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used as early as 2020. 6. The use of advanced technology on the farm benefits everyone. Farmers of the future won't have to work as hard as those of the past, and scientific advances, which make farms more efficient, enable farmers to produce more food. In fact, while in 1900 the average American farm fed less than seven people, the average farm of today feeds more than 70. Who can tell how many people the farm of the year 2030 may feed?

UNDERSTANDING THE ARTICLE GETTING THE MAIN IDEA 1. How does the writer feel about the "agricultural revolution"? Does he or she think it is good or bad? Find statements in the reading to support your opinion. 2. Without looking back at the reading, name three ways in which science and technology are changing farm life. CHECKING THE FACTS Are the following statements true or false according to the article? 1. People were the main source of power on the old-time farm. 2. The modern farm is completely computerized. 3. Modern farmers don't keep horses. 4. There aren't as many farmers today as there were 100 years ago. 5. Farmers are richer than they were 100 years ago. 6. There are more farms than there were 100 years ago.

GRAPH 1

GRAPH 2

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Most farmers today use computers. All farmers can use the same kind of computer program. Students at agricultural colleges must take computer courses. Robots are very common on farms today. Robots help farmers make decisions. Farms of the future will produce more food because they will be more efficient.

READING CHARTS AND GRAPHS Answer the following questions about the graph 1. 1. What does this graph represent? 2. How many farms were there in 1900? 3. What was their average size? 4. How many farms were there in 1984? 5. What was their average size? Now answer these questions about the graph 2. 1. What do the horizontal numbers represent? 2. What do the vertical numbers represent? 3. What does the dotted line represent? 4. What years show the greatest amount of change?

920

1980

Now look back at paragraphs 1 and 2. Which of the graphs above represents the percentage of power provided by horses compared with the percentage of power provided by machines? MAKING INFERENCES 1. What is going to happen to the number of farmers in the next 50 years? 2. Why do only 1 to 5 percent of farmers use computers today? 3. Give an example of a "mechanized hired hand" used on today's farm. FOR DISCUSSION 1. The article lists the advantages of the mechanized farm. Do you think that there are any disadvantages? What are they? 2. Engineers are also developing robots that can be used at home. Would you like one? How might it change your life?

ANALYZING ORGANIZATION COMPARISON AND CONTRAST 1. The organization of the reading in the hrst lesson was chronological: First Dick Mallory did this, next he did this, then he did that, and so on. In this reading an old-time farm, a modern farm, and a farm of the future are compared and contrasted. Here are some comparative phrases which are used in the reading: more + adjective adjective + er Examples: more effective insecticides larger, tastier fruits and vegetables Notice the comparative phrase in paragraph 2: Fewer but larger farms When we want to use two comparative adjectives and one is negative and the other one is affirmative, we use but to show the contrast. Even more/less/fewer is used for emphasis. The farms of the future will be even more mechanized than the farms of today. There are other phrases which signal comparison: (not) as ... as Modern farmers don't work as hard as old-time farmers. more + noun Farmers produce more food than they used to. less + non-count noun Farm work takes less time than before. fewer + count noun There are fewer farmers today than 50 years ago. Just as is a phrase which shows similarity. Dave is a dairy farmer just as his father was. the same as/different from The farms of today are not the same as the farms of yesterday; The farms of tomorrow will be very different from the farms of today: Now look back at the reading and see how many of these expressions of comparison you can find. There are several other expressions which are often used when you are making comparisons and contrasts. These are: Although + dependent clause Although the modern farmer has many machines, he still works very hard. While + dependent clause While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power. However + independent clause In the past, farmers had to hire laborers to help them. However, on modern farms this is not necessary. Unlike + noun Unlike old-time farmers, modern farmers are often prosperous.

Now look back at the reading and see how many of these expressions you can find. PREPARING TO WRITE PRACTICING PUNCTUATION In the last lesson you learned that clauses introduced by some subordinating conjunctions are followed by commas when they begin a sentence. This is also true for the subordinating conjunctions although and while. Unlike, which is a preposition, also needs a comma when it begins a sentence. A prepositional phrase with unlike can be placed at the end of a sentence, but it is usually more effective at the beginning. However usually takes a comma whether it comes at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence. There are, however, some disadvantages to the agricultural revolution. However, there are some disadvantages to the agricultural revolution. There are some disadvantages to the agricultural revolution, however. Now complete these sentences and add commas where they are necessary. 1. Although_________________________ a farmer's life is not easy. 2. Most people are happy about technological changes. However____________________ 3. Unlike_____________________ farms of today depend on machines. 4. While ___________________will be easier some farmers are not looking forward to working with robots. REVIEWING STRUCTURES
1. Comparing Adjectives: More/-er and Less Do you remember when to use -er and when to use more to make a comparison with adjectives? 1. If the word has one syllable, use -er. 2. If the word has two syllables, use more unless the word ends in -y. (happy/happier) 3. If the word has more than two syllables, use more. It is also possible to use the word less when making comparisons with adjectives. Instead of saying, The farm of the future will be more mechanized than the farm of today.

You can say, Farms of today are less mechanized than farms of the future will be. When you have many comparative sentences it is good to use less sometimes, so that your writing will not be boring. Now look at this list of adjectives. Make sentences comparing old-time farms, modern farms, and farms of the future. Use more, -er, and less. prosperous effective tasty tired strong large busy efficient 2. Comparing Nouns When you compare nouns, it is important to know if the noun is countable or uncountable, because different quantifiers are used. more + countable/uncountable less + uncountable fewer + countable Now look at this list of nouns. Make sentences comparing old-time farms, modern farms, and farms of the future. Use more, less, and fewer. time laborers horses computers labor machinery

2. Parallelism in Comparative Structures

When we write sentences using comparative structures, it is important to make them parallel. That is, we must compare two things of the same kind. For example, look at this sentence: Farms of today are more mechanized than yesterday. This sentence is incorrect because you cannot compare farms with yesterday. You must say: Farms of today are more mechanized than farms of yesterday. Or Today's farms are more mechanized than yesterday's (farms). Look at the sentences below. Some of them have incorrect parallelism. Rewrite the incorrect sentences and correct the mistake. 1. Life on a modern farm is easier than an old-time farm. 2. Today's hybrid seeds produce better fruits and vegetables than yesterday. 3. Life on the farm is better than the city. 4. Modern farmers produce more food than farmers of 100 years ago. 5. Today, horses have to do less work than they did before. 6. Farms of the future will be larger than today.

WRITING Now write a composition of comparison and contrast on one of the topics below. Divide your composition into three paragraphs: one on the past, one on the present, and one on the future. Try to use the comparative expressions you have learned. Remember to use commas when necessary and make all your comparative sentences parallel. TOPICS Old-time schools, modern schools, and schools of the future. Old-time farms in your country, modern farms in your country, and farms of the future in your country. Leisure time 100 years ago, leisure time today, leisure time in the future.