Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. fertile
    • ex. Fertile soil is good for planting crops, like rice and corn.
  2. urbanization
    • ex. Urbanization has changed the quiet town into a busy place.
  3. band together
    • ex. Neighbors are banding together to help each other during the storm.
  4. self-sustaining
    • ex. The village became self-sustaining by growing its own food and solar power for energy.
  5. irrigation
    • ex. The farm needs irrigation because it doesn’t rain often.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Chinampas are man-made floating gardens in Mexico City, created by the Aztecs using fertile mud from a lake. These gardens have fed people for hundreds of years, but urbanization now threatens them. Many farmers are abandoning chinampas because people don’t want to buy their products anymore. Instead, they sell or rent their land for more profitable uses like soccer fields.

Some farmers, like Cassandra Garduño, are banding together to preserve the chinampas. They use traditional farming methods while finding new ways to promote their products, such as adding special labels that tell buyers the product came from a chinampa. Experts say the gardens are self-sustaining. They produce a lot of crops a year even without chemicals or irrigation. They also help the city by reducing temperatures and supporting different kinds of birds and fish.

However, soccer fields are replacing the chinampas. In recent years, more soccer fields have appeared, and many owners are turning their land into businesses. Soccer fields cause environmental damage, as chemicals used on them harm the area. The chinampas are an important part of Mexico City’s history, so farmers work hard to protect them.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Urbanization

  • Do you think urbanization is good or bad? Why? Discuss.
  • What do you think about turning green spaces, like parks or gardens, into commercial areas? Discuss.
  • Do you think urbanization and a healthy environment can exist together? Why or why not? Discuss.

Chinampas

  • Chinampas are man-made floating gardens that have fed people for hundreds of years. How important are such gardens that feed people in the community? Discuss.
  • Experts say the gardens are self-sustaining. What do you think are the advantages of a self-sustaining garden or farm? Discuss.
  • Farmers are banding together to preserve chinampas by using traditional farming methods. Do you think traditional farming methods are better than modern ones? Why or why not? Discuss.