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Password Reset A2+ B1 UT 3B
Password Reset A2+ B1 UT 3B
Reading
Read the text and choose the correct option A, B or C.
Between 12,000 and 22,000 years ago, humans learnt how to grow crops to feed the increasing population. As a
result, they stopped living as nomads and built the first cities. While those early cities grew from agriculture,
these days most food is grown far from population centres. Now though, tiny new farms called Personal Food
Computers (PFC) could change all that.
The PFC looks a lot like a fish tank without water or fish. Instead, inside you'll see vegetables or herbs
growing under purple LED lights and a computer that controls the air, humidity and temperature. It’s basically a
very small farm that is plugged into the water and electricity supply in any house, office or classroom. The
controlled environment inside the box allows you to recreate any climate in the world, and this affects the size,
colour and flavour of the plants. In other words, you will be able to grow Mexican chilli peppers, Valencia
oranges, French grapes or Greek olives in your very own home. Inventor Caleb Harper calls these environments
'digital climate recipes'.
Harper explains, "After you grow something, the computer saves that particular digital climate recipe. So,
for example, if you grow basil, you can then email the recipe to your friends and they will be able to grow exactly
the same basil, or start playing around with it.”
The computers are all connected to a network and the environmental information is saved in a database.
Once the database is properly up and running, it will have collected thousands, and eventually millions of climate
recipes that anyone can download and share. Harper's goal is to develop the database and network of PFCs so
anyone around the world will be able to either order a PFC kit online, or just download the instructions and build
their own.
He calls it 'open-source agriculture' and believes that in the future it will not only provide food, but also
create jobs and a new generation of young farmers familiar with digital technology. He sees a world with a billion
tiny farms connected in a sort of global agricultural democracy.
1 Why did early humans start living in cities? 4 What can you email to a friend?
A The population was increasing. A digital climate recipes
B They discovered agriculture. B herbs and spices
C Their farms were too small. C the PFC database
2 What does a PFC have inside? 5 What is the word ‘goal’ in Paragraph 4 closest
A water in meaning to?
B plants A exhibit
C fish B experiment
C purpose
3 What does the controlled environment allow
you to do? 6 What will open-source agriculture do?
A Make a plant that comes from different A Teach people new ways to grow crops.
countries. B Make the farms of the future smaller.
B Change the look and taste of plants. C Create a billion new jobs for people.
C Create recipes for cooking various foods.