UNIT 2: LIFE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
A. PHONETICS
I. Fill in each blank with /bl/ or /cl/ to complete the word.
1. ____anket 6. ____imb 11. pro____em
2. ____imate 7. ____ast 12. ____og
3. ____ow 8. ____othes 13. ____oud
4. ____ay 9. ____ackboard 14. in____ude
5. ____ossom 10. ____assical 15. ta____et
II. Choose a /bl/or /cl/ word from part I to complete each sentence.
1. The workers burned ________ to make bricks.
2. She listens to ________ music for relaxation.
3. Let her ________ out the candles and make a wish.
4. The teacher told us to look at the ________.
5. ________ and weather affect every aspect of our life.
6. An icy ________ of wind is sweeping over the farm.
7. The apricot trees are in full ________ this spring.
8. The kid tried to ________ the ladders, but he couldn’t.
9. I don’t think it will rain as there’s not any dark ________ in the sky.
10. They like to read news on a ________ instead of a traditional paper.
B. VOCABULARY
I. Fill in the blanks with the verbs or phrasal verbs from the box.
ride dry collect load put up pick run around fly feed herd
1. There isn’t really enough wind to ________ a kite today.
2. He and I have a common interest: we both ________ postcards.
3. Go into the garden and ________ some oranges, will you?
4. Sylvie learned to ________ a bike when she was six.
5. My classmate and I ________ the posters on the classroom wall.
6. Jonathan sometimes uses a motorbike to ________ the sheep.
7. The children usually ________ on the playground kicking a ball.
8. Every Sunday she went to the park to ________ the ducks.
9. Porters ________ and unload cargo ships at harbours.
10. Mrs Cohen put all the wet clothes on the line to ________.
II. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences.
1. We were enjoying a ________ moment by the lake when some campers passed by. (quiet/ noisy)
2. I love the ________ pace of life and pleasant environment in the countryside. (slow/ fast)
3. That ________ island is inhabited only by birds and small animals. (urban/ remote)
4. Eddy feels a moment of ________ happiness when he flies a kite. (normal/ unforgettable)
5. The flowers are ________ and the scenery is magnificent. (colourless/ colourful)
6. It was ________ of him to ride a horse when he was still a child. (brave/ afraid)
7. Peter finds it quite ________ to sit in the room all day doing nothing. (boring/ interesting)
1
8. All the grapes are ripening, and the apple trees are ________ with fruit. (light/ heavy)
9. This mountainous area is entirely covered in ________ jungle. (sparse/ dense)
10. He spent a ________ afternoon by the river, reading a novel. (peaceful/ crowded)
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. ________ field is a field planted with rice growing in water.
A. Paddy B. Grass C. Pasture D. Wheat
2. After harvesting rice, the farmers often ________ it in the sunlight.
A. collect B. water C. dry D. pick
3. Have you ever seen people collecting honey from ________?
A. beehives B. beekeepers C. honeymoons D. beeswax
4. The farmers made a lot of stacks of ________ to feed the cattle in winter.
A. vegetables B. food C. seed D. hay
5. ________ products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are available there.
A. Salty B. Sugary C. Dairy D. Creamy
6. We can talk loudly at my place without ________ others.
A. satisfying B. disturbing C. confusing D. exciting
7. His neighbours helped him ________ a cattle station outside his house.
A. grow B. put up C. load D. herd
8. The farm has a ________ expanse of grassland for us to play football.
A. vast B. short C. limited D. narrow
9. My cousin rode the bike ________ through the narrow soil paths.
A. healthily B. skilfully C. exactly D. hardly
10. They got about 30 million tons of grain at the end of the ________ season.
A. planting B. watering C. fertilising D. harvesting
IV. Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. You can get a knowledge of the ________ industry from text books. (farm)
2. I slept very ________ last night - the bed was really comfortable. (sound)
3. Agricultural modernization is the requirement of the ________ of rural areas. (urbanise)
4. His ________ lifestyle may make it difficult for him to establish close friendships. (nomad)
5. The ________ were very hospitable to anyone who passed through. (village)
6. Isabella seems ________ at first, but she’s really very nice. (friend)
7. Camellia’s parents are very liberal and allow her a lot of ________. (free)
8. It was a great ________ to have the doctor living near us. (convenient)
9. The island had no ________ water, electricity, fans, radio or telephone. (run)
10. The child was mentioned in a report on television for his ________. (brave)
C. GRAMMAR
I. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentences.
1. Horses, mountain bikes and feet work ________ on grasslands. (good/ well)
2. Agriculture is still based on ________ methods in some countries. (traditional/ traditionally)
3. The ________ populated provinces present a different economic picture. (dense/ densely)
2
4. He is very ________ - he often buys things for other people. (generous/ generously)
5. The village is ________ situated in a quiet spot near the river. (beautiful/ beautifully)
6. Our house is very central, so we can ________ get to theatres and cinemas. (easy/ easily)
7. They have replanted many areas with rare and ________ plants. (unusual/ unusually)
8. She ________ ran down the stairs to greet her cousins. (excited/ excitedly)
9. The Thompson left their homeland and looked for a ________ place to stay. (permanent/
permanently)
10. Some reporters spoke ________ about rural development. (optimistic/ optimistically)
II. Supply the comparative form of the words in brackets. Add “than” where necessary.
1. Average incomes in rural areas are rising ________ those in the city. (slow)
2. The conditions they’re living in are ________ we thought. (bad)
3. Your book looks ________ mine: can I borrow it for some days? (interesting)
4. The evening in the countryside is often ________ that in the city. (peaceful)
5. Many families in the suburbs are ________ the ones you meet in the urban. (happy)
6. With the help of technology we can live ________ ever before. (convenient)
7. Watching football is one of Britain’s top leisure activities, even ________ eating out. (popular)
8. Henderson said that he could run ________ anybody else in the class. (fast)
9. This year’s harvest season seems to come a week ________ usual. (early)
10. All these students are good, but some work ________ others. (hard)
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. This year’s exam was much ________ than last year’s.
A. the harder B. harder C. more hardly D. more hard
2. The growth rate of rice farms is ________ that of corn farms this year.
A. higher more than B. high more than
C. more higher than D. higher than
3. I think living in the city is ________ living in the countryside.
A. more expensive than B. expensive more than
C. as expensive more than D. more than expensive
4. Our house in the town looks ________ than their house in the country.
A. moderner B. more moderner
C. more modern D. modern
5. The development of cities happens ________ than that of the countryside.
A. more rapidly B. much rapidly
C. more rapid D. more rapidly as
6. We could go back to the days when life was ________ it is today.
A. slower than B. slowlier than C. slower D. more slowly
7. I think you’ll find going fishing ________ than playing mobile games.
A. more relaxing much B. much more relaxing
C. more much relaxing D. much relaxing more
8. My parents’ farm is very big, but my uncle’s is even ________.
A. more bigger B. more big C. bigger than D. bigger
9. Doing shopping in the countryside is ________ that in cities.
3
A. the least convenient B. less conveniently than
C. less convenient than D. least conveniently
10. Adding fertilizer to the soil will help the plants to grow ________.
A. more quick B. quicklier C. more quickly D. quickly more
IV. Choose the underlined part that needs correcting.
1. He feels more happily there than in a crowded and noisy city.
A B C D
2. When spring comes, we enjoy to pick flowers on the hill near our house.
A B C D
3. I think nomad life isn’t easy because people have to move very often.
A B C D
4. It’s not always true that living in the city is better than live in the countryside.
A B C D
5. We helped them load the rice onto buffalo-draw carts and transport it home.
A B C D
6. Will you help me putting up a tent when our school goes camping next month?
A B C D
7. Their village had no running water, so they collected water to the stream.
A B C D
8. Kelvin was very kind and he acted more responsible than anyone in the class.
A B C D
9. I lived happily in the farm and there was still more much to explore.
A B C D
10. Which activity do you like most, herding a buffalo or riding a horse?
A B C D
D. SPEAKING
I. Match the sentences.
1. How was your stay in the countryside? a. Yes, they are.
2. Look at the clear blue sky. b. Their harvest time is in December.
3. What did you do during your vacation? c. Why don’t you like it?
4. The apricot tree is in full bloom. d. It was pleasant during the day but a little
boring at night.
5. Are people in the countryside more optimistic e. And its blossoms look lovely in the sun.
than those in the city? f. So villagers can now use electrical appliances.
6. Country life doesn’t excite me at all. g. No, I haven’t. But I’d like to.
7. When is their harvest time? h. What a beautiful sky it is today!
8. Rice is now transported home on trucks. i. Yes, but it used to be put on animal-drawn
9. The village has electricity now. carts in the past.
10. Have you ever ridden a horse? j. Lots of things.
II. Complete the conversation with the sentences from the box.
4
Where did you spend it?
And I took many photos, but they're not here now.
It's peaceful and quiet, isn't it?
My uncle's farm isn't too big but it has many things I like.
Do you want to join me next time?
What did you do there?
I promise I'll invite you when I get there again.
Which activity do you like most?
Lucas: Hi, Minh. How was your vacation? (1) __________________________________
Minh: Hi, Lucas. It was great. I went to my uncle’s farm in the Mekong Delta to pay a visit.
Lucas: (2) __________________________________
Minh: A lot of things. My cousins and I enjoyed going fishing, herding cattle, flying a kite, picking
fruit...
Lucas: Sounds great! (3) __________________________________
Minh: Well, it’s hard to say. Each activity gave me a different feeling. But I like the surroundings
and environment there.
Lucas: (4) __________________________________
Minh: Yes, it is. It’s not so noisy and busy as in the city. Fresh air and vast green fields make me
feel very relaxed. (5) __________________________________
Lucas: What are the things you like about your uncle’s farm?
Minh: Paddy field, fish pond, and fruit orchard... What a beautiful scenery! (6)
_________________
__________________________________
Lucas: Wow! I wish I could see it with my own eyes.
Minh: Oh, you can totally do that. (7) _________________________________
Lucas: Yes, I do. I really want to visit some place like your uncle’s farm.
Minh: (8) _________________________________It may be after this school year.
Lucas: Thank you very much. You’re so kind.
Minh: Never mind.
E. READING
I. Read the passage and decide whether the statements are TRUE or FALSE.
When I was young, I used to spend the summer on my grandparents’ farm. I loved those days, so
carefree and enjoyable. There were so many things to do and to see that I was never bored. I would get
up at sunrise and go for a walk around a meadow. I had a dog and together we wandered while the rest
of the world was sleeping.
In the morning my grandmother fed the chickens and other farm animals and my grandfather
turned out the cattle. Then together we went to a field to reap the harvest. We usually worked in the
field until lunchtime but when it was too hot to work I picked currants, raspberries or fruit in the
garden or went for a walk to a nearby forest and looked for birds’ nests. Later in the afternoon I would
often go swimming or fishing in the river. When I felt lazy, I just lay in the sun and watched the birds
and animals again and collect chickens’ eggs. I even learned to milk the cows and I was very proud of
myself. My grandparents had a barn behind the house, and I used to spend the night there. I took my
5
sleeping-bag and a torch and slept in hay. That was an unforgettable experience. After such holidays I
always returned to town refreshed and healthy.
Now I do not spend the summer in the country any longer. My grandparents have grown old and
they are not strong enough to work in the fields and look after cows, pigs and hens. I visited them last
year but it was not the same. The village has grown and developed. You can no longer see horses in
the fields but modern agricultural machines. The forest I loved so much has been cut and has lost its
natural beauty.
I miss the good old days and I feel sorry that time goes by so quickly.
1. The author lives in a town and his grandparents live in the country. ________
2. The author enjoyed the activities on his grandparents’ farm. ________
3. In his grandparents’ place, the author used to get up late in the morning. ________
4. The author usually looked for birds after picking fruits in the garden. ________
5. There’s a barn behind the grandparents’ house and the author used to sleep there. ________
6. The author never went swimming in the river, but fishing. ________
7. At current time, the grandparents have grown old, so they do not work in the field. ________
8. Horses and agricultural machines can be found in the fields now. ________
II. Choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.
Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in
big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful mountains, fields and rivers of the countryside to
the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and (1) ________. This movement from rural areas to urban
areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason why people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one
or two large factories have been built in a town, people come to find work and a better (2) ________,
and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby where the factory
workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, shops and hospitals, (3) ________ more
people come to live in the area to provide these services - and so a city grows.
A lot of people live in the (4) ________ of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city
centre. Some suburbs are pleasant, with nice houses and parks for children to play, but others are poor,
with old houses and bad conditions.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps yes.
Some major cities have actually become bigger in the last ten years and it is quite possible that one day
we will see people (5) ________ of the countryside and go to bigger towns and cities.
1. A. crowded B. overcrowded C. crowding D. crowds
2. A. living B. life C. live D. alive
3. A. but B. or C. so D. and
4. A. urban B. city centre C. down town D. suburbs
5. A. moving out B. coming C. moving in D. leaving
F. WRITING
I. Write complete comparative sentences with the cues given.
1. His farm/ big/ other farms/ neighbourhood
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Today/ he/ behave/ less/ responsibly/ he/ used to
___________________________________________________________________________
6
3. The problem/ traffic jams/ in/ city/ become/ bad/ ever
___________________________________________________________________________
4. My homework/ be/ all right,/ but/I/ could do/ well/ that
___________________________________________________________________________
5. people/ live/ healthily/ rural areas/ in/ cities?
___________________________________________________________________________?
6. Yesterday/ Thomas/ arrive/ at school/ early/ other students
___________________________________________________________________________
7. I/ can/ fly a kite/ easily/ in/ farm/ many other places
___________________________________________________________________________
8. Our village/ be/ much/ less/ densely populated/ your city
___________________________________________________________________________
II. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one.
1. A horse doesn’t plough as well as a buffalo.
A buffalo____________________________________________________________________
2. The paddy field is so vast and green.
How________________________________________________________________________!
3. No flowers on the hill are as colourful as this one.
This is_______________________________________________________________________
4. This is the first time Harry has ever ridden a camel.
Harry has____________________________________________________________________
5. It was such a beautiful flower farm that lots of tourists came to enjoy it.
The flower farm_______________________________________________________________
6. Brian is better at herding the cattle than William.
William is not_________________________________________________________________
7. City people talk less optimistically about the future than people in rural areas.
People in rural areas____________________________________________________________
8. It’s raining heavily, but he continues collecting rice on the farm.
Despite______________________________________________________________________
