Organic Farming, Texting, Sugar, Borneo, and Geishas

Posted on Feb 28, 2025 in English

Organic Farming Practices

Key Points:

  1. Laura and Lawrence started a farm because they wanted to grow their own food.
  2. Laura and Lawrence’s farm in Dorset was not used to grow produce right before they bought it.
  3. According to Laura, the word “organic” implies the use of farming methods that do not cause environmental damage.
  4. The Soil Association decides whether produce can be called organic.
  5. The Soil Association symbol can only be obtained if your farming practices are approved by its inspectors.
  6. Laura and Lawrence obtained their symbol when the Soil Association was just starting to function.
  7. When they first started, Laura and Lawrence had some problems meeting the Soil Association’s standards.
  8. On the whole, the text suggests a general tendency towards protecting the environment.

Is Texting Messaging Making Our Kids Illiterate?

Key Points:

  1. Many older people believe that a teenager can solve most problems with technology.
  2. “Folks” means people.
  3. One of the good things about instant messaging is that teenagers may have a richer social life.
  4. According to the author, one of the ill effects of instant messaging is that many users behave rudely.
  5. “R U going 2?” is an example of phonetic shorthand.
  6. Some pessimistic people believe that Instant Messaging shows a decline in literacy.
  7. According to the text, researchers disagree about the influence of instant messaging on literacy.
  8. The author of this article is an adult who reflects on the use of instant messaging.

Sweet as Sugar

Key Points:

  1. Sugar cane was not known in Europe until the Middle Ages.
  2. A rock painting shows that honey was collected from trees in ancient times.
  3. Bees dance at the entrance to the hive to help make a better quality of honey.
  4. Honey and wine are substances that reflect the original taste of the plants.
  5. A surprising fact is that without honey, there would be less variety of food crops.
  6. According to the text, the problem is that the number of people working as beekeepers is decreasing.
  7. Most of the honey produced in Spain comes from hives looked after by professional beekeepers.
  8. It has not been confirmed that if you eat honey regularly, you will live a much healthier life.

Threatened Prehistoric Paradise Reveals Its Secrets

Key Points:

  1. The island of Borneo is the closest place to the setting of Conan Doyle’s 1912 novel, *The Lost World*.
  2. WWF Scientists on a mission to Borneo found many new species.
  3. Stuart Chapman has argued that species are disappearing rapidly.
  4. According to the text, biologists have been fascinated by Borneo’s biodiversity.
  5. The WWF expedition of July 2005 added the *Paedocypris* genus to the list of Borneo’s fish species.
  6. Mr. Chapman has stated that Borneo is crucial for biodiversity in Malaysia and other Asian countries.
  7. Last year, the team reported the discovery of a new species of snake that appears like a cross between a cobra and a viper.
  8. On the whole, the text may be said to argue that Borneo has more species of plants and animals than any other island.

Internet Revives Ancient Skills of Geisha Girls

Key Points:

  1. Trainee geishas are named maiko.
  2. Geisha houses were also teahouses.
  3. According to the text, geisha houses used to recruit poor girls.
  4. The training of a geisha girl does *not* include making up their own kimonos.
  5. For a geisha girl, witty conversation is focused on art.
  6. A geisha’s working day can be all day, from morning to midnight.
  7. Today, you can find geisha houses in Kyoto.
  8. Modern geisha girls seem to think it’s more exciting than working in a company.