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Day 21 · Environment & Planet · B2 Level

Organic Farming: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

Daily Reading Practice · Nonfiction passage

⏱ Time target: 8-9 minutes 📖 Reading + Vocabulary ✅ 10 True / False questions
How to use this page: Highlighted words are key vocabulary. On a computer, hover your mouse over a highlighted word — on phone or tablet, tap the word — to see its English definition, a synonym, and its Uzbek 🇺🇿 and Russian 🇷🇺 meaning. Tap 🇬🇧 UK or 🇺🇸 US to hear it pronounced in either accent.
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Reading Passage

Organic farming is a method of growing food that focusesfocus (verb)Concentrates attention or effort on something.≈ Synonym: concentrates🇺🇿UZ: e'tibor qaratmoq🇷🇺RU: сосредоточиваться on working with nature rather than against it. Unlike conventionalconventional (adj)Following traditional or standard methods.≈ Synonym: traditional🇺🇿UZ: odatiy, an'anaviy🇷🇺RU: обычный, традиционный farming, which often uses chemicalschemical (noun)Substances used or produced in chemical processes.≈ Synonym: substances🇺🇿UZ: kimyoviy modda🇷🇺RU: химическое вещество and artificialartificial (adj)Made by people, not occurring naturally.≈ Synonym: man-made🇺🇿UZ: sun'iy🇷🇺RU: искусственный methods to grow crops and raise animals, organic farming tries to protect the environment and produce healthy food by using natural techniquestechnique (noun)Particular ways of carrying out a task.≈ Synonym: methods🇺🇿UZ: usul, texnika🇷🇺RU: метод, техника. But what exactly does organic farming involveinvolve (verb)To include as a necessary part.≈ Synonym: entail🇺🇿UZ: o'z ichiga olmoq🇷🇺RU: включать, and why do some people believe it is important for the future of agricultureagriculture (noun)The practice of farming.≈ Synonym: farming🇺🇿UZ: qishloq xo'jaligi🇷🇺RU: сельское хозяйство?

One of the main ideas behind organic farming is avoidingavoid (verb)Keeping away from doing something.≈ Synonym: refraining from🇺🇿UZ: qochmoq, ishlatmaslik🇷🇺RU: избегать the use of syntheticsynthetic (adj)Made by chemical synthesis, not natural.≈ Synonym: artificial🇺🇿UZ: sintetik🇷🇺RU: синтетический chemicals. This means that organic farmers do not use artificial fertilisersfertiliser (noun)Substances added to soil to help plants grow.≈ Synonym: plant food🇺🇿UZ: o'g'it🇷🇺RU: удобрение to feed their crops or chemical pesticidespesticide (noun)Chemicals used to kill pests harmful to crops.≈ Synonym: pest killers🇺🇿UZ: pestitsid, zararkunandalarga qarshi zahar🇷🇺RU: пестицид to control pestspest (noun)Insects or animals that damage crops.≈ Synonym: insects🇺🇿UZ: zararkunanda🇷🇺RU: вредитель. Instead, they rely onrely on (verb)Depend on something with trust.≈ Synonym: depend on🇺🇿UZ: tayanmoq🇷🇺RU: полагаться на natural solutions. For example, they might plant certain flowers or herbsherb (noun)Plants used for flavour, medicine, or scent.≈ Synonym: plants🇺🇿UZ: ko'kat, dorivor o'simlik🇷🇺RU: трава, зелень that attractattract (verb)To draw something toward itself.≈ Synonym: draw in🇺🇿UZ: jalb qilmoq🇷🇺RU: привлекать insects that eat crop pests. They may also use compostcompost (noun)Decayed organic material used to fertilise soil.≈ Synonym: organic fertiliser🇺🇿UZ: kompost🇷🇺RU: компост or animal manuremanure (noun)Animal waste used to fertilise land.≈ Synonym: animal waste🇺🇿UZ: go'ng🇷🇺RU: навоз to make the soil rich and healthy.

Another important part of organic farming is caring for the soil. Healthy soil is the foundationfoundation (noun)The basis on which something is built.≈ Synonym: base🇺🇿UZ: asos🇷🇺RU: основа of healthy plants. Organic farmers often rotaterotate (verb)To change or alternate in a regular sequence.≈ Synonym: alternate🇺🇿UZ: almashlab ekmoq; aylanmoq🇷🇺RU: чередовать; вращаться crops, meaning they grow different crops in the same field in different years. This helps prevent the soil from losing its nutrientsnutrient (noun)Substances that provide nourishment for growth.≈ Synonym: nourishment🇺🇿UZ: ozuqa moddasi🇷🇺RU: питательное вещество and reduces the risk of diseases building upbuild up (phrasal verb)Gradually increasing in amount.≈ Synonym: accumulating🇺🇿UZ: to'planmoq🇷🇺RU: накапливаться. They may also plant cover cropscover crop (noun)Plants grown to protect and enrich soil.≈ Synonym: soil-protecting plants🇺🇿UZ: tuproqni qoplovchi ekin🇷🇺RU: покровная культура, like clover or grass, to protect the soil from erosion and add natural nutrients.

Organic farming is not just about plants. It also includes the way animals are raised. Organic farmers try to give animals a good quality of lifequality of life (noun)The general well-being of a person or animal.≈ Synonym: well-being🇺🇿UZ: hayot sifati🇷🇺RU: качество жизни. This means animals are usually kept in conditionscondition (noun)Circumstances affecting how something exists.≈ Synonym: circumstances🇺🇿UZ: sharoit🇷🇺RU: условия where they have more space and can behavebehave (verb)To act in a particular way.≈ Synonym: act🇺🇿UZ: o'zini tutmoq🇷🇺RU: вести себя naturally — for example, chickens that can go outside or cows that can grazegraze (verb)To feed on growing grass.≈ Synonym: feed on grass🇺🇿UZ: o'tlamoq🇷🇺RU: пастись on grass. Organic farmers also avoid using antibioticsantibiotic (noun)Medicines that fight bacterial infections.≈ Synonym: antibacterial drugs🇺🇿UZ: antibiotik🇷🇺RU: антибиотик unless absolutely necessarynecessary (adj)Required in order to achieve something.≈ Synonym: essential🇺🇿UZ: zarur🇷🇺RU: необходимый.

Supporters of organic farming believe it has many benefits. They argue that organic food is safersafe (adj)More free from danger or risk.≈ Synonym: more secure🇺🇿UZ: xavfsiz🇷🇺RU: безопасный and healthier because it contains fewer chemical residuesresidue (noun)Small amounts of a substance remaining.≈ Synonym: remains🇺🇿UZ: qoldiq🇷🇺RU: остаток. They also point out that organic farming is better for the environment because it reducesreduce (verb)Makes something smaller in amount.≈ Synonym: decreases🇺🇿UZ: kamaytirmoq🇷🇺RU: снижать pollutionpollution (noun)The presence of harmful substances in the environment.≈ Synonym: contamination🇺🇿UZ: ifloslanish🇷🇺RU: загрязнение, protects wildlife, and helps keep ecosystemsecosystem (noun)Communities of living things and their environment.≈ Synonym: biological systems🇺🇿UZ: ekotizim🇷🇺RU: экосистема balancedbalanced (adj)In a state of proper proportion.≈ Synonym: stable🇺🇿UZ: muvozanatli🇷🇺RU: сбалансированный. In addition, some studiesstudy (noun)Pieces of research examining a subject.≈ Synonym: research🇺🇿UZ: tadqiqot🇷🇺RU: исследование suggest that organic farms can store more carboncarbon (noun)A chemical element present in all living things.≈ Synonym: carbon element🇺🇿UZ: uglerod🇷🇺RU: углерод in the soil, which could help fight climate change.

However, organic farming also faces challenges. Because it avoids chemical fertilisers and pesticides, it can be harder to produce large amounts of food. This sometimes makes organic food more expensive. Organic farming can also requirerequire (verb)To need something for a purpose.≈ Synonym: need🇺🇿UZ: talab qilmoq🇷🇺RU: требовать more work and knowledgeknowledge (noun)Information and understanding gained through learning.≈ Synonym: understanding🇺🇿UZ: bilim🇷🇺RU: знания from farmers, as they need to find natural ways to solve problems that chemicals might handle more easily.

In conclusion, organic farming offers a different way of producing food — one that aims to protect the environment and produce healthy food in a natural way. While it has both advantagesadvantage (noun)Beneficial features of something.≈ Synonym: benefits🇺🇿UZ: afzallik🇷🇺RU: преимущество and challenges, many people see it as an important part of building a more sustainablesustainable (adj)Able to continue over time without harming resources.≈ Synonym: renewable🇺🇿UZ: barqaror, tabiatga zararsiz🇷🇺RU: устойчивый, экологичный future for agriculture.

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      Check Your Understanding — True / False

      Word List — 40 words

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      Every highlighted word from this story with its meaning in Uzbek 🇺🇿 and Russian 🇷🇺, and an example. Tap 🇬🇧 or 🇺🇸 to hear the word or the sentence in a British or American accent.

      #🇬🇧🇺🇿🇷🇺Example
      1
      focusverb
      e'tibor qaratmoqсосредоточиватьсяThe report focuses on young people.
      2
      conventionaladjective
      odatiy, an'anaviyобычный, традиционныйElectric cars are quieter than conventional cars.
      3
      chemicalnoun
      kimyoviy moddaхимическое веществоKeep cleaning chemicals away from children.
      4
      artificialadjective
      sun'iyискусственныйThis drink contains no artificial colours.
      5
      techniquenoun
      usul, texnikaметод, техникаShe learned new teaching techniques at the seminar.
      6
      involveverb
      o'z ichiga olmoqвключатьMy job involves a lot of travel.
      7
      agriculturenoun
      qishloq xo'jaligiсельское хозяйствоAgriculture is very important for Uzbekistan's economy.
      8
      avoidverb
      qochmoq, ishlatmaslikизбегатьI'm avoiding fast food this month.
      9
      syntheticadjective
      sintetikсинтетическийThis jacket is made of synthetic material.
      10
      fertilisernoun
      o'g'itудобрениеFarmers use fertiliser to grow bigger crops.
      11
      pesticidenoun
      pestitsid, zararkunandalarga qarshi zaharпестицидWash fruit well to remove pesticides.
      12
      pestnoun
      zararkunandaвредительMice are a common pest in old houses.
      13
      rely onverb
      tayanmoqполагаться наYou can always rely on your family.
      14
      herbnoun
      ko'kat, dorivor o'simlikтрава, зеленьAdd some fresh herbs like dill and coriander.
      15
      attractverb
      jalb qilmoqпривлекатьBright flowers attract bees.
      16
      compostnoun
      kompostкомпостWe turn kitchen waste into compost for the garden.
      17
      manurenoun
      go'ngнавозFarmers put manure on the fields in spring.
      18
      foundationnoun
      asosосноваGood grammar is the foundation of clear writing.
      19
      rotateverb
      almashlab ekmoq; aylanmoqчередовать; вращатьсяFarmers rotate crops to keep the soil healthy.
      20
      nutrientnoun
      ozuqa moddasiпитательное веществоVegetables are full of important nutrients.
      21
      build upphrasal verb
      to'planmoqнакапливатьсяDust builds up quickly in this room.
      22
      cover cropnoun
      tuproqni qoplovchi ekinпокровная культураCover crops like clover protect the soil in winter.
      23
      quality of lifenoun
      hayot sifatiкачество жизниParks improve the quality of life in cities.
      24
      conditionnoun
      sharoitусловияThe animals live in clean conditions.
      25
      behaveverb
      o'zini tutmoqвести себяThe children behaved very well at the wedding.
      26
      grazeverb
      o'tlamoqпастисьSheep were grazing on the hills.
      27
      antibioticnoun
      antibiotikантибиотикDon't take antibiotics for a simple cold.
      28
      necessaryadjective
      zarurнеобходимыйIs it necessary to book a table?
      29
      safeadjective
      xavfsizбезопасныйThis area is much safer than it was ten years ago.
      30
      residuenoun
      qoldiqостатокThe test found pesticide residues on the apples.
      31
      reduceverb
      kamaytirmoqснижатьCycling reduces air pollution.
      32
      pollutionnoun
      ifloslanishзагрязнениеFactories are the main source of pollution here.
      33
      ecosystemnoun
      ekotizimэкосистемаThe Aral Sea ecosystem was badly damaged.
      34
      balancedadjective
      muvozanatliсбалансированныйEat a balanced diet.
      35
      studynoun
      tadqiqotисследованиеA recent study shows that music helps memory.
      36
      carbonnoun
      uglerodуглеродTrees store carbon in their wood.
      37
      requireverb
      talab qilmoqтребоватьGood essays require careful planning.
      38
      knowledgenoun
      bilimзнанияHe has a deep knowledge of Uzbek history.
      39
      advantagenoun
      afzallikпреимуществоSpeaking English is a big advantage in business.
      40
      sustainableadjective
      barqaror, tabiatga zararsizустойчивый, экологичныйWe need sustainable sources of energy.