Critical Reading

Study the following text on “The Village of the Future – A Cure for Urban Overpopulation”. Provide
an OUTLINE and submit your outline this Friday, 24 April 2020.

To help you prepare the Outline, consider the following questions:

1. Why have so many of the rural poor left their village?
2. What problems has this type of migration caused?
3. What ‘cure for urban ills’ is proposed, and what is the Asian Institute of Technology
attempting to do to help?
4. Find the thesis statement (the topic sentence).

The Village of the Future

A Cure for Urban Overpopulation
1 In a rural Asian village, the sun overhead scorches the already parched earth. It’s the dry
season and the nearby stream, source of much needed water for irrigation, is dry. The rural
farmers’ meagre savings are rapidly dwindling and the rice they have stored from the last
harvest will soon be finished.
5 It is little wonder that many rural farmers are deciding to join the ever-increasing
migration of rural poor to already overcrowded cities, seeking employment of almost any
type.
Technology applicable to the more sophisticated agricultural systems of industrialized
nations could possibly help the poor Asian farmer. But generally working only small plots of
10 land, sophisticated equipment and new methods of agriculture are in many instances
unsuitable for the needs of the farmer and too expensive for his meagre income.

At the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) near Bangkok, Thailand, an international faculty
15 and some of the brightest graduate students in Asia are working on appropriate technology to
hopefully reverse the cycle of poverty in rural Asia, by increasing the farmers’ productivity and
at the same time improve the quality of life.
Traditional methods of agriculture and life styles need not cast aside, but integrated with
20 new methods of production and housing to improve the farmer’s life style and provide a
brighter future for his children.
There has been much written about the city of the future. It could possibly be that a
‘village of the future’ might be the cure for urban ills.
25 At the Institute, work is under way on biogas digesters, using night soil mixed with rice
straw and water hyacinth to produce cooking gas. The slurry producing plankton from the
tanks is fed to Tilapia fish in nearby man-made ponds.
The biogas digesters are constructed of low-cost concrete cylinders, the tanks then
30 constructed with plastic pipes. The gas may be produced from either human or animal waste.
[1]
After the initial cost of construction a veritable free source of gas and fish food is available.
 [2]
Critical to any farmer is a reliable source of water. A study has been
completed at AIT which recommends that villagers own and operate village
water projects by forming Village Water Committee. It was found that a strong
35 sense of ownership ensures proper operation and maintenance of the water supply.
The study also reported that the only solution for water supply in some areas
would be to dig ponds or deep wells.
Under a grant from the International Development Research Centre, IDRC,
Canada, a low-cost hand pump is being developed, constructed at plastic, which will
40 be operational to depths of at least 46 metres.
[3]
With an ever-increasing population, many sources of drinking water for
villages are polluted. A low-cost slow sand filtration water purification system has
been developed. Water is pumped into a refiltration rock bed, then further pumped
into concrete tanks where the water is filtered through sand, producing clean,
45 potable water.
One crop which fetches a good market price and is very nutritious is soybeans.
[4]
In an effort to increase the use of paddy growing land during the dry season,
farmers in Taiwan and Thailand plant soybean directly into rice stubble, thus
50 avoiding the need for tillage.
Most of the work is performed by women and is both back-breaking and time
consuming. In order to improve the planting both in efficiency and convenience, a
simple manually operated soybean seeder has been developed.
Normally workers are required to either bend over or squat while sowing
55 soybeans. By using the soybean seeder, the worker stands, pressing the seeder into
the rice stubble to plant the seed. Soybean production is increased and the labour
made less back breaking.
Poor farmers are usually forced to sell their rice harvest immediately – at
prevailing prices – or face spoilage, especially during the rainy season. [5]One
60 innovativation which will make the second – rainy season – crop more profitable is a
low-cost solar rice dryer. Constructed of bamboo and covered with clear plastic, it
allows the farmer to dry his rice harvest more efficiently, with less kernel crackage
and loss to rodents and birds. The only source of energy is the sun, its rays striking a
layer of husks, the hot air then rising through a woven mesh floor in the drying unit
65 and dispersing through an overhead chimney.
[6]
For low-cost rice storage, a ferrocement rice storage bin has been developed.
Ferrocement is particularly suited for developing countries because its basic raw
materials – sand, cement and reinforcing mesh – are readily available in most
countries.
70 Ferrocement does not require heavy machinery for construction and the skills
for ferrocement construction are quickly acquired. Properly fabricated, it is more
durable than most wood products and cheaper than imported steel.
In many remote villages with no source of electricity, the refrigeration of
perishable crops is usually impossible. A solar refrigerator has been constructed at
75 the Institute to study its reliability and applications in rural Asia.
[7]
A low-cost method of building houses for the urban poor or village groups has
been developed. Known as ‘Building Together,’ groups of families build their own
homes.
To keep costs at a minimum, members first construct a small factory and then
80 produce their own ground beams and bricks. One group of community members are
able to produce 400 blocks per day, with 625 blocks required for construction of one
two-level house.
[8]
Other low-cost materials developed at AIT include the use of bamboo with
rattan bindings to replace steel reinforcement for road construction. Burnt rice husk
85 ash has been used as a substitute for cement to make concrete. With such
innovative technology and dedication the village of the future could be a far better
place to live in.
(From an article in AIT Review, By David L. Terry)
Di desa pedesaan Asia, matahari di atas kepala membakar bumi yang sudah
kering. Ini musim kemarau dan aliran terdekat, sumber air yang sangat
dibutuhkan untuk irigasi, kering. Tabungan petani pedesaan yang sangat sedikit
berkurang dengan cepat dan beras yang mereka simpan dari panen terakhir
akan segera selesai.
       Tidak mengherankan bahwa banyak petani pedesaan memutuskan untuk
bergabung dengan migrasi miskin pedesaan yang terus meningkat ke kota-kota
yang sudah penuh sesak, mencari pekerjaan dari hampir semua jenis.
       Teknologi yang berlaku untuk sistem pertanian yang lebih canggih dari
negara-negara industri mungkin dapat membantu petani miskin di Asia. Tetapi
pada umumnya hanya menggarap lahan kecil, peralatan canggih dan metode
pertanian baru dalam banyak hal tidak cocok untuk kebutuhan petani dan
terlalu mahal untuk penghasilannya yang kecil.
Di Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) dekat Bangkok, Thailand, sebuah fakultas internasional dan
beberapa mahasiswa pascasarjana tercerdas di Asia sedang mengerjakan teknologi yang sesuai
untuk semoga membalikkan lingkaran kemiskinan di Asia pedesaan, dengan meningkatkan
produktivitas petani dan pada pada saat yang sama meningkatkan kualitas hidup.

       Metode tradisional pertanian dan gaya hidup tidak perlu disingkirkan, tetapi diintegrasikan
dengan metode produksi dan perumahan baru untuk meningkatkan gaya hidup petani dan
memberikan masa depan yang lebih cerah bagi anak-anaknya.

       Sudah banyak yang ditulis tentang kota masa depan. Mungkin saja 'desa masa depan' bisa
menjadi obat untuk penyakit perkotaan.

       Di Institut, pekerjaan sedang dilakukan pada digester biogas, menggunakan tanah malam
dicampur dengan jerami padi dan eceng gondok untuk menghasilkan gas memasak. Plankton
penghasil bubur dari tangki diumpankan ke ikan Tilapia di kolam buatan manusia terdekat.

       Digester biogas dibangun dari silinder beton murah, tangki kemudian dibangun dengan pipa
plastik. Gas dapat dihasilkan dari limbah manusia atau hewan. Setelah biaya awal konstruksi, sumber
makanan gas dan ikan benar-benar gratis tersedia.

Yang penting bagi petani adalah sumber air yang andal. Sebuah studi telah diselesaikan di AIT yang
merekomendasikan bahwa penduduk desa memiliki dan mengoperasikan proyek air desa dengan
membentuk Komite Air Desa. Ditemukan bahwa rasa kepemilikan yang kuat memastikan operasi dan
pemeliharaan pasokan air yang tepat.

       Studi ini juga melaporkan bahwa satu-satunya solusi untuk pasokan air di beberapa daerah
adalah menggali kolam atau sumur dalam.

       Di bawah hibah dari Pusat Penelitian Pengembangan Internasional, IDRC, Kanada, pompa tangan
murah sedang dikembangkan, dibangun dengan plastik, yang akan beroperasi hingga kedalaman
setidaknya 46 meter.

       Dengan populasi yang terus meningkat, banyak sumber air minum untuk desa-desa tercemar.
Sistem pemurnian air filtrasi pasir lambat berbiaya rendah telah dikembangkan. Air dipompa ke
dalam hamparan batu refiltrasi, kemudian dipompa lebih lanjut ke dalam tangki beton di mana air
disaring melalui pasir, menghasilkan air bersih dan layak minum.
       Salah satu tanaman yang mendapatkan harga pasar yang bagus dan sangat bergizi adalah
kedelai. Dalam upaya untuk meningkatkan penggunaan lahan tanam padi selama musim kemarau,
petani di Taiwan dan Thailand menanam kedelai secara langsung ke tunggul padi, sehingga
menghindari kebutuhan pengolahan tanah.

       Sebagian besar pekerjaan dilakukan oleh wanita dan keduanya menyulitkan dan juga
menghabiskan waktu. Dalam rangka meningkatkan penanaman baik dalam efisiensi dan
kenyamanan, seeder kedelai yang dioperasikan secara manual sederhana telah dikembangkan.

       Biasanya pekerja diminta membungkuk atau berjongkok saat menabur kedelai. Dengan
menggunakan seeder kedelai, pekerja berdiri, menekan seeder ke dalam tunggul padi untuk
menanam benih. Produksi kedelai meningkat dan tenaga kerja membuat back break lebih sedikit.

       Petani miskin biasanya dipaksa untuk menjual panen beras mereka segera - dengan harga yang
berlaku - atau menghadapi pembusukan, terutama selama musim hujan. Salah satu inovasi yang
akan membuat panen kedua - musim hujan - lebih menguntungkan adalah alat pengering padi
murah. Dibangun dari bambu dan ditutup dengan plastik bening, hal ini memungkinkan petani untuk
mengeringkan panen berasnya dengan lebih efisien, dengan lebih sedikit keretakan inti dan kerugian
pada tikus dan burung. Satu-satunya sumber energi adalah matahari, sinarnya menyerang lapisan
sekam, udara panas kemudian naik melalui lantai anyaman di unit pengeringan dan menyebar
melalui cerobong.

Untuk penyimpanan beras murah, tempat penyimpanan beras ferosemen telah dikembangkan.
Ferrocement sangat cocok untuk negara-negara berkembang karena bahan bakunya - pasir, semen
dan mesh penguat - sudah tersedia di sebagian besar negara.

       Ferosemen tidak memerlukan alat berat untuk konstruksi dan keterampilan untuk konstruksi
ferosemen diperoleh dengan cepat. Dibuat dengan benar, lebih tahan lama dari kebanyakan produk
kayu dan lebih murah dari baja impor.

       Di banyak desa terpencil tanpa sumber listrik, pendinginan tanaman yang mudah rusak biasanya
tidak mungkin. Sebuah kulkas surya telah dibangun di Institut untuk mempelajari keandalan dan
aplikasinya di pedesaan Asia.

       Metode murah untuk membangun rumah bagi kaum miskin kota atau kelompok desa telah
dikembangkan. Dikenal sebagai 'Membangun Bersama,' kelompok keluarga membangun rumah
mereka sendiri.

       Untuk menjaga biaya minimum, anggota pertama membangun pabrik kecil dan kemudian
menghasilkan balok dan batu bata tanah mereka sendiri. Satu kelompok anggota masyarakat dapat
menghasilkan 400 blok per hari, dengan 625 blok diperlukan untuk pembangunan satu rumah dua
tingkat.

       Bahan-bahan murah lainnya yang dikembangkan di AIT termasuk penggunaan bambu dengan
ikatan rotan untuk menggantikan tulangan baja untuk konstruksi jalan. Abu sekam padi yang
terbakar telah digunakan sebagai pengganti semen untuk membuat beton. Dengan teknologi dan
dedikasi inovatif seperti itu, desa masa depan bisa menjadi tempat yang jauh lebih baik untuk
ditinggali.
Outline:
Topic: Innovation development for village of the future
Main Idea: There are eight innovation for developing village of the future
Supporting details:
1. Free source of gas dan fish food
2. Certain water source
-Affordable hand pump
3. Inexpensive filtration water
4. Improve efficient planting
5. Inexpensive solar rice dryer
6. Inexpensive rice storage
7. Low-cost method of building house
8. Affordable material

Conclusion: Rular farmers can become better without having a migration to a cities then
cause population density, because there are some innovation that developed to improve
their life too in their village.
Topic: The development of poor villages in Asia
Main Idea: There are eight innovation for developing a poor village in Asia
Supporting details:
1. Free source of gas dan fish food
2. Certain water source
-Affordable hand pump
3. Inexpensive filtration water
4. Improve efficient planting
5. Inexpensive solar rice dryer
6. Inexpensive rice storage
7. Low-cost method of building house
8. Affordable material
Conclusion:
Villagers can become better without having a migration to a cities then cause population
density, because there are some innovation that developed to improve their life too in their
village.
Dari Bu Ayi:

Selamat Pagi, Je. Sy sdh cek hsl tugas, berikut ini feedback sy:
1. Empat (4) pertanyaan sy pd text TIDAK perlu dijawab.

2. Pelajari perbedaan Topic dan Main idea.

3. Pelajari juga bentuk Outline yg sdh kita bahas

4. Untuk mendapatkan Main information (TOPIC, MAIN IDEA, SUPPORTING DETAILS, dan
CONCLUSION) yg tepat, jawab pertanyaan sy berikut ini:

Where in the text "The Village of the Future......" you can find the source sentence (thesis
statement/topic sentence)? Which paragraphs and which lines?

Mohon dishare dg teman2 Anda. Jawaban pertanyaan sy japri saja.

Oh ya, kalau tugas OUTLINE utk text "The Village ........" benar, nilainya akan sy pakai sbg
nilai bayangan UAS.

Tugas ini sy pakai utk mengevaluasi pemahaman dg parameter to analyze and to apply skills
introduced to you - i.e. previewing, identifying the main information (Topic, Main Idea, and
Supporting details) and paraphrasing.

Utk mengetahui Outline sdh tepat atau belum, coba Anda:

1. perhatikan the main title: The Village of the Future, dan subtitle: A Cure for Urban
Overpopulation. Apa korelesi dr kedua unsur tsb? Jawavan Anda: Improving villages hampir
betul. Apa kata lain dr improving? Villages yg bgmn dan di mana? Ini topik teks tsb.

2. untuk mendapatkan Main Ideanya, Anda cari kalimat sumber (thesis statement/topic
sentence) di dlm teks. Ada di paragraph(s) ke brp kal sumber tsb? Petanyaan ini utk
menjawab pertanyaan how "to improve" the villages. Selain itu, kal sumber jg bs
memberikan apa dan brp supporting details nya.

3. cari di teks: apakah text ini ada konklusinya.

Ok, sy share OUTLINE dg Topic dan Anda tinggal melengkapinya.

Topic: The development of poor villages in Asia

Main Idea: _________________

________________________.

Supporting details:
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

Conclusion:
____________________________
_______________ .

Please help me to coordinate your classmates' answer sheets (the Outline), and then send
them to my email.