QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography

Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Unit 2.7: Are there other ways to solve farming problems in China?

Key Questions:
1. What are other solutions for the farming problems in China?

Preparatory task
Find out the meaning of the BOLD words. Write down the definition in Chinese in the boxes below.
Passage A

1. (1) Sustainable farming can help China achieve the goal of producing enough food for its population in

the long run.

2.(2) Organic fertilizers such as dead plants can replace chemical fertilizers.

3. Soil conservation farming methods mainly include (3) crop rotation, (4) fallowing and (5) drip

irrigation. Crop rotation refers to grow different crops each year on a field. Fallowing can leave the

field to rest for a period of time and so that the soil will have time to recover. On the other hand, drip

irrigation can control the amount of water through small holes in irrigation tubes. It can save water and

avoid causing soil to become salty.

4.In terms of (6) government aspect, the central government can strictly restrict the development on (7)

prime farmland in order to secure food production. Besides, the government can restrict on the

development on (8) marginal land. Originally, marginal land is not suitable for farming as it is too dry

or infertile. If we farm on these land, it may lead to (9) soil erosion and (10) desertification.

English Chinese

1. sustainable farming
2. organic fertilizers
3. crop rotation
4. fallowing
5. drip irrigation
6. government
7. prime farmland
8. marginal land
9. soil erosion
10.desertification

1. What are other solutions for the farming problems in China?

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Task1: The following diagram s show some farming methods in China.

i) Identify and describe the farming methods.

A scarecrow keeps
away birds

Use machines Beans and peas use

few nutrients but
return a lot of
nutrients to the soil
Dead plants are left
on the ground and
become nutrient.

Waste from chicken is Chili and spring onion

Use pesticides good fertilizer have a strong smell.
Pests are kept away.
Farm A Farm B

Farming method in farm A: Farming method in farm B:

Scientific farming method / Sustainable farming method
farming technology

ii) What are the differences between the two farms? Circle the correct option in
the table below.

Aspect Farm A Farm B

Economic (Higher / Lower) farm production (Higher / Lower) farm production

Social Crops (are safe / may be toxic) Crops (are safe / may be toxic)

Environment (More / Less) negative impact on the (More / Less) negative impact on the
environment environment

iii) What is a sustainable farming?

A sustainable farming is a farming that will not harm our environment,

especially the soil and water.

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

iv) There are THREE principles of sustainable farming.

Economically profitable (有利潤的經濟)

Farmers can earn enough money to support
themselves

Sustainable
farming

Socially desirable (理想的社會) Environmentally friendly

Farm produce is safe and healthy for Does not harm the environment
consumers to eat

v) We can develop a more sustainable way of farming through

 avoiding overusing chemicals
 using soil conservation farming methods

Sustainable farming method (1): Organic farming

Organic fertilizers Chemical-free pesticides

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By using organic fertilizer and chemical- the harm to the environment and

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

free pesticides, people’s health will be reduced.

Sentence pattern-Purpose

People Sustainable farming method Purpose

organic fertilizers

Farmers can use Example:dead plants to reduce the harm to the environment

chemical-free pesticides and people’s health.

Example: chili, spring onion

Sustainable farming method (2) : Crop rotation

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By growing different crops each year on a nutrients in the soil will not be used up.
field,

Sentence pattern-Purpose
People Sustainable farming method Purpose

Farmers can use crop rotation to avoid a type of nutrients in the soil
from being used up.

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Sustainable farming method (3) : Mixed farming

Stubble of wheat
provides feed for
sheep

manure from sheep

provides nutrients
for the soil

Sentence pattern –causes and effect

Process Causes Effects

By growing crops and rearing livestock in manure from livestock provides nutrients
the same field, for the soil and it can keep the soil rich.

Sentence pattern-Purpose
People Sustainable farming method Purpose

Farmers can use mixed farming to keep the soil rich.

Sustainable farming method (4): Fallowing

Fallow field

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By leaving the field to rest for a period of the soil will have time to recover its
time, nutrients.

Sentence pattern-Purpose
People Sustainable farming method Purpose

Farmers can use fallowing to recover the nutrients in soil.

Sustainable farming method (5) : Drip irrigation

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By controlling the amount of water it can save water and avoid causing soil
through small holes in irrigation tubes, to become salty.

People Sustainable farming method Purpose

Farmers can use Drip irrigation to save water

to avoid soil from becoming salty

Exercise
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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Task 1: Use the following graphic organizer to list the sustainable farming methods.

Sustainable farming methods

Task 2: Use the complete sentence to describe the sustainable farming methods and its purpose.

1. The first sustainable farming method is organic farming.

The purpose of this farming method is to reduce the harm to the environment and people’s health.

2. The second sustainable farming method is crop rotation.

The purpose of this farming method is to avoid nutrients in the soil from being used up.

3. The third sustainable farming method is mixed farming.

The purpose of this farming method is to keep the soil rich.

4. The fourth sustainable farming method is fallowing.

The purpose of this farming method is to recover the nutrients in soil.

5. The fifth sustainable farming method is drip irrigation.

The purpose of this farming method is to save water / avoid soil from becoming salty.

Task 2: Identify the examples of better land use management (土地管理) as shown
the photos below.

1. Maintenance the total area of farmland

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By protecting prime farmland, Food production will be secured.

Sentence pattern-Purpose

People Example of Land use Purpose

management

The government can The maintenance the total area of to secure food product.
adopt farmland

2. Restriction on developing marginal land

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QESOSA Tong Kwok Wah Secondary School 2014-2015 S1 Geography
Food problem  Name: ( ) S.1( )

 Woodland  Grassland / marginal land

 fertile soil  Infertile soil
 high production  Low production
 Negative effect: no  Negative effect: soil erosion
and desertification

Sentence pattern –causes and effects

Process Causes Effects

By restricting development in marginal it can prevent soil erosion and

land, desertification.

Sentence pattern-Purpose
People Example of land use management Purpose

The government the restriction on developing marginal to prevent soil erosion and
can adopt land desertification.