Joy English · Level C1 · Biologyjoy-english.com
The puzzle of dormant seeds
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Follow a science lecture with explanations, reasons and an example.
Listen to each sentence and write what you hear.
Audio and answer checking: https://joy-english.com/listening-lessons/the-puzzle-of-dormant-seeds
Words to know
- dormant
- Resting, not active.
- germinate
- To begin to grow from a seed.
- seedling
- A very young plant grown from a seed.
- ecosystem
- A community of living things and their environment.
Answer key
- Some plant seeds can remain dormant in the soil for many years, waiting for exactly the right conditions to germinate.'Dormant' is stressed on the first syllable: DOR-mant. 'Germinate' ends with the sound 'nate'.
- Dormancy is not a passive state; it is regulated by chemical signals that respond to light, temperature and moisture.'Passive' here means not active. 'Temperature' is often said as three syllables: TEM-pra-chur.
- This strategy spreads the risk, because a seed that waits is protected from a harsh season that might destroy seedlings.'Spreads the risk' is an idiom meaning share the risk. 'Harsh season' joins as 'harsh-season'.
- After a forest fire, for instance, heat and smoke can wake seeds that have been buried for decades.'For instance' introduces an example. 'Have been buried' is a present perfect passive, said 'v-been-buried'.
- Botanists therefore regard the seed bank in the soil as a kind of insurance for the whole ecosystem.'Botanists' is stressed on the first syllable: BOT-a-nists. 'Regard ... as' means consider.