Joy English · Level A2 · Communityjoy-english.com
A news article: a garden in the city
Name:Date:
Read a local news article about an unusual city garden and the volunteers who look after it.
A green surprise above the library
Most people visit Northgate Library to borrow books. But two years ago, the library started something new: a vegetable garden on its flat roof.
The idea came from Lena Novak, one of the librarians. "We had a large, empty roof and lots of visitors who wanted to learn about gardening," she explained. "So we asked for help, and the community answered."
Today, about forty volunteers look after the garden. They are students, retired people and families with small children. They grow tomatoes, beans, salad leaves, herbs and strawberries in large wooden boxes. Last summer, they also put two beehives on the roof, and the bees now help the plants to grow.
Every Saturday morning, the garden is open to the public. Visitors can join a free gardening class or simply sit and enjoy the view. Much of the food goes to a community kitchen nearby, which makes hot meals for people in the area.
The project is not always easy. The roof gets very hot in summer, so volunteers have to water the plants twice a day. "It's hard work," said Kofi Mensah, 68, "but I've made so many new friends here."
Next year, the library plans to build a small greenhouse so the garden can produce food in winter too.
Understand the article
Read the article. Choose the correct answer.
- Where is the garden?
- Whose idea was the garden?
- About how many volunteers look after the garden?
- There are bees in the garden.
- When can the public visit the garden?
- What happens to much of the food?
- Why do volunteers water the plants twice a day in summer?
- What does the library plan to do next year?
Words and details
Choose the best answer, or type one word or number from the article.
- Most people visit the library to borrow books. Borrow means ...
- The volunteers grow plants in large wooden ___.
- When the garden is open to the ___, visitors can join a free gardening class.
- Visitors can simply sit and enjoy the view. Simply means ...
- Kofi Mensah is ___ years old.
- Kofi says the project is hard work. What is good about it for him?
Answer key
Understand the article
- b) On the roof of the libraryThe library started a vegetable garden on its flat roof.
- a) A librarian'sThe idea came from Lena Novak, one of the librarians.
- c) FortyThe article says about forty volunteers look after the garden.
- a) TrueLast summer the volunteers put two beehives on the roof.
- b) On Saturday morningsEvery Saturday morning, the garden is open to the public.
- c) It goes to a community kitchen.Much of the food goes to a community kitchen nearby, which makes hot meals.
- a) The roof gets very hot.The roof gets very hot in summer, so the plants need a lot of water.
- c) Build a greenhouseThe library plans to build a small greenhouse so the garden can produce food in winter.
Words and details
- a) take something and give it back laterWhen you borrow a library book, you take it home and bring it back later.
- boxesThey grow tomatoes, beans and other plants in large wooden boxes.
- publicOpen to the public means anyone can visit. On those days, visitors can join a free gardening class.
- b) justHere, simply means just: visitors do not have to do anything else.
- 68 / sixty-eight / sixty eightThe article gives his age after his name: Kofi Mensah, 68.
- c) His new friendsKofi says: I've made so many new friends here.