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Vallas virtuales: ¿buenas para las granjas y la naturaleza?

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Lee un fragmento de un reportaje de VOA Learning English que compara las vallas tradicionales con las vallas virtuales con GPS para el ganado.

Virtual Fences for Cows Show Benefits

Physical fences take time, labor and money to build. It can be difficult to put them in areas such as rocky and hilly land, wet areas, or places with thick vegetation. Over time, fences need to be fixed or new ones need to be built.

When hurricane Ian hit Florida last year, it destroyed four houses and 45 kilometers of physical fence on the land where Strickland works. But the cell towers for the virtual fence system kept working.

Physical fences can also harm wild animals by making it difficult for them to move within and to areas they need for survival.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a U.S-based environmental non-profit organization. It has partnered with cattle ranches in the states of Kansas, New Mexico and Colorado to research the effects of virtual fencing.

William Burnidge is Deputy Director of TNC’s North America Regenerative Grazing Lands Strategy. He said that by changing fence boundaries, the systems prevent animals from eating too much vegetation within one area. This helps plants regenerate, or grow again.

He added that virtual fences could help protect rare plants and areas near rivers and streams. They could also support conservation of wild animals, improve the health of animals and help ranch workers have a better quality of life.

Strickland works with partners at Florida Conservation Group and the University of Florida. With virtual fences, they can carefully control grazing. This helps them research the effects of grazing patterns on the growth of young cows, birth rates, and even the effects on nesting birds.

Comprende el texto

Lee el texto. Elige la respuesta correcta.

What does the text say about physical fences?
- a) They are cheap and quick to build.
- b) They take time, labour and money to build.
- c) They never need to be repaired.
Where is it especially difficult to put physical fences?
- a) On rocky, hilly or wet land
- b) In cities and towns
- c) Near main roads
What happened when Hurricane Ian hit Florida?
- a) The virtual fence towers stopped working.
- b) Strickland lost all of his cattle.
- c) Kilometres of physical fence were destroyed, but the virtual fence system kept working.
How can physical fences harm wild animals?
- a) By giving them electric shocks
- b) By making it hard for them to move to areas they need to survive
- c) By frightening them with noise
What is The Nature Conservancy?
- a) An environmental non-profit organisation
- b) A government department
- c) A cattle ranch in Kansas
According to William Burnidge, how do virtual fences help plants?
- a) By giving the plants more water
- b) By stopping animals from eating too much in one area
- c) By keeping all animals out of the fields
Burnidge believes virtual fences could improve life for ranch workers.
- a) True
- b) False
What do Strickland and his partners study with the help of virtual fences?
- a) How to build cheaper cell towers
- b) How hurricanes form
- c) How grazing patterns affect young cows, birth rates and nesting birds

Palabras y detalles

Elige la mejor respuesta, o escribe una palabra del texto.

"places with thick vegetation" Vegetation means ...
- a) deep water
- b) plants in general
- c) large rocks
The text explains that regenerate means to grow ___.
TNC "has partnered with cattle ranches". This means it has ...
- a) worked together with them
- b) competed against them
- c) bought land from them
Virtual fences "could also support conservation of wild animals". Conservation means ...
- a) hunting
- b) counting
- c) protection
TNC works with cattle ranches in Kansas, New Mexico and ___.
The text mentions a better quality of life. This means ...
- a) a life that is more comfortable and satisfying
- b) longer working hours
- c) a move to a bigger city

Respuestas

Comprende el texto

b) They take time, labour and money to build.Las vallas físicas requieren tiempo, trabajo y dinero para construirse, y hay que repararlas con el paso del tiempo.
a) On rocky, hilly or wet landPuede ser difícil instalarlas en terrenos rocosos y con colinas, en zonas húmedas o en lugares con vegetación espesa.
c) Kilometres of physical fence were destroyed, but the virtual fence system kept working.El huracán destruyó 45 kilómetros de valla física, pero las torres de telefonía del sistema de valla virtual siguieron funcionando.
b) By making it hard for them to move to areas they need to surviveLas vallas físicas pueden dificultar que los animales salvajes se desplacen a las zonas que necesitan para sobrevivir.
a) An environmental non-profit organisationEl texto describe a TNC como una organización ambiental sin ánimo de lucro con sede en Estados Unidos.
b) By stopping animals from eating too much in one areaAl cambiar los límites de las vallas, los sistemas evitan que los animales coman demasiada vegetación en una misma zona.
a) TrueDijo que podían ayudar a los trabajadores del rancho a tener una mejor calidad de vida.
c) How grazing patterns affect young cows, birth rates and nesting birdsInvestigan los efectos de los patrones de pastoreo en el crecimiento de las terneras jóvenes, las tasas de natalidad y las aves que anidan.

Palabras y detalles

b) plants in generalVegetation significa plantas, sobre todo las que crecen en una zona concreta.
againEl texto dice: This helps plants regenerate, or grow again.
a) worked together with themPartner with alguien significa trabajar junto con esa persona.
c) protectionConservation es la protección de los animales, las plantas y los espacios naturales.
ColoradoTNC se ha asociado con ranchos ganaderos de Kansas, Nuevo México y Colorado.
a) a life that is more comfortable and satisfyingQuality of life describe lo bueno, cómodo y satisfactorio que es la vida de alguien.