11 What is the main purpose of the Community Seed Swap event?
A to raise money for charity
B to preserve rare plant varieties
C to teach basic gardening skills
12 How are the seeds organized this year?
A by planting season
B by plant family
C by difficulty level
13 What must participants do if they bring seeds from home?
A test them for germination
B put them in standard envelopes
C label them with the harvest year
14 The newly added “Tool Library” allows members to
A borrow expensive equipment
B donate broken tools
C buy second-hand items
15 The special guest speaker, Dr. Aris, will talk about
A organic pest control
B urban composting
C drought-resistant soil
Questions 16–20
What advice does the speaker give about the following seed types?
Choose FIVE letters from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 16-20.
Advice
A Requires a lot of water
B Best for beginners
C Needs to be started indoors
D Grows well in containers
E Attracts beneficial insects
F Takes a long time to harvest
G Can survive light frosts
Seed Types
16 Heritage Tomatoes
17 Bush Beans
18 Marigolds
19 Winter Squash
20 Kale
Keys
11 B
12 A
13 C
14 A
15 B
16 C
17 B
18 E
19 F
20 G
Transcript
Part 2: You will hear the coordinator of a community seed swap giving a talk to participants.
SARAH: Hello everyone, and welcome to our annual Community Seed Swap. I’m Sarah, and I’ll be your coordinator for today’s event. We’re thrilled to see so many enthusiastic gardeners here. Before we open the doors to the main hall, I’d like to run through some important details about how the day will work. Now, while we’ve occasionally asked for small donations in the past, the core reason we hold this event isn’t to fundraise, nor is it merely a beginner’s workshop, but rather our main goal is to protect and share unusual heirloom plant types that you simply can’t buy in typical garden centres.
We’ve completely changed the layout of the tables this time around. In previous years, we grouped everything by plant family, putting all the brassicas together and so on, but based on your feedback, we’ve decided to arrange all the packets according to the time of year they should go into the ground.
Now, for those of you who have brought your own seeds to share, we have a few simple guidelines. We don’t expect you to do complex germination tests beforehand, and you don’t need to use our official envelopes, but it is absolutely essential that you write the date they were gathered on the outside, so people know how fresh they are.
We also have an exciting new initiative this year, which is our Tool Library, located just near the entrance. We aren’t taking donations of broken spades or selling off old inventory; instead, this is a system where you can check out high-value items, like heavy-duty rototillers, for a weekend without having to purchase them yourself.
Later this afternoon, we’re hosting a fantastic guest lecture in the side room. You might know Dr. Aris from his articles on organic pest management, but today he’s focusing his presentation on creating nutrient-rich fertilizer from your kitchen waste right in a city apartment.
Alright, let’s move on to the specific seed varieties we have available today and my top recommendations for growing them.
First up, we have a huge selection of Heritage Tomatoes. These are incredibly flavorful, but because of our short growing season, you must sow them in pots on a sunny windowsill weeks before the last frost.
If you’re looking for something reliable, grab a packet of our Bush Beans. They don’t require any complicated trellises or special soil treatments, making them the absolute perfect choice if this is your very first time trying to grow vegetables.
Don’t forget to visit the flower section and pick up some Marigolds. They aren’t just for decoration; planting these near your veggies is a brilliant strategy because their strong scent brings in plenty of bees and ladybugs to help your garden thrive.
We also have an abundance of Winter Squash seeds. Just a word of warning with these: make sure you have plenty of patience, as you’ll be waiting many months before they are fully mature and ready to be picked.
Finally, we have several hardy varieties of Kale. The great thing about this leafy green is that it’s tough enough to withstand a sudden drop in temperature, meaning a little bit of ice won’t kill off your crop.
