听力高分班专用练习Cambridge2Test2Section4
Ihopethatthisfirstsession,whichI’vecalledAnIntroductiontoBritishAgriculture,willprovideahelpfulbackgroundtothefarmvisitsyou’llbedoingnextweek.
IthinkIshouldstartbyemphasizingthatagriculturestillaccountsforaveryimportantpartofthiscountry’seconomy.WeareusedtohearingtheUK’ssocietyandeconomydescribedasbeing‘industrial’oreven‘post-industrial’,butwemustn’tletthisblindustothefactthatagricultureanditssupportingindustriesstillaccountforaround20%ofourGrossNationalProduct.
Thisfigureisespeciallyimpressive,Ithink,whenyoubearinmindhowverysmallapercentageoftheUKworkforceisemployedinagriculture.Thisisnotarecentdevelopment-----youwouldhavetogobackto1750orsotofindamajorityoftheworkforceinthiscountryworkinginagriculture.Bythemiddleofthenextcentury,in1850thatis,ithadfallensharplyto10%,andthento3%bythemiddleofthetwentiethcentury.Andnowjust2%oftheworkforcecontribute20%ofGNP.Howisthisefficiencyachieved?Well,myownviewisthatitowesagreatdealtoahistory,overthelast50or60years,ofintelligentsupportbythestate,mainlytakingtheformofhelpingfarmerstoplanahead.ThenthetwootherfactorsIshouldmention,bothveryimportant,arethehighleveloftrainingamongsttheagriculturalworkforce.Andsecondly,therecognition
听力高分班专用练习byfarmersofthevalueofinvestingintechnology.
Now,althoughtheUKisafairlysmallcountry,thegeologyandclimatevaryagooddealfromregiontoregion.Forourpurposestodaywecandividethecountrybroadlyintothree-----I’vemarkedthemonthemaphere(indicatesmap).
Theregionyou’llgettoknowbest,ofcourse,isthenorth,whereweareatpresent.Thelandhereisgenerallyhilly,andthesoilsthin.Theclimateuphere,andyou’vealreadyhadevidenceofthis,isgenerallycoolandwet.Asyouwillseenextweek,thetypicalfarmhereintheNorthisasmall,family-runconcern,producingmainlywoolandtimberforthemarket.IfwecontrastthatwiththeEasternregion,overhere(indicatingonmap),theeastisflatterandmorelow-lying,withfertilesoilsandamixedclimate.Averagefarm-sizeismuchbiggerintheeast,andfarmsarelikelytobemanagedstrictlyoncommerciallines.Asforcrops,well,theeastistheUK’sgreatcereal-producingregion.However,increasinglysignificantareasarenowalsogivenovertohighqualityvegetablesforsupplydirecttothesupermarkets.Thethirdbroadregionisthewest,whereit’sadifferentstoryagain.Theclimateiswarmerthaninthenorthandmuchwetterthanintheeast.Theresultingrichsoilsinthewestprovideexcellentpasture,andthefarmstherearequitelarge,typicallyaround800hectares.Themainproductsaremilk,cheeseandmeat.
听力高分班专用练习So,clearly,therearemarkeddifferencesbetweenregions,butthisdoesnotpreventquiteastrongsenseofsolidarityamongstthefarmingcommunityasawhole,rightacrossthecountry.Thissolidaritycomesinpartfromtheneedtopresentaunitedfrontindealingwithotherpowerfulinterest-groups,suchasgovernmentorthemedia.Italsoowessomethingtotheclosecooperationbetweenalltheagriculturaltrainingcolleges,throughwhichthegreatmajorityoffarmerspassatthebeginningoftheircareers.AndathirdfactormakingforsolidarityisthenationalstructureoftheFarmers’Union,ofwhichvirtuallyallfarmersaremembers.
Finallyinthisshorttalk,Iwouldliketosayalittleaboutthechallengesfacingfarmersinthenext…
