Community Life

Future 4
Unit 3 Reading
Be College and Career Ready

You will learn to:

• Recognize different text elements
• Identify the main idea and key information
• Discover the meaning of words
• Answer questions about key information and cite evidence from the article
• Interpret the information from the article
• Summarize the article

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BEFORE YOU READ
PREVIEW THE ARTICLE. Look at the article. Choose the correct answer.

1. Look at the title and skim the article. Which answer choice describes the organization of
topics in the reading?
a. First the problems, then the benefits of community gardens
b. The benefits of community gardens, followed by the problems
c. Green areas in general, followed by a discussion of community gardens
d. Community gardens, followed by a discussion of green areas in cities

2. What is the topic of the chart?

a. How gardens help people relax
b. How gardens make cities nicer
c. How gardens affect people’s general health
d. How gardens affect people’s eating habits

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CCR R2 C
READ
LISTEN AND READ. Then choose the main idea.

Benefits and Challenges

here is no doubt that trees and parks are good for
a city. Green areas beautify neighborhoods and
are linked to higher home prices. They help to clean
the air and to reduce heat. They help to protect from
5 flooding. Green areas are also good for people.
People with easier access to parks and outdoor areas
may do more physical activity, and they may suffer
from less depression. Some studies have shown a
link between green space and lower levels of Another widespread problem with community
10 violence. So, it is not surprising that cities across the gardens is that they often do not help the people who
United States are finding places for trees and plants. could benefit from them the most. Gardens require
In New York, for example, the trains were no longer 40 time, but people in poor neighborhoods often work
running on part of an old rail line. There was over a long hours. They may not have time for gardening on
mile of empty train tracks and dirt running through the weekends after they finish working for the day.
15 the city. Now that area is a long, narrow park. In Los And growing food is not cheap. Land is expensive in
Angeles, the city provides free trees to homeowners cities and so are the supplies to keep up a garden.
who live in areas without many trees. Some cities 45 Most community gardens need outside funding. The
have set a goal to plant 1 million trees result is that many sell their produce to expensive
restaurants and high-end retailers in order to make
Many people see community gardens as the next ends meet.
20 step in the greening of American cities. Gardens
share all of the other benefits of green areas. They Community gardens are a wonderful way to improve
also bring neighbors together and provide a source 50 the beauty of a city and the health of its residents.
of fresh, local produce. Some supporters have even But cities need to invest in their gardens so that they
suggested that city farms can become a major produce healthy food and benefit everyone.
25 source of food. However, there are some downsides
to urban farming, and cities need to deal with them Has gardening changed your diet?*
before community-grown produce can become an
important part of our diets. Significant change 44%
None 26%
The first problem with growing food in cities is that
30 cities are not very clean. The soil is often polluted
with chemicals. Many communities have to replace
the soil before they can plant a garden safely. And
once the garden is planted, contaminants can leak
back into the soil from dirty rainwater. So the Slight change 30%
35 vegetables may be fresh and local, but they are not *Asked of people participating in a community garden program
always safe to eat. for more than one year

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M03_LYNN6834_02_SAC_U03.indd 2 9/28/20 12:09 PM

 What is the main idea of the article?
a. Community gardens, like green areas, benefit cities, but they also have some
disadvantages.
b. Community gardens bring many benefits, but only if cities help pay for them.
c. New York and Los Angeles have turned unused land into green areas.
d. The problems with community gardens are greater than the benefits.

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VOCABULARY 1
Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter on the line.

1. In Line 3, linked means . a. money given for a specific project

2. In Line 22, source means . b. food that is grown by farming, especially
3. In Line 23, produce means . fruit and vegetables

4. In Line 30, soil means . c. the place that something comes from

5. In Line 45, funding means . d. connected to

e. the top layer of earth where plants grow

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CCR R2 C CLOSE READING 1
Read the article again. Choose the correct answers.

1. According to the article, how do green Where is this information?

spaces help people and neighborhoods? a. Lines 1–5
a. People can see more flowers and b. Lines 2–3 and 6–7
gardens in green spaces. c. Lines 8–10
b. They are linked to lower housing
prices.
c. They make neighborhoods more
beautiful and people may exercise
more.
d. Neighborhoods with green areas are
good for families with children.

2. What must many communities do before Where is this information?

they can plant a community garden? a. Lines 29–30
a. Get new soil for planting b. Lines 30–31
b. Find space for a garden c. Lines 31–33
c. Collect rainwater for a garden
d. Find people to work in them

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 3. Community gardens often need outside Where is this information?
funding because . a. Lines 39–42
a. there are not enough people to work in b. Lines 43–44
the garden c. Lines 45–48
b. people don’t have enough time for a
garden
c. many restaurants want community
gardens
d. it costs a lot to buy land and supplies
for a garden

4. Who buys a lot of the food grown in Where is this information?

community gardens? a. Lines 43–44
a. People who love gardens b. Line 45
b. People who don’t have a lot of money c. Lines 45–48
c. Restaurants and stores
d. Families with children

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VOCABULARY 2
Read the sentences. Then choose a word or phrase that has the same meaning as the
underlined word from the article.

1. People with access to green spaces may be healthier.

a. Ability to go into
b. Too much of something
c. Keeping something out
d. Permission to look at

2. There are problems with urban farming that still need to be solved.
a. Related to gardens
b. Related to farms
c. Related to trees and flowers
d. Related to towns and cities

3. A downside of our community garden is that it is too close to a busy street.

a. Location
b. Position
c. Problem
d. Suggestion

4. A widespread problem with community gardens is that the food requires a lot of
water to grow.
a. Common
b. Small
c. Large
d. Difficult

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 5. Cities need to invest in community gardens if they want them to be successful.
a. Give power to
b. Become emotionally involved in
c. Spend money on something for future benefit
d. Plant more

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VOCABULARY 3
Some English words are frequently used together. Find these word combinations in the
article. Write each word from the box next to the word it goes with.

for from in up with

1. good
2. suffer
3. deal
4. keep
5. invest

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READING TIP
A Read the tip.

Make inferences
If an author doesn’t give information directly, you can use what you already know and
what you read to make an inference, or a logical guess, about what is probably true.
Inferences help deepen your understanding of a text.

B Choose the correct answers.

1. What is an inference?
a. A direct statement of an idea by the writer
b. A suggestion that the writer makes to the reader
c. The opinion of the reader after reading the text
d. A logical guess based on the text and the reader’s knowledge

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 here is no doubt that trees and parks are good for
a city. Green areas beautify neighborhoods and
are linked to higher home prices. They help to clean
the air and to reduce heat.

2. What can you infer from the excerpt above?

a. Rich people prefer to live in greener neighborhoods.
b. Green areas are expensive to maintain.
c. Green areas are healthier for residents.
d. Cities are planning more green areas.

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CLOSE READING 2
Read the article again. Answer the questions.

1. What is the purpose of this article?

a. To tell an interesting story about community gardens
b. To explain how to set up a community garden
c. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of community gardens
d. To describe a particular community garden

2. Which environmental benefit of green areas is NOT mentioned in the article?

a. Protection against flooding
b. Protection against water pollution
c. Protection against air pollution
d. Protection against heat

3. From Paragraph 2, what can you infer about community gardens?

a. Many poor neighborhoods are planning to plant them.
b. Only a small number of people are enthusiastic about them.
c. Because of problems, community gardens are not yet a major part of urban life.
d. Community gardens will never be a major source of food.

4. What does the writer suggest about chemical contamination?

a. It’s the reason food from community gardens may not be safe to eat.
b. People can solve this problem if they have the right information and enough money.
c. It doesn’t matter because the food in community gardens is fresh and local.
d. The problem is solved forever by replacing the contaminated soil with clean soil.

5. Read the last paragraph. Which sentence does NOT reflect the writer’s opinion?
a. Community gardens make a city more attractive.
b. Community gardens are too expensive for most cities.
c. Community gardens can help people be healthier.
d. Cities need to spend time and money on community gardens.

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 6. Look at the chart. What is the effect of gardening on the diets of the people who
answered the question?
a. It has no effect on people’s diets.
b. It does not have an important effect on diet.
c. It changes the diets of a few people.
d. It changes the way most people eat.

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FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 1
Read the excerpt. Then choose the correct answer.

Another widespread problem with community

gardens is that they often do not help the people
who could benefit from them the most. Gardens
require time, but people in poor neighborhoods
often work long hours.

1. What does another widespread problem tell the reader about the previous paragraph?
a. It described the benefits of community gardens.
b. It was not focused on community gardens.
c. It described a problem with community gardens.
d. It described different types of community gardens.

2. Who are the people who could benefit from them the most?
a. Community gardeners
b. People who don’t have a lot of money
c. Neighbors with a lot of time
d. People who don’t have jobs

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FOCUS ON LANGUAGE 2
Read the excerpt. Then choose the correct answer.

Most community gardens need outside funding. The

result is that many sell their produce to expensive
restaurants and high-end retailers in order to make
ends meet.

1. What does high-end mean?

a. Expensive
b. Poor
c. Reliable
d. Small

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 2. What does make ends meet mean?
a. Get people on different sides to agree
b. Make enough money to pay for expenses
c. Connect two points
d. Grow more produce in a garden

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SUMMARIZE
Read the incomplete summary. Then choose two sentences from the box to complete it.
Write your answers on the lines.

The city of Los Angeles provides free trees to homeowners who live in areas without
many trees.
Additionally, they may make communities safer.
Growing food is also expensive, and it takes a lot of time.
Many gardens sell their produce to expensive restaurants.

There are many benefits to having green spaces in a city. Green spaces make
neighborhoods more attractive, raise home prices, and can improve residents’ health.
.
Community gardens have the same benefits as other green spaces. In addition, they can
provide healthy food, and they bring neighborhoods together. However, community
gardens can have some problems. City soil is often polluted with chemicals.
.
In short, community gardens can benefit a community, but cities need to invest in them.

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 Community Life
Future 4
Unit 3 Writing
Be College and Career Ready

You will learn to:

• Recall the ideas in the article on p. 2 and in the article on p. 56 of the Student Book
• Collect information from interviews with your classmates
• Explain your ideas and the collected information

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RECALL
Reread the articles. Use information from the articles to list possible benefits and
problems with community gardens. Make notes in the chart.

Benefits of community gardens Possible problems

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COLLECT INFORMATION
Work with a partner. Compare your lists of possible benefits and problems in the chart
above. Then discuss the following questions. Write down your partner’s answers.

1. Do you have any experience with a community garden? If so, what benefits or problems
were there?

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 2. Can you think of other benefits of community gardens that aren’t mentioned in
the articles?

3. Which of the possible problems in the chart are the most / least serious?

4. Make a list of possible solutions to the problems.

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EXPLAIN
Imagine you want to start a community garden in your neighborhood. Write a short
proposal to your neighborhood committee about the garden. Explain why you think a
garden is a good idea. Choose one possible problem with the idea and offer a solution.

Include ideas from the articles and from your discussion. In your writing, use the
sentence frames below or choose your own organization.

I’d like to propose a community garden for our neighborhood.

There are several benefits to community gardens . . .
A possible problem might be . . . However, . . .
In conclusion, . . .

B Read your paragraph aloud to your group. Listen for what is the same or different in your
classmates’ paragraphs.

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