Shadowing Practice: What If We Built Vertical Farms? - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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As our population grows, we're going to need a lot more farms to feed the planet.
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As our population grows, we're going to need a lot more farms to feed the planet.
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Yet, in a lot of places, farming is almost impossible.
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And much of the land we can use for farming is disappearing.
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With so many farms on land,
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could we build farms vertically to save space?
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Maybe it's time to grow up.
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The United States has 10% of the world's farmland,
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but between the years of 1992 and 2012,
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Over 12 million hectares of it was gobbled up due to development.
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That's 70 hectares per hour.
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As populations grow, this is happening in other countries around the world too.
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So where can we grow food?
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People have built farms all over our planet,
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in the most unlikely places.
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We've grown food in arid deserts and on the sides of mountains,
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and used greenhouses to extend growing seasons.
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But what about in a plant scraper?
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A Swedish company called Plantagon is working on one right now.
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The $40 million World Food Building in Sweden is set to open in 2020.
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The company calls this process agritektur.
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Alright.
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So why should we farm vertically?
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well, we'd save a lot of space and water.
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In fact, vertical farming saves 80-95% of the water used in traditional outdoor farming by using computer-controlled mist and slow drip systems.
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Vertical farming also means we wouldn't need expensive combines and tractors.
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Cities would have fresher veggies,
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and we wouldn't need to send trucks great distances to transport food.
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This would cut pollution too.
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So how exactly could we build a vertical farm?
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Using the power of AI,
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companies such as Belgium's Urban Crop Solutions are creating climate-controlled vertical farms up to 24 levels high.
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Farmers can grow anywhere from 75,000 to 91.5 million crops per year indoors.
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The company also sells indoor vertical farming kits for 12-meter shipping containers.
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These kits offer 4 to 6 levels,
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which can grow up to 54,000 crops per year.
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With the ability to control the lighting,
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moisture levels, and nutrients for each type of crop by using computers,
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plants grow much faster in a vertical farm.
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Plus, vertical farms don't require pesticides,
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since they're contained indoors and are high up off the ground where many insects thrive.
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The majority of crops grown in vertical farms include leafy green vegetables like kale,
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bok choy, watercress, arugula, lettuce,
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mizuna, mustard greens, collard greens,
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basil, mint, chard, and chives.
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That's almost everything you'd need for a power smoothie.
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Companies have started building vertical farms in existing urban spaces,
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such as abandoned warehouses and factories.
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The vertical farms can turn cities' excess heat and waste into vital assets for local food production.
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In China, entire districts are devoted to agriculture and vertical farming.
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With a rapidly growing population,
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less and less land has become available.
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And pollution is a big problem for traditional farms.
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In this case, growing vertically has become a necessity.
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Vertical farms have proven to be invaluable after natural disasters,
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such as the destruction of the nuclear power plant at Fukushima in Japan in 2011.
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Since land near the reactor was not safe for growing crops,
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consumers were happy to have their lettuce grown indoors.
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Five years later, there were more than 190 vertical farms in Japan.
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One company says it grows 21,000 heads of lettuce per day.
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That's a lot of salad.
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Many countries in the Middle East import almost 80% of their food due to their arid climate and landscape.
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Vertical farms could drastically improve this situation and would also create more jobs in the area.
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Tech companies like Google, Amazon,
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and Asia Pacific are already investing in vertical farming and automated agriculture.
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Soon we'll start seeing vertical farms in many more urban areas.
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These will help to bring communities together and provide safe access to nutritious food.
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But in order for vertical farms to succeed,
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they'll need the backing of consumers.
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Some people argue that this kind of farm is too unnatural or expensive,
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while others like the idea of fresh food produced closer to home.
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What do you think?
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Let us know in the comments below.
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In the near future, we may need to make vertical farming an even bigger priority,
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especially if we run out of oil.
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But that's a story for another WHAT IF.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, English learners will practice speaking by focusing on the innovative concept of vertical farming as discussed in the video "What If We Built Vertical Farms?". This lesson will help you enhance your vocabulary, improve pronunciation, and gain confidence in your speaking abilities. As you engage with the content, you will explore how vertical farming can address food production challenges in urban areas. Prepare to dive into terms related to agriculture and environmental sustainability while practicing your english speaking practice through various exercises.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Vertical farming - a method of growing food in vertically stacked layers.
  • Agritektur - a blend of agriculture and architecture, referring to the design of farming structures.
  • Climate-controlled - environments where temperature and humidity are regulated for optimal plant growth.
  • Pesticides - chemicals used to kill pests that can harm crops.
  • Crop yield - the amount of produce harvested from a given area.
  • Urban agriculture - the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in urban areas.
  • Indoor farming kits - packages that include everything needed to set up a farm indoors.
  • Pollution reduction - the decrease in harmful substances released into the environment.

Practice Tips

To effectively improve your speaking skills while watching this video, consider using shadowspeak techniques. Here are some specific tips:

  • Watch the video at a slower speed if necessary to grasp the full meaning of words and phrases.
  • Listen closely to the speaker’s intonation and emphasis. Repeat sentences immediately after they are spoken to practice shadow speech.
  • Focus on the specific vocabulary from the "Key Vocabulary & Phrases" section. Ensure you understand their context before practicing.
  • Record yourself while performing shadowspeaks and compare your pronunciation and rhythm with the original speaker.
  • Try to incorporate the new vocabulary into your sentences while practicing. This will enhance retention and make your speaking more dynamic.
  • Engage with a study partner if possible. Try performing dialogue exchanges based on the content, simulating discussions about vertical farming and its benefits.

By following these tips and regularly practicing with content like this, you will become more fluent and confident in your English speaking abilities.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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