Read the following email message about the diagram on the left. Complete the email by filling in the blanks. Select the best choice for each blank from the drop-down menu (▾).
From: Alan
Date: April 22
Subject: Our first vegetable garden
Hi Lucy,
I read the garden centre's vegetable guide, and I have a plan for the strip by the fence. It gets sun all day, but it is narrow and full of stones.
I would like to start with 1., because they are easy for beginners and they love full sun. That sounds perfect for us. The guide says they need only 2., so two rows would fit along the fence.
Carrots were my first idea. Sadly, they need 3., and our strip is mostly stones. I still want a pumpkin for your pies. Its vines spread 3 m, so it belongs at the community garden, where we can plant seedlings in 4..
That gives us time to rent a bed. The quickest crop in the guide is ready in 5., so we could grow it in pots by the back door.
Could you read the guide and tell me what you think?
Alan
Using the drop-down menu (▾), choose the best option.
Once the beans are growing, Alan and Lucy will need to 7.
Alan's attitude toward the garden is best described as 8.
AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct Answer: Bush Beans
Why this is correct: Alan wants a crop that is easy for beginners and loves full sun. Only the Bush Beans row has both of these.
Tips: When a sentence gives two reasons, find the one row that matches both.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Leaf Lettuce: Leaf Lettuce is easy, but it wants only 3 to 5 hours of sun, not full sun.
- Carrots: Carrots love full sun, but the guide says they are of moderate difficulty.
- Pumpkin: Pumpkin loves full sun too, but the guide says it is of moderate difficulty.
Correct Answer: a 30 cm row
Why this is correct: This sentence is still about the beans. The Bush Beans row says they need a 30 cm row.
Tips: Check that you are reading the row for the crop the sentence talks about.
Why the other options are wrong:
- a 20 cm row: A 20 cm row is the space for Leaf Lettuce, not for the beans.
- a 25 cm row: A 25 cm row is what Carrots need, not Bush Beans.
- a 3 m spread: A 3 m spread is for pumpkin vines, which are far too wide for the strip.
Correct Answer: deep, loose soil
Why this is correct: Here Alan is talking about carrots. The Carrots row says they need deep, loose soil with no stones, and his strip is full of stones.
Tips: A word like Sadly shows a problem. Look for the fact that does not suit the writer's yard.
Why the other options are wrong:
- rich soil with compost: Rich soil with compost is what the Pumpkin row asks for, not the Carrots row.
- cool, moist soil: Cool, moist soil belongs to Leaf Lettuce, so it is the wrong crop.
- ordinary garden soil: Ordinary garden soil is fine for Bush Beans, but carrots need deep, loose soil.
Correct Answer: early June
Why this is correct: Alan is talking about the pumpkin here. The Pumpkin row says to plant seedlings in early June.
Tips: Many rows have dates. Make sure the date comes from the right crop.
Why the other options are wrong:
- early May: Early May is when you sow Leaf Lettuce seeds, not pumpkin seedlings.
- mid May: Mid May is the time to sow Carrots, not to plant a pumpkin.
- late May: Late May is for sowing Bush Beans, so it comes from the wrong row.
Correct Answer: about 40 days
Why this is correct: The quickest harvest in the guide is Leaf Lettuce, at about 40 days. Every other crop takes longer.
Tips: A word like quickest means you must compare all the rows.
Why the other options are wrong:
- about 55 days: About 55 days is the harvest time for Bush Beans, which is slower than lettuce.
- about 70 days: About 70 days is for Carrots, so they are not the quickest crop.
- about 100 days: About 100 days is for Pumpkin, the slowest crop in the guide.
Correct Answer: share his garden plan and ask for Lucy's opinion
Why this is correct: Alan explains which crops fit the yard and which one goes elsewhere. At the end, he asks what Lucy thinks.
Tips: The main purpose is often the request near the end of the email.
Why the other options are wrong:
- ask Lucy to sign up for a community garden bed: Alan says there is time to rent a bed, but he never asks Lucy to do it.
- invite Lucy to a class at the garden centre: The garden centre only gave Alan the guide. He does not mention any class.
- complain that the yard is too small for vegetables: Alan finds crops that fit the strip, so he is solving a problem, not complaining.
Correct Answer: pick them every 2 or 3 days
Why this is correct: The email does not say how to look after beans. The Bush Beans row says to pick every 2 or 3 days.
Tips: If the email does not give a detail, look in the row of the crop the question names.
Why the other options are wrong:
- cut the outer leaves as needed: Cutting outer leaves is the care for Leaf Lettuce, not for beans.
- thin the seedlings after 3 weeks: Thinning seedlings after 3 weeks is a job for Carrots, not beans.
- water them deeply twice a week: Deep watering twice a week is listed for Pumpkin, not for Bush Beans.
Correct Answer: careful and practical
Why this is correct: Alan checks the sun, the space and the soil before he chooses. He also finds a better place for the pumpkin.
Tips: To judge attitude, look at what the writer does, not only at single words.
Why the other options are wrong:
- careless and rushed: Alan reads the guide closely and compares the crops, so he is not rushing.
- disappointed and ready to give up: Alan still plans beans, lettuce and a pumpkin, so he is not giving up.
- angry about the stony yard: Alan mentions the stones calmly and plans around them. He does not sound angry.
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