Part 3: A Vertical Farming Presentation
You will hear two students, Maya and Daniel, discussing a visit to a vertical farm and planning a presentation.
Lời thoại bài nghe (transcript)
Maya: So, Daniel, we need to plan our presentation about the vertical farm visit. Before we decide on the structure, what did you think of the place overall?
Daniel: I was really impressed. I'd expected it to be noisy, with all those fans and pumps, and it was, actually, quite loud. But what really took me by surprise was how few people work there. Just three staff running a whole six-storey building!
Maya: Yes, that struck me too. I'd assumed the pink lighting would be the shocking part, but we'd seen so many photos of it beforehand that it felt quite normal by the time we got there.
Daniel: Same here. And the manager, Ruth, explained why they mainly grow leafy greens. I'd always assumed it was because lettuce and spinach sell for a high price, but she said herbs actually earn them more per kilo.
Maya: Right. Her point was that leafy greens grow so quickly that they can harvest a tray every three weeks, so they get far more harvests in a year than they would with any other crop.
Daniel: She also mentioned that they don't need pollinating, didn't she?
Maya: She did, but she said that was only a minor factor.
Daniel: OK. What did you make of their claim about water, that they use ninety-five per cent less than conventional farms?
Maya: It sounded impressive. Do you think it's true?
Daniel: I'm a bit sceptical, to be honest. I checked afterwards, and that figure compares them with farms in a very dry region, where most irrigation water just evaporates. Compared with an ordinary farm in a wetter climate, the saving would be much smaller. So the number isn't wrong exactly, but the comparison has been chosen to make it look good.
Maya: That's a fair point. We should mention that. So, what would you say is the biggest drawback of vertical farming? I'd have said the narrow range of crops. You can't grow wheat or potatoes economically indoors.
Daniel: That's true, but I think energy is a bigger issue. All that light has to come from electricity, and Ruth admitted that power is their largest single cost.
Maya: Yes, when you put it like that, I agree. And if the electricity comes from fossil fuels, a lot of the environmental benefit disappears.
Daniel: Exactly. Now, Dr Hall said our figures have to be up to date. Where are we going to get the latest costs?
Maya: There's that journal article we found in the library, but it's three years old, and prices have changed a lot since then. And the government report doesn't break the costs down at all.
Daniel: Ruth offered to email us their current running costs, didn't she?
Maya: Yes, she said she'd send them by Friday. Let's use those. Right, let's go through the sections. For the introduction, I thought we could start with a personal story, about the time we visited a farm on a school trip.
Daniel: Hmm, I think that might work better in the conclusion. What about opening by asking the audience how far the salad in their lunch has travelled? That would get everyone thinking straight away.
Maya: Good idea. Let's do that. Then there's the lighting system.
Daniel: I was going to draw a diagram showing where all the lamps are.
Maya: I think the short video we filmed would be better. You can actually see the lights changing from pink to white during the growing cycle, which a diagram can't really show.
Daniel: True. Video it is. What about water recycling?
Maya: For that, a diagram makes more sense, because the pipes and tanks are hidden behind panels, so the video doesn't show anything useful.
Daniel: Agreed. I'll draw it this weekend. Costs are tricky, though. I was tempted to leave them out, because the numbers are a bit dull.
Maya: But Dr Hall said that's the part she cares about most. Why don't we put the figures in a simple table, comparing the vertical farm with a conventional one?
Daniel: OK, a table, then. And finally, future developments. We've only got ten minutes in total, and I'm worried we'll run out of time.
Maya: I think we'll have to drop that section. We could always mention it if someone asks a question at the end.
Daniel: Fine, let's cut it.
