Agriculture & Environmental Impact – B2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
You will hear a student called Toby talking about an environmental art project. For questions 9-18, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.
Toby – Environmental Art Project
Toby was surprised that the foraging trip took place at a (9)……………………… rather than a forest.
Students were warned that removing (10)……………………… was not permitted during the trip.
Toby decided to collect (11)……………………… instead of the stones or pine cones his classmates looked for.
By the pond, Toby managed to pick up several (12)……………………… for his artwork.
The farmer told the students that the (13)……………………… has been negatively affected by chemical sprays.
Toby chose to use some (14)……………………… from a recycling bin as the foundation for his collage.
The students made a (15)……………………… out of flour and water to stick their materials down.
The finished artworks were eventually displayed in the (16)……………………… .
Toby was thrilled that people thought the project conveyed a (17)……………………… regarding environmental protection.
Photographs of the students’ artwork can currently be viewed on a (18)……………………… .
ANSWER KEY
9 local farm 10 living plants 11 oak leaves 12 bird feathers
13 insect population 14 thick cardboard 15 natural glue
16 school library 17 powerful message 18 website
AUDIO SCRIPT
Toby: Hi everyone, my name is Toby, and I’d like to talk to you today about an environmental art project my class participated in last month. We’ve been studying agriculture and its broader impact on nature, looking at how farming practices affect the local ecology. To bring this topic to life, our teacher decided to take us out on a foraging expedition to gather naturally shed materials for a piece of artwork.
We initially thought we’d just go to the nearby forest, or perhaps the town park since it’s within walking distance. However, our teacher had actually arranged for us to visit a local farm so we could see the agricultural environment first-hand and understand how the land is actively managed.
Before we were let loose to start foraging, we were given strict guidelines about what we could and couldn’t collect. I assumed we wouldn’t be allowed to touch the farm machinery, which was obviously true, but the most important instruction was to strictly avoid picking any living plants. We were told to only gather shed materials that had naturally fallen to the ground, so as not to disrupt the local ecosystem.
So, we started scanning the ground. Some kids immediately started hunting for shiny stones, and others were obsessed with finding the perfect pine cones. Instead, I focused my attention on gathering oak leaves, which were scattered everywhere along the tree line in absolutely beautiful shades of brown, red, and yellow.
We also wanted to find some items of animal origin to add variety to our work. I spent ages walking around the edge of a small pond hoping to find some empty snail shells, but I didn’t have any luck. Actually, I ended up collecting a handful of bird feathers that had been left behind near the water. They were beautifully patterned and turned out to be absolutely perfect for my design.
While we were out foraging, the farmer came over and spoke to us about environmental challenges. He explained that intensive farming can severely damage soil quality over time. But he stressed that his absolute biggest concern locally is the dramatic decline in the insect population, which is largely caused by the harsh chemical sprays and pesticides used in conventional agriculture. It really gave us food for thought.
Back in the classroom, it was time to actually construct our artwork. I originally considered using an old canvas I had lying around at home, and I know some of my classmates opted to use heavy wooden boards. Ultimately, I settled on a piece of thick cardboard that I had recovered from the school’s recycling bin. It served as an excellent, sturdy base for my collage.
When it came to attaching our foraged items to the base, we wanted to ensure the whole process stayed entirely eco-friendly. Using plastic sticky tape felt completely wrong given the theme, and standard craft paste contains too many artificial chemicals. Therefore, we mixed up our own natural glue using just water and flour. To my surprise, it held all the leaves and feathers together incredibly well.
Once all the pieces were completely finished, we needed a suitable place to show them off to the rest of the school. The main hall was unfortunately occupied with exams, and the art studio is too hidden away for people to pass by. So, the decision was made to set up the exhibition in the school library, where all the students could easily come and admire them during their breaks.
The feedback we received from everyone was absolutely fantastic. A few teachers commented on the beautiful autumnal colours we’d used, and some parents praised our overall creativity. What pleased me the most, though, was that many viewers felt the artwork delivered a powerful message about the urgent need to protect our natural environment from harmful agricultural practices.
If you want to see the artwork for yourself, unfortunately, the physical display has already been taken down to make room for a new exhibit. We were originally going to put some photographs up on the main noticeboard, but we managed to upload a digital gallery to the school website instead. You can access it anytime you like, and I highly recommend taking a look!