The Coffee Plant

10/10/2020 8:13:00 PM
The coffee plant. Image: thespruce.com

Do you know?

  • Coffee is a beverage that is obtained from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant.
  • The coffee plant is native to Ethiopia and can be found growing in parts of Asia and Africa. 
  • The word "coffee" comes from the Arabic word for "wine."

Let's explore more about this plant!

The coffee plant. Image: thespruce.com

Listen and decide if the following statements are TRUE or FALSE or NO INFORMATION.

  • There is only one way to grow coffee plants.
  • Farms can grow more coffee when they cut down the trees.
There is only one way to grow coffee plants.
  • True
  • False
  • No information
Farms can grow more coffee when they cut down the trees.
  • True
  • False
  • No information

Read the passage and answer the questions.

The Coffee Plant

Farmers harvest the coffee beans by hand. Image: shutterstock.com

How many cups of coffee did you drink yesterday? Where did the coffee come from? There is a good chance that your coffee came from one of these countries: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, or Ethiopia. These five countries produce most of the coffee in the world today. Brazil produces about half of the world's crop of coffee beans. 

The coffee plant is really a small tree with shiny leaves. A coffee plant grows for about three years before it produces any fruit. After that, it produces fruit for about 40 years. The coffee bean is the seed of the fruit. 

It's difficult to pick coffee beans. Machines can't do it well, so people pick most of the coffee beans by hand. Workers typically pick between 20 and 40 pounds of coffee beans a day. 

The old way to grow coffee plants is under large trees. The trees protect the coffee plant from the sun. The trees are also home to many kinds of birds. On many modern farms, however, farmers cut down the trees. They grow the coffee plants under the sun. Large farms can produce more coffee this way.  Unfortunately, the coffee plants on these farms need more water and more fertilizer. And without the trees, the birds don't have a place to live. 

Source: Facts and Figures

Complete the text you are listening to by dragging the correct word to each blank.

The Coffee Plant

How many cups of coffee did you drink yesterday? Where did the coffee come from? There is a good chance that your coffee came from one of these countries: Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, or Ethiopia. These five countries most of the coffee in the world today. Brazil produces about half of the world's of coffee beans. 

The coffee plant is really a small tree with shiny leaves. A coffee plant grows for about three years before it produces any fruit. After that, it produces fruit for about 40 years. The coffee bean is the seed of the fruit. 

It's difficult to pick coffee beans. Machines can't do it well, so people pick most of the coffee beans . Workers pick between 20 and 40 pounds of coffee beans a day. 

The old way to grow coffee plants is under large trees. The trees protect the coffee plant from the sun. The trees are also home to many kinds of birds. On many modern farms, however, farmers cut down the trees. They grow the coffee plants under the sun. Large farms can produce more coffee this way. , the coffee plants on these farms need more water and more . And without the trees, the birds don't have a place to live. 

How many countries grow the most coffee in the world today?

  • Two
  • Three
  • Four
  • Five

The coffee plant is a small tree with _____.

  • light seeds
  • shiny leaves
  • shining beans
  • many fruit

Why do people pick coffee beans by hand?

  • Because workers can pick more than machines.
  • Because machines can't do it well.
  • Because this way protects the coffee plant better.
  • Because the birds don't have a place to live.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

  • the natural characteristics of the coffee plant
  • the way to harvest coffee beans
  • the name of birds living near the coffee plant
  • the modern way to grow coffee plants

Put the right word in each blank. The sentences are from the text. 

  1. People pick most of the coffee beans . 
  2. Workers pick between 20 and 40 pounds of coffee beans a day. 
  3. , the coffee plants on these farms need more water and more . 
  4. These five countries most of the coffee in the world today.
  5. Brazil produces about half of the world's of coffee beans. 

Put the right word in each blank. These are new sentences for words in the text. 

  1. Last year there was a bumper of maize.
  2. Many people make their clothes .
  3. Polar bears live in cold places.
  4. I want to go to the party, but I need to work. 
  5. The prices for farm equipment, and fuel climb relentlessly.
  6. France a great deal of wine for export.