Exercise 1 - Part 1
Read the text and answer the questions below. Choose the best answer for each question.
On Monday mornings, the oldest part of Marlow town feels strangely quiet. That is when a small group of volunteers crosses the square carrying gloves, tools, and thermoses of coffee. They are heading to a patch of land behind the library that used to be empty and unused. Two years ago, the town council promised to turn it into a community garden, but nothing happened until local residents decided to do the work themselves.
The idea came from Maya, a secondary-school science teacher who noticed that many students knew little about where vegetables came from. She suggested creating a place where people could grow food, learn practical skills, and meet neighbours they had never spoken to before. The plan sounded ambitious, but one retired builder offered to prepare the raised beds, a shop owner donated seeds, and a nearby café agreed to give leftover fruit and compostable waste. Soon, the project had become a team effort.
At first, the volunteers expected to spend most of their time planting carrots and tomatoes. Instead, they discovered that the biggest challenge was organisation. Someone had to keep a calendar of watering duties, another person had to check which plants needed shade, and a third group had to make sure the tools were returned after each session. There were arguments too, especially when a few rows of beans were planted too close together. However, the volunteers quickly realised that problems could be solved if they listened carefully to one another.
The garden has changed the neighbourhood in small but noticeable ways. Children who once rushed past the library now stop to ask questions about the herbs and flowers. Older residents, who used to spend their mornings indoors, have found a reason to come outside and chat. what began as a simple patch of dirt has become a place where people share advice, stories, and even recipes. Last month, the group harvested enough lettuce to supply a local soup kitchen for three days.
Maya believes the project is successful for reasons that have little to do with gardening alone. In her view, the real achievement is that people have started working together again. She says the garden has reminded the town that useful things can grow slowly, and that patience is often more important than speed. The volunteers agree, although they still hope the weather stays mild for the rest of the season.
1. Why did the volunteers first go to the land behind the library?
2. What did Maya want students to learn?
3. How did the project get support at the beginning?
4. What was the biggest difficulty for the volunteers?
5. In the phrase what began as a simple patch of dirt, what does it refer to?
6. What is Maya’s main opinion about the project?