AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY THROUGH THE AGES TASK 1.

Listen to the text and find differences between the following text and the original typescript. Agricultural machinery might not seem that interesting, but (1)over a few years, the annual show at Omersbach (2)has become very popular. All kinds of vehicles are on show, from the impressive (3)to the ridiculous. Historic tractors (4)form a large part of the exhibition, and there is a (5)surprisingly large collection on display. There are old ones, slightly more modern ones, big ones and tiny ones, strange ones, and custom-built ones of all shapes and sizes. Some tractors are built by (6)companies known for other things. Many of these tractors (7)are still in use, (8)but most of the older ones are (9)kept as historic curiosities. Many were obviously (10)built before strict controls on emissions. But its (11)not just tractors on display. (12)Other machines are used on farms for such varied tasks as making butter; pumping water; generating electricity, either in small amounts, or (13)on a bigger scale. Many (14)machines can be driven by tractors. How about a portable saw-mill? Sometimes (15)you need not planks, but firewood. There is a machine for that, too. A much bigger machine for crushing stones. (16)One for threshing wheat, (17)from the days before combine harvesters. (18)Further back in time, tractors were (19)big and steam-powered: railway (20)locos without the rails. (21)These beasts (22)can power all sorts of machines. (23)Farmers had to be selfsufficient, (24)as rural communities were (25)hard to reach. If something needed fixing, you had to do it yourself from scratch. Even when the internal combustion engine took over, farming was still noisy and dirty. (26)The legendary Lanz Bulldog, in production from (27)WW1 to just after the Second. It was (28)a simple two-stroke single-cylinder diesel engine. (29)It typically had about a 7-litre capacity: nasty, if anything went wrong. (30)Early models used a hot bulb which had to be (31)pre-heated with a blow-torch. (32)Which would typically take (33)about 15 minutes. When the hot bulb was hot enough, the driver had to turn (34)the engine by hand. You cant (35)see it here, but the steering wheel (36)detaches and is used as a crank. (37)It may give you a bumpy ride, but it will get you home which is the main thing. TASK 2. Answer the following questions by choosing the best variant from those offered. 1. a) b) c) 2. a) b) c) 3. a) b) c) 4. a) b) c) Agricultural machinery features: tractors old and new; tractors and stationary machinery; historic machinery. Some companies that produce agricultural machinery: also produce other types of vehicles; produce just one type of tractors; exhibit their collections of historic curiosities in Omersbach. Machines other than tractors: produce electricity, pump water, manufacture mud-bricks; produce electricity, process wood, pump water, recycle paper and plastic, process wood, generate electricity. Before the invention of internal combustion engine, the tractors were: bigger; driven by locomotives; steam-powered. 1

5. a) b) c) 6. a) b) c) 7. a) b) c) 8. a) b) c) 9. a) b) c)

First steam- powered tractors took their shape from: airplane; primitive automobile; railway locomotive. Farmers being self-sufficient means: they had no desire to exchange goods and know-hows with other farms; they had to be able to support themselves financially and technically; they could not buy new machinery. The problem with two-stroke single-cylinder diesel engine was: the cylinder was too inefficient; it was unreliable; it was not too comfortable to operate. Old agricultural machinery is: nothing but historical curiosity; old yet reliable; old yet quite functional. Tractors were used: both as stationary machinery and vehicles; to power stationary agricultural machinery; to process wood.

10. Invention of internal combustion engine: a) made steam-powered vehicles redundant (nevajadzgs); b) increased the capacity of agricultural machinery; c) all of the above. TASK 3. Arrange the following sentences by putting the words in order. 1) on; machinery; varied; has; Omersbach; collection; surprisingly; agricultural; in; display; exhibition; a. 2) tractors; by; known; are; companies; some; other; better; built; things; for. 3) machines; driven; course; tractors; by; many; of; be; can. 4) was; took; when; farming; internal; dirty; even; over,; farming; engine; still; combustion; noisy; the; and. 5) early; powered; rails; resembled; without; steam; locomotives; tractors; railway. 6) seven; capacity; a; a; about; cylinder; had; litre; single; typically. 7) of; in; many; actual; tractors; still; older; are; use. 8) machines; such; making; are; farms; other; for; tasks; as; used; butter; on; varied. 9) pre-heated; be; used; bulb; had; models; with; which; blow-torch; early; a; a; to; hot. 10) steering; steering; and; is; detaches; column; used; a; wheel; crank; the; the; from; as.

Tapescript: Agricultural machinery might not seem that interesting, but over a few short years, the annual show at Omersbach has become extremely popular. All kinds of vehicles are on show, from the impressive to the faintly ridiculous. Historic tractors form a fairly large part of the exhibition, and there is a surprisingly varied collection on display. There are old ones, slightly more modern ones, big ones and tiny ones, strange ones, and custom-built ones of all shapes and sizes. Some tractors are built by companies better known for other things. Many of these tractors are still in actual use, although most of the older ones are kept only as historic curiosities. Many were obviously built in the days before strict controls on emissions. But its not just tractors which are on display. Many other machines are used on farms for such varied tasks as making butter; pumping water; generating electricity, either in small amounts, or on a slightly bigger scale. Many machines, of course, can be driven by tractors. How about a portable saw-mill? Sometimes, though, its not planks you need, but firewood. There is a machine for that, too. A much bigger machine for crushing stones. And one for threshing wheat, in the days before combine harvesters. Going even further back in time, tractors were bigger and steam-powered: railway locomotives without the rails. Naturally, these beasts can also power all sorts of machines. Farmers used to be considerably more self-sufficient, they had to be, as rural communities were often very difficult to reach. If something needed fixing, you had to do it yourself from scratch. Even when the internal combustion engine took over, farming was still noisy and dirty. This is the legendary Lanz Bulldog, in production from WW1 till just after the Second. It was a simple motor, two-stroke single-cylinder diesel engine. A single cylinder typically had about a 7-litre capacity: nasty, if anything went wrong. Early models, instead of glow-plugs, used a hot bulb which had to be pre-heated using a blow-torch. This will take about 15 minutes or more. When the hot bulb was hot enough, the driver had to turn the engine by hand to start it. You cant see it due to the crowd, but the steering wheel detaches from the steering column and is used as a crank. An engine like this may give you a bumpy ride, but it will get you home which is the main thing