UNIT 1. LOCAL ENVIRONMENTListening
Bây giờ chúng ta sẽ nghe một đoạn nói về một nghề thủ công truyền thống ở Somerset, nước Anh nhé. Trước tiên, chúng ta sẽ học một vài từ mới:
Traditional craft (n): nghề thủ công truyền thống
Willow (n) /ˈwɪləʊ/: cây liễu
Pass down (phr.v) /pɑːs daʊn/: truyền lại
Commercially (adv) /kəˈmɜːʃəli/: có tính thương mại
Bây giờ, các bạn hãy nghe và trả lời những câu hỏi dưới đây nhé.
Listen and decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
| 1. Willow basket making is the oldest traditional craft in Somerset. | |
| 2. Willows can grow well in the area because of its favorable natural conditions. | |
| 3. The arrival of plastic products did not affect the growth of the basket making industry in the area in the 1950s. | |
| 4. Basket making does not play an important role in the area now. | |
| 5. Willow growers and basket makers have found new ways to promote their industry. |
Last year I visited the Somerset Levels, a coastal plain and wetland area in South West England. This area is home to one of Somerset's oldest traditional crafts - willow basket making. Basket making began in the area a long time ago. At the beginning of the 19th century, more than three thousand acres of willow trees were commercially planted there because the area provided an excellent natural habitat for their cultivation.
I'd seen willow baskets before I visited the Levels, but I was still amazed at the numerous products created by the basket makers there. They make lobster pots, bread trays, and even passenger baskets for hot air balloons.
Although the arrival of plastics in the 1950s caused the basket making industry to decline, willow growing and basket making have continued to play a significant role in Somerset's rural economy. Willow growers and basket makers have dealt with this challenge by finding new markets and innovative ways of using willow. They make willow charcoal for artists and bower seats for gardens. Some even weave willow coffins. Therefore, people here can still live on the craft that their great-grandparents passed down to them.