Making Compost

===1. Today we are going to learn about one way to grow bigger and better plants.=== 
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===2. To make plants grow well they need good soil to grow in. When the same soil is used for several years it gets worn out and plants don’t grow as well as they used to.=== 
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===3. One way to make the plants grow better again is by adding compost. Compost is a natural fertilizer that you can make very easily. You don’t have to buy expensive things to make it.=== 
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===4. When you have made your compost you can mix it with the soil you grow your crops in and it will make your crops grow better.=== 
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===5. Now YOU need to answer some questions! Try to answer using the arrow buttons on the controller. You can hear any question again by pressing the centre button.=== 
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===6. What kind of soil is good for plants?=== 
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===7. Old soil that has been used for many years?=== 
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===8. Or soil that has had compost added to it?=== 
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===9. Press a button now.=== 
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===10. Yes plants grow better in soil that has had compost added to it. If you don’t add things to your soil, the soil gets worn out and the plants don’t grow as well.=== 
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===11. Is compost expensive to make?=== 
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===12. Yes,=== 
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===13. or no?=== 
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===14. Press a button now.=== 
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===15. That’s correct. Compost is not expensive to make. It is made from things you can find around you.=== 
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===16. To make compost you need to collect a pile of things from plants and animals which you then leave for several weeks. === 
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===17. First you should collect some green things. Look around for grass, green leaves or sugar cane. You can also use weeds, but try to remove the seed heads before putting the weeds onto your compost pile.=== 
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===18. To make good compost these green things need to be cut up small. Prepare your green things to make into compost by tearing or cutting them into small pieces.=== 
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===19. Now let’s have a question.=== 
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===20. Can you use weeds to make compost?=== 
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===21. Yes,=== 
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===22. or no?=== 
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===23. Press a button now.=== 
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===24. That’s right! Yes you can use weeds, but make sure you break them up into small pieces first, and try to remove the seed heads.=== 
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===25. Next you should look for some brown things. Collect small sticks, straw, dead leaves and sawdust. You can also use paper, egg shells and ashes. === 
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===26. If you cannot find all of these things for your compost pile, just use whatever you have. You do not need to use all of these things. === 
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===27. If you have animals, you can also collect manure from sheep, goats, chickens and cows to put in your compost. Animal manure is a very good thing to put in your compost.=== 
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===28. Now try to answer this question.=== 
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===29. Do you need to buy sawdust to put in your compost?=== 
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===30. Yes,=== 
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===31. or no?=== 
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===32. That’s right. You don’t need to buy anything to make compost. Just use other brown things that you can find, such as small sticks, straw and dead leaves.=== 
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===33. To make compost you must use a mixture of green things, like weeds and grass and brown things like straw and dead leaves.=== 
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===34. The compost mixture should be made of approximately half green and half brown things.=== 
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===35. You need to collect enough things to make a pile as high as your waist.=== 
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===36. Can you make compost using only grass?=== 
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===37. Yes,=== 
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===38. or no?=== 
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===39. Well done, you need a mixture of green and brown things to make compost.=== 
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===40. How much of your collection should be made from brown things like straw?=== 
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===41. Most of the things should be brown?=== 
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===42. Or about half the things should be brown?=== 
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===43. Yes, to make good compost, about half the things you collect should be brown.=== 
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===44. How many things do you need to collect to make compost?=== 
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===45. Enough to make a pile as high as your waist?=== 
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===46. Or enough to fill a small bucket?=== 
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===47. That’s right, you need to collect enough things to make a pile as high as your waist.=== 
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===48. Now here are some things that you must not use in your compost. It is very important that you do not use these things.=== 
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===49. The most important thing to remember is that although you can use manure from other animals, you must not use the faeces of humans or cats or dogs. This is because these faeces can have diseases in them and it might make you sick if your plants grow in compost made with them.=== 
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===50. You must also not use meat or anything else that will attract animals to your compost pile. You do not want wild animals coming close to your home, so don’t use scraps of meat or other food in your compost.=== 
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===51. Don’t put anything poisonous on your compost pile. If you know that a weed makes your skin itch or that it is poisonous to eat, then don’t collect it for your compost.=== 
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===52. Which of the following can you collect to make your compost?=== 
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===53. Dog faeces?=== 
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===54. Or chicken manure?=== 
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===55. Yes, chicken manure is good, but dog faeces and the faeces of cats and humans should not be used.=== 
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===56. Which of these can be used to make compost?=== 
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===57. Torn up green leaves?=== 
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===58. Or meat scraps?=== 
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===59. Correct. You should not use meat scraps or anything else that might attract wild animals to your compost.=== 
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===60. Now we have learned what we need to collect to make compost, we are ready to learn how to make it. First we need to find a good place to make it. === 
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===61. Remember you are going to make a pile, which you will leave for several weeks, so it is important to find a good place. === 
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===62. You should choose a place that is out of the wind. It is a good idea to make it near where your crops grow so that you don’t have to carry it too far. === 
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===63. Don’t make it so that it is leaning against the wall of your house, or any other building or fence, as the rotting compost mixture can damage these structures.=== 
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===64. Is it a good idea to make your compost pile so that it is leaning against the side of your house?=== 
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===65. Yes,=== 
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===66. Or no?=== 
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===67. That’s right. It is not a good idea to make it next to your house, as the rotting compost mixture can damage the wall of your house.=== 
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===68. Now this is how you make your compost pile. Start with a layer of small sticks, then alternate layers of green things and brown things. Each layer should be about as deep as your hand span. === 
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===69. When you finish each layer, pour a little water on the pile. Do not use so much water that the pile becomes soggy, just enough to make it damp. === 
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===70. You can also use urine to make your compost pile damp. Urine from animals and humans is a very good thing for your compost.=== 
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===71. When you have put all the things you have collected onto your pile, cover the pile with a plastic sack. This will protect it from the sun and the rain.=== 
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===72. Should you put the things you collected onto your pile in layers?=== 
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===73. Yes,=== 
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===74. or no?=== 
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===75. That’s right. You should make the pile by alternating green and brown layers.=== 
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===76. Once you have made your pile you only have to do two things to look after it. First you must keep it damp. Put enough water onto the pile so that it is always damp but not too wet.=== 
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===77. If you live in a cold place, you probably won’t need to put water on it very often. If you live somewhere hot, you should check your pile every 3 or 4 days to make sure it’s still damp. === 
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===78. Wherever you live, the other thing you should do is to use a shovel to mix up the pile once a week.=== 
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===79. How wet should your compost pile be?=== 
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===80. Damp, but not too wet?=== 
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===81. or very dry?=== 
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===82. Yes, give your compost pile enough water to keep it damp but not too wet.=== 
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===83. If it is working, the pile will feel hot and smell earthy. It should not smell bad. === 
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===84. Your compost is ready when it all looks dark and crumbles through your fingers. If you live in a hot place, this will take about 6 to 8 weeks, but in colder countries it will take longer.=== 
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===85. What will your compost look like when it is ready to use?=== 
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===86. It will look the same as when you started?=== 
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===87. Or it will look dark and crumble through your fingers?=== 
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===88. That’s right. When your compost is ready, it will look dark and crumble through your fingers.=== 
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===89. Once your compost is ready, you can mix it with your soil when you plant your crops. This will help your plants to grow better.=== 
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===90. Your compost can be put in individual planting holes with each seed or in the line where you will plant several seeds.=== 
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===91. Compost helps all types of plants to grow well. If you only have a small amount of compost you should decide which crop is most important to you and use your compost for that crop. It is better to use plenty of compost over a smaller area than to spread it thinly over a whole field.=== 
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===92. So now, here’s your final question:=== 
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===93. What should you do when your compost is ready?=== 
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===94. Spread it thinly over a big field to help all your crops to grow?=== 
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===95. Or mix plenty of compost with soil for your most important crops?=== 
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===96. Well done. It is better to use plenty of compost over a smaller area than to spread it thinly over a whole field.=== 
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===97. Well done. Now you are ready to make your compost!=== 
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===98. That was the wrong answer. Let’s go back and listen again.=== 
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===99. Sorry! Wrong answer.=== 
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===100. Hello. The title of this lesson is “ Making Compost”. To begin, press the arrow pointing to the right. After you have finished this lesson the arrow pointing down will take you to the quiz. To listen again press the middle button.=== 
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===101. You’ve now finished the lesson. Well done! Now press the arrow pointing down to play the quiz and try to win a gold star!=== 
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===102. Correct!=== 
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===103. “Making Compost”=== 
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