星火英语15篇文章背完大学英语六级词汇：Unit3-Part1

GardeningOne of the quiet joys of



Gardening



One of the quiet joys



of life in the southern part



of Ontario, Canada, is gardening.



Whether pursued as a hobby



or solely 1 to improve



the esthetic 2 value of one's home,



the pleasure derived 3 is only exceeded



by the therapeutic 4 benefit.



The exercise involved in working



in a garden is helpful in



keeping people in good physical condition.



It has become a ritual



for homeowners to spend



late winter weekends browsing 5



through seed catalogues while



sitting on their couch.



They make lists of items



they wish to purchase



and often make notations 6 right



on the catalogue as they make



decisions about this year's garden.



If they order early,



there is usually a discount coupon 7,



allowing a percentage of



the cost to be



deducted 8 from the price.



Often the coupon needs to



be detached from the catalogue



and mailed to the company



along with the order.



This is an extra bonus



for the consumer. The investment cost



required is nominal 9 when the amount



of pleasure generated is considered.



The seed companies will



usually warrant the plants,



and often a refund 10 is offered



if the plants do not thrive.



The shipment from the



seed company's warehouse 11 is awaited



with eager anticipation 12.



Its appearance means that



spring will soon arrive.



The glossy 13 pages of the catalogues



provide a preview of the visual



delights that can be grown.



Pictures show an array of



flowers that dazzle the eye.



There are monochromatic 14 displays



as well as others that



are a fusion 15 of the complete



spectrum 16 of the rainbow's colors.



Also included in the publication



are pictures and descriptions



of vegetables, shrubs 17, and trees.



Avid 18 gardeners subscribe 19 to magazines



that specialize in articles



and ads about this enjoyable pastime



and people literally 20 read



each issue from cover to cover.



Descriptions of plants include



implicit 21 instructions on whether



to plant them in sun or shade.



Specification 22 as to the amount



of irrigation required is also stated.



Elaborate irrigation systems are sometimes



installed or a trench 23 for



improving the water flow is used.



Controls are needed on



irrigation systems because if



the ground becomes too saturated 24



the soil in the garden



will be too muddy to



allow anyone to work in it



until it dries out. 



If there is too much



water constantly, the garden



will become a swamp



and impossible to cultivate.



(Many people like to preserve



the natural habitat of birds



and wildlife in a marsh 25.



These areas are usually protected



by the government and



although important to our environment,



are not considered gardens.)



Geographic 26 location is important for plants.



Certain plants are only suitable



for propagation close to the equator.



Others need to be several degrees



of latitude 27 away from the equator.



Longitude 28 is also a factor



and most companies clearly state



the conditions that will



provide the optimum chances



for the plants survival.



Canadians grow tulips imported



from Holland and they do well



in the Southern Ontario climate.



Because it is late spring



before plants can survive



outdoors in Southern Ontario,



it is common for people to



start their plants indoors.



Seeds are planted in small containers



and continue to grow indoors



until the appropriate size



is achieved. Sometimes ultraviolet light



is used to encourage plant growth.



When the mercury rises and



the danger of frost is past,



the plants are then transplanted



to the garden or to a flowerbed.



Plants are nourished from



the soil, but to provide



optimum food, fertilizer can be



applied 29 to encourage vigorous growth.



Sometimes fertilizer is diluted 30



with water while other kinds



are dispersed 31 with a spreader that



flings the fertilizer granules in a



small radius 32 around the plants.



The water soluble 33 fertilizer will



then be absorbed into the soil



the next time it rains.



Just as people need minerals,



such as calcium 34 and zinc 35,



to be healthy, plants also need



minerals but phosphorous and nitrogen



are better food for them.