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volume of a good quality surface soil is a mixture of disintegrated and decomposed rock
(mineral matter) and humus, the decayed remains of animal and plant life (organic
matter). The remaining half consists of pore spaces among the solid particles where air
and water circulate.
Humus is an essential component. In addition to being an important source of
plant nutrients, humus enhances the soil’s ability to retain water.
Soil water is far from “pure” water; instead, it is a complex solution containing
many soluble nutrients. Soil water not only provides the necessary moisture for the
chemical reactions that sustain life, it also supplies plants with nutrients in a form they
can use.
The pore spaces that are not filled with water contain air. This air is the source
of necessary oxygen and carbon dioxide for most microorganisms and plants that live in
the soil.

Task 3. Answer the following questions, using the vocabulary from Task 1.
1. Why is soil called “the bridge between life and the inanimate world”?
2. Why is soil referred to as an interface?
3. Where does soil form?
4. Why is soil a dynamic structure?
5. What is soil?
6. Try to prove that soil is one of our most indispensable resources.
7. Name the four components of soil. Is their proportion always the same?
8. Why is humus an essential component of soil?
9. Is soil water the same as “pure” water?
10. Why is air an important component of soil?

Task 4. Find English equivalents for the following (see the text). Try to
build up your own sentences with them.
Необхідні ресурси; завдячувати своїм існуванням; утворювати ґрунт;
виконувати роль посередника; робити доступним для людей і тварин; що
створюється у відповідь на складну взаємодію складників природи
(навколишнього середовища); вегетаційний або рослинний покрив; спричиняти
поступову зміну характерних рис ґрунту; забезпечувати чудовий приклад
інтеграції між багатьма частинами системи Землі; поєднання мінеральних та
органічних речовин, води та повітря; складатися з пор; здатність зберігати воду;
містити багато розчинних поживних елементів.

Task 5. Look at Figure 10.1. Soil is an essential resource that we often take
for granted. Soil is not a living entity, but it contains a great deal of life. Moreover,
this complex medium supports nearly all plant life, which in turn supports animal
life. What does the pie chart show?

Task 6. Give a short summary of the text from Task 2.

Grammar focus
The Passive Voice (1)
Task 1. Read the following sentences, translate them into Ukrainian. Pay
special attention to the verbs in the Passive Voice, state their tense forms.
1. The first attempts to outline plate boundaries were made using locations of
earthquakes.

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