of each paragraph. I'll give you five minutes.

( five minutes later )

T: Who would like to tell me the main idea of Paragraph One?

S: It's "What is 'organic farming'?"

T: That's right. How about Paragraph Two?

S: The main idea is "The fertilizer that organic farmers prefer is natural waste from animals".

T: Thank you for your good answers. Let's come to the next paragraph.

S: The main idea for the last paragraph is "Organic farmers change crops every two or three years".

T: Every one has done a good job, I hope everyone got all the answers by yourself.

Step 3 Reading for details

T: Now please read the passage again, and try to find all the answers for the following questions:

1. What is organic farming?

2. What problems are caused by using chemical fertilizers?

3. Why do organic farmers grow peas or soybeans after corn or wheat? T: Finish? Any one gets the answer for the questions?

Suggested answers:

1. Organic farming means growing crops without chemical fertilizers.

2. There are three problems. First, chemical fertilizers affect the soil and the water supply badly. Second, they allow farmers to grow the same crop year after year and exhaust the soil. Third, they kill both helpful and harmful pests.

3. Farmers grow peas or soybeans after corn or wheat so that peas and beans can put minerals back into the soil, making it rich and healthy and ready to grow more wheat or corn.

Step 4 Extensive Reading

T: Please read the text for the third time, and then fill in the following table.

(Five minutes later the teacher check the answers one by one. )

Advantages of organic farming Reason 1. Farmers use natural waste from animals. 1. This makes the soil richer in minerals and so more fertile. 2. The soil is not exhausted. 2. Peas and soybeans renew the minerals in the soil and it becomes rich and healthy.