IELTS PREDICTION TEST

[COM] Jethro Tull (1674–1741) – Inventor of the Seed Drill

<h3>Jethro Tull (1674–1741) – Inventor of the Seed Drill</h3>
The English gentleman farmer who revolutionized the practice of agriculture
Jethro Tull was a major pioneer in the modernizing of agriculture. He was born in 1674 in Berkshire, southern England, into a family of land-owning gentry. He studied first at Oxford University and then at the Inns of Court, London, in preparation for a legal or political career. However, his health issues forced him to postpone these plans, and after qualifying as a barrister in 1699, he made a tour of Europe, in the hope that the milder climates of France and Italy would alleviate his breathing problems. In every country through which he passed, he made careful observations of the soil and agricultural production, and on his return to England, the young Tull married, then began farming with his father at Howberry farm in Oxfordshire.
Tull was determined to improve farming methods and increase crop yield on the family land, and pursued a number of agricultural experiments. He particularly wanted to increase efficiency in the sowing of seeds. At that time, seeds were still thrown by hand across the field in a haphazard manner, in a traditional method known as broadcasting. Tull soon realized this method of random distribution was inefficient, being wasteful of both seed and labor, so he instructed his staff to sow seeds at very precise, low densities. But by 1701, his frustration with their lack of co-operation prompted him to invent a machine to do the work for him.
Earlier in his life, Tull had once dismantled a pipe-organ, and the application of the technology behind this musical instrument inspired him to devise a drill that would distribute precise amounts of seed into pre-cut channels. Basic seeding devices had been known for almost 2000 years, but Tull took the concept a stage further. In his device, as the main wheels of the drill turned, the cylinder rotated against a spring-held tongue. This allowed seed to pass evenly from the hopper above to a funnel below. From here, the seed was directed at regular intervals into three channels, or furrows, in the earth. These were dug to a specific depth by the blades at the front of the machine. Spikes at the back of the machine then turned the soil over to immediately cover the seeds. Tull’s ‘seed drill’ would limit the wastage of seed, and as the seedlings grew in uniform rows, it would also make it easier to remove any unwanted weeds growing among the crop. Accordingly, each plant would have more space to grow, and although there would be fewer plants, the net yield would be greater.
Initially the machine was only a limited success, and in 1711 Tull decided to travel around Europe again, both to improve his health and to study agricultural techniques there. Upon his return in 1714, he perfected both his system and machinery. Following practices he had observed in the vine-growing methods of southern Europe, he used an animal-drawn hoe to turn over and pulverize the earth between the rows. He wrongly believed this practice would release enough nutrients in the soil to nourish the crop, and so eliminate the need for manure to be used to fertilize the soil. His experiments were apparently successful, as he did manage to grow wheat in the same field for 13 successive years without the use of manure. However, it is more likely that it was the turning over and pulverization of the soil that cut down on the volume of weeds competing with the seed.
Tull’s complete system eventually proved to be a major influence in the agricultural revolution, and its impact can still be seen in today’s methods. Most subsequent drilling and hoeing implements have been either copies of, or improvements upon his inventions, and his modifications to the basic model of the plough continue to be visible in modern versions. Tull also advocated the use of horses over the oxen more traditionally used to pull farm machinery, and published a book in 1731 outlining this and other ideas to enhance agricultural efficiency. The book caused great controversy when it appeared, and resistance to his revolutionary theories persisted for many decades. Another century would pass before his eventual vindication. It was only following the editing of his writings in 1822, and the subsequent translations and acceptance in France, that Tull’s ideas finally achieved recognition in his native land. Although in his lifetime, Tull’s methods and inventions were dismissed and ridiculed, they were gradually adopted by large landowners, and in time, came to form the basis of modern agriculture.

1. hopper
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<li>
Vị trí: Đoạn 3, dòng 7.
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: &#8220;This allowed seed to pass evenly from the hopper above to a funnel below.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Trong sơ đồ máy gieo hạt, cái phễu lớn ở phía trên dùng để chứa hạt giống chính là &#8220;hopper&#8221;.
</li>
</ul>
2. cylinder
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
Vị trí: Đoạn 3, dòng 6.
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: &#8220;In his device, as the main wheels of the drill turned, the cylinder rotated against a spring-held tongue.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Đây là bộ phận hình trụ xoay tròn khi bánh xe di chuyển để điều tiết hạt giống.
</li>
</ul>
3. funnel
<ul data-path-to-node="9">
<li>
Vị trí: Đoạn 3, dòng 7.
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: &#8220;&#8230;from the hopper above to a funnel below. From here, the seed was directed&#8230; into three channels.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Hạt giống từ phễu chứa đi xuống một cái phễu nhỏ hơn (funnel) trước khi vào các rãnh đất.
</li>
</ul>
4. spikes
<ul data-path-to-node="11">
<li>
Vị trí: Đoạn 3, dòng 10.
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: &#8220;Spikes at the back of the machine then turned the soil over to immediately cover the seeds.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Bộ phận ở phía sau máy có nhiệm vụ lấp đất lên hạt giống chính là các &#8220;spikes&#8221; (đinh nhọn/răng cào).
</li>
</ul>

Questions 1 – 4 

5. What name was given to the traditional technique of seed-sowing?
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<li>
Đáp án: broadcasting
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 2, dòng 4: &#8220;&#8230;in a traditional method known as broadcasting.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Phương pháp gieo hạt thủ công bằng cách tung hạt ngẫu nhiên trên cánh đồng được gọi là &#8220;broadcasting&#8221;.
</li>
</ul>
6. What type of agriculture gave Tull inspiration on his second tour of Europe?
<ul data-path-to-node="18">
<li>
Đáp án: vine-growing methods
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 4, dòng 3: &#8220;Following practices he had observed in the vine-growing methods of southern Europe&#8230;&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Khi quan sát cách trồng nho ở Nam Âu, Tull đã nảy ra ý tưởng dùng sức vật kéo để xới đất giữa các hàng cây.
</li>
</ul>
7. What traditional addition to soil did Tull believe to be unnecessary?
<ul data-path-to-node="20">
<li>
Đáp án: manure
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 4, dòng 6: &#8220;&#8230;and so eliminate the need for manure to be used to fertilize the soil.&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Tull sai lầm khi tin rằng việc xới đất kỹ sẽ giải phóng đủ chất dinh dưỡng, khiến việc bón phân chuồng (manure) trở nên không cần thiết.
</li>
</ul>
8. What animals did Tull recommend farmers should use to pull their machinery?
<ul data-path-to-node="22">
<li>
Đáp án: horses
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 5, dòng 4: &#8220;Tull also advocated the use of horses over the oxen more traditionally used&#8230;&#8221;
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Tull khuyến khích dùng ngựa (horses) thay vì bò kéo (oxen) truyền thống để tăng hiệu quả.
</li>
</ul>

Questions 5 – 8 

9. Tull was employed in the legal profession before taking up farming. 
<ul>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">Đáp án: NOT GIVEN </li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">Dẫn chứng (Đoạn 1): “He studied first at Oxford University and then at the Inns of Court, London, in preparation for a legal or political career. However, his health issues forced him to postpone these plans, and after qualifying as a barrister in 1699… the young Tull married, then began farming with his father…”</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">Giải thích: Bài đọc chỉ cho biết Tull học để chuẩn bị cho nghề luật/chính trị và sau đó đủ điều kiện trở thành một barrister (luật sư). Tuy nhiên, bài không hề nói ông thực sự làm việc hay được tuyển dụng trong ngành luật trước khi chuyển sang làm nông. Vì vậy, thông tin trong câu hỏi không được đề cập rõ trong bài.</li>
</ul>
10. The staff on Tull’s farm were unwilling to follow his instructions.
<ul data-path-to-node="28">
<li>
Đáp án: TRUE
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 2, dòng 7: “…his frustration with their lack of co-operation prompted him to invent a machine…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: “Lack of co-operation” (thiếu sự hợp tác) đồng nghĩa với việc nhân viên không sẵn lòng làm theo chỉ dẫn của ông.
</li>
</ul>
11. Tull reduced the amount of weeds in his wheatfield.
<ul>
<li data-path-to-node="4">Đáp án: TRUE</li>
<li data-path-to-node="5">Vị trí: Đoạn 4, dòng 9–10.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="6">Dẫn chứng: “…it is more likely that it was the turning over and pulverisation of the soil that cut down on the volume of weeds competing with the seed.”</li>
<li data-path-to-node="7">Giải thích: Mặc dù Tull nhầm lẫn về việc xới đất tạo ra chất dinh dưỡng, nhưng bài đọc xác nhận rằng hành động này của ông thực tế đã “cut down on the volume of weeds” (cắt giảm khối lượng cỏ dại). Cụm từ này đồng nghĩa hoàn toàn với “reduced the amount of weeds” trong câu hỏi. Kết quả này được minh chứng qua việc ông có thể trồng lúa mì liên tiếp 13 năm trên cùng một cánh đồng nhờ kiểm soát được sự cạnh tranh của cỏ dại.</li>
</ul>
12. Tull lived to see his ideas finally accepted.
<ul data-path-to-node="32">
<li>
Đáp án: FALSE
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 5, dòng 6-10: “…resistance to his revolutionary theories persisted for many decades. Another century would pass before his eventual vindication… in his lifetime Tull’s methods… were dismissed and ridiculed…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Trong suốt cuộc đời mình, ý tưởng của Tull bị chế giễu và bác bỏ. Phải tận một thế kỷ sau khi ông mất, chúng mới được công nhận và chấp nhận rộng rãi.
</li>
</ul>
13. Tull’s original book, published in 1731, sold very few copies.
<ul data-path-to-node="34">
<li>
Đáp án: NOT GIVEN
</li>
<li>
Dẫn chứng: Đoạn 5, dòng 6: “The book caused great controversy khi nó xuất hiện…”
</li>
<li>
Giải thích: Bài đọc chỉ nói cuốn sách gây ra “tranh cãi lớn” (great controversy), nhưng không hề đề cập đến số lượng bản in được bán ra là nhiều hay ít.
</li>
</ul>

[COM] Jethro Tull (1674–1741) – Inventor of the Seed Drill

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