GT Reading — Test 36

Reading passage

TEXT Text A — Briarside Community Allotments — Plot Notice Welcome to Briarside, where residents of the Meadowfield estate have grown their own vegetables since 1998. We currently manage forty-two plots on the land behind the leisure centre, and a small number become available each spring. A standard plot measures five metres by ten metres and costs 48 pounds per year. Half-plots, ideal for first-time growers, are 26 pounds per year. Rent is payable in April; if you join after August, you pay only half the annual fee for that first season. Every plot holder receives a key to the tool shed and to the water tap, which runs from March until the end of October. Please note that hosepipes may not be left unattended, and sprinklers are not permitted at any time. New members are asked to attend one Saturday induction morning before digging begins. Here you will meet your plot neighbours, collect your key, and learn where to leave green waste for the shared compost heaps. To join the waiting list, email the plot secretary, Fiona Aldridge, at [email protected]. The list is usually two to three months long, so please be patient. ———————————— TEXT Text B — Garden Share Scheme — Have a Garden, Need a Garden? Not everyone on the waiting list wants to wait, and not every large garden is being used. The Meadowfield Garden Share Scheme puts the two together. If you own a garden that has grown tired and neglected, we can match you with a keen local grower who will tend it in return for a share of what they produce. You keep your land; you simply lend a corner of it. Many owners tell us they enjoy the company as much as the fresh beans. Growers pay nothing to take part. In exchange, they agree to keep the shared area tidy, to consult the owner before planting anything permanent such as fruit trees, and to give the owner at least one third of the harvest. We interview every grower before a match is made, and we ask both sides to sign a simple one-page agreement. Either party may end the arrangement by giving one month's notice in writing. The scheme carries insurance that covers any accidental damage a grower causes, so owners need not worry about their own policy. Interested? Come to our next open evening on Thursday 14 May at the Meadowfield library, from 7 p.m. No booking is needed. Bring a friend. ———————————— TEXT Text C — Briarside Allotments — Summer Events Timetable Our plots are more than rows of carrots; they are where the neighbourhood meets. All events below are free unless a charge is shown, and everyone is welcome, whether or not you hold a plot. Saturday 7 June, 10 a.m. — Seed and Seedling Swap. Bring your spare seedlings and take home something new. Surplus plants are sold for pennies to raise money for the water fund. Sunday 22 June, 2 p.m. — Children's Scarecrow Workshop. Suitable for ages five and over. A 3-pound charge covers straw and materials. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Saturday 12 July, 9 a.m. — Compost Masterclass. Learn to turn kitchen scraps into rich soil with our head grower, Raymond Poole. Booking essential, as places are limited to twenty. Sunday 3 August, from noon — Summer Harvest Lunch. Bring a dish made with something you have grown. Plates and cutlery provided; please label dishes for allergies. Saturday 6 September, 11 a.m. — Giant Vegetable Weigh-In. Prizes for the heaviest marrow and the oddest-shaped potato. Entry is 50 pence per vegetable. For the harvest lunch and the compost class, please add your name to the sheet in the tool shed. All events go ahead in light rain but move indoors to the leisure centre foyer if the weather turns severe.