Answer — Exercise 1

1. being sprayed with chemicals (insecticides) or burned down; drought, insects or fungus
2. roots may grow under a house, they can take over an area, stop light coming in, blow down and fall on a house; leaves may get on the railway lines (a typical excuse for why trains are late in the UK!)
3. as a present when you go to someone’s house, when someone’s ill, to cheer them up; at a funeral to put on the grave, as a mark of respect
4. berries, wild herbs or leaves for salad; mushrooms; hunting animals; charities providing free food, food banks
5. in cooking to flavour food; to make tea; as a cure or remedy for an illness

From the recording:

1. too much water
2. they are invasive; they take over everything and stop local varieties from growing
3. to say thank you for having him to stay
4. wild mushrooms
5. to make herbal tea, as a remedy