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Warm Up

Work with a partner.

This article talks about increasing food production to feed everyone.

What is the worlds population? How fast is it increasing?
What is genetically modified (GM) food? How could it help feed the world?

Vocabulary #1

Match the word with its correct definition.

malnourished (adj)

to protest or complain about something

crop (n)

to make changes - maybe damaging

prone (adj)

ability to survive difficult conditions

tolerance (n)

large amount of a plant grown in fields

object (v)

very strong / extreme

tamper (v)

sick or weak from not having enough food

profound (adj)

tending to do something

Reading

Quickly read the following text, and make brief notes in the table on the next page.

In the age of 24-hour supermarkets, it is easy to forget that around 800m

people dont have enough to eat. Millions are seriously malnourished and die
of related diseases every year. With the worlds population increasing by 86m
a year, feeding the world is an ever-growing problem. However, scientists
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developing genetically modified crops may provide an answer.

Rice is the staple food for around 3bn people. It is difficult to produce, being
prone to disease and drought. Over the next few decades, rice production will
need to increase by about 30% to feed the projected 4.6bn people reliant on
rice crops by 2025.
Since the early 1990s, scientists have been experimenting with the genetic

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make-up of crops in the hope of making them resistant to pests, drought and
disease. Recently, a team of scientists has mapped the complete DNA sequence for rice, allowing the genes
in rice responsible for crop yield, drought tolerance and pest resistance to be located. The team immediately
made their findings available free of charge to scientists throughout the world in the hope of speeding up

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research on GM crops.
Despite the potential benefits, there are many who object to the idea of genetically modified products. For
some, it is a moral problem, with scientists accused of playing God. Others point to the unknown
consequences of tampering with nature.
Continued

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With billions being invested in research, both the risks and benefits of genetically modified food are enormous.

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Either way, it is highly likely that the scientific breakthroughs of today will have a profound effect on mankinds
future.

Summarizing

Fill in the table below, making notes.

Check with a partner. Did you write the same things?

Vocabulary #2

Change words in these sentences using the vocabulary from exercise two.

1.

Someone has with my computer! It wont boot up properly!

2.

Maize, wheat and rice are all examples of .

3.

The protesters to the building of a new airport runway.

4.

In the developing world, some people are because of a lack of food.

5.

Some anglers are to exaggeration about the fish that get away!

Discussion

Ask your partner(s) these questions. Ask follow-up questions!

Questions related to the text in Exercise 3

Would you eat food if you knew it were genetically modified?

Should we tamper with nature and produce GM crops?

Do you think any of the food in your supermarket is genetically modified?

Do you think that problems of starvation will be solved in your lifetime?

Other Questions

Are you careful about what you eat?

What do you think of organic food?

Your questions!

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Target Structure:
Vocabulary:
Level:
Time:
Preparation:

Reading and Discussion

General
Advanced
1 hour, depending on discussion
None

Suggested Teaching Method

This worksheet covers vocabulary, reading and discussion practice. The topic should generate good
conversation, giving students an opportunity to express their opinions.

Give one worksheet to each student. Students should work in pairs, discussing their answers. When finished, go
through the answers with the group. Dont correct (or spend too long on) the final question - just elicit a few ideas.
Introduce the vocabulary work as a scanning exercise. Tell students to look for the words in the text and underline
them before proceeding further. If necessary, explain the concept of scanning compared to detailed reading. A
good example is a bus timetable you look for a specific time, rather than read the timetable from top to bottom.
Students should work alone, and then check in pairs.

Before the students read the text, explain the reading task.

and

Encourage the students to read quickly and make brief notes in the table in exercise four. They should then check
with a partner. Go through the answers with the class. This would also be the time to deal with any pressing
vocabulary questions.

This exercise recycles vocabulary seen in exercise two and the reading. Students should work alone, and check in
pairs. When going through the answers, accept anything that is natural English.

Leave plenty of time for class discussion. To maximize student talking time, its best to put students in pairs, or
small groups. Students should read all the questions first, before beginning the discussion.
Encourage eye contact and follow-up questions. Some discussion phrases might also come in useful. On the
board, write I know what you mean. , Yeah, but on the other hand.. and other such useful phrases, if you think
it would be of benefit to your students.
While the students are speaking, monitor the conversations, but try not to interrupt. When the discussion comes to
a close, ask a few of the questions yourself, and go through any points of English you made a note of while
monitoring.

The answer key is on next page.

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Answer Key (Other answers are possible for some exercises.)

The worlds population in 2005 was 6.4 billion. Its increasing at the rate of about 86 million per year.
GM food is made from plants or animals where the genes have been altered by changing the DNA.

malnourished (adj)
crop (n)
prone (adj)
tolerance (n)
object (v)
tamper (v)
profound (adj)

Pros of GM Food

sick or weak from not having enough food

large amount of a plant grown in fields
tending to do something
ability to survive difficult conditions
to protest or complain about something
to make changes - maybe damaging
very strong / extreme

Cons of GM Food

It could increase yield, drought tolerance

and pest resistance, providing more food for
the worlds growing population

Its morally wrong.

Its like playing God.
Unknown consequences of tampering with
nature.

1. Someone has tampered with my computer! It wont boot up properly!

2. Maize, wheat and rice are all example of crops.
3. The protesters are objecting to the building of a new airport runway.
4. In the developing world, some people are malnourished because of a lack of food.
5. Some anglers are prone to exaggeration about the fish that get away!

Additional Ideas & Information

You could ask some additional questions about the controversy behind GM food. Some ideas are given below.

It may be possible to add additional vitamins to food through GM, saving lives in developing countries. Is
this any different to fluoride being added to drinking water in many countries?
Is it acceptable to alter food for aesthetic/flavour/commercial reasons? How do your students feel about
fruit with enhanced colouring or flavours?
Are GM techniques really any different to selective breeding of animals, or creating hybrid plants (such as
roses)?

How are we doing?

Have you taught this lesson? We'd be very pleased to hear your comments.
Send your feedback to editor@handoutsonline.com.
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Updated 2/8/2012

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