READING COMPREHENSION:
A How does the speaker develop his argument? Put the following statements in the correct order:
1 / 4 companies control 90% of the total grain produced on Earth.
2 / Food derived from bacteria has existed for a long time.
3 / New techniques for crop growing are being developed.
4 / The effect of the increase in food prices is less noticed in rich nations.
5 / Farming is the greatest damage we have inflicted on the planet.
6 / Lab-grown protein is now a reality.
7 / Agricultural use of land is bigger than the urban one.
8 / Use of land is the most important environmental issue.
9 / For half a century we thought we had solved the problem of hunger.
10 / Farming and animal breeding account for the greatest use of land.
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Alternatively, do the exercise in interactive form, here:
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B Circle the correct answer:
1 What evidence does the speaker use to prove the damage caused by farming?
A The extent to which the climate has changed.
B The high percentage of deforestation and low percentage of birds in the wild.
C The environmental breakdown it has caused.
D The overpopulation of parts of the countryside.
2 The sixth great extinction of species
A has nothing to do with the climate change.
B is caused by the expansion of farmland.
C is directly related to the lack of food.
D is mainly the result of water pollution.
3 How much of the planet’s land do homes and man-made buildings occupy ?
A 38%
B 12%
C 1%
D 26%
4 Between the 1960s and 2014, world hunger
A was increasing.
B had ceased being a problem.
C was at its highest.
D was decreasing.
5 Why does the speaker mention that only four companies control 90 percent of the global grain trade?
A To highlight the vulnerability of the world food supply.
B To protest about rich nations getting richer.
C To explain the controversy of food prices dropping globally while rising locally.
D To emphasize the impact of wars on the supply chain.
6 Why does the act of moving food production off the land and into the factory seem a good solution?
A Because it solves the issue of land used for farming.
B Because it is more cost-effective.
C Because it employs environmentally friendly methods.
D Because the products are healthier for the consumer.
7 What was the striking thing about the pancake the speaker mentions?
A It had kept all its nutritious content.
B It required a smaller amount of land to be produced.
C It wasn’t as disgusting as other factory food products.
D Despite being made of factory produced flour, it tasted good.
8 What is the speaker’s purpose? (GLOBAL QUESTION)
A To warn us about the catastrophic impact of war on the food chain.
B To propose ways of obtaining food while occupying less land.
C To introduce new, cheap methods of food production.
D To present innovations in the farming sector.
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Alternatively, play it in Kahoot mode here: