Level: B1 Reading Practice (2FS)
Read the article about a new food trend: eating insects. Then choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for questions 1-6, write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you
| Will we eat insects in the future? Each year, there are 70 million new people on Earth. If the numbers continue to grow like that, by 2050 the population will probably reach 9 billion. To feed all of those hungry mouths, we will need to produce almost twice as much food as we do right now. But meat will not be one of the main sources of food then – we already use 70 percent of agricultural land to grow animals, oceans are overfished, our environment is polluted and climate change and diseases endanger food production. Today almost 1 billion people are already chronically hungry. So we need to think about ways to reduce food waste and make food production more efficient. One possible solution? Insects Eating insects has been done by people for thousands of years. And even today, around 2 billion people regularly cat insects as part of their daily meals, mostly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The most commonly eaten insects are beetles, caterpillars, ants and grasshoppers So what’s so good about insects? Well, firstly they’re nutritious. They might not look like much, but insects have a high vitamin, fibre and mineral content that is often comparable to animals. Studies show that they have less saturated fats and more protein than meat. So they are rather healthy as well. Secondly, they’re a sustainable food source. That means they can be grown in an environmentally-friendly way. Less land needs to be reserved for growing feed for insects than for animals that are grown for food. In addition, insect farming can provide jobs and income to people living in poor areas. People’s diets will be improved, and they can get an income through the sale of insects. It also doesn’t require a lot of experience or special equipment. In other words, many individuals can participate in these activities, including women I haven’t eaten many insects, but the ones I have tried have been surprisingly tasty. I tried some termites in Africa and was amazed to find that they have a nice flavour. I also tried grasshoppers in Mexico that had been roasted in garlic and chili. Since 1 May 2017, insects like worms, crickets and grasshoppers can now be served in restaurants and sold in supermarkets in Switzerland, thanks to new laws. Before that, Swiss people could only buy these insects as food for their pets. A United Nations report examined the use of insects as food for humans. The results were that insects should be used as a source of food in the future. This also influenced the Swiss government and in December 2016, the Federal Food Safety Office began to make the system and laws easier Insects might not be for everyone, but they could play an important role in making sure that there is enough to eat – for everyone. |
0 To make sure that everyone has enough to eat in the future
A. more animals must be bred
B. people need to eat more vegetables.
C. more food needs to be produced
D. more forests have to be cut down
1 Today
A. there are enough fish in the seas.
B. diseases don’t affect food production anymore.
C. the majority of farmland is used for growing animals.
D. there are still enough food resources for people all over the world.
2 Eating insects
A. is done by a significant number of people every day.
B. is mostly done in northern countries.
C. is seen as disgusting in Europe.
D. is a recent development.
3 Insects
A. do not contain important vitamins.
B. contain about as many minerals as animals.
C. contain about as much fat as meat.
D. contain about the same amount of protein as meat.
4 The growing of insects
A. is a complex process.
B. takes up a lot of space.
C. depends on technology
D. does not harm the environment much.
5 The author
A. didn’t like the termites.
B. liked the insects he has tried.
C. is an experienced insect eater.
D. bought insects in Switzerland.
6 In Switzerland,
A. people can buy insects in regular stores.
B. insects can only be bought for pets.
C. insects can only be bought in specific parts of the country.
D. there are strict regulations about selling insects.
| Answer Sheet Reading Task | |||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| C |