UNIT 1 – READING 2

Match the words with the definitions.

NEW WORDS DEFINITIONS
1. addiction A. (n.) a substance that affects the structure or any function of the
2. drug body when taken
3. recommend B. (adv.) only or just
4. cut down on C. (n.) a small unit produced by a plant from which a new plant can
5. efficient grow
6. store D. (v.) to collect and put (something) in one location for future use
7. obvious E. (phrase) to eat or drink less of a particular thing
8. advertise F. (n.) something designed or built to serve a specific function,
9. facility affording a convenience of service
10. battle G. (n.) a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do (something)
11. crop H. (n.) a system of measurement or comparison
12. solely I. (n.) a fight between people or groups
13. scale J. (v.) to describe or give information about a product in order to
14. variety promote sales
15. seed K. (n.) any of the world’s main landmasses
16. suggest L. (n.) a number or collection of different things or people
17. continent M. (adj.) performing or functioning in the best possible manner with
18. historic the least waste of time and effort
19. marketplace N. (v.) to mention (something) as a possible thing to be done, used or
20. flavor thought about
O. (adj.) famous or important in history
P. (adj.) easily seen, recognized or understood
Q. (n.) the world of trade or economic activity 
R. (v.) to suggest that someone do (something)
S. (n.) a particular type of taste
T. (n.) a plant or plant product that is grown by farmers

addiction (n.) a strong and harmful need to regularly have or do (something)

drug (n.) a substance that affects the structure or any function of the body when taken
recommend (v.) to suggest that someone do (something)
cut down on (phrase) to eat or drink less of a particular thing
efficient (adj.) performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of
time and effort
store (v.) to collect and put (something) in one location for future use
obvious (adj.) easily seen, recognized or understood
advertise (v.) to describe or give information about a product in order to promote sales
facility (n.) something designed or built to serve a specific function, affording a
convenience of service
battle (n.) a fight between people or groups
crop (n.) a plant or plant product that is grown by farmers
solely (adv.) only or just
scale (n.) a system of measurement or comparison
variety (n.) a number or collection of different things or people
seed (n.) a small unit produced by a plant from which a new plant can grow
suggest (v.) to mention (something) as a possible thing to be done, used or thought
about
continent (n.) any of the world’s main landmasses
historic (adj.) famous or important in history
marketplace (n.) the world of trade or economic activity 
flavor (n.) a particular type of taste
READING TEXT 1:
Why do we love sugar so much?
Many scientists believe our love of sugar may actually be an addiction. When we eat or drink
sugary foods, the sugar enters our blood and affects parts of our brain that make us feel good. Then
the good feeling goes away, leaving us wanting more. All tasty foods do this, but sugar has a
particularly strong effect. In this way, it is in fact an addictive drug, one that doctors recommend
we all cut down on.
“It seems like every time I study an illness and trace a path to the first cause, I find my way back
to sugar,” says scientist Richard Johnson. One-third of adults worldwide have high blood
pressure,1 and up to 347 million have diabetes. Why? “Sugar, we believe, is one of the culprits, if
not the major culprit,” says Johnson.
Our bodies are designed to survive on very little sugar. Early humans often had very little food, so
our bodies learned to be very efficient in storing sugar as fat. In this way, we had energy stored for
when there was no food. But today, most people have more than enough. So the very thing that
once saved us may now be killing us.
So what is the solution? It’s obvious that we need to eat less sugar. The trouble is, in today’s
world, it’s extremely difficult to avoid. From breakfast cereals to after-dinner desserts, our
foods are increasingly filled with it. Some manufacturers even use sugar to replace taste in
foods that are advertised as low in fat.
But there are those who are fighting back against sugar. Many schools are replacing sugary
desserts with healthier options like fruit. Other schools are growing their own food in gardens, or
building facilities like walking tracks so students and others in the community can exercise. The
battle has not yet been lost.
READING TEXT 1B
Food for the Future
In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. In
another place or time, the death of a single crop species might not have been so important. But in
Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost solely on the potato for food. The death of one species
caused a terrible famine.1 Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again
—but on a much wider scale.
Over the centuries, farmers have discovered thousands of different species of food crops. Each
species has special qualities. Some can be grown in very hot or cold climates. Others are not
affected by certain diseases. However, you won’t find many of these species in your local
supermarket. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only
species of plants and farming only species of animals that are easy to produce in large numbers.
Meanwhile, thousands of other species are becoming extinct.
For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice; now fewer than 100
are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties grown just a century ago have
disappeared. Experts believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the
world’s food varieties to disappear.
▌Saving the Seeds
One solution to this problem is to collect and preserve the seeds of as many different plant varieties
as we can before they disappear. The idea was first suggested by Russian scientist Nikolay
Vavilov. In the 1920s and ’30s, he collected around 400,000 seeds from five continents. More
recently, others are continuing the work he began.
In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to preserve historic plant varieties, like the
seeds her great-grandfather brought to the U.S. from Germany more than a hundred years ago. She
and her husband started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds.
More importantly, the people at Heritage Farm don’t just store the seeds; they plant them. By doing
this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace that haven’t been grown for years. These
food species are not just special in terms of appearance or flavor. They also offer farmers food
solutions for the future, from the past.

Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is this passage mainly about?
a. how food species disappear
b. the need to preserve different food species
c. what the food we eat will look like someday
d. ways to increase the number of food species
2. What caused many people to die in Ireland in 1845?
a. The potatoes that people planted didn’t grow.
b. People ate potatoes that were harmful to humans.
c. A disease killed their potato crop, so they had no food.
d. A deadly disease spread from the potato crop to humans.
3. What does the word others refer to in line 11?
a. farmers
b. different climates
c. distinct qualities
d. species of food crops
4. Which sentence is closest in meaning to you won’t find many of these species in your local
supermarket (lines 12–13)?
a. Many of these species are too expensive.
b. Many of these species are not available to us.
c. Many of these species look like other species.
d. Many of these species are only found in big cities.
5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
a. Most farmers grow species that are easy to produce in small numbers.
b. Thousands of species of plants and animals have become extinct.
c. Fewer than 100 varieties of rice are grown in the Philippines.
d. Half of the world’s food varieties have disappeared in the past 100 years.
6. People have been preserving seeds to save crop species and varieties from extinction ______.
a. for thousands of years b. for less than 100 years
c. since 1845
d. for only ten years
7. Which statement would Diane Ott Whealy probably agree with?
a. The work started by Nikolay Vavilov was not important.
b. American seeds are better than German seeds.
c. It’s important to store seeds, but you must also plant them.
d. Foods grown from older seeds are cheaper, but taste bad.
CHAPTER 2
READING TEXT 2A. Song of the Humpback.
Herman Melville, the writer of the famous whale story Moby Dick, once wrote that humpback
whales were “the most lighthearted1 of all the whales.” A favorite of whale watchers everywhere,
they swim in ocean areas close to land, and are active at the surface. They can often be seen
breaching, or leaping out of the water, and then coming down with a great splash. Humpbacks are
known to be intelligent animals and can be seen working together to hunt schools of small fish.
And, if you listen closely, you might even hear one singing.
Recording Gentle Giants
Marine biologist2 Jim Darling has studied the songs of humpback whales for more than 25 years.
While recording whale songs on a boat near Hawaii, he invited author Douglas Chadwick to
experience diving with a humpback. In the water, Chadwick heard the whale’s songs in a way he
never heard them before. “Suddenly, I no longer heard the whale’s voice in my ears,” he said. “I
felt it inside my head and bones.”5f
When swimming with the whale, Chadwick could see that the whale was aware of him, but not
alarmed by his presence. The 13-meter-long giant looked him over3 curiously, but never harmed
him. The whale then swam under the boat. It pointed its head down to the ocean floor and, with
flippers4 extended out to its sides, began to sing. Up in the boat, Darling recorded the whale’s
song. Humpback whale songs can be long and complex, sometimes lasting for 30 minutes or more.
They are perhaps the longest songs sung by any animal.

Why Do They Sing?

Darling says that only male humpbacks sing, but for unknown reasons. It was previously thought
that they sang to attract females, but scientists showed this was incorrect when they played
recordings of whale songs in the ocean and the female whales did not respond. Another idea is that
male humpbacks compete with each other using songs, just as other male animals on land do using
their antlers or tusks.5
Researchers have also found that humpback whale songs are different in different parts of the
world, perhaps like whale national anthems.6 They may also be like hit tunes on the radio,
changing over time—from one year to the next, or even over a single breeding season.
There is still so much the scientists don’t know, and years of study lie ahead for whale researchers
like Jim Darling. “Why do I do it?” he wonders aloud. “Human beings like puzzles. I want to
know. Period.”
Another member of the research team, photographer Flip Nicklin, recalls a special moment he had
while interacting with a humpback. While he was snorkeling some distance from the huge animal,
it approached him until it was just a few meters away. It then gently carried Nicklin toward its eye
with a flipper, as if examining him. Apparently, the urge to understand a different species goes
both ways.

READING TEXT 2B. Dogs in a human world.

Dogs and Humans
About 14,000 years ago, human beings and dogs began a partnership that has lasted through the
years. Our interactions may have begun when wolves came close to our homes, attracted by the
smell of human garbage, or when humans found wolf puppies1 and trained them to be loving pets.
Today, by means of the careful selection of dog parents, humans have created many different
breeds of dog. Each breed has its own look and talents, and its own role within human society.
Here are three examples of “a dog’s life” in the human world.
The Animal Carer
Today, many hospitals let specially trained dogs in to bring love and cheer to patients. Shaynee the
wheaten terrier is a therapy dog. She visits children who are fighting deadly diseases. Dogs like
Shaynee help patients feel calm and at peace, which can be hard in a busy hospital. They help both
children and adults stay strong during long hospital stays, and, some suggest, even help them get
better.
The Working Dog
Today, some beagles work in airports for the government. They are part of a program called the
Beagle Brigade. A beagle is good for this type of work because of its powerful nose, and ability to
track smells. The Beagle Brigade’s job is to smell everything that comes into the country. They
alert officers to illegal fruits, vegetables, and other foods in luggage or in mail. The beagles do the
job far better than any human could. Some of the dogs are donated by private owners; others were
rescued from animal shelters.
The Pampered Pet
While some dogs are working hard, others are free
to spend their days resting and playing. Across the
world, many pet dogs are treated like children. Many
have their own rooms and all the things a dog could
want. Some, like the Yorkshire terrier pictured
above, even have their own clothes. Many of these
pampered3 pets spend their days playing, learning
to be obedient, or even going to yoga (or doga) classes.
Their owners give them the best, and enjoy doing so.
Whether as workers or objects of affection, dogs have become beneficial to humans in many ways.
There are plenty of advantages for the dog, too. Many species of wild dogs have nearly
disappeared from the Earth. However, the domestic dog’s special place as “man’s best friend” has
allowed it to survive in a human world.