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Food waste: Warm up

Ask the students to get into small groups and discuss the following questions:

• Do they waste food, and if so why? When and where do they waste food?

• Do they think food waste is an environmental issue or not?

• Is it an ethical issue?

Ask the groups to report back on their discussions.

Explain to the students that the first text is about food waste and ask them with a partner to predict at least 10 words which might be used in the text.

1.1 Food waste

Either read Text 1.1.1 in groups, with students taking it in turns to read, or read the text together with individual students taking a paragraph each.

While the text is being read, students should make notes of key facts which they find surprising. These can later be discussed with the rest of the class.

After reading the text in groups or as a class, have each student re-read the text individually and make a list of vocabulary words which are new and unknown.

Discuss the vocabulary first; if the vocabulary list is long with many new words for the majority of students it may be worth making a word wall. On a very large sheet of paper the words can be arranged in topic groups, parts of speech, or in any way applicable. Students can add the meanings in their mother tongue, or the words can be put into phrases which support comprehension.

Have the list hanging in the class until the chapter has been completed so that students are reminded of them and can easily check the meanings. Remind the students to refer to the sheet and try to use the new words in their oral and written work.

1.2 Food shortages

Before looking at Text 1.2.1, ask the students in which parts of the world they would most expect homelessness and hunger to be problems – collect their ideas. Then ask if they think it is likely that hunger and homelessness are issues in big cities, or in America?

Turn to the text. Read the text together and ask the students to comment on any issues that surprise them. Collect and clarify any unknown vocabulary.

1.3 Water, water, everywhere

Divide the class into two groups.

One group should brainstorm all their uses of water during a typical day/week.

The other group should think about the word ‘water’ and discuss what it is, where it is found, the different forms of water, any issues connected to water, etc.

TEACHER’S GUIDE

Food and water01

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01 Food and water

Ask the students in each group to present their findings graphically after making the list of ideas. They could make a flow chart, a pyramid, a Venn diagram, or whatever they think best represents their ideas. Remind them to use language as well as visuals. Remind them to talk to each other about what they are doing – in English, of course.

Let the two groups share their work with the rest of the class.

Turn to the Student’s Book to read and discuss the text together.

1.4 Ryan’s Well

Warm up: Ask the students if they have heard of anyone who has changed their lives completely to concentrate on helping others, and ask them if they would consider doing that – if so for whom and how. Turn to Text 1.4.1.

As they read the texts connected to Ryan’s Well, encourage the students to discuss in groups what Ryan has done, how he has affected others, the changes in Jimmy’s life, and so on. Do encourage the students to do some research online about Ryan’s Well, the projects, and the work in Kenya.

Exam practice

The practice exam text is related to the vocabulary and content covered in this chapter. In the examination, HL students will have five texts and SL students four texts to complete in 90 minutes. The aim of the practice exam texts is to give students the opportunity to practise such a task in a short period of time.

Suggestions for further reading

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Earthfire series by Luke Bowman

Answers

Text 1.1.1

General comprehension

1 answers will vary

2 True or false:

a False – ‘The vast amount of food going to landfills makes a significant contribution to global warming’

b True – ‘In developing countries food waste and losses occur at early stages of the food value chain […] In medium- and high-income countries food is wasted and lost mainly at later stages in the supply chain’

c False – ‘expansion of the food and packaging industry could help to reduce the amount of food loss and waste [in developing countries]’

d True – ‘agriculture is the largest human use of water’

e True – ‘approximately 32% of all food purchased per year is not eaten’

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Food and water 01

Text handling

1 Find the words in the text:

a powerful – potent

b huge – vast

c the same as – equivalent to

d wasting – squandering

e followed back – traced back

f advantageous – beneficial

2 answers will vary

Grammar in context

2 In the United States consumers throw away 30% of all food each year.

3 Consumers do not eat approximately 32% of all food purchased per year.

4 Too much food is often bought by consumers.

5 Too much fuel is often wasted on transportation by companies.

6 Climate change is caused by rotting food.

7 The lives of humans are made more difficult by climate change.

8 Many floods and storms are caused by climate change.

9 The causes of climate change can be reduced if everyone helps.

Text 1.2.1

General comprehension

1 The situation will get worse.

2 No, the jobless rate has reached its lowest level in five years but still the number of homeless people has increased.

3 Officials are worried by recent cuts to food stamps and by the new budget deal which does not renew jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed.

4 There is a 3% increase in homelessness in the surveyed cities.

5 answers will vary

6 City pantries had to decrease the amount of food they gave to the hungry.

7 In the homeless shelters the number of people allowed to sleep in a room has been increased.

8 One reason for homelessness is the lack of affordable housing.

9 Rising rents have created a problem as they have risen more than people’s earnings.

10 The good news is that veteran homelessness rates have dropped.

Text handling

1 c 2 c 3 b 4 c 5 b 6 c 7 c 8 b

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Food and water01

Grammar in context

1 Although I do not speak good French, most people understand me / Despite not speaking good French, most people understand me.

2 Although my mother is on a business trip, we have a cooked dinner every evening / Despite the fact that my mother is on a business trip, we have a cooked dinner every evening.

3 Although it is pouring with rain, I have hockey practice / Despite the rain, I have hockey practice.

4 Although paying squash is an unusual hobby, I know five people who play it / Despite the fact that playing squash is an unusual hobby, I know five people who play it.

Text 1.3.1

Text handling

1 Find the words in the text:

a wandered – roamed

b plentiful – copious

c maintaining life – sustaining life

d very many – myriad

e shortage of rain water – drought

f weakening – debilitating

g product – commodity

h take a look at – peruse

i support – advocacy

2 answers will vary

3 True or false:

a True – ‘The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the earth, hundreds of millions of years ago’

b False – ‘the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time’

c True – ‘water scarcity is an abstract concept to many and a stark reality for others’

d True – ‘in much of the developing world, clean water is either hard to come by or a commodity that requires laborious work’

e False – ‘humans have proved to be inefficient water users’

Grammar in context

1 Not only do we have maths homework, but also science homework / We have both maths and science homework.

2 Water is not only needed to feed but also to fuel the Earth’s population / Water is needed both to feed and to fuel the Earth’s population.

3 Many people lack enough water not only due to population growth, but also because of climate change / Many people lack enough water both because of population growth and climate change.

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Food and water 01

Text 1.4.1

General comprehension

1 Identify and explain:

a family of people/citizens of all ages

b people in the developing world

c by taking action and effecting change

d anyone

2 answers will vary

Text 1.4.2

General comprehension

answers will vary

Text 1.4.3

General comprehension

answers will vary

Text handling

1 our only source – the only place we could get water

2 abducted – taken away by force

3 adjusting to – getting used to/accustomed to

Text 1.4.4

General comprehension

1 Evidence has shown Kenya is one of the first places inhabited by people.

2 There are periods of drought and high levels of fluoride which require drilling to great depths to get clean water.

3 It has a vast population, with 42% of the population under 14 years old.

4 Rainwater harvesting involves building tanks to preserve water.

5 It provides training for women’s groups in the design and construction of rainwater harvesting tanks.

Text handling

1 severe water shortage – drought

2 workable – viable

3 built – constructed

4 people who live on the land and keep animals – pastoralists

5 inseparably – inextricably

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Exam practice

Exercises

1 There has been an increase in demand for food banks and food parcels recently because of the economic downturn/squeeze on living standards.

2 The two benefits of the scheme are it would cut food waste and help those in need.

3 The three reasons the Environment Secretary gives for preventing food waste are that it protects the environment, it helps communities, and it makes good business sense.

4 FareShare collects surplus food and drink and redistributes it to around 700 charities.

5 FoodCycle is different from FareShare because it uses professional kitchens to produce free meals in 14 locations.

6 Some retailers are concerned about the project because they could be sued if consumers fall ill after eating surplus food.

7 The Good Samaritan law would help them by making firms who provide food exempt from legal action.

8 answers will vary

9 Being green is becoming a way of life in that we reduce waste and share the produce equally.

These are possible answers; the students may express them in other ways.

10 To boost links – make links/connections stronger and more effective

11 Sandwich chains – shops which all belong to the same company and specialize in making and selling sandwiches

12 An explosion in demand – a huge increase in the number of people who want their products

13 The needy – people in need, who do not have all the basic essentials for life – food, water, work, an income, etc.

14 To donate surplus food – to give away, at no cost, any food which is not needed

15 Fit for consumption – the food will not cause the consumer to be ill and the food is still nutritious

16 F

17 C

18 D

19 E

20 A

Further exercises

Grammar in context

1 food and drink

2 FareShare

3 the work of Foodcycle