Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F)
Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F)
Text № 1
Text The U.S. government has said a new, genetically modified potato is OK to eat, but McDonald's said it will not use it in its French fries and hash browns. The potato company said it changed the DNA of normal potatoes to make the vegetables better. A company said the new potato has less sugar and fewer things inside it that can give people cancer. It also said the potatoes are stronger. It was confident that people would buy the new potato in supermarkets. McDonald's made a statement about the new potato. It said: "McDonald's USA does not source GMO potatoes, nor do we have current plans to change our sourcing practices." The company did not say what it thought of McDonald's not using its new potato.
French fries are one of the most commonly eaten foods in the world. They are very popular with fast food restaurants. The expression 'French Fried Potatoes' was first used in English in an 1856 book called 'Cookery for Maids of All Work'. In the early 20th century, the term 'French fried' was being used to mean 'deep-fried'. Food historians say French fries actually come from Belgium and not France. Both countries say they were the first company to cook French fries. Belgians say the word 'French fries' is used instead of 'Belgian fries' because France has a worldwide image for good food. Some people think the term 'French' was used when U.S. soldiers arrived in Europe during World War I.
Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F)
Text № 2
Giant Galapagos tortoises used to be a symbol for endangered animals. In the 1960s, there were just 15 of the animals in existence. They were dying out because wild goats were eating their food and damaging their habitat. This caused conservationists to take action to help them. Forty years later, the tortoises are doing well. There are over 1,000 of them living and breeding in the wild. Scientists say it is a conservation success story. Conservationist James Gibb said: "What we basically found over time is that about half of the tortoises that were released have survived." Mr Gibbs added: "That's actually pretty amazing." Gibbs said the tortoises can now survive without human help.
Giant tortoises used to live all over the world. People hunted them and destroyed their habitat, so they almost became extinct. Giant tortoise numbers fell from over 250,000 in the 16th century to just a few thousand in the 1970s. Giant tortoises can weigh up to 250 kg and can live in the wild for over 100 years. One tortoise lived in captivity for more than 170 years. Wikipedia says: "Tortoises also live very uncomplicated lives, and can sleep up to 16 hours a day." Mr Gibbs said the conservation story in the Galapagos Islands would continue. Next year, a small island that lost all of its tortoises a few years ago will get 200 tortoises. Gibbs is looking forward to "another success".
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Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F)
Text № 3
A 13-year-old American has made a cheap machine that can help blind people read. People who cannot see can read by using Braille – a system of small bumps that people touch to read the letters. Machines that make these small bumps into words, sentences and paragraphs are very expensive. They are called Braille embossers and usually cost at least $2,000. The American teenager, Shubham Banerjee, made a new Braille embosser from a Lego kit that lets people create robots. It costs just $350. Banerjee has called his new device the Braigo – a combination of the words Braille and Lego. It works by translating electronic text into Braille and then printing it using a computer or mobile device.
Banerjee designed his Braigo last year for a school science fair. Since then, he has caught the interest of Silicon Valley in the USA. The technology giant Intel invested in Banerjee's machine last November, but they did not say how much money they put in. Banerjee also got $35,000 from his father to help him start the project. His father works as a computer engineer at Intel. He spoke about why he gave so much money to his son, saying: "We as parents started to get involved more, thinking that he's on to something and this innovation process has to continue." Banerjee told the AP news agency that: "My end goal would probably be having most of the blind people...using my Braille printer."
Read the text and decide if the sentences are true (T) or false (F)
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Text № 4
The co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has launched what could be the world's largest ever book club. Zuckerberg announced last week that his New Year's resolution was to read a book every week. He then invited his 30 million followers to join him in his literary pursuit. He created his own Facebook page called A Year of Books, on which he will announce what his latest read is and ask people to discuss the book with him. He explained the rationale for his initiative in a post, saying: "I'm excited for my reading challenge. I've found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to fully explore a topic and immerse yourself in a deeper way than most media today."
Zuckerberg has already selected his first book, 'The End of Power' by Moises Naim. He explained: "It's a book that explores how the world is shifting to give individual people more power that was traditionally only held by large governments, militaries and other organizations. The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply, and I'm looking forward to reading this book and exploring this in more detail." Zuckerberg takes on a challenge every year as a way to broaden his perspectives and learn more about the world, different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies. A previous task was to learn to speak Mandarin, which he has managed to do.
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