Breaking News English Lesson: Food Waste
China wants to cut food waste with its new "Clean Plate Campaign". President Xi called the waste "shocking and distressing". There are reports of a food crisis in China. Food production has fallen because of coronavirus and floods. President Xi said people must think carefully about food security and not leave food on their plate.
Restaurants are taking the campaign seriously. One restaurant started weighing customers. It apologised because diners were angry. A Beijing restaurant said: "We remind our guests when they order too much food." Other restaurants say groups of diners must order one fewer dish than the number of people in their group.
Try the same news story at these levels:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53761295
- https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1197577.shtml
- https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3096977/xi-jinping-targets-shocking-food-waste-china-battles-floods-and
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53792871
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
News
"Much has been said and written on the utility of newspapers; but one principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools."
The Portland Eastern Herald (June 8, 1795)
"News is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form, and. history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Mark Twain, in his autobiography (1906)
"Current events provide authentic learning experiences for students at all grade levels. In studying current events, students are required to use a range of cognitive, affective, critical thinking and research skills."
Haas, M. and Laughlin, M. (2000) Teaching Current Events: It's Status in Social Studies Today.
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Phrase Matching Paragraph 1- China wants to cut
- Xi called the waste shocking
- There are reports of a food
- Food production has
- because of coronavirus
- think
- food
- leave food
- on their plate
- food waste
- and floods
- security
- crisis
- and distressing
- carefully
- fallen
- taking the campaign
- weighing
- diners were
- A Beijing
- We remind our
- order too
- diners must order one
- the number of people
- guests
- restaurant
- in their group
- much food
- fewer dish
- customers
- angry
- seriously
China (1) ___________________ food waste with its new "Clean Plate Campaign". President Xi (2) ___________________ "shocking and distressing". (3) ___________________ of a food crisis in China. Food production (4) ___________________ of coronavirus and floods. President Xi (5) said ___________________ carefully about food security and not leave food (6) ___________________.
Restaurants (7) ___________________ campaign seriously. One restaurant (8) ___________________. It apologised because (9) ___________________. A Beijing restaurant said: "We (10) ___________________ when they order too much food." Other restaurants (11) ___________________ diners must order one (12) ___________________ the number of people in their group.
Put a slash (/) where the spaces areChinawantstocutfoodwastewithitsnew"CleanPlateCampaign".Presi dentXicalledthewaste"shockinganddistressing".Therearereportsofa foodcrisisinChina.Foodproductionhasfallenbecauseofcoronavirusan dfloods.PresidentXisaidpeoplemustthinkcarefullyaboutfoodsecurityandnot leavefoodontheirplate.Restaurantsaretakingthecampaignseriously. Onerestaurantstartedweighingcustomers.Itapologisedbecausedine rswereangry.ABeijingrestaurantsaid:"Weremindourguestswhenthe yordertoomuchfood."Otherrestaurantssaygroupsofdinersmustorde ronefewerdishthanthenumberofpeopleintheirgroup.
Student surveyWrite five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)
Discussion — Write your own questionsSTUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
(a) ________________
(b) ________________
(c) ________________
(d) ________________
(e) ________________
(f) ________________
(g) ________________
(h) ________________
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
(i) ________________
(j) ________________
(k) ________________
(l) ________________
(m) ________________
(n) ________________
(o) ________________
(p) ________________
Free writingWrite about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.
Answers(Please check your answers against the article above.
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