MINITEST IN READING (2)

NAME: _______________________________________________________
DATE: ________________________________________________________

1. 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21

Organic or Enhanced?
Section I
One of today’s latest crazes, popularized by the Internet and mainstream media, is eating organic products. These
products, such as vegetables and livestock, are grown or raised without the use of fertilizers, pesticides or
hormones. Advocates of these products believe in a “greener”, back to nature approach and try to discourage
people from buying from supermarkets, as the bulk of produce on sale there has been enhanced with additives for
mass production.
Section II
What does the term “enhanced food” really mean? Well, scientists around the globe are constantly hard at work
trying to improve the value, quality, and appearance of food on a scale beyond our imagination. In order to do this,
they resort to measures such as cloning, adding artificial coloring, adding preservatives, and altering nutritional
value. The reasons behind this are to make the product look as attractive as possible and prevent it from decaying
easily, thus prolonging its shelf life.
Section III
Science claims that food manufactured in this way is perfectly safe for human consumption and has undergone a
barrage of rigid health and quality checks by both independent and governing bodies before it is released onto the
market. Using these methods, food can be mass-produced at a lower cost, making it more accessible for people in
poorer countries. In addition to this, food with a longer shelf life reduces waste.
Section IV
While altering the DNA of our vegetable produce is not as frowned upon as it once was, many people raise
objections when the same process is used on animals. Animal activists are strongly opposed to interfering with
animal DNA in order to make it more desirable for human consumption. Altering life in search of ways to nourish
the population can often have disastrous results, results that are often unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Section V
This may be the reason why organic farms are on the rise, and although their produce is pricier, more and more
people buy from them when their budget allows it. In a recent survey where consumers were asked which product
they would buy if money was not an issue, an amazing 67% said they would prefer to buy organic produce.
Nowadays, a plethora of information can be found on the subject through the Internet, and there seems to be a
growing consensus that there is just something inherently right about producing food as nature intended.
Section VI
Both ways of producing food are backed by strong arguments as to which is better. Organic methods produce food
the natural way, and science applies cutting edge technology to address issues such as world starvation. Pushing
the boundaries of what we already know is a learning process which involves trial and error, but it also leads to the
advancement of our knowledge and the understanding of our natural world.
The reading passage has six sections I–VI. Choose the most suitable heading for each
section II–VI from the list below. Write the appropriate letter (a–i) for each section.
Example Section I Heading: e

1. Section II Heading: ____ a. Seeking Knowledge

2. Section III Heading: ____ b. Unhealthy Eating
3. Section IV Heading: ____ c. Feeding the Masses
4. Section V Heading: ____ d. Food Technology
5. Section VI Heading: ____ e. Back to Nature
f. Buying on a Budget
g. Food Production Ethics
h. The Old-Fashioned Way
i. Organic is Best

A. CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER.

6. Section I suggests that
A. supermarkets sell very little enhanced produce.
B. organic produce is more natural.
C. scientists approve of organic products.
D. we should only buy food from supermarkets.
7. In the passage, it is stated that enhanced food
A. is free of additives.
B. has a short expiration date.
C. has no nutritional value.
D. contains artificial coloring.
8. Scientists claim that enhanced food
A. is only produced for poor countries.
B. is unfit for human consumption.
C. is low in quality.
D. is more economical.
9 Altering the DNA of food products
A. is fine according to most people.
B. can be disastrous.
C. is approved by animal rights activists.
D. applies only to vegetables.
10. The survey revealed that
 A. organic food is reasonably priced.
B. the majority buys organic food.
C. buying organic food is a waste of money.
D. organic products are too expensive.
11. Section VI suggests that
A. future enhanced food will be more natural.
B. technology helps to produce organic food.
C. there is still much to be learned about nature.
D. scientists are most interested in world starvation.

B. COMPLETE EACH SENTENCE WITH THE CORRECT WORD FROM THE WORD BANK

major modified primarily shifted stable

12. The growing number of overweight children is a ____________________ concern for

health professionals.

13. Experts suggest relying ____________________ on doctors for health advice, not on

magazines or online news articles.

14. The chef ____________________ the dessert by using a little less sugar, but it had very

little effect on the taste.

15. I am looking for a more ____________________ work schedule that will let me get

home at the same time every evening.

16. Our family has ____________________ from eating meat every day to only having it

twice a week.

Read the sentence. Is the underlined agent necessary? Choose A or B.

17. Today, many fat-free yogurts are sold by grocery stores.

A. necessary
B. not necessary

18. The neighborhood garden is taken care of weekly by neighbors.

 A. necessary
B. not necessary

19. Consumers are often confused by food labels.

A. necessary
B. not necessary

15. The report was published by the Food Marketing Institute.

A. necessary
B. not necessary

Match the underlined word with the correct synonym.

16. ____ I have tried many diets that didn’t work, so I’m
looking for a new approach to losing weight. A. persuade
17. ____ Easy access to fresh vegetables is one benefit of B. way
growing your own garden. C. remove
18. ____ Scientists suggest eating less meat, but it isn’t D. question
necessary to eliminate meat from your diet completely. E. advantage
19. ____ I did not challenge my mother when she told me to F. connection
be home by 10 p.m.
20. ____ Many scientists believe there is a link between
stress and illness.
21. ____ Words like “low fat” and “all natural” often
encourage people to buy certain foods at the
supermarket.