Nobel Education Foundation - Kathmandu

Genetically Modified Food

For this task, you will read a passage about an academic topic and you will listen to a lecture
about the same topic. You may take notes while you read and listen.
Then you will write a response to a question that asks you about the relationship between the
lecture you heard and the reading passage. Try to answer the question as completely as possible
using the information from the reading passage and the lecture. The question does not ask you to
express your personal opinion. You may refer to the reading passage again when you write. You
may use your notes to help you answer the question. Typically an effective response will be 150
to 225 words. Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on the
completeness and accuracy of the content.
You should allow three minutes to read the passage. Then listen to the lecture. Then allow 20
minutes to plan and write your response.
Reading: Three minutes

Genetically modified foods are a new generation of super crops that have been enhanced
through biotechnology. They vastly increase crop yields and deliver staples that offer
improved nutritional quality to the developing world, where over eight million are
suffering from hunger and malnutrition. With world population levels expected to rise to
9 billion by 2050 and the bulk of that growth expected in Third-World nations,
biotechnology is heralded as the savior of the poor and undernourished.
The DNA technology used in these super crops is a modern adaptation of the
traditional cross-breeding of plants, which farn1ers have been refining for
centuries in an effort to develop better crop yields. This new technology offers
many advantages over the conventional method, which is both time-consuming
and inaccurate. First, scientists can isolate the desired gene from one crop and
simply insert it into another plant's DNA. What's more, they need not limit
themselves to cross-breeding plants of the same species. Instead, they can select
genes from a diverse range of organisms. For instance, scientists can extract the
antifreeze gene in coldwater fish and insert it into a potato. In this way, they can
create a new variety that will thrive in cold climates.
Finally, certification procedures for genetically modified foods guarantee these
products are safe for human consumption. In fact, to enter the marketplace, a
DNA modified item must pass a substantial equivalence test. This test compares
the new food to a similar non-modified product in terms of standards such as its
chemical and nutritional properties. Even if the modified food is deemed
equivalent, additional safety checks in the form of animal testing are enforced.

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 Listening
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.

Narrator: Now get ready to answer the question.

Summarize the main points in the lecture, making sure to show how they cast doubt
upon points made in the reading passage.
You must finish your answer in 20 minutes.

Integrated Contrast Essay Checklist

1. Introduction
 Topic of listening _______
 Thesis statement: Whether it supports or contradicts reading _______

The professor discusses ...

The information she presents contradicts facts outlined in the reading.

2. Body
1. Listening main point l _______
First, the lecturer mentions that ...
 detail _______

Corresponding point in reading _______

On the other hand, according to the reading ...

2. Listening main point 2 _______

Second, the speaker states that ...
 detail _______

Corresponding point in reading _______

However, the reading specifies that ...

3. Listening main point 3 _______

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 Third, the professor points out that. ..
 detail _______
Corresponding point in reading _______
In contrast, the reading makes it clear that ...

3. Conclusion (optional)
a) Restate listening main points _______
b) Paraphrase whether these points support or contradict the reading.

Independent Writing
Directions: For this task, you will write an essay in response to a question that asks
you to state, explain, and support your opinion on an issue.
Typically, an effective essay will contain a minimum of 300 words. Your essay will be
judged on the quality of your writing. This includes the development of your ideas, the
organization of your essay, and the quality and accuracy of the language you use to
express your ideas.
You have 30 minutes to plan and complete your essay.
Write your essay in the space provided.

Essay Topic
Some young adults want independence from their parents as soon as possible. Other
young adults prefer to live with their families for a longer time.
Which of these situations do you think is better?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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