The Reading / Listening - Palm-alt Oil - Level 0

Palm oil is in half of the food we eat. However, making it damages the environment. Researchers think they have found an alternative to palm oil. It is called PALM-ALT. This is a plant-based oil that is better for the environment. It is also healthier. It has much less fat and 30% fewer calories than palm oil.

PALM-ALT could change how we make things. It is made from flowers and seeds, so we don't have to cut down trees. A researcher tested PALM-ALT. She said people could not tell the difference between PALM-ALT and traditional palm oil. She is hoping businesses will start using it instead of regular palm oil.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Palm-alt Oil - Level 1 Palm-alt Oil - Level 2   or  Palm-alt Oil - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-66842496
  • https://news.stv.tv/east-central/scottish-scientists-create-game-changing-palm-oil-alternative
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12532841/Scots-experts-develop-revolutionary-new-ingredient-replace-controversial-palm-oil-bakery-industry.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Palm oil is in half
  2. making it damages
  3. they have found
  4. a plant-
  5. better for
  6. It is also
  7. It has much
  8. fewer calories
  1. the environment
  2. less fat
  3. based oil
  4. than palm oil
  5. an alternative
  6. of the food we eat
  7. healthier
  8. the environment

Paragraph 2

  1. change how
  2. It is made from
  3. we don't
  4. cut down
  5. A researcher
  6. people could not tell
  7. businesses will start
  8. instead
  1. trees
  2. using it
  3. we make things
  4. of regular palm oil
  5. have to
  6. tested PALM-ALT
  7. flowers and seeds
  8. the difference

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Palm oil is (1) ___________________ the food we eat. However, (2) ___________________ the environment. Researchers think (3) ___________________ an alternative to palm oil. It is called PALM-ALT. This is a (4) ___________________ that is better for the environment. It (5) ___________________. It has much less fat and 30% (6) ___________________ palm oil.

PALM-ALT (7) ___________________ we make things. It is made (8) ___________________ seeds, so we don't (9) ___________________ down trees. A researcher tested PALM-ALT. She said people could not (10) ___________________ between PALM-ALT and (11) ___________________. She is hoping businesses will start using it (12) ___________________ palm oil.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Palmoilisinhalfofthefoodweeat.However,makingitdamagestheenvir
onment.Researchersthinktheyhavefoundanalternativetopalmoil.Iti
scalledPALM-ALT.Thisisaplant-basedoilthatisbetterfortheenvironm
ent.Itisalsohealthier.Ithasmuchlessfatand30%fewercaloriesthanpa
lmoil.PALM-ALTcouldchangehowwemakethings.Itismadefromflow
ersandseeds,sowedon'thavetocutdowntrees.AresearchertestedPAL
M-ALT.ShesaidpeoplecouldnottellthedifferencebetweenPALM-ALTa
ndtraditionalpalmoil.Sheishopingbusinesseswillstartusingitinstead
ofregularpalmoil.

Student survey

Write 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 questions

STUDENT 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 writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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