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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Rising Food Prices
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Food Prices To Double By 2030 (31st May, 2011)

The price of staple food will more than double over the next twenty years. This is what the charity Oxfam says in its new report ‘Growing a Better Future’. Oxfam warns that urgent action is needed to change world agriculture. It says hundreds of millions of people could face hunger. The charity says that by 2030, the cost of key crops will increase by 120 to 180 per cent. It adds that to make things worse, demand for food will rise by 70 per cent over the next four decades.

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Oxfam says climate change is one reason for rising food prices. However, it also blames rich countries. The charity criticized the United States and the European Union for producing biofuels, which means, “15 per cent of the world’s maize is used to make fuel, even at times of severe food crisis”. The report gives an example of the cost to humans of biofuels: “The amount of grain required to fill the petrol tank of a 4x4 vehicle with biofuel is sufficient to feed one person for a year.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	staple	a.	next twenty years
2	over the	b.	worse…
3.	urgent	c.	face hunger
4.	millions of people could	d.	food
5.	to make things	e.	four decades
6.	over the next	f.	action is needed

Paragraph 2

1.	climate	a.	to humans
2	it also blames	b.	person for a year
3.	at times of severe food	c.	rich countries
4.	an example of the cost	d.	change
5.	fill the petrol tank of	e.	crisis
6.	sufficient to feed one	f.	a 4x4 vehicle

LISTENING GAP FILL

The ______________________ will more than double over the next twenty years. This ______________________ Oxfam says in its new report ‘Growing a Better Future’. Oxfam ______________________ action is needed to change world agriculture. It says ______________________ of people could face hunger. The charity says that by 2030, ______________________ crops will increase by 120 to 180 per cent. It adds that to make things worse, demand for food will rise by 70 per cent over the ______________________.

Oxfam says climate change ______________________ rising food prices. However, ______________________ rich countries. The charity criticized the United States and the European Union for producing ______________________, “15 per cent of the world’s maize is used to make fuel, ______________________ severe food crisis”. The report gives an ______________________ to humans of biofuels: “The amount of grain required to fill the petrol ______________________ vehicle with biofuel is sufficient to feed one person for a year.”

MULTIPLE CHOICE

The price of staple food will (1) ____ than double over the next twenty years. This is what the charity Oxfam says in its new report ‘Growing a Better Future’. Oxfam warns that urgent action is (2) ____ to change world agriculture. It says hundreds of millions of people could (3) ____ hunger. The charity says that by 2030, the cost of (4) ____ crops will increase by 120 to 180 per cent. It (5) ____ that to make things worse, demand for food will rise (6) ____ 70 per cent over the next four decades.

Oxfam says climate change is one (7) ____ for rising food prices. However, it also (8) ____ rich countries. The charity criticized the United States and the European Union (9) ____ producing biofuels, which means, “15 per cent of the world’s maize is used to make fuel, even at (10) ____ of severe food crisis”. The report gives an example of the cost (11) ____ humans of biofuels: “The amount of grain required to fill the petrol tank of a 4x4 vehicle with biofuel is sufficient to (12) ____ one person for a year.”

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	much	(b)	many	(c)	more
2.	(a)	needs	(b)	needed	(c)	need
3.	(a)	face	(b)	head	(c)	back
4.	(a)	lock	(b)	key	(c)	chain
5.	(a)	minuses	(b)	adds	(c)	multiplies
6.	(a)	by	(b)	as	(c)	for
7.	(a)	solution	(b)	point	(c)	reason
8.	(a)	blames	(b)	flames	(c)	claims
9.	(a)	at	(b)	for	(c)	to
10.	(a)	time	(b)	timing	(c)	times
11.	(a)	of	(b)	by	(c)	to
12	(a)	feed	(b)	seed	(c)	weed

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the raiyhct Oxfam
2.	tnegru action is needed
3.	hundreds of sioinmll
4.	rnacseie by 120 to 180 per cent
5.	dnmaed for food
6.	over the next four scddeea
Paragraph 2
7.	eiltamc change
8.	it also salbme rich countries
9.	producing flsboiue
10.	severe food ssrici
11.	a 4x4 eclvihe
12.	fniecuftsi to feed one person

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	action is needed to change world agriculture. It says hundreds of millions of people could face
( )	rich countries. The charity criticized the United States and the European Union for producing
( )	humans of biofuels: “The amount of grain required to fill the petrol
( )	rise by 70 per cent over the next four decades.
( )	says in its new report ‘Growing a Better Future’. Oxfam warns that urgent
( )	of severe food crisis”. The report gives an example of the cost to
( 1 )	The price of staple food will more than double over the next twenty years. This is what the charity Oxfam
( )	biofuels, which means, “15 per cent of the world’s maize is used to make fuel, even at times
( )	Oxfam says climate change is one reason for rising food prices. However, it also blames
( )	120 to 180 per cent. It adds that to make things worse, demand for food will
( )	tank of a 4x4 vehicle with biofuel is sufficient to feed one person for a year.”
( )	hunger. The charity says that by 2030, the cost of key crops will increase by

WORD JUMBLE

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	double price food than The staple more of will.
2.	charity the what is This says Oxfam.
3.	agriculture needed to Urgent change action world is.
4.	%. 180 to 120 by increase will crops key of cost The
5.	over four Rise % next 70 the decades by.
6.	rising is for prices change reason food Climate one.
7.	used world’s cent to maize of 15 make is the per fuel.
8.	humans to cost the of example An.
9.	the 4x4 petrol vehicle tank of Fill a.
10.	for Sufficient person one year feed a to.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about food prices for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. FOOD PRICES: Search the Internet and find more information about rising world food prices. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about food prices in your town. Include imaginary interviews with farmers, consumers and shop owners. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the boss of the European Union. Ask him/her three questions about biofuels. Give him/her three of your opinions on them. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Rising Food Prices (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)