Genetically modified (or GM) foods are foods from plants (e. g. cotton, maize, tomatoes) which have been modified in a laboratory by inserting DNA from another organism. As a a) … of this process, the new plant variety will have some new quality (e. g. resistance to certain pests, improved flavour) which makes it, in some b) …, more valuable, c) … all, a GM plant can be specially developed to suit certain conditions, and although the process produces similar results to normal plant selection to some d) …, genetic modification is quite a different way of creating new varieties of plants, e) … to the range of possible modifications, f) … to natural breeding techniques, which take place over a long period and may require thousands of plantings, genetic modifications can be made more efficiently, and targeted precisely at a specific need, g) …, the GM industry has come in for a great deal of criticism. Many people argue that it is dangerous to release GM plants into the environment on h) … of their unusual characteristics. i) …, critics stress that such plants are unnecessary. They argue that rather than creating potentially dangerous new varieties, we should be distributing food more efficiently.
| Exercise 5. Write a new sentence with the same meaning, leaving out some words and including the words in capitals. You may need to write more than one sentence. |
1. Regular exercise keeps you fit, and it gives you a feeling of well-being. FURTHERMORE
2. Although she suffered a serious leg injury in 2005, Henderson has come back to dominate the 400 m this season. DESPITE THIS
3. As well as providing lonely people with company, pets have been proved to have a beneficial effect on many common medical conditions. WHAT IS MORE
4. Despite lower consumer demand, the company has increased profits by 6 %. HOWEVER
5. Bicycles are pollution-free and silent, and take up very little parking space. AS WELL AS THIS
6. The heater has been tested for safety, but must be used according to
the instructions. NEVERTHELESS
7. I don't really like the design of this sofa, and in any case it won't fit into
the living room. BESIDES
| Exercise 6. Choose the best italicized word or phrase. |
A) Globalization
What exactly is globalization? To some extent / Moreover the term means whatever people want it to mean. In economics, the term usually refers to
the way the world has become one market, with free exchange of goods and capital, At least / However, it is also used to describe cross-cultural contacts, Furthermore / As well as being part of the same economic system, countries in different parts of the world share entertainment, food, and, in some respects / owing to, similar attitudes to life. Above all / Thus, globalization often refers to the way TV and the Internet have created a unified world in which information can be exchanged very rapidly. In fact, a "global economy" is only possible
as a result of / however modern information technology. Despite / Furthermore, politics has also become "globalized", creating co-operation between countries. However / Although, there are many critics of globalization who point out that while business has become global, there are still winners and losers: consequently / nevertheless, the richer nations grow richer, and the poorer nations grow poorer. They also argue that above all / as a result of the global power of large corporations and international financial institutions, many countries no longer control their own economies.
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b)
1. There are a number of advantages to consider. In a way / First of all, there is the lower cost.
2. Apart from snakes / As far as snakes are concerned, Spain has five poisonous ones.
3. Amphibians, as well as / such as frogs and toads, can live on land and in water. You could get it photocopied. Alternatively / Instead, I could scan it into my computer.
4. Don't be silly! What you are saying is utterly / mere ridiculous!
5. I'm sorry, but this is simply / sheer wrong!