The Reading / Listening - Palm-alt Oil - Level 3

Palm oil is used in many things we eat and use every day. It is in food, in beauty products, and in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads to environmental damage because of deforestation. A team of researchers in Scotland believe they have found an alternative to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a wholly plant-based oil that is better for the environment and for our health. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better for the environment. This is because it is more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent fewer calories.

The researchers believe their work could change how things are made. Around half of all the food and cosmetics we currently buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is growing, so more trees have to be cut down in tropical countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle spoke to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy grail" to replace palm oil. She found it does the same things palm oil does. She said: "We've put it through some special sensory testing to see if a panel can tell the difference between our product and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hoping businesses will start using it instead of regular palm oil.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Palm-alt Oil - Level 0,  Palm-alt Oil - Level 1   or  Palm-alt Oil - Level 2

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. PALM OIL: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about palm oil. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       palm oil / beauty products / environmental damage / plant based / biodiversity / fat /
       how things are made / tropical countries / holy grail / testing / traditional / businesses
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. DEFORESTATION: Students A strongly believe we should end deforestation immediately; Students B strongly believe that's impossible. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. COSMETICS: Why do we need these cosmetics? How good are they? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Why We Need Them

How Good They Are

Lip stick

 

 

Mascara

 

 

Foundation

 

 

Eye liner

 

 

Blusher

 

 

False eye lashes

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. BIODIVERSITY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "biodiversity". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. COOKING OILS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best oils at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Coconut oil
  • Palm oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Olive oil
  • Corn oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Pork fat

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. beauty a. Keeping a balance in nature by not using up too many natural resources.
      2. products b. Things that are made to sell to people.
      3. damage c. The action of cutting down a lot of trees in an area.
      4. deforestation d. A combination of things like shape, colour, etc. that sound, feel or taste look really good.
      5. alternative e. The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in an area.
      6. sustainable f. Physical harm.
      7. biodiversity g. Of one or more things available as another possibility or choice.

    Paragraph 2

      8. cosmetics h. About the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch and smell).
      9. tropical i. A thing people have been looking for and wanted for a long, long time.
      10. holy grail j. As a substitute or alternative to.
      11. sensory k. Things people put on their face to look nicer (e.g. lipstick, mascara, foundation, etc.).
      12. traditional l. About the hot countries north and south of the equator.
      13. instead of m. Usual.
      14. regular n. Usually done, used or found.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. Palm oil is used in cosmetics and biofuel.     T / F
  2. Palm oil production has caused a lot of deforestation in Scotland.     T / F
  3. The PALM-ALT product is 80% better for the environment than palm oil.  T / F
  4. PALM-ALT contains 30% fewer calories than palm oil.     T / F
  5. The use of palm oil in food and cosmetics is actually decreasing.     T / F
  6. The article says farmers in tropical countries are not cutting down trees.  T / F
  7. A researcher said that PALM-ALT and palm oil do totally different things.  T / F
  8. Businesses can tell the difference between PALM-ALT and palm oil.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. producing
  2. leads to
  3. alternative
  4. health
  5. environment
  6. believe
  7. contain
  8. cut down
  9. testing
  10. regular
  1. chopped down
  2. well being
  3. usual
  4. include
  5. causes
  6. trials
  7. the natural world
  8. making
  9. think
  10. substitute

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. palm oil leads to environmental
  2. a wholly plant-
  3. This is because it is more
  4. 80 per cent less
  5. 30 per cent fewer
  6. their work could change how
  7. half of all the food and cosmetics we
  8. more trees have to be cut down
  9. She found it does the same
  10. businesses will start using it instead
  1. of regular palm oil
  2. calories
  3. things are made
  4. based oil
  5. sustainable
  6. things palm oil does
  7. in tropical countries
  8. saturated fat
  9. currently buy
  10. damage

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
sustainable
damage
wholly
fat
beauty
calories
health
found

Palm oil is used in many things we eat and use every day. It is in food, in (1) _____________________ products, and in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads to environmental (2) _____________________ because of deforestation. A team of researchers in Scotland believe they have (3) _____________________ an alternative to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a (4) _____________________ plant-based oil that is better for the environment and for our (5) _____________________. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better for the environment. This is because it is more (6) _____________________ and leads to less biodiversity loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated (7) _____________________ and 30 per cent fewer (8) _____________________.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
spoke
growing
testing
cosmetics
instead
replace
traditional
tropical

The researchers believe their work could change how things are made. Around half of all the food and (9) _____________________ we currently buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is (10) _____________________, so more trees have to be cut down in (11) _____________________ countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle (12) _____________________ to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy grail" to (13) _____________________ palm oil. She found it does the same things palm oil does. She said: "We've put it through some special sensory (14) _____________________ to see if a panel can tell the difference between our product and (15) _____________________ palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hoping businesses will start using it (16) _____________________ of regular palm oil.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) Palm oil is used in many things we eat and _____
     a.  used every day
     b.  uses every day
     c.  use every day
     d.  use a very day
2)  However, producing palm oil leads ______
     a.  to environmental damaged
     b.  to environmentally damage
     c.  to environmental damage
     d.  to environmental damages
3)  Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a wholly ______
     a.  plant-base toil
     b.  plant-based toil
     c.  plant-based oil
     d.  plant-based all
4)  that is better for the environment and ______
     a.  for our health
     b.  for our healthy
     c.  for our healthier
     d.  for our hearth
5)  This is because it is more sustainable and leads to ______
     a.  less biodiversity lose
     b.  less biodiversity lost
     c.  less biodiversity floss
     d.  less biodiversity loss

6)  The researchers believe their work could change how ______
     a.  things are make
     b.  things are makes
     c.  things are maid
     d.  things are made
7)  The use of palm oil is growing, so more trees have to be cut down ______
     a.  in topical countries
     b.  in tropical countries
     c.  in tropic all countries
     d.  in tropic call countries
8)  She called it the "holy grail" to ______
     a.  replace palm oil
     b.  in place palm oil
     c.  rip place palm oil
     d.  replace psalm oil
9)  We've put it through some ______
     a.  special sense scary testing
     b.  special sense airy testing
     c.  special sensory testing
     d.  special sensory test in
10)  She is now hoping businesses will start using it instead of ______
     a.  irregular palm oil
     b.  regulars palm oil
     c.  irregulars palm oil
     d.  regular palm oils

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Palm oil is used in (1) ____________________ eat and use every day. It is in food, (2) ____________________, and in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads to environmental damage because of deforestation. A team (3) ____________________ Scotland believe they have found an alternative to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a wholly (4) ____________________ that is better for the environment and for our health. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better for the environment. This is because it (5) ____________________ and leads to less biodiversity loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 (6) ____________________.

The researchers believe their work could (7) ____________________ are made. Around (8) ____________________ the food and cosmetics we currently buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is growing, so more trees have to (9) ____________________ in tropical countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle spoke to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it (10) ____________________ to replace palm oil. She found it does the same things palm oil does. She said: "We've put it through some special sensory (11) ____________________ if a panel can tell the difference between our product and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hoping businesses will start using it (12) ____________________ palm oil.

Comprehension questions

  1. What does the article say palm oil is in besides food and beauty products?
  2. What environmental damage does the article say palm oil causes?
  3. What is the new palm oil alternative based on?
  4. How much better for the environment is PALM-ALT?
  5. What does PALM-ALT have 30% fewer of?
  6. What proportion of the food we buy contains palm oil?
  7. Where are palm trees being cut down?
  8. What did a researcher call the discovery of PALM-ALT?
  9. Who could not tell the difference between PALM-ALT and palm oil?
  10. Who does the researcher hope will start using PALM-ALT?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What does the article say palm oil is in besides food and beauty products?
a) clothes
b) biofuel
c) computers
d) carpets
2) What environmental damage does the article say palm oil causes?
a) acid rain
b) desertification
c) landslides
d) deforestation
3) What is the new palm oil alternative based on?
a) plants
b) nuts
c) rice
d) wheat
4) How much better for the environment is PALM-ALT?
a) 30% better
b) 40% better
c) 70% better
d) 80% better
5) What does PALM-ALT have 30% fewer of?
a) nutrients
b) calories
c) biodiversity
d) chemicals

6) What proportion of the food we buy contains palm oil?
a) three-quarters
b) three-fifths
c) around half
d) two-thirds
7) Where are palm trees being cut down?
a) Thailand
b) everywhere
c) in Finland
d) in tropical countries
8) What did a researcher call the discovery of PALM-ALT?
a) the holy grail
b) amazing
c) nice
d) Bob
9) Who could not tell the difference between PALM-ALT and palm oil?
a) a panel
b) palm oil growers
c) researchers
d) restaurant customers
10) Who does the researcher hope will start using PALM-ALT?
a) gas stations
b) businesses
c) factories
d) restaurants

Role play

Role  A – Lip Stick
You think lip stick is the most important cosmetics. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their type of cosmetics. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): foundation, mascara or blusher.

Role  B – Foundation
You think foundation is the most important cosmetics. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their type of cosmetics. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): lip stick, mascara or blusher.

Role  C – Mascara
You think mascara is the most important cosmetics. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their type of cosmetics. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): foundation, lip stick or blusher.

Role  D – Blusher
You think blusher is the most important cosmetics. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their type of cosmetics. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): foundation, mascara or lip stick.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'palm'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'oil'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • every
    • team
    • created
    • 70
    • loss
    • 30
    • half
    • cut
    • spoke
    • same
    • testing
    • hoping

    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 - Palm-alt Oil

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'palm'?
    3. What do you know about palm oil?
    4. What do you know about what is in your food?
    5. Do you worry about what is in things like cosmetics and food?
    6. How worried are you about deforestation?
    7. How worried are you about the environment?
    8. How worried are you about biodiversity loss?
    9. Why is saturated fat bad for us?
    10. Do you worry about calories?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'oil'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Why do you think so much food contains palm oil?
    5. What do you know about tropical countries?
    6. What oils do you like that are in food?
    7. What do you think of coconut oil?
    8. How healthy and tasty is olive oil?
    9. How successful do you think PALM-ALT will be?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Palm oil is used in many things we eat and (1) ____ every day. It is in food, in beauty products, and in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads (2) ____ environmental damage because of deforestation. A team of researchers in Scotland believe they have (3) ____ an alternative to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a (4) ____ plant-based oil that is better for the environment and for our health. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better (5) ____ the environment. This is because it is more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent (6) ____ calories.

    The researchers believe their work could change how things are made. Around half of (7) ____ the food and cosmetics we currently buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is (8) ____, so more trees have to be cut down in tropical countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle spoke (9) ____ the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy grail" to replace palm oil. She found it does the same things palm oil (10) ____. She said: "We've put it through some special sensory testing to see if a panel can (11) ____ the difference between our product and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hoping businesses will start using it (12) ____ of regular palm oil.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     used     (b)     use     (c)     uses     (d)     useful    
    2. (a)     that     (b)     for     (c)     at     (d)     to    
    3. (a)     fond     (b)     found     (c)     fund     (d)     founded    
    4. (a)     whole     (b)     holy     (c)     wholly     (d)     hole    
    5. (a)     for     (b)     of     (c)     at     (d)     to    
    6. (a)     fewer     (b)     smaller     (c)     less     (d)     cut    
    7. (a)     whole     (b)     every     (c)     entire     (d)     all    
    8. (a)     growing     (b)     grown     (c)     growth     (d)     grows    
    9. (a)     by     (b)     to     (c)     at     (d)     as    
    10. (a)     do     (b)     doing     (c)     does     (d)     done    
    11. (a)     say     (b)     speak     (c)     tell     (d)     answer    
    12. (a)     prefer     (b)     instead     (c)     rather     (d)     place

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. eyabtu products
    2. because of tfoeisrtdaneo
    3. a woyllh plant-based oil
    4. This is because it is more ntulsiebasa
    5. less rtibieiydsov loss
    6. 80 per cent less ertadtusa fat

    Paragraph 2

    1. food and secomistc
    2. taolcpri countries
    3. aeperlc palm oil
    4. special sroesyn testing
    5. ntldtioraai palm oil
    6. itaneds of regular palm oil

    Put the text back together

    (...)   and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hoping businesses will start using it instead of regular palm oil.
    (...)   The researchers believe their work could change how things are made. Around half of all
    (...)   deforestation. A team of researchers in Scotland believe they have found an alternative
    (...)   grail" to replace palm oil. She found it does the same things palm oil does. She said: "We've put it through some special
    (...)   for the environment and for our health. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70
    (...)   down in tropical countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and
    (...)   the food and cosmetics we currently buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is growing, so more trees have to be cut
    (...)   to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a wholly plant-based oil that is better
    (...)   per cent better for the environment. This is because it is more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity
    (...)   sensory testing to see if a panel can tell the difference between our product
    (...)   loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent fewer calories.
    (...)   in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads to environmental damage because of
    (...)   rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle spoke to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy
    (..1..) Palm oil is used in many things we eat and use every day. It is in food, in beauty products, and

    Put the words in the right order

    1. things   we   many   is   in   Palm   oil   eat   .
    2. producing   damage  .  oil   leads   palm   environmental   However,   to
    3. They   an   oil   .   to   have   palm   alternative   found
    4. a   plant-based   wholly   that   oil   is   Created   better   .
    5. more   This   it   is   is   because   sustainable   .
    6. Their   change   made   .   work   how   are   things   could
    7. growing   .   The   is   use   oil   of   palm
    8. does   .   It   same   things   does   oil   the   palm
    9. some   put   sensory   testing   .   it   special   through   We've
    10. start   businesses   is   She   will   hoping   it   .   using

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Palm oil is used in many things / stuff we eat and use every day. It is in food, in beauty produce / products, and in biofuel. However, producing palm oil leads to / for environmental damage because of deforestation. A team of researchers in Scotland believe / belief they have found an alternative / alternatively to palm oil. Scientists from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have created a whole / wholly plant-based oil that is better for the environment and on / for our health. The university's new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better for the environment. This is because it is much / more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity lose / loss. It is also healthier than palm oil, with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent few / fewer calories.

    The researchers believe their work could alternative / change how things are made. Around half of all the food and cosmetics we currently / currants buy contain palm oil. The use of palm oil is growth / growing, so more trees have to be cut down in tropical / topical countries. PALM-ALT is made from a by-product from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. Researcher Catriona Liddle spoke / spoken to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy grail" to replace palm oil. She found it / that does the same things palm oil does. She said: "We've put it through / up some special sensory testing to see if a panel can tell the different / difference between our product and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is now hopping / hoping businesses will start using it instead of regular / regulate palm oil.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    P_lm  __l  _s  _s_d  _n  m_ny  th_ngs  w_  __t  _nd  _s_  _v_ry  d_y.  _t  _s  _n  f__d,  _n  b___ty  pr_d_cts,  _nd  _n  b__f__l.  H_w_v_r,  pr_d_c_ng  p_lm  __l  l__ds  t_  _nv_r_nm_nt_l  d_m_g_  b_c__s_  _f  d_f_r_st_t__n.  _  t__m  _f  r_s__rch_rs  _n  Sc_tl_nd  b_l__v_  th_y  h_v_  f__nd  _n  _lt_rn_t_v_  t_  p_lm  __l.  Sc__nt_sts  fr_m  Q___n  M_rg_r_t  _n_v_rs_ty  _n  _d_nb_rgh  h_v_  cr__t_d  _  wh_lly  pl_nt-b_s_d  __l  th_t  _s  b_tt_r  f_r  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt  _nd  f_r  __r  h__lth.  Th_  _n_v_rs_ty's  n_w  P_LM-_LT  pr_d_ct  _s  70  p_r  c_nt  b_tt_r  f_r  th_  _nv_r_nm_nt.  Th_s  _s  b_c__s_  _t  _s  m_r_  s_st__n_bl_  _nd  l__ds  t_  l_ss  b__d_v_rs_ty  l_ss.  _t  _s  _ls_  h__lth__r  th_n  p_lm  __l,  w_th  80  p_r  c_nt  l_ss  s_t_r_t_d  f_t  _nd  30  p_r  c_nt  f_w_r  c_l_r__s. 

    Th_  r_s__rch_rs  b_l__v_  th__r  w_rk  c__ld  ch_ng_  h_w  th_ngs  _r_  m_d_.  _r__nd  h_lf  _f  _ll  th_  f__d  _nd  c_sm_t_cs  w_  c_rr_ntly  b_y  c_nt__n  p_lm  __l.  Th_  _s_  _f  p_lm  __l  _s  gr_w_ng,  s_  m_r_  tr__s  h_v_  t_  b_  c_t  d_wn  _n  tr_p_c_l  c__ntr__s.  P_LM-_LT  _s  m_d_  fr_m  _  by-pr_d_ct  fr_m  th_  l_ns__d  fl_w_r  _nd  r_p_s__d  __l.  R_s__rch_r  C_tr__n_  L_ddl_  sp_k_  t_  th_  BBC  _b__t  P_LM-_LT.  Sh_  c_ll_d  _t  th_  "h_ly  gr__l"  t_  r_pl_c_  p_lm  __l.  Sh_  f__nd  _t  d__s  th_  s_m_  th_ngs  p_lm  __l  d__s.  Sh_  s__d:  "W_'v_  p_t  _t  thr__gh  s_m_  sp_c__l  s_ns_ry  t_st_ng  t_  s__  _f  _  p_n_l  c_n  t_ll  th_  d_ff_r_nc_  b_tw__n  __r  pr_d_ct  _nd  tr_d_t__n_l  p_lm  [__l],  _nd  th_y  c_n't."  Sh_  _s  n_w  h_p_ng  b_s_n_ss_s  w_ll  st_rt  _s_ng  _t  _nst__d  _f  r_g_l_r  p_lm  __l.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    palm oil is used in many things we eat and use every day it is in food in beauty products and in biofuel however producing palm oil leads to environmental damage because of deforestation a team of researchers in scotland believe they have found an alternative to palm oil scientists from queen margaret university in edinburgh have created a wholly plantbased oil that is better for the environment and for our health the universitys new palmalt product is 70 per cent better for the environment this is because it is more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity loss it is also healthier than palm oil with 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent fewer calories

    the researchers believe their work could change how things are made around half of all the food and cosmetics we currently buy contain palm oil the use of palm oil is growing so more trees have to be cut down in tropical countries palmalt is made from a byproduct from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil researcher catriona liddle spoke to the bbc about palmalt she called it the holy grail to replace palm oil she found it does the same things palm oil does she said weve put it through some special sensory testing to see if a panel can tell the difference between our product and traditional palm oil and they cant she is now hoping businesses will start using it instead of regular palm oil.

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Palmoilisusedinmanythingsweeatanduseeveryday.Itisinfood,inbea
    utyproducts,andinbiofuel.However,producingpalmoilleadstoenviro
    nmentaldamagebecauseofdeforestation.AteamofresearchersinScot
    landbelievetheyhavefoundanalternativetopalmoil.ScientistsfromQu
    eenMargaretUniversityinEdinburghhavecreatedawhollyplant-based
    oilthatisbetterfortheenvironmentandforourhealth.Theuniversity'sn
    ewPALM-ALTproductis70percentbetterfortheenvironment.Thisisbe
    causeitismoresustainableandleadstolessbiodiversityloss.Itisalsohe
    althierthanpalmoil,with80percentlesssaturatedfatand30percentfew
    ercalories.Theresearchersbelievetheirworkcouldchangehowthingsa
    remade.Aroundhalfofallthefoodandcosmeticswecurrentlybuycontai
    npalmoil.Theuseofpalmoilisgrowing,somoretreeshavetobecutdowni
    ntropicalcountries.PALM-ALTismadefromaby-productfromthelinsee
    dflowerandrapeseedoil.ResearcherCatrionaLiddlespoketotheBBCab
    outPALM-ALT.Shecalleditthe"holygrail"toreplacepalmoil.Shefoundi
    tdoesthesamethingspalmoildoes.Shesaid:"We'veputitthroughsome
    specialsensorytestingtoseeifapanelcantellthedifferencebetweenour
    productandtraditionalpalm[oil],andtheycan't."Sheisnowhopingbusi
    nesseswillstartusingitinsteadofregularpalmoil.

    Free writing

    Write about the lesson page for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Companies should stop cutting down trees to plant crops. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

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    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. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. PALM OIL: Make a poster about palm oil. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. NO MORE DEFORESTATION: Write a magazine article about the cutting down of trees in forests and jungles. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. 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.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on palm oil. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to save forests. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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