L12 - F3 (Reading)

Learning Standards

Reading 3.2.1 - Read enjoy and give a personal response to fiction / non-fiction and other suitable print and digital texts of interest
Speaking 2.1.5 - Express and respond to common feelings such as happiness, sadness, surprise, and interest

Unit Opener

Should you skip lunch?

Pre Reading

Word Focus

crush

to press something very hard

and break it

harvest

to pick and collect crops

fresh

not preserved or old

improve

to make something better

Find meaning of these words in your own language.

While Reading

Maria Alcala of Madrid speaks for many Mediterranean people when she says that "a meal without olive oil is boring". (1) ___________ knows when the Mediterranean first fell in love with olives because it was before people wrote and kept records. However, there is some evidence that people began growing olive trees around the Mediterranean Sea approximately 6,000 years ago. The Mediterranean countries still (2) _________________ 99% of the world's olive oil with Spain being the world's biggest producer.

An Oil for Life

From ancient times (3) ________________ today, the basic process of producing the oil is the same. First, farmers crush the olives. Then, they take the liquid and separate the oil from the water. Many olive growers keep their ancient traditions and still harvest the olives (4) _________________ hand. "We harvest in the traditional way", says Don Celso, an olive farmer from Tuscany, Italy. "It is less expensive to do it with machines but it's more a social thing. Twenty people come to help with the harvest and we pay them in oil".

Ancient civilisations used olive oil (5) ___________________ money and medicine. They even used it during war - they would heat it up and drop it down on the enemy! (6) __________________ days, it is still used in religious ceremonies as it was in ancient times. It is also great for making fish and cheese stay fresh. There are even olive oil lamps and olive oil soaps.

One important study showed that Mediterranean people have the (7) ______ hearts in the western world. This is partly to do with frequently using olive oil. Other studies have shown that using olive oil can help to protect people from some types of diseases. The world is beginning to understand the advantages of using olive oil and it isn't an unusual thing to see on dinner tables outside the Mediterranean region anymore. The olive oil producing countries now sell large (8) __________________ of olive oil to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America used in religious ceremonies as it was in ancient times. It is also great for making fish and cheese stay fresh. There are even olive oil lamps and olive oil soaps.

Olive oil improves the lives of people everywhere when it is part of a well-balanced (9) _________________ Ancient people knew about its benefits and modern science has confirmed them. Luckily, the Mediterranean people are happy to (10) _________________ their secret with the world.

A - How much do you know about olives? Do the quiz and find out!

1 - People have been growing olive trees for

a 2,000 years,

b 4,000 years,

с 6,000 years.

2 - Which country produces the most olive oil in the world?

a Spain

b Italy

с Tunisia

3 - People used to use olive oil to

a attack people,

b make cleaning products,

с fight religion.

4 - We now know exactly why olive oil is good because of

a olive growers,

b ancient traditions,

с modern science.

B - Quickly read the text and check your answers to the quiz.

C - Read the incomplete sentence below. Then look at each gap carefully. What type of word do you need for each gap?

Butter and olive oil are both fats but olive oil is a (1 ) fat and is better (2) you because it (3) your body from (4 )_______

E - Choose the correct words to complete the sentence in Exercise C.

1 lunch / good / unhealthy / old

2 eat / on / from / for

3 makes / likes / protects / healthy

4 fat / thin / infection / sleep

Idea Focus

• Is your country famous for a particular type of food? Do you enjoy it? Why? / Why not?

• Do you prefer to eat at a restaurant or at home? Why?

• Would you rather eat a salad or vegetables with your main meal of the day? Why? / Why not?

Reflection

What did you have for dinner last night?

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