Are gm plants safe?

biotechnology

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A few years ago I read an amusing article about a crazy scientist who had invented a way of making tomatoes grow in cube shapes. That way the tomatoes were easier to pack in boxes. The article was not true of course. But now. biotechnology* has developed very rapidly. Genetically modified food (GM food) is a fact of modern life.

Genetic modification means that a gene from one plant or animal is put inside another plant or animal. In this way scientists can produce plants or animals that have special qualities that do not exist naturally. The idea of changing the genetic structure of food plants seems a bad thing to many people.

If people do not want GM foods, why are biotechnology companies trying to produce more of them? It is a question of simple economics. Genetically modified food plants are less damaged by diseases and can better survive in bad weather conditions than natural food plants. As a result, harvests are higher and so food costs less to produce. This is an advantage for both consumers and producers. The biggest worry is the possible danger of GM food for people’s health. When scientists put a new gene inside a plant, that gene changes the plant in some desirable way. For example, the fruit stays fresh for longer.

toxic

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But at the same time, it is possible that the modified plant contains toxic* material, making it dangerous for people to eat. Before a genetically modified plant is sold to the public, it has to be tested very carefully so that it will be safe to eat. But some scientists think that no amount of testing will ever be enough. Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist with Greenpeace, says, “When you put a foreign gene into a plant you find that new toxins appear that weren’t expected. These effects are very hard to see in advance because living organisms are very complex.”

Consequently, the testing of GM foods should be very thorough and governments - should be very careful before they approve the introduction of GM foods into our supermarkets.

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HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ORAL PRESENTATION

10. hao As a student, you are often given a task to prepare an oral presentation such as

uatoes a book report, debate or power point presentation. How can you speak to the

it now, class in an interesting way, avoid getting nervous and get a good grade? Here

i (GIS' i : - are a few tips* to help you achieve all three of these goals.

_t Many people are good speakers, but most weren’t born that way. What’s the

inside key to their success? Practice. Everyone who speaks well from Angelina Jolie

nimals to the president rehearses speeches and presentations ahead of time and asks

ing the others for their opinion. Practising your presentation in front of a mirror is

also helpful because it gives you ideas on how to improve your posture, body

^i_ng language and gestures.

odified If you’re allowed to use notes or a plan when speaking, write only main points

weather on note cards. Avoid writing long sentences on the cards because they’re harder

so food to read and encourage you to read your speech rather than speaking to the

lucers. audience.

When One of the most important things to remember about public speaking is that

n some you’re speaking to an audience. Is the audience a group of your classmates? If so,

what are some points about the topic that they find interesting? Add anecdotes

toxic* from the class or bits of humour to keep your listeners interested. The more you

odifiec ^can connect it with their own experiences, the better — and the more positively

_wiU b_e they will listen to you.

?ver be The biggest mistake teenagers make is talking too fast. It happens to most of us

u put a when we’re feeling anxious. However, you can teach yourself to be slower by

pected practising your speech ahead of time for a friend. You can also record it using a

re verv tape recorder and play it back to hear how fast you’re speaking and how many

_| times you say things such as ‘like’ and ‘um.’

nments - 'dent Making eye contact with your audience members makes you look confident*

ids into! - ' <fcntj and competent about your subject. If you’re particularly nervous about speaking

y x hhmh j_n f_ront _Qf the class, you can also try looking at an object just behind the people