The Reading / Listening - Cheese - Level 5

China has lifted an import ban on types of cheese that get their flavor and smell from bacteria. Health officials initially put a ban on the cheeses after authorities discovered that the bacteria used to make the cheeses were not officially approved. The cheeses now approved for sale include Brie and Camembert. The ban was lifted after meetings between the European Commission and Chinese quarantine and health officials. China's health commission said the bacteria used to make these cheeses were not harmful to consumers' health.

Cheese lovers in China were happy that they could continue to enjoy their favourite dairy product. Cheese is becoming more and more popular in China. It is not a typical part of the Chinese diet but tastes are changing. More Chinese people have a taste for cheese because of a recent increase in pizza restaurants and other western food. A cheese importer in Shanghai said: "It's a real relief. It is now written…that this category of cheese is legally importable." Cheese sales in China will be worth $820 million this year. This is a 25 per cent increase from last year.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Cheese - Level 4 or  Cheese - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41717848
  • http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/brie-trade-agreement-china-lifts-soft-cheese-ban-9335524
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/china-smelly-cheese-ban-lift-imports-camembert-stilton-roquefort-a8015681.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. China has lifted
  2. the bacteria used to make
  3. not officially
  4. approved for
  5. quarantine and
  6. not harmful to consumers'
  7. Cheese
  8. enjoy their favourite dairy
  1. sale
  2. lovers
  3. health officials
  4. product
  5. the cheeses
  6. an import ban
  7. approved
  8. health

Paragraph 2

  1. Cheese
  2. becoming more and
  3. a typical part
  4. tastes are
  5. because of a recent
  6. It's a real
  7. Cheese sales in China will be
  8. a 25 per cent increase
  1. increase
  2. changing
  3. from last year
  4. more popular
  5. relief
  6. lovers
  7. of the Chinese diet
  8. worth $820 million

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China (1) ___________________ import ban on types of cheese that get their flavor and smell from bacteria. Health officials (2) ___________________ ban on the cheeses after authorities discovered that the bacteria (3) ___________________ the cheeses were not officially approved. The cheeses now approved (4) ___________________ Brie and Camembert. The ban was lifted after meetings between the European Commission and Chinese (5) _______________________ officials. China's health commission said the bacteria used to make these cheeses were not (6) _____________________ health.

Cheese lovers in China were happy that they could (7) ___________________ their favourite dairy product. Cheese is becoming more (8) ___________________ in China. It is not a typical part of the Chinese (9) ___________________ are changing. More Chinese people have a taste for cheese because (10) ___________________ increase in pizza restaurants and other western food. A cheese importer in Shanghai said: "It's (11) ___________________. It is now written…that this category of cheese is legally importable." Cheese sales in China (12) ___________________ $820 million this year. This is a 25 per cent increase from last year.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinahasliftedanimportbanontypesofcheesethatgettheirflavorands
mellfrombacteria.Healthofficialsinitiallyputabanonthecheesesaftera
uthoritiesdiscoveredthatthebacteriausedtomakethecheeseswereno
tofficiallyapproved.ThecheesesnowapprovedforsaleincludeBrieand
Camembert.ThebanwasliftedaftermeetingsbetweentheEuropeanCo
mmissionandChinesequarantineandhealthofficials.China'shealthco
mmissionsaidthebacteriausedtomakethesecheeseswerenotharmful
toconsumers'health.CheeseloversinChinawerehappythattheycould
continuetoenjoytheirfavouritedairyproduct.Cheeseisbecomingmor
eandmorepopularinChina.ItisnotatypicalpartoftheChinesedietbutta
stesarechanging.MoreChinesepeoplehaveatasteforcheesebecauseo
farecentincreaseinpizzarestaurantsandotherwesternfood.Acheesei
mporterinShanghaisaid:"It'sarealrelief.Itisnowwritten…thatthiscat
egoryofcheeseislegallyimportable."CheesesalesinChinawillbeworth
$820millionthisyear.Thisisa25percentincreasefromlastyear.

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 — Write your own questions

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

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

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

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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