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DO VERY CLEVER CHILDREN NEED HELP?

ARE GM PLANTS SAFE?

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 arc 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.

But at the same time, it is possible that the modified plant contains toxic materia], 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 carcful before they approve the introduction of GM foods into our supermarkets.

 

2. The author says that he read an article about cubed-tomatoes. Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3. What are the advantages of GM foods?

4. Why is it important to test GM foods?

 

 

DO VERY CLEVER CHILDREN NEED HELP?

In our history, there have been some remarkable children. Mozart is a famous example. After he had heard a piece of music a couple of times, he could write it down on paper. He composed symphonies while he was still a child. Today we also hear stories of very gifted children.

Ruth Lawrence, from the UK, became famous at the age of 12, when she began her studies at Oxford University. She was the youngest student ever to attend a university in the UK. Before going to university, Ruth was taught at home by her father. While she was a student, her father was always by her side. He attended all her lectures with her. Ruth did very well at Oxford. She got a first class degree in mathematics. Now Ruth is a mathematics professor.



These young people are, however, extremely special. Because of that they naturally feel different to other children of their own age. They can become lonely. Michael Howe, a professor of psychology says, "It is good to be good at something while you are young, but if you do not have friends or other experiences you will not have a satisfying life." Gifted children who understand quicker than their classmates can also become lazy. They can behave badly in class because they are bored.

If parents find that their child is especially talented, they have to take some important and difficult decisions. They have to help their child develop but they cannot push their child too hard. If they do, the child may have serious problems later in life. However, if a child is especially gifted, it is clear that they need a special kind of education. These children need to be motivated. This means that they have to study with people who are older than them. But at the same time they must be allowed to be children too.

Despite her great success, Ruth Lawrence does not want her own children to be brought up and educated in the same way she was. They will be sent to a normal school and she has said that she wants them to develop and grow only in a natural way.

 

 

2. Ruth Lawrence was a gifted child. Read aloud the extract which says about her.

3. What kind of problems can wonderkids have?

4. What should parents and teachers do for their gifted children?

 


Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1110


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