What causes hunger?

      The world produces enough to feed the entire global population of 7 billion people. And yet, one person in eight on the planet goes to bed hungry each night. In some countries, one child in three is underweight. Why does hunger exist? There are many reasons for the presence of hunger in the world and they are often interconnected. Here are six that we think are important.  

      Poverty trap

      People living in poverty cannot afford nutritious food for themselves and their families. This makes them weaker and less able to earn the money that would help them escape poverty and hunger. This is not just a day-to-day problem: when children are chronically malnourished, or ‘stunted’, it can affect their future income, condemning them to a life of poverty and hunger. In developing countries, farmers often cannot afford seeds, so they cannot plant the crops that would provide for their families. They may have to cultivate crops without the tools and fertilizers they need. Others have no land or water or education. In short, the poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty. 

      Lack of investment in agriculture

      Too many developing countries lack key agricultural infrastructure, such as enough roads, warehouses and irrigation. The results are high transport costs, lack of storage facilities and unreliable water supplies. All conspire to limit agricultural yields and access to food. Investments in improving land management, using water more efficiently and making more resistant seed types available can bring big improvements. Research by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization shows that investment in agriculture is five times more effective in reducing poverty and hunger than investment in any other sector. 

      Climate and weather

      Natural disasters such as floods, tropical storms and long periods of drought are on the increase – with calamitous consequences for the hungry poor in developing countries. Drought is one of the most common causes of food shortages in the world. In 2011, recurrent drought caused crop failures and heavy livestock losses in parts of Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. In 2012 there was a similar situation in the Sahel region of West Africa. In many countries, climate change is exacerbating  already adverse natural conditions. Increasingly, the world’s fertile farmland is under threat from erosion, salination and desertification. Deforestation by human hands accelerates the erosion of land which could be used for growing food.

      War and displacement

      Across the globe, conflicts consistently disrupt farming and food production. Fighting also forces millions of people to flee their homes, leading to hunger emergencies as the displaced find themselves without the means to feed themselves. The conflict in Syria is a recent example. In war, food sometimes becomes a weapon. Soldiers will starve opponents into submission by seizing or destroying food and livestock and systematically wrecking local markets. Fields are often mined and water wells contaminated, forcing farmers to abandon their land. Ongoing conflict in Somalia and the has contributed significantly to the level of hunger in the two countries. By comparison, hunger is on the retreat in more peaceful parts of Africa such as Ghana and Rwanda.  

      Unstable markets

      In recent years, the price of food products has been very unstable. Roller-coaster food prices make it difficult for the poorest people to access nutritious food consistently. The poor need access to adequate food all year round. Price spikes may temporarily put food out of reach, which can have lasting consequences for small children. When prices rise, consumers often shift to cheaper, less-nutritious foods, heightening the risks of micronutrient deficiencies and other forms of malnutrition.  

      Food wastage

      One third of all food produced (1.3 billion tons) is never consumed. This food wastage represents a missed opportunity to improve global food security in a world where one in 8 is hungry. Producing this food also uses up precious natural resources that we need to feed the planet. Each year, food that is produced but not eaten guzzles up a volume of water equivalent to the annual flow of Russia’s Volga River. Producing this food also adds 3.3 billion tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, with consequences for the climate and, ultimately, for food production. 

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

WELCOME!

And congratulations on your new purchase. You’re now entitled to an unsurpassed service and a number of benefits as part of the Ericsson warranty and service program. Your Ericsson mobile phone was designed to offer you the ultimate in quality, convenience and performance. And of course, we guarantee it. From now on, as the new owner of an Ericsson mobile phone, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive advantages such as: a vast network of Ericsson service centers; a limited 1 year warranty and service agreement, and a toll-free customer service hotline.

WARRANTY CONDITIONS

Dear Customer,

If your Ericsson product needs warranty service, you should send the product to any company authorized service facility. For information contact the store from which you purchased the product. The product in all cases must be accompanied by the following items: your name, address, telephone number, warranty card, bill of sale bearing the serial number, date of delivery, or reasonable proof of these dates, and a detailed description of the problem.

Our warranty

This warranty is extended by Ericsson Inc. (“The Company”) to the original purchaser for use only. Ericsson warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship at the time of its original purchase and for the subsequent period of one (1) year. All accessories for the product are covered for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.

What we will do

If, during the period of warranty, this product proves defective under normal use and service due to improper materials or workmanship, the company will repair or replace the defective item with a new or factory rebuilt replacement.

(Taken from Ericsson – One year Warranty and Service Agreement)

Read text III and answer questions 60 to 70:

Text III

The use of music and songs in the EFL classroom

There are quite a lot of positive sides of learning English via

the medium music. First of all it is a very positive way of

learning English. Music is a part of our everyday life and

especially young people are very familiar with music. If the

5 teacher provides the possibility of a positive access to a new

topic, the kids will learn the new things easier and with more

fun and readiness. I am sure that the one or the other pupil

turns out to be a little “music-expert”. This can strengthen the

self-consciousness of students who are not so good at other

10 areas because now they have the opportunity to show what

they know about a special artist or band. Another pro of

teaching language by using songs and music is that it is

something different for the students – it is an alternation to

the common methods of language learning, because it is not

15 only interested in input. Learning with music speaks more than

other language-learning-methods to the audio-channel of the

learner, which has the positive effect of training listening and

comprehending language which is modified in terms of

intonation, pronunciation and articulation. Music in the

20 classroom can also be arranged in corporation with teachers of

other subjects, so that kids have the opportunity to use and

practise the new knowledge in more than one subject.

Teachers of English could not only work together with teachers

of music, but also with teachers of German, religion, ethics and

25 history. There is a variety of different thematic blocks which

can be taught with the help of songs, for example cultural or

social studies, to name only two areas.

However, using music and songs as a method of language

teaching can also have negative effects. Not every student likes

30 singing, acting or working with music and songs. Some find it

embarrassing and childish, especially older students. If the

majority of a class consists of students who feel like that about

working with music and songs in the classroom, the teacher

should be aware of the problem that it will be hard to motivate

35 the pupils. It can also be that some pupils protest and even

refuse to do several activities given by the teacher. […] Another

problem for teachers is the question of the right choice of

songs. Nowadays the kids are crazy about music which is called

“Death Metal”, “Hip Hop” or “Acid House”. So, many teachers

40 think that it is hard to fill the pupils of today with enthusiasm

by using Oldies.

Despite the fact that there are more positive effects of

learning a second language with songs and music than negative

ones, most teachers look at this method with mixed emotions.

45 Some are of the opinion that this is no real teaching and a

waste of time with some senseless activities. This is not true, of

course. Out of my own pupil-experience I can say that I have

learned quite a lot with the help of songs. I have acquired not

only a plenty of new words and vocabulary, but also several

50 idioms and many ways to express feelings.

(From http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/122444/the-use-of-music-and-songs-in-theefl-classroom)