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The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador

The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador. 2004 Reading Comprehension. The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador. If you had a choice between a big, beautiful, red rose and one that was less beautiful, which one would you choose?

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The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador

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  1. The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador 2004 Reading Comprehension

  2. The unromantic side of red roses from Ecuador • If you had a choice between a big, beautiful, red rose and one that was less beautiful, which one would you choose? • Would you stop to consider the conditions the flowers were grown in when making your decision? • What could be dangerous about growing flowers?

  3. A. affect the environment where they grow. B. are bigger than any grown in the U.S.. C. badly affect the economic situation in Ecuador. D. are a relative newcomer to the U.S. flower business. Line 2: “In just 5 years, they have become the new status flower in the U.S..” The word “just” tells us that the writer considers this a short period of time. D. = correct. 1. According to paragraph 1, Ecuadorian roses …

  4. A. positive B. exaggerated C. disturbing D. improbable From paragraph 1: “big”, “thanks to”, “perfect soil”, “abundant sunlight”, “thousands of jobs”, “once impoverished” (but not anymore), “fertile valley”, “burst into extravagant bloom” The vocabulary is all very positive. There’s no reason to doubt the validity of this description at this point. A. = correct. 2. In paragraph 1, the writer seeks to create an image of flower farming in Ecuador which is …

  5. A. the calyx & Corolla company B. Ecuador C. the region north of Quito D. The United States. “… catalogues are advertising the roses of this valley. The Calyx & Corolla company, …, bills it as a place …. “bills it as” = describes it as … “it” = a place Look earlier in the paragraph to see that “this valley” is in the region north of the capital Quito. C. = Correct 3. In line 11, “it” refers to …

  6. A. promote the introduction of chemical-free agricultural cultivation. B. compare the working conditions in Ecuador and the United States. C. show how the demand for perfection affects production methods. D. relate flower farming to other industries in developing countries. The paragraph tells us … The poor worry about eating, not labour conditions. Consumers don’t even realize how the workers suffer. This problem is not specific to the flower industry. C = Correct 4. The main purpose of paragraph 2 is to …

  7. A. Flower farms in Ecuador are allegedly poisoning workers with chemicals. B. people who receive Ecuadorian roses are generally not aware of how they are grown. C. people living in poverty in Ecuador have little choice about the work they do. D. Ecuadorian roses cannot be produced without the use of dangerous chemicals. A. “50,000 workers, … suffer serious health problems…” B. “wealthier of the world … know little of the conditions in which their desires are met.” C. “poor worry about eating first and labour conditions later.” D. “misusing toxic … pesticides … to grow … pest-free flowers.” They don’t need to use chemicals. D. = correct 5. Which one of the following statements is FALSE? In paragraph 2, the writer states that …

  8. A. misunderstood B. disrupted C. promoted D. tolerated “Researchers say their work has been hampered by lack ofaccess to flower farms and reluctant growers.” If there is a “lack of” something, will research be easier or more difficult? “reluctant” = don’t want to agree B. = correct 6. In line 27, “hampered” means ….

  9. A. the majority of workers in the flower industry have some kind of health problem. B. flower farm employees are forced to work too fast and consequently become sick. C. female workers are more affected by the chemicals used than male workers are. D. regular farm visits by doctors reduce the likelihood of work-related illness. “women… had more miscarriages than average … and more than 60% of all workers suffered headaches, nausea or fatigue.” Only women can have miscarriages, but all workers suffer from the other problems. A. = Correct 7. The research cited in paragraph 3 shows that in Ecuador …

  10. A. the advanced computer technology in the picking process. B. the high quality of roses exported each day from Ecuador. C. the respect a farm manager has for his workers. D. the working practices at a particular farm. RosaPrima … Boxed 70,000 stems a day/ tracked each stem and worker’s productivity by computer/ had a doctor visit the farm every week/ asked workers to wear gloves All these facts are about one plantation/ farm. D. = correct 8. In paragraph 4, the writer’s main focus is on …

  11. A. his plantation needs a lot of investment. B. the work done by his company is of value. C. the speed of processing the flowers is vital. D. his workers do not need protective clothing. Line 50: “I think this is a noble business that does noble things for people here and around the world.” If he believes it’s a noble business, he must believe it is of value. B. = Correct 9. Ross Johnson believes that …

  12. A. still has to visit the farm on a regular basis. B. doesn’t want to risk workers losing their jobs. C. doesn’t want to hurt the owners’ pride. D. is not free to reveal his research sources. Line 61: “Paz-y-Mino refused to identify the flower farm under an agreement that he had with the owners.” The agreement prevents him from identifying the farms. D. = correct 10. Dr. Paz-y-Mino does not identify the farm where he carried out his investigation because he …

  13. A. proves the flower farms in Ecuador behave responsibly towards workers. B. supports the claims made by a worker towards the end of the article. C. confirms the assumption that staff welfare is the main concern of managers. D. contradicts Johnson’s assertion that his farm workers are well protected. “fumigating in their street clothes without protective equipment, pesticides stored in poorly sealed containers …” A and C go against the main point of the passage. The farm is not identified, so cannot be D. A worker at the end says there “is no respect for the fumigation rules.” B. = Correct. 11. Dr. Paz-y-Mino gives evidence that ….

  14. A. says it cannot improve working conditions. B. has not established the proper institutions to safeguard workers’ health. C. is not aware of the health problems of workers in the flower industry. D. believes only national bodies can tackle the situation. Line 69: “Neither the Labour Ministry nor the Health Ministry has an occupational health department.” B. = Correct. 12. The government in Ecuador …

  15. A. profits made by sellers in the U.S. might reduce their desire to admit to any problems. B. the majority of consumers in the U.S. do not care about environmental regulations. C. there are disagreements between wholesalers in the U.S. and the growers in Ecuador. D. U.S. trade associations give financial support to workers on flower farms. The passage tells us that there are problems with flower growers. Paragraph 8 says “roses retail up to US$6 a bloom, some industry representatives were quick to deny that there was health problem.” The high price of roses and the quick denial seem to be connected in the writer’s mind. A. = Correct. 13.In paragraph 8, the implication is that …

  16. A. have no time to see the doctor. B. do not believe male doctors. C. have no faith in the company doctor. D. think no doctor can help them now. “He always tells us there is nothing wrong with us and sends us back to work. He works for the company. He does not help us.” They can’t trust the doctor because he is more concerned about the company than their health. C. = correct 14. In the last paragraph, Soledad indicates that she and her fellow workers

  17. A. doctors on flower farms and exporters in Ecuador. B. the government of Ecuador and flower farm workers. C. U.S. wholesalers and researchers in Ecuador. D. researchers into workers’ health problems and flower farm workers. The doctors work for the exporters. The gvt. says it would like to help workers. US wholesalers say there are no health problems while researchers say there are. Researchers recognize the fact that workers have health problems. C. = Correct 15. According to the article, it seems that there is a major difference of opinion between …

  18. A. flowers are given a mixture of chemicals. B. exporters break U.S. environmental laws. C. doctors’ lives are put at risk in Ecuador. D. more research should be done. Only an overall understanding is needed. But … Line 16: “…misusing a toxic mixture of pesticides … to grow and export … pest-free flowers.” Common sense tells us that roses are most popular on Valentine’s Day. A. = Correct 16. According to the article, to ensure perfect roses for Valentine’s Day in the U.S., …

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