H2: Going Green Reading skills

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vmbo t
• Leerjaar 3

H2: Going Green Reading Skills

Before Reading: 

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8). 

a dairy product

a calf

a chick 

grain

a nutrient

a workshop

exploitation

a sentient being

a product that contains milk

cereal that is grown and used as food

a young cow or bull

a young bird which has just come out of the egg

an ingredient that helps you to grow, have energy and stay

alive 

a meeting where people do an activity or talk about

something

treating someone or something in an unfair way and gaining

an advantage from it

a creature that can experience suffering

Veganism

‘All life deserves respect, dignity and compassion. All life.’ – Anthony Douglas Williams

What is veganism and what do vegans do?

Vegans try to live, as much as possible, in a way that avoids exploiting and being cruel to

animals. This means following a plant-based diet. Vegans do not eat animals or animal-based

products like meat, fish, seafood, eggs, honey and dairy products such as cheese. For many

vegans, living a committed vegan lifestyle means not wearing clothes made from animal skins

and avoiding any products which have been tested on animals.

How are vegans different from vegetarians?

Vegetarians don’t eat meat or fish but they can eat eggs, honey and dairy products, but

vegans don’t eat any animal-based food products. Vegans argue that suffering is caused in

the production of these foods, for example they say that, on some dairy farms, male calves

are killed because they are too expensive to keep, and on some farms, cows are killed when

they get older and produce less milk. Similarly, on some egg farms, male chicks are killed 

because they do not produce eggs. As for honey, vegans say that bees make honey for bees,

not for humans, and that bees’ health can suffer when humans take the honey from them.

Vegans believe that the products they use and consume should be free from not just cruelty

but any exploitation of animals.

When did veganism start?

The Vegan Society was founded in 1944, but there is evidence of people deciding not to

consume animal products over 2,000 years ago. The sixth-century BC Greek mathematician

and philosopher Pythagoras was in favour of kindness to all species, and his diet could be

described as vegetarian. There was a tradition of vegetarianism in the Indus Valley,

Babylonian and ancient Egyptian civilisations even earlier. The Vegan Society points out that

in 1806, the famous romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the first people to

publicly object to eating eggs and dairy products on moral grounds.

Why do many people decide to become vegan?

For many people, the main reason for going vegan is probably that they believe that animals

and all other sentient beings should have the right to life and freedom. However, there are

other reasons. Vegans argue that the production of meat and other animal products is very

bad for the environment. They point out that a huge quantity of water is needed to grow grain

to feed animals in the meat industry. The enormous amount of grain which the meat industry

needs often leads to forests being cut down and habitats being lost. In contrast, much lower

quantities of grain and water are needed to sustain a vegan diet. In addition, many vegans say

that all the nutrients our bodies need are contained in a carefully planned vegan diet and that

this type of diet helps prevent some diseases.

What is World Vegan Day?

On 1 November every year, vegans all over the world celebrate their way of life. There are

workshops, exhibitions and public debates on World Vegan Day, and it is a wonderful

opportunity for anybody thinking of becoming a vegan to learn more about the subject. 

Quiz time

Vegans eat fish and seafood.

1. true
2. false

Vegans wear clothes made from the skin of an animal.

1. true
2. false

More than 2,000 years ago, some people took a decision not to eat
animals and animal products.

1. true
2. false

A variety of activities take place on World Vegan Day.

1. true
2. false

Vegans do not eat some things that vegetarians do.

1. true
2. false

Many people become vegan because of a concern for the environment.

1. true
2. false

Vegans try to live in a way that ……………………………… exploiting and being cruel to animals.

1. avoids
2. diet
3. quantity
4. suffer

Vegans say that bees’ health can ……………………………… when humans take honey from them.

1. opportunity
2. diet
3. quantity
4. suffer

Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the first people to publicly ……………………………… to eating
eggs and dairy products on moral grounds.

1. opportunity
2. diet
3. quantity
4. object

A huge ……………………………… of water is needed to grow grain to feed animals in the meat
industry.

1. opportunity
2. diet
3. quantity
4. avoids

Many vegans say that all the nutrients our bodies need are contained in a carefully
planned vegan ……………………………… .

1. opportunity
2. diet
3. object
4. avoids

World Vegan Day is a wonderful ……………………………… for anybody thinking of becoming a
vegan to learn more about the subject.

1. opportunity
2. quantity
3. object
4. avoids

How did it go?

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