Coca Cola changes recipe after online petition

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

An online petition made the Coca-Cola Company change its recipe for several drinks. The world's largest drinks maker will remove a substance called brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from drinks like Powerade. BVO is a food additive. It contains the chemical bromide, which is used in products to prevent fires. A Coca-Cola spokesman said: "All of our beverages, including those with BVO, are safe….The safety and quality of our products is our highest priority."

The U.S. government removed BVO from its "generally recognised as safe" list in 1970. A few months ago, an American teenager started a petition to get BVO removed from drinks. She asked why it was put in health drinks. Over 200,000 people signed the petition. The teen said: "It's really good to know that companies…are listening to consumers." She added she was glad that drinks around the world would "be a little bit healthier without BVO".

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-05-05/coca-cola-to-remove-controversial-ingredient-from-its-beverages
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/coke-pepsi-dropping-bvo-drinks-23599329
http://www.change.org/petitions/powerade-if-gatorade-can-take-crazy-chemical-bvo-out-of-sports-drinks-so-can-you

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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	An online	a.	of our products
2.	change its recipe	b.	with BVO, are safe
3.	used in products	c.	for several drinks
4.	All of our beverages, including those	d.	petition
5.	The safety and quality	e.	priority
6.	our highest	f.	to prevent fires

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	generally recognised	a.	in health drinks
2.	an American teenager	b.	from drinks
3.	get BVO removed	c.	are listening to consumers
4.	She asked why it was put	d.	healthier
5.	good to know that companies	e.	as safe
6.	a little bit	f.	started a petition

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

(1) ___________________ made the Coca-Cola Company change its recipe for several drinks. The world's largest drinks maker (2) ___________________ called brominated vegetable oil (BVO) from drinks like Powerade. BVO (3) ___________________. It contains the chemical bromide, which is used in products (4) ___________________. A Coca-Cola spokesman said: "(5) ___________________, including those with BVO, are safe….The safety and quality of our products (6) ___________________."

The U.S. government removed BVO from its "(7) ___________________ safe" list in 1970. (8) ___________________, an American teenager started a petition to get BVO (9) ___________________. She asked why it was put in health drinks. Over 200,000 people (10) ___________________. The teen said: "It's really good to know that companies…are (11) ___________________." She added was glad that drinks around the world would "be (12) ___________________ without BVO".

COCA COLA SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Coca Cola 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.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about Coca Cola for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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