Non-Browning Bananas
WORKSHEET
Vocabulary
Unappealing
Not attractive or interesting.Speed up
To make something happen faster.Trait
A characteristic or quality of a person or thing.Precision breeding
A biotech method to make exact DNA changes without adding foreign gene.Genetic modification
Inserting genes from one species into another.Genome
The complete set of genetic material in an organism.Modify
To change something slightly.Throw away/waste
To discard something unused.Freeze
To keep at very low temperature (for preservation).Appealing
Attractive or pleasing.
Grammar Points
Passive Voice:
Used when the focus is on the action, not who does it (e.g., The genes were modified by scientists).Present Perfect Tense:
Used to show actions that started in the past and are still relevant now (e.g., Scientists have developed new banana traits in just one year).Second Conditional:
Used to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations in the present or future (e.g., If bananas didn’t brown quickly, fewer would be wasted).Modals of Speculation (might, could, may):
Used to express uncertainty or possibility (e.g., This method may help reduce food waste).Defining Relative Clauses:
Used to add essential information about a noun using who, which, that (e.g., Bananas that are modified stay fresh longer).Linking Words for Cause and Contrast:
Used to connect ideas clearly and logically (e.g., It’s not just about appearance, but also reducing waste).
Activities
Activity 1
Discussion & Debate
Instructions
In small groups, discuss the following question: “Should we use science to change how bananas ripen if it helps reduce food waste?”
Use these prompts:
What are the benefits?
What are the risks?
Each group chooses a spokesperson to summarise their opinion for the class.
Activity 2
Grammar Error Correction
Instructions
Each sentence below contains one grammar error. Correct it.
Sentences to correct:
Scientists have develop a new type of banana.
The genes was changed by a team in Norfolk.
If bananas didn’t browned, we would waste less of them.
They gets their bananas modified.
This method may reduces waste.
Activity 3
True or False
Instructions
Read the statements below and write True or False. If the statement is false, correct it.
Bananas made with precision breeding stay yellow for only 2 hours.
Scientists took genes from other plants to change the banana.
People in the market all trusted the science.
Precision breeding is different from genetic modification.
Many bananas are wasted every day in the UK.
Questions
What are the scientists trying to change about bananas?
How many bananas are thrown away each day in the UK?
Would you feel comfortable eating a banana that was changed through precision breeding? Why or why not?
TRANSCRIPT
Non-Browning Bananas
NARRATOR:
It’s a common problem: once you peel a banana, it turns brown and looks unappealing, so it often ends up in the bin rather than in a fruit salad. At a company in Norfolk, scientists are working on a solution. They are speeding up the natural process of evolution. Normally, this would take thousands of years. But now, they can develop new banana traits in just one year. These new bananas stay yellow for up to 12 hours after being peeled.
SOUNDBITE - Cristina Pignocchi:
“We know the genes that are responsible for the browning of the banana fruit, so we have modified these genes and therefore now our non-browning bananas. You can cut them and they will remain fresh and yellow for much longer.”
NARRATOR:
It’s not just about how bananas look. Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world, but around half of them are thrown away. In the UK, that means about 1.4 million bananas go in the bin every day. Bananas that stay yellow could help reduce this waste. They are made using a method called “precision breeding”, which is different from genetic modification.
SOUNDBITE - Jack Peat:
“Genetic modification is a process where you'll take a gene from a different organism, a different species and introduce it into the genome of the plant that you're working with. So we absolutely don't do that. All we are doing is changing very specific DNA sequences within the banana that are already there.”
NARRATOR:
At Walthamstow Market, some people are unsure.
SOUNDBITE – vox pop 1:
“I don't think anybody should mess them about.”
SOUNDBITE – vox pop 2:
“I'm not trusting the banana.”
NARRATOR:
But others think it’s a good idea.
SOUNDBITE – vox pop 3:
“Otherwise, they end up in the freezer and they just live there forever. And apparently they'll be used for banana bread one day. But never seems to happen.”
NARRATOR:
It’s good news for fruit salads but bad news for banana bread.