Unit 2 — Advertising, Consumers and Safety

The second unit of the programme: producers and consumers, the three kinds of food, how advertising works on us, and how to read a label before buying.

يتكوّن الدرس من 12 أجزاء: Producers, Consumers and Consumerism، Organic, Conventional and Genetically Modified Food، Advertising and the Consumer، Food Safety and Healthy Habits، The Language of Persuasion: Interpreting and Creating an Advert، Holiday Adverts and Opposites in Consumption and Safety، The Impact of Advertising, Future Changes and Debate، Preparing and Delivering an Argumentative Speech، Product Safety and Prescribing a Set of Rules، Writing an Expository Article about Food Safety، The Consumer's Report: Surveys, Pie Charts and Findings، Key Vocabulary and Useful Expressions.

Producers, Consumers and Consumerism

1. The four key words

Do not confuse consumerism with consumption. Consumption is simply the act of using a product. Consumerism is an attitude: buying far more than we need.

2. Over-consumption and its cost

**Waste**: food thrown away while others go hungry.
**Debt**: families buying on credit what they cannot afford.
**Pollution**: packaging, transport and the disposal of goods replaced too quickly.
**Health**: obesity and diabetes linked to the over-consumption of processed food.

3. The rights of the consumer

A consumer is not only a buyer. Modern law gives them rights:

The right to **safety**: a product must not harm the person who uses it correctly.
The right to **information**: labels must be complete, readable and truthful.
The right to **choose**: real competition between products.
The right to **be heard**: a channel for complaints, and compensation when the product is defective.

4. Consumer associations

A consumer association is an independent organisation that defends buyers. It tests products in laboratories, publishes comparisons, warns the public about dangerous goods, and takes companies to court on behalf of consumers who could not afford to do so alone.

Their two strongest weapons are:

**publicity**: a bad test result published in the press;
the **boycott**: consumers agreeing not to buy a product until the producer changes it.

5. Check yourself

Explain the difference between *consumption* and *consumerism*.
Name three costs of over-consumption.
What can a consumer association do that a single consumer cannot?

Organic, Conventional and Genetically Modified Food

The exam texts of this unit almost always compare these three.

1. Organic food

Organic food is grown and processed without:

chemical fertilizers;
growth regulators;
industrial animal feeds;
pesticides and chemical additives;
genetically modified organisms.

Advantages: safer for health, better for the soil and for water, no chemical residue. Disadvantages: more expensive, smaller harvests, shorter shelf life.

2. Conventional food

Conventional food, sometimes called chemically improved food, is grown and processed with fertilizers, growth regulators, animal feeds, pesticides and additives.

Advantages: large harvests, low price, food available all year. Disadvantages: chemical residues in the food, soil and water polluted, insects becoming resistant to pesticides.

3. Genetically modified food

Genetically Modified Food (GMF) is produced from organisms whose DNA has been changed by genetic engineering, that is, by adding, removing or changing genes in a laboratory. Examples: maize modified to resist insects, soya modified to resist a weedkiller. Hybrid seeds and cloned animals are often mentioned in the same debate, but strictly speaking they are not genetically modified: a hybrid comes from crossing two varieties, and a clone copies DNA without changing it.

Arguments in favour

Higher yields, which may help feed a growing population.
Crops resistant to drought, to insects and to disease.
Fruit and vegetables that keep longer during transport.

Arguments against

The long-term effects on human health are not fully known.
Possible allergies and resistance to antibiotics.
Loss of biodiversity when one modified variety replaces many local ones.
Farmers made dependent on the companies that own the seeds.

4. How to present the debate in the exam

A balanced answer names both sides and then takes a position.

> *On the one hand, genetically modified crops produce higher yields and resist disease. On the other hand, their long-term effects on health are still unknown. In my opinion, they should be authorised only after independent testing and clear labelling.*

5. Check yourself

Give three things that are **not** used in organic farming.
Give two arguments in favour of GMF and two against it.
Why does the loss of biodiversity worry scientists?

Advertising and the Consumer

1. What advertising is

Advertising is a form of marketing communication used to promote or sell a product, a service or an idea.

2. The techniques advertisers use

**The slogan**: a short sentence that is easy to remember.
**The celebrity**: a famous face that transfers its image to the product.
**The appeal to fear**: suggesting that without this product you are at risk.
**The appeal to belonging**: suggesting that everybody already owns it.
**The special offer**: a price presented as an opportunity that will not last.
**The small print**: the conditions, written in letters too small to read.

3. Misleading advertising

An advert is misleading when it creates a false impression, even without telling a direct lie.

A holiday advert showing a beach that is in fact two kilometres from the hotel.
"Up to 70% off" when a single item carries that reduction.
"Natural" printed on a product that contains chemical additives.
A photograph of a hamburger that no restaurant has ever served.

4. The letter of complaint

When an advert misleads a buyer, the buyer may write a letter of complaint. Its structure is fixed, and the exam often asks for it.

**Opening**: *I am writing to complain about…*
**The facts**: what was promised, what was delivered, with dates and references.
**The consequence**: what this cost you.
**The request**: *I would therefore be grateful if you could refund… / replace… / send…*
**Closing**: *I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully,*

Keep the tone firm and polite. Anger weakens a complaint.

5. Check yourself

Name the four types of advertising and give a medium for each.
Explain, with an example, how an advert can mislead without lying.
In what order do the five parts of a letter of complaint come?

Food Safety and Healthy Habits

1. Reading a label

Before buying, a careful consumer checks:

the **expiry date**, and the difference between *use by* (a safety limit) and *best before* (a quality limit);
the **list of ingredients**, given in decreasing order of quantity;
the **additives**, often shown by an E number;
the **nutritional values**: sugar, salt, saturated fat, calories;
the **origin** of the product and the conditions of storage.

2. Energy balance

Your energy balance compares the energy you take in with the energy you spend.

This is why two people eating the same meal do not put on the same weight: what matters is the balance, not the meal alone.

3. Junk food

Junk food is food that is rich in calories but poor in nutrients: sugar, salt and saturated fat with few vitamins, minerals or fibre.

Consequences of a diet built on it:

**obesity**, and with it diabetes and heart disease;
tooth decay;
tiredness and poor concentration at school.

4. Health warnings

Learn these structures; they carry the grammar of the unit.

You **should not** eat too much sugar.
You **ought not to** skip breakfast.
You **had better** check the expiry date.
You **mustn't** buy a tin that is damaged.
You **don't have to** stop eating meat, but you **should** reduce it.
If you ate less junk food, you **would** feel better. *(second conditional)*

5. Six rules of safe eating

Check labels and expiry dates before buying.
Wash fruit and vegetables before eating them.
Respect the cold chain: do not refreeze food that has thawed.
Prefer fresh and seasonal products.
Reduce processed food, sugar and salt.
Be critical of advertising; an attractive advert is not a nutritional guarantee.

6. Check yourself

What is the difference between *use by* and *best before*?
Explain in one sentence what an energy balance is.
Rewrite as advice: *He eats too much junk food.*

The Language of Persuasion: Interpreting and Creating an Advert

Why adverts use a special language

An advert has only a few seconds to catch our attention. Advertisers often follow a simple model called AIDA: catch Attention, create Interest, build Desire, and push to Action (buying). To do this quickly, they use a language that is short, positive and emotional. This language is called the language of persuasion.

The main features of persuasive language

A weasel word protects the advertiser. *This cream helps reduce wrinkles* does not say that the cream removes wrinkles; it only says that it helps.

Interpreting an advert: five questions

**Who is the target audience?** Children, teenagers, parents, sportspeople…
**What is being sold?** A product, a service or an idea.
**Which techniques and which language are used?** A celebrity, fear, belonging, a special offer, a superlative…
**What is the message?** What does the advert want us to believe?
**What is missing?** The real price, the conditions, the risks, the small print.

A model interpretation (an invented poster): *The poster advertises a fruit drink called SunnyFruit. It targets teenagers, as it shows young people laughing on a beach. The slogan, "Feel the sun in every sip", uses an emotive image and direct address. The word "natural" is printed in large letters, but the poster does not say how much sugar the drink contains. In my view, the advert is attractive but partly misleading.*

Reacting to an advert

*The advert is effective because the slogan is short and catchy.*
*I find the claim misleading since it hides the conditions of the offer.*
*It targets children by using cartoon characters.*

Creating an advert or a commercial

A poster usually has six elements: a headline, an image, a short body copy (the text that describes the product), a slogan, a call to action (*Call now!*, *Visit our shop!*) and the logo or contact details.

A commercial (an advert on radio or television) is a short script: a scene, characters, a voice, sounds or music, and the slogan at the end.

> *Scene: a tired student at a desk. Voice: "Long day? Need energy?" The student eats a banana and smiles. Voice: "Fresh fruit. Nature's fast food." Text on screen: Eat fresh, feel fresh.*

An honest advert is still persuasive, but it makes no false claims, does not exploit children and shows its conditions clearly.

Holiday Adverts and Opposites in Consumption and Safety

The language of holiday adverts

Holiday adverts are among the most persuasive of all, because they sell a dream. To read them carefully, you need their vocabulary.

Reading a holiday advert critically

> *Dream away in our seaside resort! Seven nights, all-inclusive, from only 300 euros\*. Rooms with sea view, five minutes from the beach. Book now: limited places!*

Ask yourself:

**"from only 300 euros"**: is this the price for everybody, or only for one cheap week out of season?
**the asterisk**: what does the small print say? Are taxes or transfers extra?
**"five minutes from the beach"**: on foot or by car?
**"rooms with sea view"**: all the rooms, or only some of them?
**"limited places"**: a real limit, or a way to make you hurry?

When the holiday does not match the advert

If the hotel is very different from the brochure, the customer may write a letter of complaint to the travel agency.

> *Dear Sir or Madam,* > *I am writing to complain about the holiday I booked with your agency from 2 to 9 August. Your brochure promised a room with a sea view, five minutes from the beach. In fact, our room faced a car park, and the beach was a twenty-minute drive away. As a result, we spent much of our holiday in taxis. I would therefore be grateful if you could refund part of the price. I look forward to hearing from you.* > *Yours faithfully,*

Opposites related to consumption and safety

1. Opposites formed with a prefix

2. Opposites formed with a suffix: harmful / harmless, careful / careless, useful / useless.

3. Opposites that are different words

The Impact of Advertising, Future Changes and Debate

The impact of advertising on consumers

Advertising is everywhere, and its effects can be positive or negative. A good answer in the exam presents both sides before giving an opinion.

Positive effects

It **informs** consumers about new products, prices and services.
It encourages **competition**, which can lower prices and improve quality.
It **finances** newspapers, television channels and free online services.
It creates **jobs** in design, media and marketing.
**Public-service adverts** spread useful messages: road safety, healthy eating, saving water.

Negative effects

It creates **artificial needs**: we buy things we do not need.
It puts **pressure on children**, who cannot always tell an advert from reality.
It promotes **unhealthy food** rich in sugar, salt and fat.
It can push families into **debt**.
Some adverts are **misleading**, and others spread **stereotypes**, for example about the ideal body.
Online adverts use our **personal data** to target us.

Making hypotheses about future changes

To speak about what may happen, we use modals of possibility followed by the bare infinitive.

The negative forms are may not, might not and won't: *Television adverts may not disappear, but they might become shorter.*

Debating the effects of advertising

In a formal debate, one team (the proposition) defends a motion, for example *This house believes that advertising does more harm than good*, and the other team (the opposition) argues against it. Each speaker has a fixed time, and the last speeches answer the other side: this is the rebuttal.

A model dialogue on the pros and cons of advertising

> Amina: I think advertising is useful. Without adverts, I wouldn't know about new products. > Yacine: I see what you mean, but most adverts don't inform us; they try to make us buy. > Amina: That's a fair point; however, adverts also pay for the free apps we use every day. > Yacine: Maybe, but children can't resist them. In my opinion, adverts for sweets should be banned on children's channels. > Amina: All things considered, we both agree that advertising needs stricter rules.

Preparing and Delivering an Argumentative Speech

A speech is written to be heard

An argumentative speech defends an opinion in front of an audience. Unlike an article, it is heard, not read: the listeners cannot go back to a sentence they missed. That is why a good speech:

**addresses the audience** directly (*Dear classmates*, *you*, *we*);
uses **short sentences** and clear **signposts** (*first of all, secondly, finally*);
**repeats** its key idea;
asks **rhetorical questions** to make people think;
ends with a **call to action**: it asks the audience to do something.

The structure of an argumentative speech

A model speech

*Topic: Should advertising aimed at young children be banned?* (a model written for this lesson)

> *Ladies and gentlemen, dear classmates, good morning. Have you ever counted how many adverts a child sees in a single evening of cartoons? Today, I am going to argue that advertising aimed at young children should be banned.* > > *First of all, young children cannot tell an advert from a story. When their favourite character holds a chocolate bar, they simply believe it is good for them. Secondly, these adverts mostly sell sweets, crisps and sugary drinks, the very products that make children unhealthy. Last but not least, they turn children into tools of pressure: parents end up buying to avoid tears in the supermarket.* > > *Some people claim that adverts pay for children's programmes. However, programmes can be financed in other ways, and no programme is worth a child's health.* > > *To sum up, children deserve protection, not persuasion. So let us ask for clear rules on children's channels. Thank you for your attention.*

Delivering your speech

**Do not read** your text word for word: use short notes on cards.
**Look at your audience** and change the person you look at.
**Speak slowly** and **pause** after an important idea.
**Stress** the key words: *protection, not persuasion*.
**Respect the time**: rehearse with a watch.
**Stand straight** and use simple gestures; they support your words.

Product Safety and Prescribing a Set of Rules

Safety is not only about food

Every day, consumers use products that can be dangerous when they are badly made or badly used.

**Household chemicals**: bleach and other cleaning products can burn the skin or give off toxic fumes when they are mixed.
**Medicines**: a wrong dose, or a medicine found by a child, can cause poisoning.
**Electrical appliances**: damaged cables and overloaded sockets can cause electric shocks or fires.
**Toys**: small parts can be swallowed by babies.
**Counterfeit goods**: fake chargers, fake spare parts and fake medicines are often not tested for safety and may overheat, break or simply not work.

Reading safety warnings

Be careful: flammable and inflammable have the same meaning. The opposite is non-flammable.

Prescribing a set of rules

A set of rules tells people clearly what to do and what not to do. Its language is simple and direct.

How to write it

Give it a clear **title**.
Write one short **sentence of introduction** saying why the rules matter.
Number the rules; each rule gives **one action**.
Mix positive and negative rules.
Add a short **reason** when it helps: *Keep medicines locked away, as children may take them for sweets.*

A model: safety rules at home

Stay Safe at Home Most accidents at home can be avoided. Follow these rules:

Keep medicines and cleaning products out of reach of children.
Never mix bleach with other cleaning products.
Don't overload electric sockets.
Always unplug appliances that you are not using.
Make sure the gas is turned off before you go out.
Buy chargers and appliances from reliable shops, not counterfeit ones.

Writing an Expository Article about Food Safety

What an expository article is

An expository article explains a topic: what it is, why it happens and how to deal with it. Its tone is objective: the writer presents facts and explanations, not feelings. It is typical of this unit, where you may be asked to write about food safety.

Its language has four features:

the **present simple**, for general facts: *Bacteria multiply quickly in warm food.*
**definitions**: *Food poisoning is an illness that is caused by eating contaminated food.*
**connectors of cause and result**: *because, due to, as a result, consequently*.
the **passive**, when the action matters more than the person: *Raw meat should be kept away from cooked food.*

The structure

Each body paragraph develops one main idea, introduced by a topic sentence.

Language toolkit

**Defining**: *X is… which / that…*
**Explaining causes**: *X is caused by… / X results from… / due to…*
**Giving consequences**: *As a result… / Consequently… / This leads to…*
**Giving examples**: *such as… / for instance…*
**Advising in general**: *It is advisable to… / Consumers should…*

A model article

*(written for this lesson)*

> Food Safety: Small Habits that Protect Our Health > > Food safety means handling, storing and cooking food in a way that prevents illness. It matters to everyone, because food that looks and smells normal can still contain harmful bacteria. > > Food poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated by bacteria, viruses or chemicals. Its usual symptoms are stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and sometimes fever. Bacteria multiply quickly when food is left at room temperature, especially in hot weather. Dirty hands and dirty kitchen tools also carry germs from one food to another. > > Fortunately, simple habits reduce these risks. Hands should be washed with soap before cooking. Raw meat should be kept separate from cooked food and from fruit that is eaten raw. Meat, chicken and eggs should be cooked thoroughly, and leftovers should be put in the fridge quickly. Finally, labels and expiry dates should be checked before buying. > > In conclusion, food safety depends largely on small daily gestures. As a result, a careful consumer protects not only his own health but also that of his family.

A checklist before you hand in

Is the tone objective, with no exclamation marks?
Does each paragraph have one main idea?
Have I used the present simple and at least one passive?
Have I linked causes and results with connectors?

The Consumer's Report: Surveys, Pie Charts and Findings

What a consumer's report is

A consumer's report presents the results of a test or a survey about products or services, so that buyers can make better choices. Like an expository article, it is objective, but it is organised under headings and it is based on findings: figures, comparisons and observations.

The structure

The unit project: a survey on the impact of advertising

**Choose the aim**: for example, *to find out how advertising influences what pupils buy*.
**Write a questionnaire** with closed and open questions:
closed: *Have you ever bought a product because of an advert? Yes / No*;
multiple choice: *Where do you see adverts most often? TV / social networks / posters / radio*;
open: *Describe an advert that convinced you, and say why.*
**Ask a sample** of people (the **respondents**).
**Count** the answers and turn them into **percentages**.
**Present** the results in a **pie chart** or a **bar graph**.
**Write the report**.

Describing a pie chart

Remember: we write per cent after a number (*25 per cent*), but a percentage without one (*a high percentage of pupils*).

A model: an imaginary class survey

*The figures below are an invented example for practice, not real data.* Forty pupils answered the question *Where do you see adverts most often?*: social networks 20, television 10, street posters 6, radio 4.

> Findings. The pie chart shows where the respondents see adverts most often. The largest slice represents social networks, chosen by half of the pupils (50 per cent). It is followed by television, with a quarter of the answers (25 per cent). Street posters were chosen by 15 per cent of the respondents, while only a small minority, one in ten, mentioned the radio. > > Conclusion and recommendations. In this class, most adverts reach pupils through their phones. Pupils should therefore learn to recognise sponsored messages, and parents should talk with their children about the adverts they see online.

Checklist

Have I used headings?
Do my figures add up to 100 per cent?
Have I described the chart from the largest part to the smallest?
Are my recommendations based on my findings?

Key Vocabulary and Useful Expressions

1. Core vocabulary

2. Word families

3. Adjectives formed with -y

Adding -y to a noun forms an adjective: *salt* → salty, *health* → healthy, *oil* → oily, *fat* → fatty, *taste* → tasty, *risk* → risky.

4. Expressions for the written part

Expressing certainty and probability

Consumers **will** boycott this product. *(certainty)*
Genetically modified food **may** disappear. *(probability)*
Flavourings **can** cause skin irritation. *(possibility)*
These additives **might** have harmful effects. *(remote possibility)*

Expressing quantity

There are **too many** additives in this product.
There is **too much** sugar in this drink.
We do not eat **enough** vegetables.
Very **few** people read the label.

Expressing cause and effect

Obesity is largely **due to** a poor diet.
People eat badly **because of** advertising pressure.
This drink is very sweet, **so** children prefer it.
Adverts target children; **as a result**, families buy more sweets.

5. Check yourself

Form adjectives with **-y** from *salt*, *health* and *risk*.
Complete: *There is ______ salt and ______ additives in this tin.* (too much / too many)
Write one sentence about junk food using *due to*.

الجزء الأول من الدرس مفتوح للجميع، وبقيته مع الاشتراك.

Unit 2 — Advertising, Consumers and Safety

Producers, Consumers and Consumerism

Producers, Consumers and Consumerism

1. The four key words

2. Over-consumption and its cost

3. The rights of the consumer

4. Consumer associations

5. Check yourself

Organic, Conventional and Genetically Modified Food

Organic, Conventional and Genetically Modified Food

1. Organic food

2. Conventional food

3. Genetically modified food

4. How to present the debate in the exam

5. Check yourself

Advertising and the Consumer

Advertising and the Consumer

1. What advertising is

2. The techniques advertisers use

3. Misleading advertising

4. The letter of complaint

5. Check yourself

Food Safety and Healthy Habits

Food Safety and Healthy Habits

1. Reading a label

2. Energy balance

3. Junk food

4. Health warnings

5. Six rules of safe eating

6. Check yourself

The Language of Persuasion: Interpreting and Creating an Advert

Why adverts use a special language

The main features of persuasive language

Interpreting an advert: five questions

Reacting to an advert

Creating an advert or a commercial

Holiday Adverts and Opposites in Consumption and Safety

The language of holiday adverts

Reading a holiday advert critically

When the holiday does not match the advert

Opposites related to consumption and safety

The Impact of Advertising, Future Changes and Debate

The impact of advertising on consumers

Making hypotheses about future changes

Debating the effects of advertising

A model dialogue on the pros and cons of advertising

Preparing and Delivering an Argumentative Speech

A speech is written to be heard

The structure of an argumentative speech

A model speech

Delivering your speech

Product Safety and Prescribing a Set of Rules

Safety is not only about food

Reading safety warnings

Prescribing a set of rules

A model: safety rules at home

Writing an Expository Article about Food Safety

What an expository article is

The structure

Language toolkit

A model article

A checklist before you hand in

The Consumer's Report: Surveys, Pie Charts and Findings

What a consumer's report is

The structure

The unit project: a survey on the impact of advertising

Describing a pie chart

A model: an imaginary class survey

Checklist

Key Vocabulary and Useful Expressions

Key Vocabulary and Useful Expressions

1. Core vocabulary

2. Word families

3. Adjectives formed with **-y**

4. Expressions for the written part

5. Check yourself

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3. Adjectives formed with -y