C1 WF Bananas

 

 

Bananas: A Fruit Under Threat (scroll down for the answers)

Bananas are one of the world’s most popular fruits, but few people realise how deadly their cultivation can be to the environment and to the fruit itself. While there are hundreds of ________________(VARY) of bananas, global markets depend almost entirely on the Cavendish type, which dominates supermarket shelves. This lack of genetic diversity has made the species _______________(EXTREME) vulnerable to fungal infections such as Panama disease, a _____________(DESTROY) pathogen that can wipe out entire plantations.

To combat it, agricultural __________________(SPECIAL) have developed new ______________(TECHNICAL) and scientific methods to strengthen banana crops. Some involve breeding more _______________(RESIST) hybrids, while others rely on sterilising soil and equipment using strong ___________________(INFECT). In the past, manual labour was enough to sustain banana production, but today modern machinery is indispensable for large-scale operations and disease control.

Despite these efforts, many experts warn that the future of the banana remains _______________(CERTAINTY). Without significant innovation and international cooperation, we could face a world where this familiar fruit becomes rare, or even disappears from our diets altogether. The story of the banana is therefore not just one of globalisation, but also a warning about the _____________(FRAGILE) of nature when commercial interests ignore biological balance.

 

 

Bananarama - Venus 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bananas: A Fruit Under Threat (scroll down for the answers)

Bananas are one of the world’s most popular fruits, but few people realise how deadly their cultivation can be to the environment and to the fruit itself. While there are hundreds of ___VARIETIES_____(VARY) of bananas, global markets depend almost entirely on the Cavendish type, which dominates supermarket shelves. This lack of genetic diversity has made the species ___EXTREMELY_______(EXTREME) vulnerable to fungal infections such as Panama disease, a __DESTRUCTIVE_____(DESTROY) pathogen that can wipe out entire plantations.

To combat it, agricultural _SPECIALISTS______(SPECIAL) have developed new __TECHNIQUES____(TECHNICAL) and scientific methods to strengthen banana crops. Some involve breeding more ___RESISTANT___(RESIST) hybrids, while others rely on sterilising soil and equipment using strong __DISINFECTANT(S)___(INFECT). In the past, manual labour was enough to sustain banana production, but today modern machinery is indispensable for large-scale operations and disease control.

Despite these efforts, many experts warn that the future of the banana remains _UNCERTAIN____(CERTAINTY). Without significant innovation and international cooperation, we could face a world where this familiar fruit becomes rare, or even disappears from our diets altogether. The story of the banana is therefore not just one of globalisation, but also a warning about the _FRAGILITY____(FRAGILE) of nature when commercial interests ignore biological balance.