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Reader's Bank_Level 6_Unit 08                                    Reading Text

In places like Bangkok, you might see people selling insects as snacks on the streets. Insects are becoming a popular food not only in tropical areas but also in many countries around the world. But why are insects a good food choice? As more people live on Earth, the need for meat is growing. But there isn’t enough meat for everyone. That’s why people are thinking about eating insects instead of meat. Insects have many benefits. There are about ten million types of insects, so their supply is limitless! Raising insects also costs less. For example, cows need eight grams of food to produce just one gram of meat. In contrast, insects only need less than two grams of food to produce the same amount of meat. Insects are also better for the planet because they make less waste. Most insects taste good and are healthy, too. So, why not try eating insects?

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When I was about 14, my dad and I went to a football match every week. We always stood in the outer section. I was small, so I often couldn’t see the action. Then I had an idea! One week, we brought a milk *crate for me to stand on, which worked perfectly. Thanks to that plastic milk container, I was finally tall enough to see over the crowd and enjoy the whole game. The next week, we brought it again, but to our surprise, others had brought milk crates, too! We were a bit proud; we had started a trend. But soon, everyone had one, and I couldn’t see again! Looking back, I should have thought of a way to keep my advantage. Many years have passed. Now, I run a large company that makes computer games. But I still remember those milk crates. They taught me an important lesson: We can’t just be satisfied with starting something new and then stopping there. In a competitive market, we always have to look for our next “milk crate” to stay ahead.

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Last year, we put up a * hummingbird feeder in the backyard. It quickly became popular with the wild hummingbirds in our area. As many as four birds would use the feeder at the same time. We filled the feeder with sugar water twice a day. Then, suddenly, the hummingbirds stopped coming. The feeder needed filling only once a week. The reason soon became clear. A male hummingbird had moved in, and he refused to let other hummingbirds use it. After drinking from the feeder, he would sit in a nearby tree and attack any bird that approached the feeder. By choosing to become the “owner” of the feeder, the male hummingbird had lost his freedom. He was no longer free to come and go as he pleased. His guard duty occupied all his time. The very thing he had worked so hard to possess became his prison.