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Reader's Bank_Level 8_Unit 10                                    Reading Text

In mysteries and detective stories, writers often use red herrings to keep readers guessing. For example, a red herring appears in the first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet. In this story, the murderer writes the word “Rache” (“revenge” in German) at the crime scene. This leads the police—and the reader—to assume that a German was involved, but it’s just a way to hide the real clue.

Another famous series that often uses red herrings is the Harry Potter series. In The Prisoner of Azkaban, the plot first centers around Sirius Black. He has escaped from Azkaban and is believed to be coming to kill Harry. Everything about him, even his name, makes him seem like a villain. It turns out, though, that Sirius is not trying to harm Harry at all. He is actually trying to protect Harry from Peter Pettigrew. Peter has been hiding right in front of everyone all along. The story leads readers down one path only to reveal the truth somewhere else.

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We often judge things—even food—by how they look. If a pear is bumpy or a carrot has two legs, we think something’s wrong. But they all taste the same! We sometimes forget that appearance doesn’t always reflect quality in food or in anything else.

In response to this issue, Intermarché, a French supermarket, launched a campaign called “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables.” It is said that farmers throw away around 30% of fruits and vegetables just because they don’t look “perfect.” To reduce this waste, Intermarché sold these odd-shaped items at a 30% discount. They were still fresh and full of flavor. The result? Shoppers spent less, farmers sold more of their harvest, and food waste dropped—a meaningful step toward sustainability. It was a win-win-win for consumers, producers, and the planet.

Nature doesn’t make every fruit look the same, and that’s perfectly fine. What matters is what’s on the inside. So the next time you see a “not-so-pretty” fruit, give it a chance. You might discover it’s perfectly delicious just the way it is.

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Asia and Europe used to be very different places with little trade or sharing of cultures. This changed in the 13th century because of one important person: Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan was born in 1162 as the son of a Mongolian chief. He brought all the Mongol tribes together under his leadership. But he wanted more than that. He dreamed of creating a huge empire and getting resources for his people. So, he started to conquer many countries. He led his army into many battles and took control of large areas. By the time he died in 1227, he had built the biggest land empire ever. It stretched across Asia, through the Middle East, and into Europe.

Historians say the Mongol Empire was very important in history. It helped connect Asia and Europe for the first time. Trade grew, and a lot of knowledge about art and science was shared between the two places. In this way, Genghis Khan played a big role in joining Asia and Europe for the first time.