Food Waste and Sustainability | ESL Reading Worksheet PDF

Free, classroom-ready, one click — includes answer key on page 3.

Reading Worksheet — Elementary (C) | tahricteaches.com

Every day, people around the world throw away a lot of food. Some food is too old to eat. Some food is not finished at meals. This food becomes waste. Food waste is a very big problem in many countries. It affects our health and our planet.

When food goes in the trash, it often goes to a landfill. A landfill is a large place where garbage is buried in the ground. Food in a landfill makes bad gases that go into the air. These gases are harmful to our planet and to all living things.

At home, we can do many things to help. We can eat our leftovers the next day instead of throwing them away. We can also make compost from old fruit and vegetables. Compost is very good for the soil and helps plants grow strong and healthy.

Shops and restaurants can help too. They can donate extra food to people who need it. Many families do not have enough food to eat. When shops give their extra food away, less food goes to waste and more people get to eat well.

All of us can make a difference. We can buy only the food we need. We can store food well so it stays fresh for longer. Small changes at home and in our community can help protect the environment and make our world a better place for everyone.

ሀ. መዝገበ ቃላት

waste ____
landfill ____
leftovers ____
compost ____
donate ____
recycle ____
environment ____
reduce ____
packaging ____
sustainable ____

a. to use less of something; to make an amount smaller
b. box, bag, or wrap that goes around food or products
c. natural world around us, including air, water, and land
d. mix of old food and plants that breaks down to help soil grow
e. food not eaten at a meal that is saved for later
f. to give food or things to people who need them
g. large place where garbage is buried in the ground
h. able to continue for a long time without harming the earth
i. to use something again or in a new way instead of throwing it away
j. food or things we throw away that we do not use or need

ለ. እውነት ወይም ሐሰት

____ Every day, people around the world throw away a lot of food.
____ Food waste is not a problem.
____ A landfill is a place where garbage is buried in the ground.
____ Food in a landfill is good for the air.
____ We can eat leftovers the next day instead of throwing them away.
____ Compost is bad for the soil.
____ Restaurants can donate extra food to people who need it.
____ All families in the world have enough food to eat.
____ We should buy more food than we need.
____ Small changes at home can help protect the environment.

ሐ. ባዶዎቹን ሙላ

የዎርድ ባንክ፡ waste, landfill, leftovers, compost, donate, environment, recycle, packaging

Food that we do not eat or use becomes ___.
Garbage is taken to a ___ and buried in the ground.
You can eat your ___ from dinner for lunch the next day.
Old fruit and vegetables can become ___ to help plants grow.
Shops can ___ extra food to families who do not have enough to eat.

መ. የመረዳት ጥያቄዎች

What happens to food when it goes to a landfill?
What are two things we can do at home to help with food waste?
How can shops and restaurants help reduce food waste?

ሠ. የውይይት ጥያቄዎች

Do you or your family ever throw away food? What kind of food do you throw away the most?
What is one small change you can make at home to reduce food waste?

Answer Key (click to reveal)

ሀ. የቃላት ዝርዝር፡ 1-j, 2-g, 3-e, 4-d, 5-f, 6-i, 7-c, 8-a, 9-b, 10-h

ለ. እውነት/ሐሰት፡ 1-T, 2-F, 3-T, 4-F, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-F, 9-F, 10-T

ሐ. ባዶዎቹን ይሙሉ፡ 1-waste, 2-landfill, 3-leftovers, 4-compost, 5-donate

መ. ግንዛቤ፡

Food in a landfill makes bad gases that go into the air and are harmful to the planet.
We can eat our leftovers the next day and make compost from old fruit and vegetables.
They can donate their extra food to families who do not have enough to eat.

🇹🇼 Also in Chinese: This topic is available on 18KEnglish.com — bilingual worksheets for Chinese-speaking students.