Do you think that living a hungry life is last century’s story? Well, it may be this century’s headline.
The world has growing worries about a global food shortage. Right now, there are still 870 million hungry people in the world, according to a survey of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Children can’t escape this, either. Around fifteen million children die of hungry each year.
What’s causing food shortages? There are several reasons.
There are now more droughts and floods. This is very harmful to farmers and their ability to grow food.
Besides, with the growing population, feeding everyone becomes more difficult. There are a little more than seven billion people in the world. By 2050, the world population will be more than nine billion.
Another reason is food waste. The average person throws away 50kg of food every year.
How can we help with food shortages? The easiest way is to cut down on food waste.
Next time before throwing away the food on your plate, just think how much work has been done to make it. By buying less, we waste less. This takes the pressure off producing so much food. And it helps to solve the problem of food shortage.
You can also ask your schoolmates to join you.
In 2013, researchers at Kansas State University in the US put up short anti-waste slogans(标语) in dining rooms “Think Before You Waste”. Guess what happened? Students wasted fifteen percent less food after that!
The author of the study said, “You don’t need a huge activity to make a difference.”

Reasons of food shortage	_________________________________
The growing population.
___________________________________
Ways of ___________	___________________________________
Ask the other students to join in your anti-waste work.
Your understanding of the last sentence.	__________________________________