Table of Contents
Canada has a problem with maple syrup. A news company found a big secret. A company in Quebec mixed real syrup with cheap sugar. They sold this fake syrup to many stores.
Reporters used hidden cameras to watch the company. They bought the syrup and sent it to a lab. A scientist named Luc Lagacé looked at the syrup. He said the syrup was not pure. He said the company added sugar to save money.
Maple syrup is very important in Quebec. This place makes most of the world’s syrup. One big barrel of syrup costs about $1,000. Because it costs a lot of money, some people try to steal it.
The news company started to look because the syrup tasted strange. The bottle said it was pure, but it was a lie. The man who made the syrup said he did nothing wrong.
Real maple syrup comes from trees. Workers boil the water from trees for a long time. It is very hard work. Adding sugar is against the law.
Vocabulary
- Syrup – A sweet, thick liquid; a sauce made from plants or fruit. 🍯
- Secret – Something people do not know; hidden information; not public. 🤫
- Mix – To put things together; to join two or more things; to combine.
- Sugar – Sweet food used to make drinks and snacks taste good; small white or brown crystals.
- Fake – Not real; a copy; something made to look like the real thing to trick people.
- Reporter – A person who writes news; a journalist; someone who tells stories on TV or in newspapers.
- Hidden – Not easy to see; out of sight; kept away from view.
- Hidden camera – A small tool to take videos that no one can see; a secret camera.
- Lab – A room for science work; a place where people test things; short for laboratory. 🧪
- Scientist – A person who studies how things work; a person who does tests in a lab. 🥼
- Pure – Clean; not mixed with anything else; 100% one thing.
- Add – To put more in; to join one thing to another thing. ➕
- Save money – To keep money; to not spend money; to pay less for something.
- World – Our planet; the Earth; everywhere and everyone. 🌍
- Barrel – A large, round container; a big drum used to hold liquids like oil or syrup. 🛢️
- Steal – To take something that is not yours; to take things without asking. 🥷
- Taste – The flavor of food in your mouth; to check food with your tongue. 👅
- Strange – Unusual; odd; not normal; something you do not know.
- Lie – To say something that is not true; to not tell the truth. 🤥
- Boil – To make a liquid very hot; to cook water until it has bubbles and steam. ♨️
- Against the law – Illegal; something you must not do; a crime. 🚫
- Law – The rules of a country; what the police and government say is right or wrong. ⚖️
Discussion Questions
- Do you like maple syrup? What do you like to eat with it?
- Does a lower price on a product make you think it is not real?
- Is it okay for companies to mix sugar with syrup to save money? Why or why not?
- Should the man go to jail for selling fake syrup? Is it a big crime or a small crime?
- Do you check the labels on your food? Is it important to know if your food is “pure”?
- Is it a good idea for reporters to use hidden cameras? Is it okay to watch people in secret to find the truth?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
Canada _____ a problem with maple syrup. A _____ company found a big secret. A company in Quebec _____ real syrup with cheap sugar. They sold this fake _____ to many stores.
Reporters _____ hidden cameras to watch the company. _____ bought the syrup and sent it to a lab. A scientist _____ Luc Lagacé looked at the syrup. He _____ the syrup was not pure. He said the company _____ sugar to save money.
Maple syrup is _____ important in Quebec. This place makes most of the _____ syrup. One big barrel of syrup costs about $_____. Because it costs a lot of money, some people _____ to steal it.
The news company _____ to look because the syrup tasted strange. The _____ said it was pure, but it was a lie. The man _____ made the syrup said he did nothing _____.
Real maple syrup comes from _____. Workers boil the water from trees for a _____ time. It is very hard work. Adding sugar is _____ the law.
