Fruit Fantastic

Text 4 Fruit Fantastic Zap a lemon with a laser and you can find out it its ready for the table. Forget squeezing fruit to see if its ripe just look at the way it glows in the dark. Thats the message from Portugal, where scientists have discovered that, when ripe, fruits such as apple and kiwi fruit fluoresce brightly if they are zapped with a laser. They hope the effect will provide a way to tell the age and ripeness of fruit on an industrial scale, without anyone having to touch it. Alexander Khamalov, a physicist at the university of Coimbra in Portugal, discovered the effect by accident. For a laugh, he placed an apple in a device for measuring fluorescence light emitted by an object when struck by light of another wavelength. To his surprise, the pungent gases given off by the apple produced light when excited by the machines laser. How they might do this is not known. In theory, these volatile organic gases should not fluoresce, so I was very surprised, he says. In further tests, Khamalov and his colleague Hugh Burrows discovered that its not just the gases that fluoresce. The apples skin also seems to have something to do with it. The membrane is clearly important, says Burrows. When the gas molecules come up against the porous membrane of the skin, only the most energetic make it through, the researchers speculated. They believe these molecules are in a most excited state of vibration than

usual. When the laser light hits the molecules, they drop into a lower vibration state, releasing energy in the form of light. Initially, I was very skeptical, says Burrows. But the result seem genuine. Khamalov has also found that the fluorescence spectrum varies with the fruits age, becoming more intense as the fruit matures and gives off more gas. Anyone who keeps apples at home knows they smell more strongly as they get older, he says. The fruits also fluoresce more strongly at the blue end of the spectrum as they age and give off more methanol. This fluorescence signature should make it much easier for producers to determine the age and ripeness of fruit. At the moment this must be done subjectively by squeezing the fruit and inspecting it. Khamalov believes the technique will be useful for fruits such as apples, lemons and kiwi fruits, which are often stored for long periods, but may not be well suited for fruits such as strawberries which ripen very rapidly. Khamalov is also able to tell which part of the world coffee beans come from just by their fluorescence spectra. Producers certainly need fast, cheap ways of determining ripeness without damaging fruit. Douglas Henderson, chief executive off Britains Fresh Produce Consortium in Peterborough, says: Nobody has come up with a reliable non-evasive system, so this could be of considerable benefit. So Khamalov is beginning to work on a commercial device that exploits the effect. He says it may even be small and cheap enough for

English for Science and Technology

Fruit Fantastic

people to use while shopping: Before you buy, how do you know whether fruit has been stored in a bad atmosphere for three months? asks Khamalov. This could tell you. Justin Mullins New Scientist, 21st July 2001, Page 25.

Present

Past

Future

EXERCISES AND TASKS A. Orientation a. Make a list of local and imported fruits that you can find in the supermarket. b. When you shop for fruits, how would you normally choose them? B. Language Focus 1. What verb tenses are mainly used in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the text? What do these tell you about the time reference? 2. State the function of the first sentence in paragraph 3. 3. Identify and list the events in the passage that relate to the present, past and future in the table provided.

C. Content Focus 1. State the differences between the laser and the conventional ways of choosing fruits. 2. What is the significance of Alexander Kamalovs discovery to the following groups: i. farmers ii. retailers, and iii. consumers? D. Follow-Up

What problems do you foresee in Kamalovs effort to develop a laser device?

English for Science and Technology

Fruit Fantastic

FANTASTIC (ANSWER SHEET) A. Orientation a. Local Fruits papayas mangoes durians any other relevant fruits Imported fruits apples oranges pears plums, etc. b. i. ii. iii. iv. v. smell squeeze look at skin colour look at skin texture shake the fruit Present It glows in the dark. Past Scientist have discovered that when ripe, fruits fluoresce brightly He placed an apple in a device for measuring. The apple produced light when excited by the machines laser. Future The technique will be useful for fruits Producers certainly need fast, cheap ways of determining ripeness so this could be of considerable benefit.

The laser light hits the molecules

The fluorescence spectrum varies with the fruits

B.

Language Focus 1. 2. Paragraph 1 Present tense Paragraph 2 Past tense

C. Content Focus
1. Laser way 1. Need not touch the fruit 2. more objective way of checking fruit for ripeness 3. Can gauge the storage duration of fruits Existing ways 1. you have to touch the fruit 2. rather subjective way of checking fruit for ripeness 3. you cannot gauge the storage duration of fruits

Verbs in the present tense describe events happening in the present while words in the past indicate events that have already happened. 3.

English for Science and Technology

Fruit Fantastic

2. Significance of discovery to

a farmers

- pack and label fruits according to degree of ripenes. - schedule of shipment of fruits can be improved.

b retailers

- better stock management of fruits. - reduce wastage.

c consumers

- fresher fruits available. - Less time needed to choose the fruits.

D. Follow-Up The laser device may be too costly to develop. The device may not be reliable because of the great variety of fruits (one standard measurement may not apply to all types of fruit.

English for Science and Technology