IX Read the passage. Five seconds on the floor Urban legend says that if you pick up dropped food from the floor within five seconds, it’s safe to eat, because it is not enough time for (1) ................... to take place. Dawson and his students (2) ................... to understand the truth behind this food trope. They spread salmonella bacteria on tile, carpet and wood. (3) ................... five minutes, they put down bologna or bread and left it there for five, 30 or 60 seconds. They did the same thing after bacteria had been (4) ................... the surface for two, four, eight and 24 hours. “There was enough bacterial transfer in five seconds; it’s not a really good idea to eat food from the floor,” Dawson said. He said he doesn’t think it’s time on the floor that (5) .................. so much, but rather the type and amount of bacteria. Donald Schaffner, a food microbiologist at Rutgers University, (6) ................... the only other peer-reviewed five-second rule study. His findings, published last year, confirmed Dawson’s and showed that longer contact times with a contaminated floor (7) ................... in the transfer of more bacteria. Schaffner found that the type of food, as well as the surface on which the food fell, also influenced the amount of bacteria transferred. Wet foods were more (8) ......... to pick up bacteria, and surfaces such as carpets were less likely to transfer bacteria. Choose the most suitable word/ phrase to fill in the blank. 1. A. contaminant B. contamination C. contaminate D. contaminated 2. A. set up B. set off C. set in D. set out 3. A. Before B. During C. After D. Since 4. A. on B. in C. over D. under 5. A. problems B. troubles C. issues D. matters 6. A. carried out B. conducted C. created D. both A & B 7. A. led B. caused C. resulted D. both A & C 8. A. like B. likely C. unlikely D. alike Complete the following sentences with a suitable word/ phrase from the passage. 1. Dawson decided to do the investigation into the food matter with support of his ........................... . 2. In the second time of testing, Dawson spread bacteria on the surface and left it for up to ........................... . 3. Dawson found out that it is the ........................... and ........................... of bacteria that decide whether dropped food can still be safely eaten or not. 4. Schaffner supported Dawson’s findings and added that the amount of bacteria transferred to dropped food is strongly related to longer or shorter ........................... . 5. According to Schaffner, more bacteria will be transferred to ........................... than other foods.