But ugly fruits should be loved, too. In recent years, a new crop of “ugly produce” companies have been around the U.S. These start-ups sell those ugly fruits that supermarkets refuse. And they send them right to your door.

The companies say they’re on a mission（使命）. They want to stop billions of pounds of imperfect produce（农产品）from going to waste. Think of it this way: Is a banged-up (be knocked and some places broken) banana any less tasty in a peanut butter sandwich? Why should it be thrown away?

Sounds like these companies have the right idea. They even offer deep low prices. That’s great news for customers. But not everyone is happy. Some people say these companies may be thinking only about themselves.

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Imperfect produce isn’t always wasted.

Many small farmers had already been selling imperfect produce to customers and farmers markets. Then the ugly produce companies started growing up. These companies, such as Imperfect Produce, can offer more fruits and veggies from large farms around the country. They make it harder for smaller farms to compete. So the farmers are losing money.

Also, ugly fruits and veggies already have uses. Take the food service industry for example. There, produce is sliced, diced, blended, and more. No one cares if the fruit is pretty or ugly. On farms, fruits can be fed to animals. Rotted（腐烂的）fruit is added back into soil for nutrients. And, what’s more, ugly produce companies have been charged with taking food away from the needy.

Are these start-ups causing more bad than good?

Not So Bad, After All?

What do ugly produce companies say? They are guarding themselves.

In March 2019, Imperfect Produce told people that the company doesn’t take away from the needy. It gets resources from farms only after food banks take what they want, it said. Also, the company often gives food to food banks. Put that in your food basket!

It is true that produce goes to waste in America. The Department of Agriculture has said that food waste is a big problem. In fact, about 30 to 40 percent of the country’s food is wasted.

But Imperfect Produce says both farmers and ugly produce companies can help reduce food waste. It doesn’t have to be either-or.

No matter whose side you’re on, remember this: It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

The biggest secret about inventing is that anybody can do it! Perhaps this sounds crazy, but it’s true. 【小题1】

Wrong idea number 1: 【小题2】

Well, inventing means creating something “new”, but the idea could come from something that already exists (存在). The Wright brothers, for example, got the idea for building a “flying machine” from watching birds.

Wrong idea number 2: Inventors are born, not made.

There are a lot of factors (因素) that make innovation (创新) possible. 【小题3】 He was born with a special talent for music. But other factors were also important for his creativity. His father was a music teacher, and Mozart practiced for hours every day, from the time he was in kindergarten. Thomas Edison said that being an inventor was “99% hard work and 1% inspiration”! 【小题4】 As one inventor said, “A failure is the right answer to the wrong question!”

Wrong idea number 3:Inventors are always old people.

【小题5】 Here are two examples of young inventors: Louis Braille went blind when he was a child. When he was 15, he invented a system of reading and writing for blind people that is still used in most countries today. As ạ young man, George Nissen was watching trapeze artists (空中飞人) in a show. He watched how they fell into the net and then bounced (弹起) back up again. This gave him an idea and he invented the trampoline (蹦床).

China sent its first astronaut Yang Liwei into space in 2003. Yang Liwei became the pride of space exploration. Many countries have begun their race in space exploration. In the game, no one wanted to fall behind.

At the start of the race, Britain was the most powerful one because many space scientists in this field are English. Later, America collected all the outstanding（杰出的）scientists in the world with high salaries（薪水）and built up the strongest scientific power. Russia didn’t want to lose the game. By sending the first man into space, it achieved the first great success. Then two Americans landed on the moon for the first time in human history.

Let’s look at their records: Russia is the first to step into space; America is the first to step on the moon. Now, what is Britain planning to do? “We are planning to send a man on the sun.” A British scientist said in 1970.

“What will you do with the heat and light on the sun?” scientists from the other countries asked.

The British scientists laughed and said, “Do you think the English are stupid? We can go at night.”