BASIC READING COMPLETION 8

When Is Copying Okay?

Copying someone means you like their work. Some see copying as a form of flattery. This may be true, but copying someone’s work can also be illegal and is not allowed in schools. You may have read about this issue in the news. A young author’s best-selling book is found to have whole passages that match someone else’s work. This was the case with Helene Hegemann, a young German artist, whose new book was nominated for a prize. Initially, she was praised. Then it was discovered she had copied text. She’d made very few changes to the original work. The young author defended herself, though. She said that she was part of a new generation and culture. She explained that young people sample music. They mix music and art. They create something new with the pieces. But in Hegemann’s case, a blogger found evidence that it wasn’t just a couple of phrases here and there. It was a whole page of text that was taken from another story that was not as well known. Using someone's words without credit is a type of stealing called plagiarism. Hegemann may have created something new, but she never gave credit to the original author.

So in book publishing and in school, copying is not okay. However, the rules aren’t as strict in other areas. For example, consider food items. Perhaps you’ve seen the addition of rice pudding to restaurant menus as a dessert, or maybe it’s been a different flavor combination that keeps showing up at different ice cream shops. There are no laws that say you can’t copy food items. A Wall Street Journal article on the topic of copying points out that some chefs may be angered that their dishes are being copied and they aren’t being credited. However, Thomas Keller, a famous chef from the restaurant French Laundry, thinks that copying can create better dishes. He thinks that a dish can be made better when someone else tries out new things with it.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. Some people believe that copying is similar to .

2. However, this action is and banned in schools.

3. Helene Hegemann, whose new book was nominated for a prize, was a .

4. She changed only a few words in comparison to the .

5. She explained that young generation often combined to create something new.

6. The action of copying others' words without permission is known as .

7. In some cases, copying something is not always illegal. An example for that is .

8. Rice pudding can be seen in restaurants as a dessert or at various .

9. Copying without credit makes several angry.

10. Thomas Keller thinks copying could be helpful in producing .

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