Five seconds on the floor Urban legend says that if you pick up dropped food from the floor within five seconds, its 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; its not a really good idea to eat food from the floor, Dawson said. He said he doesnt think its 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 Dawsons 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