Chocolate makes you smarter, study suggests

Eating chocolate is good for your heart, reduces the risk of strokes and even helps protect your skin from the sun. Now, another apparent benefit has been added to the list of chocolate's nutritional qualities: it makes you smarter. A study, published recently in the journal Appetite, indicated that people who eat chocolate at least once a week saw their memory and abstract thinking improve.

            “It's significant as it touches a number of cognitive domains,” psychologist Merrill Elias, one of the leaders of the study, told the Washington Post. Mr Elias began studying the cognitive abilities of more than 1,000 people in the state of New York in the 1970s, initially looking at the relationship between people's blood pressure and brain performance.

            About 15 years ago, he decided to ask participants what they were eating, adding a new set of questions about dietary habits. Leading the analysis of the study was Georgina Crichton, a nutrition researcher at the University of South Australia. Ms Crichton recognised the study presented a unique opportunity to examine the effects of chocolate on the brain, using a large sample size.

            Examining the scores on cognitive tests of participants who ate chocolate less than once a week and those who ate it at least once a week, the researchers found eating chocolate was strongly linked to superior brain function. The benefits would mean you would be better at daily tasks "such as remembering a phone number, or your shopping list, or being able to do two things at once, like talking and driving at the same time".

            "Our study definitely indicates that the direction is not that cognitive ability affects chocolate consumption, but that chocolate consumption affects cognitive ability". They found cognitive ability does not predict whether you a chocolate eater or not.

            Why this is the case remains uncertain. However, previous studies have shown that food containing nutrients called flavanols, such as chocolate, improves brain function.In 2009, another research found mental arithmetic became easier and chocolate has also been found to help ward off memory loss, even in the elderly.

           

            However, Mr Elias stressed they weren't suggesting people stuffed their faces with chocolate bars all week. "I think what we can say for now is that you can eat small amounts of chocolate without guilt if you don't substitute chocolate for a normal balanced healthy diet," he added.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. Diet was a key factor in the study at first.

b. The number of participants in the study offered favourable circumstances to the researchers.

c. It's not only chocolate that helps make your brain function better.

d. The study recommends eating much more chocolate.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. What are some of the benefits of eating chocolate mentioned in the text?

b. What is Mr Ellias last recommendation?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. marks p.3                                       b. exceptional p.3                   c. chores p.4

d. to protect against p.6                     e. fault, blame p.7

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Georgina Crichton is a nutrition researcher. Ms Crichton recognised the study presented a unique opportunity.

            Georgina Crichton...

b.   Examining the scores on cognitive tests, the researchers found eating chocolate was strongly linked to superior brain function.

            If the researchers...

c. Chocolate has also been found to help ward off memory loss.

            Researchers...

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

“Eating recommendations are constantly changing”. What do you think?

Food idioms

Can you match the idioms to their meanings?

1. apple of one's eye                        a. very relaxed

2.bring home the bacon                   b. get upset over something that has              

                                                            happened

3.butter someone up                        c. have a lot of energy

4.have one's cake and eat it             d.like a lot

5.cool as a cucumber                       e.that is adored by someone

6.don't cry over spilled milk              f.earn the income

7.not my cup of tea                         g.something you enjoy (usually used     

                                                           negatively)

8. full of beans                                 i.be extra nice to someone

9.nuts about something /someone  j.want more than your fair share

Will the new food labelling scheme get the green light?

What's in a label? Health experts are hoping that yet another "traffic light" labelling scheme in supermarkets will stop Britain's slump toward obesity.

If you ever look at the labels on the food you eat, chances are you will already get the general gist. Many foodstuffs are rated for their fat, sugar and salt content. If it is low the product is marked green, medium gets an amber and if it is high then the product is marked red.

Traffic lights, we are told, make a difference. Studies have shown that they are very successful in changing our behaviour. The Co-operative produced a survey last week showing that 41pc of women and 30pc of men would leave a product on the shelf if it had a red traffic light.

But instead of one coherent system, the food industry has produced a mishmash of labelling schemes that has not served the public well. The result has been years of confusion over food labelling in supermarkets.

The latest voluntary scheme, announced last week, is the culmination of years of dithering. The Food Standards Agency first proposed traffic-light food labelling in 2008, but supermarkets and food companies objected. Kellogg's and Tesco were among the objectors, complaining that products were judged on 100g sizes rather than recommended portions, which confused customers.

The new system is called a hybrid scheme, which means that it will contain elements of all of the different pack labelling schemes we are used to. So you will see the traffic light colours based on a standard 100g size, the amount of sugar, salt and fat as a percentage guideline daily amount, as well as the words "high", "medium" or "low" by each of these categories.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. The idea behind the traffic light labelling scheme is to improve levels of obesity in Britain.

b. More men than women react positively to the traffic light  scheme.

c. The Food  Standards  Agency successfully set up the traffic light  food labelling  scheme in 2008.

d. The new system will include additional information to the original scheme.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a.      Why is the idea of traffic lights used in the schemes?

b.      How is the new hybrid system different from the original scheme?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. general idea ( para. 2)

b. questionnaire (para. 3)

c. mixture (para. 4)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a.      If you ever look at the labels on the food you eat, you will probably already get the general gist.

If you ever looked………………………………………………………………………………………….

b.      Kellogg’s and Tesco said that the products were judged on 100 g sizes rather than recommended portions, which confused customers.

“ The products……………………………………………………………………….”, said Kellogg’s and Tesco.

c.      The Cooperative produced a survey last week.

A  survey…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

How do you think it is best to reduce child obesity?

Scientists say processed meat could be bad for you

            Scientists say eating too much processed meat - like bacon, ham, or some sausages - can be bad for your health.

           

            They did a study of half a million people and found that those who ate lots of processed meat products - meat preserved using salt, smoke or chemicals - were more likely to get serious health problems in the future.

           

            The UK government recommends people eat no more than 70 grams of processed meat each day - the same as a couple of slices of bacon. But this report recommends people eat just 20 grams. Some sausages count as processed meat, but only if they have preservatives in them.

           

            The study actually found that eating a little bit of meat - even processed meat - had health benefits. Meat contains lots of nutrients like protein and iron which are essential to keep your body fit and healthy.

           

            Experts say that lean meat like chicken and turkey is healthiest.

           

            The study followed people from 10 European countries for around 13 years.

            What is red meat? Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork including minced beef, pork chops and roast lamb. It does not include chicken or turkey meat.

           

            What is processed meat? Processed meat is meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives. So this means food like ham, bacon, and hot dogs.

            Is meat good for you? Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc and B vitamins. It is one of the main sources of vitamin B12, which is also found in milk.

Match the words below to their definitions

benefits / essential / nutrients / preserved / processed / recommends    

describes food that has been treated with chemicals that preserve it or give it extra taste or colour

describes food that has been treated so that it can be kept for a long time without going bad

advises that you should do something

helpful or good effects

substances which plants or animals need in order to live and grow

necessary

True or false?

1.  All sausages are preserved.

2.  There is only one way to preserve meat.

3.  The report recommends less than the government does.

4.  You should avoid meat entirely.

5.  The study was only done in the UK.

6.  Two slices of bacon weight about 70 grams.

7.  Nutrients keep your body healthy.

8.  Some meats are better for you than others.

What is the missing word?

1.  Meat contains lots of nutrients like ________________ and iron.

2.  Experts say that ______________ meat like chicken and turkey is healthiest.

3.  The UK ______________ recommends people eat no more than 70 grams.

4.  But this _____________ recommends people eat just 20 grams.

KEY

processed            describes food that has been treated with chemicals that preserve it or give it extra taste or colour

preserved             describes food that has been treated so that it can be kept for a long time without going bad

recommends       advises that you should do something

benefits                                 helpful or good effects

nutrients                substances which plants or animals need in order to live and grow

essential               necessary

True or false?

1. False

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. False

6. True

7. True

8. True

What is the missing word?

1. protein

2. lean

3. government

4. report

Famous foods named after famous people

Celebrity fare: Famous foods named after famous people

            The origins of some of our most popular foods are entwined with celebrities of the past.

            When we sit down for a tea and biscuit, or a slice of cake, we might be consuming a little bit of celebrity history because some of our most common and popular foods are indelibly entwined with famous people of the past.

            Earl Grey tea and Garibaldi biscuits, made of currants sandwiched between wheat wafers, and the classic Victoria sponge cake, are among our most favoured foods and drinks named after historical figures. Rich, famous and talented historical celebrities have also lent their names to seafood dishes, puddings and champagne.

            The humble Garibaldi is thought to be named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian general who fought for 30 years to free and unite Italy with his red-shirted troops. The biscuits are named after rations his men ate during his campaigns.

            Earl Grey tea takes its name from Charles Grey, the second Earl of Grey, and British prime minister from 1830 until 1834. It has a distinctive bergamot (citrus) flavour to it, which at the time of discovery, was seen as new and exciting. Twinings tea claims to be the home of Earl Grey tea and says: "The story goes that Earl Grey, the Georgian prime minister, was given cases of this tea by a Chinese Mandarin."He liked it so much he brought it home and asked Twinings to recreate it for him."

            It is widely thought that “margherita” pizza was named after Italy's Queen Margherita, who chose the tomato, basil and mozzarella pizza on a trip to Naples in 1889. Mr Nowak, the assistant director of Food Studies at the Umbra Institute in Perugia, Italy, has studied a “thankyou” note in a pizzeria supposedly from the palace and says that is not the case.

            Carpaccio, a dish of raw meat thinly sliced, was dedicated to the Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio in around 1950, the redness of the raw meat close in hue to a red he painted with.

1. Although the Garibaldi is a simple biscuit, it is linked to a decisive period of Italian history.

2. The first Earl of Grey was a prime minister in the nineteenth century.

3. Twinings discovered the exciting citrus taste of Earl Grey tea in China.

4. It has been proved that Queen Margherita gave its name to margherita pizza. 

5. The red colour of carpacio reminds a Venetian painter’s colours. 




KEY 

1. TRUE 
2. FALSE
3. FALSE 
4. FALSE
5. TRUE

Eating late at night 'makes you fat'

It is not just what people eat but when that leads to weight gain, evidence suggests.

Mice with a malfunctioning body clock piled on the pounds because they were eating when they should have been asleep, a study suggested.

Even if they consumed no more calories than normal, they still gained more weight.

The findings shed light on the complex causes of obesity in humans, said the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.

They said the effect in mice was similar to night-eating syndrome in humans, which is associated with obesity.

The results could explain why night shift workers are more likely to suffer obesity and metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Patients with sleep disorders are also at greater risk of developing obesity, while less sleep can lead to weight gain in healthy people.

Georgios Paschos, a research associate involved in the study, said: “A relatively modest shift in food consumption into what is normally the rest period for mice can favour energy storage. Our mice became obese without consuming more calories.”

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) The study suggests that eating light meals at night can put you on weight.

b) Working during the day is less risky for your health.

c) The more healthy people sleep, the more likely they are to put on weight.

d) A small change in eating time habits can be the cause to gain weight.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.

a)  According to the study, what kind of people are at risk of suffering from obesity?

b)  What are the conclusions of this study?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as

a) put on par.2

b) big par 5

c) change par 6

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) They said the effect in mice was similar to night-eating syndrome in humans

The effect ……………………………………..

b) The results could explain why night shift workers are more likely to suffer obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The results could explain why night shift workers will …………………….

c) Georgios Paschos, a research associate involved in the study, said: “A relatively modest shift in food consumption into what is normally the rest period for mice can favour energy storage. Our mice became obese without consuming more calories.”

Georgios Paschos said …………………………………………….

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Modern lifestyle is making people lose healthy habits. Do you agree?

A Hundred Billion Hamburgers

Once upon a time, a businessman named Ray Kroc discovered a restaurant owned by two brothers. The restaurant served just four things: hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca cola. But it was clean and inexpensive, and the service was quick. Mr Kroc liked it so much that he paid the brothers so that he could use their idea and their name: Mc Donald's.

Beef, big business and fast service were the ingredients when Mr Kroc opened his first Mc Donald's in 1955. Four years later, there were 100 of them. Kroc knew Americans liked success. So he put signs saying how many millions of Mc Donald's hamburgers people had bought. In just four years, the number was one hundred million. Now, there are more than 13,000 Mc Donald's restaurants from Dallas to Paris and from Moscow to Beijing.

Anyone who wants to open a Mc Donald's must first work in one for a week. Then, they do a nine-month training programme, in the restaurants and at "Mc Donald's University" in Chicago. There they learn the Mc Donald's philosophy: quality control, service, cleanliness and cheap prices. Mc Donald's has strict rules, Hamburgers must be served before they are ten minutes old, and French fries, seven.

Mc Donald's has never stopped looking for new methods to attract customers, from drive-in windows to birthday parties. Chicken, fish, salad and, in some places, pizza are now on the menu. Mc Donald's in Holland even sells a vegetarian burger.
Their international popularity shows they have found the recipe for success.



1. Say whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE
1. Ray Crock and his brother had a reataurant.
2. One of the reasons for Mc Donald’s success is its fast service.
3. There are Mc Donald’s in Europe,America and Asia.
4. If you don’t work in Mc Donald’s for a month, you can’t open one.
5. If you are a vegetarian, you can’t go to one of these restaurants.

2. Answer the following questions

1. What was on the menu in the first Mc Donald’s?
2. How many restaurants are there now?
3. What do people have to do if they want to open a restaurant?
4. What’s the key to Mc Donald’s success?
5. What do the restaurants do to attract customers?


KEY
1

1. False.
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False.

2

1. Hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca-cola
2. There are over 13,000 retaurants all over the world.
3. If you want to open a restaurant, you have to work in a Mc Donald’s for a week and then you have to train for nine months to learn their philosophy.
4. They control the quality, have a quick service, are clean and the food is not expensive.
5. They open drive-in windows, do parties, include other types of food and even offer vegetarian burgers.

Test tube hamburgers to be served this year

The world's first test tube hamburger will be served up this October after scientists perfected the art of growing beef in the lab.

By generating strips of meat from stem cells researchers believe they can create a product that is identical to a real burger.The process of culturing the artificial meat in the lab is so laborious that the finished product will cost about £220,000. But researchers expect that after producing their first patty they will be able to scale up the process to create affordable artificial meat products.

Last autumn the Telegraph reported that Prof Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands had grown small strips of muscle tissue from a pig's stem cells. Prof Post said his team has successfully replicated the process with cow cells, bringing the first artificial burger a step closer.

Mass-producing beef, pork, chicken and lamb in the lab could satisfy the growing global demand for meat - forecast to double within the next 40 years - and dramatically reduce the harm that farming does to the environment.

Although it is possible to extract a limited number of stem cells from cows without killing them, Prof Post said the most efficient way of taking the process forward would still involve slaughter.

He said: "Eventually my vision is that you have a limited herd of donor animals in the world that you keep in stock and that you get your cells form there."

The only person to have tried the lab-grown meat so far is a Russian journalist who snatched a sample of pork during a visit to Prof Post's lab at Maastricht University last year and declared himself unimpressed.

Question 1. (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a) Scientists predict the process will be cheaper in the future.
b) People will need more meat in the future.
c) They can get as many stem cells as they like from a living cow.
d) Their intention is to breed animals specifically for this purpose.

Question 2. (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) What is the main problem to produce tube meat at the moment?
b) What are the main advantages the researchers foresee?

Question 3. (1.5 points) Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as

a) increase proportionally (par. 2) b) reproduce (par.3) c) requirement (par. 4)

Question 4. (1.5 points) Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a) He said: "Eventually my vision is that you have a limited herd of donor animals in the world that you keep in stock and that you get your cells form there."
He said that...
b) This process could satisfy the growing global demand for meat.
The growing...
c) People will find it difficult to study English although there are good websites.
If ………………………………………………

Question 5. (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

“Many people say that the food we eat nowadays is nothing like the food our grandparents ate”. Do you agree?

Scientists design space food menu for Mars missions

Ever wondered what astronauts eat while they're in space? Well at the moment, it's all pretty nasty and very boring.

But now scientists from Cornell and Hawaii universities in the US are planning to spice up the menu in preparation for possible future missions to Mars. They're looking for volunteers to spend 120 days living on space food and to come up with some exciting new recipes and cooking tips.

The volunteers will experience what life is like for real astronauts by living inside a fake space capsule and wearing space suits. They'll record how long it takes to prepare the food, how good it tastes and how their choices change over time.

But making space food is trickier than you'd think. It has to be high in nutrition, easy to eat in micro-gravity and would also need to last the 3-5 years needed to make it to Mars and back.

Eating well in space is really important because astronauts' bodies are under a lot of pressure. They need a good variety of food to keep their energy up and keep them in a good mood while away from home.

Match the words below to their definitions

capsule / experience / gravity / in preparation / recipes / tips / volunteers

describes something you do in order to be ready to do something else
people who do something willingly without being told to do it
instructions telling you how to prepare and cook food
get knowledge from doing, seeing or feeling something
the part of a spacecraft in which the people on it live
the force that makes things fall to the ground
useful pieces of information

True or false?

1. It will take three years to travel to Mars and back.
2. The volunteers will travel to Mars.
3. Astronauts’ food is tasty today.
4. It is not easy to design food for space.
5. Space travel places a strain on astronauts’ bodies.
6. Missions to Mars will take 120 days.
7. The volunteers will come up with new ways to cook space food.
8. The volunteers must be astronauts.

Same or different?

1. fake
a)the same as unusual
b)the same as real
c)the same as false

2. variety
a)the same as assortment
b)the same as alternative
c)the same as quality

3. reckord
a)the same as describe
b)the same as document
c)the same as talk about

4. nutrition
a)the same as starvation
b)the same as refreshment
c)the same as nourishment



KEY

in preparation describes something you do in order to be ready to do something else
volunteers people who do something willingly without being told to do it
recipes instructions telling you how to prepare and cook food
experience get knowledge from doing, seeing or feeling something
capsule the part of a spacecraft in which the people on it live
gravity the force that makes things fall to the ground
tips useful pieces of information


True or false?

1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False

Same or different?

1. false
2. assortment
3. document
4. nourishment

Spain to open gastronomic university

Spain to open gastronomic university

Spain is to open the world's first "gastronomic university" complete with a research laboratory to explore the mysterious chemistry of taste. Construction began last month on the Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastian and it will be ready to accept its first intake of students in September 2011 in a building designed to resemble a pile of stacked plates.
The university will be the first of its kind to offer a four-year undergraduate degree course in culinary arts taught in both English and Spanish and one year masters degrees as well as shorter courses for cooking enthusiasts.
The private university is located in the seaside resort of San Sebastian, which already holds a reputation for some of the best gastronomical expertise in Spain. The town is home to nine restaurants who together boast a total of 16 Michelin stars. Many of the local chefs have pledged their support to the new university and will participate in the tuition on degree courses.
But it is perhaps the promise of guest lecturers such as the top chef Ferran Adria that will have aspiring chefs applying in droves. Mr Adria who owns the famed El Bulli restaurant on Spain’s Costa Brava is considered the father of molecular gastronomy and has treated those few diners lucky enough to secure a reservation at one of his tables to such rare delights as Parmesan snow and pine cone mouse. Despite hostility from Spain’s more traditional chefs, his restaurant has been voted the best in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
Spain’s minister of Science and Innovation said the time had come for gastronomy to be treated with the same seriousness as other academic subjects and given its own university degree. ”Not only is gastronomy an art, culture and an industry,” said Cristina Garmendia at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the new university. “It is also a technology and a science.”
Question 1 (2 points)
Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) Courses at the university will last between 1 and 4 years.
b) 16 restaurants in San Sebastian have been given a Michelin star.
c) Ferran Adriá’s restaurant is very popular with both customers and cooks.
d) Cristina Garmendia thinks that it is right to teach gastronomy at university level.

Question 2 (2 points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What will the Basque Culinary Centre look like?
b) Who will teach at the university?

Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) the people accepted on a school or university course (Paragraph 1)
b promise (Paragraph 3)
c) large numbers (Paragraph 4)

Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) Adria’s restaurant has been voted the best in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
Judges ………………………..
b) Local chefs will make attractive teachers but it is Ferran Adria who will be a star guest lecturer.
Although…………………………..
c) The private university is located in San Sebastian, as it already has a reputation for the best gastronomy in Spain.
If San Sebastian ………………………………………..

Question 5 (5 points)
Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
‘Our universities and schools do not teach the things we need to know.’ Do you agree?
Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

Eat up or you will be fined

Eat up or you will be fined

Hong Kong restaurants have come up with a novel way to cut down on waste from food leftovers, threatening to fine diners who don't eat up.
A number of restaurants in the Chinese city alert customers that they will charge them between HK$5 and HK$20 if they leave any food on their plates, the South China Morning Post reported.
It said a handful of restaurants serving do-it-yourself hotpots, sushi and buffets had set up the system.
However, a restaurant industry group said the move was merely put in place to warn customers and that few eateries, if any, had actually fined anyone.
"The penalties listed on the menus are just for warning," Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades spokesperson Simon Wong was quoted as saying. "Who can afford to lose customers?"
Hong Kong is facing a landfill crisis as space runs out for dumping the increasing amount of rubbish produced by the city's seven million people.
The government is reportedly looking into a scheme that will reprocess into compost some of the 700 tons of food thrown out each day by the city's huge hospitality industry.

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:
a) All restaurants in Hong Kong have adopted the measure.
b) A new industry group said that almost any restaurant has asked to pay the penalty.
c) The new law is compulsory for all restaurants in Hong Kong.
d) The government processes about 700 tons of food thrown every day.
Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:
a) What would the consequences of the implement of the new law be?
b) What reasons do they give for adopting this new measure?
Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:
a) Uneaten food. par. 1
b) The amount you can hold in your hand. par. 3
c) Hole where rubbish is disposed of. par. 6
Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) It said a handful of restaurants serving do-it-yourself hotpots, sushi and buffets had set up the system.
A handful of restaurants serving do-it-yourself hotpots, sushi and buffets are said ……. ………………………………………………………………………..
b) Hong Kong is facing a landfill crisis.
A landfill crisis ……………………………………………………..
c) Although they have set up the system, very few customers have actually been fined.
Despite……………………………………………………………………

Question 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
Do people follow the rules for recycling rubbish?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander 2009-2010

Eating chocolate is good for maths

Scientists reveal how eating chocolate can help improve your maths
Eating chocolate could improve the brain's ability to do maths, a new study suggests. Mental arithmetic became easier after volunteers had been given large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, called flavanols, in a hot cocoa drink. They were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, the findings, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton show.
Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, and a co-author of the study, said that chocolate could be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks. The findings suggest students who binge on chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so. The flavanols, part of a group of chemicals called polyphenols, work by increasing the flow of blood into the brain.
For the study 30 volunteers were asked to count backwards in groups of three from a random number between 800 and 999 generated by a computer. The findings show that they could do the calculations more quickly and more accurately after they had been given the drink. However, the same was not true when the group was asked to count backwards in groups of seven, which the researchers described as a more complex task, requiring a slightly different part of the brain. The findings also show that the volunteers did not get as tired doing the calculations if they had been given the cocoa drink, despite being asked to do them over and over for an hour.
The researchers gave the volunteers a total of 500mg of flavanol. Although the amount was too great to be found naturally in the diet, researchers said that people should ensure that they have lots of flavanols, also found in fruit and vegetables, on a regular basis. Dark chocolate contains higher quantities of the chemical than plain or milk chocolate.
Prof Kennedy said: "The amount that we are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective. The more fruit and vegetables and things that are high in polyphenols the better that is for your brain in the long run.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these statements are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a. The study took place at a conference in Brighton.
b. Chocolate contains a substance which makes blood flow more easily.
c. People normally eat around 500mg of flavenol every day.
d. There is more flavenol in dark chocolate than there is in milk chocolate.
Question 2. (2 points) Answer these questions in your own words.
a. Why is it more difficult to count backwards in groups of seven than in groups of three?
b. Which foods does Professor Kennedy suggest that we should eat to help us perform mental activities and why?
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as:
a. to eat a lot of something (p.2) b. repeatedly (p.3) c. contain a lot of (p.5)
Question 4 (1.5 points) Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. Eating chocolate could improve the brain’s ability to do maths.
The brain’s ability ..........................
b. Students who eat a large amount of chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so.
If ............................................
c. Professor Kennedy said “The amount that we are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective. “
Professor Kennedy said that ..................................................
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic.
So many different people tell us what to eat and what not to eat. Should we listen to their advice?

British dishes

Is it true that a lot of British dishes are named after places?
The rich variety of British regional cooking is reflected in the names of our favourite dishes. Many regions have their own particular speciality of sweet or savoury fare, or are famed for their local produce.
Cheeses are produced in many regions, although Cheddar, a hard cheese with a strong, nutty taste, is the most popular variety. It originates from a village in Somerset in Western England, also famous for its gorge. Other types of cheeses include Cheshire, Lancashire, Stilton and Wensleydale.
Cornwall in south-west England is famous for its Cornish Pasties – a pastry case filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables, which was the traditional midday meal of workers in the region.
The town of Bakewell in Derbyshire has a rich pastry tart named after it. The Bakewell pudding or the Bakewell tart was said to have been invented by accident, when a cook forgot to put jam over the custard filling of a pudding – instead she apread it straight onto the pastry case and poured the custard on top. Thus a new dish was born!
Welsh cakes, a kind of sweet cake cooked on a griddle, were originally served to hungry travellers when they arrived at an inn for the night while they waited for their supper to be cooked.
Many other dishes are named after plates – from Lancashire hotpot (a casserole of meat and vegetables topped with sliced potatoes) and Dundee cake (a rich fruit cake) to Anglessey eggs A dish of leeks, mashed potato, hard boiled eggs and cheese sauce) baked Ulster ham, and Bath buns ( a sweet bun containing species and dried fruit, originally made in Bath, western England). Indeed, dedicated gourmets could happily munch their way from one county to another!

Decide whether these statements are true or false.
1. All the cheeses come from Somerset.
2. Cornish Pasties were usually eaten for lunch.
3. A Derbyshire cook was trying to bake a new dish when she created the Bakewell Pudding.
4. Travellers used to eat Welsh cakes as a dessert.
5. Both Lancashire hot pot and Anglessey eggs have vegetables as ingredients.
6. People who are fond of eating will find good local specialities in very few regions.


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KEY
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. False