The Reading / Listening - Ultra-processed Food - Level 6

Further light has been shed on the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has revealed that consuming food such as sausages, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, sodas and cakes can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death. Ultra-processed food includes products made in factories from ingredients that are largely or entirely made in a laboratory. They are added with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings, sugar and fats. The research was conducted on over 200,000 people in the USA over a 28-year period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing bowel cancer.

Ultra-processed foods make up a growing proportion of the food we eat. The WHO says they account for around two-thirds of calories in the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food gained weight more quickly than those who ate a more nutritious and well balanced diet. She said: "Americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She gave advice on how people can look after their bodies better through their diets. She said: "We should consider substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the prevention of obesity and cardiovascular diseases."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Ultra-processed Food - Level 4  or  Ultra-processed Food - Level 5

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/01/health/ultraprocessed-foods-cancer-early-death-wellness/index.html
  • https://scitechdaily.com/ultra-processed-foods-linked-with-heart-disease-bowel-cancer-and-death/
  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ultra-processed-foods-linked-to-heart-disease-cancer-and-death-studies-show


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. FOOD: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about food. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       light / dangers / ultra-processed food / sausages / factories / ingredients / cancer /
       calories / diets / teenagers / gain weight / balanced diet / advice / obesity / disease
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. VEGETARIAN: Students A strongly believe we should all become vegetarians; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. ADDITIVES: What do you know about these food additives? How necessary are they? What could we substitute them with? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

What I Know

How Necessary

Substitute

Preservatives

 

 

 

Colouring

 

 

 

Flavour enhancers

 

 

 

Artificial sweeteners

 

 

 

Trans fats

 

 

 

E numbers

 

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. SAUSAGES: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "sausages". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD: Rank these with your partner. Put the worst ultra-processed food at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Sausages
  • Frozen pizza
  • Ice cream
  • Sweetened yoghurt
  • Sodas
  • Cookies
  • Margarine
  • Breakfast cereals

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. shed light on a. Eating or drinking.
      2. revealed b. Helped to explain something by providing further information about it.
      3. consuming c. Any of the foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish.
      4. ingredients d. Completely; totally.
      5. entirely e. Made previously unknown or secret information known to others.
      6. preservatives f. A disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body.
      7. cancer g. Things put in food to make it last longer and keep it fresher.

    Paragraph 2

      8. proportion h. Supply or make up a specified amount.
      9. account for i. The action of stopping something from happening.
      10. nutritious j. A part, share, or number considered in comparative relation to a whole.
      11. substituting k. Is beneficial to your body as food or drink.
      12. prevention l. The condition of being unhealthily overweight.
      13. obesity m. Replacing one thing with another.
      14. cardiovascular n. Relating to the heart and blood vessels.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. New research proves all ultra-processed food causes cancer.     T / F
  2. Frozen pizza can increase the risk of heart disease.     T / F
  3. The ingredients of ultra-processed food are mostly made in a laboratory. T / F
  4. Researchers looked at data from more than 200,000 people.     T / F
  5. Two-thirds of U.S. teens get their calories from ultra-processed food.     T / F
  6. The article says South Americans eat a lot of ultra-processed food.     T / F
  7. A doctor said everyone should go on a diet.     T / F
  8. The doctor said we should totally cut out minimally processed foods.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. shed
  2. consuming
  3. risk
  4. entirely
  5. period
  6. proportion
  7. account for
  8. nutritious
  9. consider
  10. substituting
  1. replacing
  2. totally
  3. make up
  4. eating
  5. wholesome
  6. time
  7. think about
  8. cast
  9. part
  10. possibility

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. Further light has been shed
  2. ready-to-
  3. ingredients that are largely or entirely
  4. flavour
  5. The research was conducted
  6. make up a growing proportion
  7. they account for around
  8. gained
  9. the prevention of
  10. cardiovascular
  1. made in a laboratory
  2. diseases
  3. of the food we eat
  4. eat meals
  5. weight more quickly
  6. on over 200,000 people
  7. obesity
  8. on the possible dangers
  9. enhancers
  10. two-thirds of calories

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
colourings
shed
bowel
risk
revealed
over
entirely
frozen

Further light has been (1) _____________________ on the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has (2) _____________________ that consuming food such as sausages, (3) _____________________ pizza, ready-to-eat meals, sodas and cakes can increase the (4) _____________________ of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death. Ultra-processed food includes products made in factories from ingredients that are largely or (5) _____________________ made in a laboratory. They are added with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, (6) _____________________, sugar and fats. The research was conducted on over 200,000 people in the USA (7) _____________________ a 28-year period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing (8) _____________________ cancer.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
diets
nutritious
account
minimally
proportion
obesity
advice
gained

Ultra-processed foods make up a growing (9) _____________________ of the food we eat. The WHO says they (10) _____________________ for around two-thirds of calories in the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food (11) _____________________ weight more quickly than those who ate a more (12) _____________________ and well balanced diet. She said: "Americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She gave (13) _____________________ on how people can look after their bodies better through their (14) _____________________. She said: "We should consider substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or (15) _____________________ processed foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the prevention of (16) _____________________ and cardiovascular diseases."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  A new study has revealed that consuming food ______
     a.  such as sausage is
     b.  such was sausage is
     c.  such as sausages
     d.  such has sausages
2)  sodas and cakes can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or ______
     a.  an earlier dead
     b.  an earlier dearth
     c.  an early a death
     d.  an earlier death
3) made in factories from ingredients that are largely or entirely made ______
     a.  in a lavatory
     b.  in a laboratory
     c.  inner laboratory
     d.  in a lab oratory
4)  added with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings, ______
     a.  sugar and fats
     b.  sugary and fats
     c.  sugar end fats
     d.  sugar end fat
5)  had a 29 per cent higher risk of ______
     a.  develop pin bowel cancer
     b.  develop in bowel cancer
     c.  enveloping bowel cancer
     d.  developing bowel cancer

6)  Ultra-processed foods make up ______
     a.  a grown proportion
     b.  a grow in proportion
     c.  a growing proportion
     d.  a grow wing proportion
7)  The WHO says they account for around two-______
     a.  thirds of calories
     b.  thirds off calories
     c.  third of calories
     d.  third off calories
8)  Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food gained ______
     a.  way more quickly
     b.  weigh more quickly
     c.  weight amore quickly
     d.  weight more quickly
9)  She gave advice on how people can look ______
     a.  after their bodice
     b.  after their bodices
     c.  after their bod is
     d.  after their bodies
10)  foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods in our diet ______
     a.  fork canter prevention
     b.  four can sir prevention
     c.  fork answer prevention
     d.  for cancer prevention

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Further light has (1) ____________________ the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has revealed that consuming food such as sausages, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, (2) ____________________ can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death. Ultra-processed food includes products made in factories (3) ____________________ are largely or entirely made in a laboratory. They are added with (4) ____________________, flavour enhancers, colourings, sugar and fats. The research was (5) ____________________ 200,000 people in the USA over a 28-year period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher (6) ____________________ bowel cancer.

Ultra-processed foods make up (7) ____________________ of the food we eat. The WHO says they account for around two-thirds of calories in the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food (8) ____________________ quickly than those who ate a more nutritious and (9) ____________________. She said: "Americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She (10) ____________________ how people can look after their bodies better through their diets. She said: "We should consider substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed (11) ____________________ foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the (12) ____________________ and cardiovascular diseases."

Comprehension questions

  1. What has been shed on the dangers of ultra-processed food?
  2. What kind of pizza constitutes ultra-processed food?
  3. Where are most of the ingredients in ultra-processed food from?
  4. How many people were part of the research?
  5. Who had a higher risk of developing bowel cancer?
  6. How much of the calories of U.S. teens are from ultra-processed food?
  7. What do children who eat ultra-processed food gain?
  8. What did a doctor say we needed to look after?
  9. What should we substitute ultra-processed food with besides processed food?
  10. What conditions did a doctor say we should prevent besides obesity?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What has been shed on the dangers of ultra-processed food?
a) information
b) cabins
c) further light
d) a torch
2) What kind of pizza constitutes ultra-processed food?
a) frozen pizza
b) Hawaiian pizza
c) four-cheese pizza
d) Margherita
3) Where are most of the ingredients in ultra-processed food from?
a) factories
b) test tubes
c) shops
d) chemicals
4) How many people were part of the research?
a) exactly 200,000
b) over 200,000
c) just fewer than 200,000
d) around 200,000
5) Who had a higher risk of developing bowel cancer?
a) vegetarians
b) children
c) women
d) men

6) How much of the calories of U.S. teens are from ultra-processed food?
a) three-quarters
b) two-thirds
c) three-fifths
d) seven-eighths
7) What do children who eat ultra-processed food gain?
a) weight
b) knowledge
c) immunity
d) satisfaction
8) What did a doctor say we needed to look after?
a) the planet
b) gardens
c) our bodies
d) tomatoes
9) What should we substitute ultra-processed food with besides processed food?
a) meat
b) cheese
c) tofu
d) minimally processed foods
10) What conditions did a doctor say we should prevent besides obesity?
a) cardiovascular diseases
b) neurological diseases
c) congenital diseases
d) genetic diseases

Role play

Role  A – Sausages
You think sausages are the worst processed food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their food isn't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the most nutritious of these (and why): frozen pizzas, ice cream or cookies.

Role  B – Frozen Pizza
You think frozen pizzas is the worst processed food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their food isn't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the most nutritious of these (and why): sausages, ice cream or cookies.

Role  C – Ice Cream
You think ice cream is the worst processed food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their food isn't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the most nutritious of these (and why): frozen pizzas, sausages or cookies.

Role  D – Cookies
You think cookies are the worst processed food. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their food isn't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the most nutritious of these (and why): frozen pizzas, ice cream or sausages.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'food'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'risk'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • light
    • frozen
    • products
    • added
    • over
    • 29
    • growing
    • calories
    • gained
    • advice
    • consider
    • obesity

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Ultra-processed Food

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'food'?
    3. What do you think of processed food?
    4. What kind of unhealthy food do you eat?
    5. What do you think of ready-to-eat meals?
    6. Do you worry about additives in food?
    7. Should we all eat food that is made only from fresh ingredients?
    8. Could you give up eating and drinking things like cakes and soda?
    9. What could you do to eat more healthily?
    10. Do you ever worry that the food you eat isn't good for you?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'risk'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Why do we eat so much processed food?
    5. What's the difference between processed and ultra-processed food?
    6. What are the dangers of eating too much processed food?
    7. How healthy is the food you have eaten recently?
    8. How can you look after your body better?
    9. How can we reduce obesity levels in society?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Further light has been (1) ____ on the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has revealed that consuming food such (2) ____ sausages, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, sodas and cakes can increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or an (3) ____ death. Ultra-processed food includes products made in factories from ingredients that are largely or (4) ____ made in a laboratory. They are added with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings, sugar and fats. The research was conducted (5) ____ over 200,000 people in the USA over a 28-year period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of (6) ____ bowel cancer.

    Ultra-processed foods make up a (7) ____ proportion of the food we eat. The WHO says they account for around two-thirds of calories (8) ____ the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food gained weight more quickly than those who ate a more (9) ____ and well balanced diet. She said: "Americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She gave advice (10) ____ how people can look after their bodies better through their diets. She said: "We should (11) ____ substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the (12) ____ of obesity and cardiovascular diseases."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     shorn     (b)     shard     (c)     shed     (d)     shred    
    2. (a)     as     (b)     was     (c)     has     (d)     is    
    3. (a)     early     (b)     quickly     (c)     suddenly     (d)     higher    
    4. (a)     entirely     (b)     entire     (c)     entice     (d)     enticed    
    5. (a)     of     (b)     up     (c)     in     (d)     on    
    6. (a)     develop     (b)     developed     (c)     develops     (d)     developing    
    7. (a)     growing     (b)     growth     (c)     grows     (d)     grow    
    8. (a)     by     (b)     at     (c)     on     (d)     in    
    9. (a)     nutritious     (b)     virtuous     (c)     viscous     (d)     raucous    
    10. (a)     of     (b)     on     (c)     in     (d)     at    
    11. (a)     reside     (b)     consider     (c)     residual     (d)     insider    
    12. (a)     prevention     (b)     conviction     (c)     abduction     (d)     unification

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. A new study has evealred that
    2. consuming food such as usasages
    3. made in factories from nreidiegtns
    4. added with things like svpereitavres
    5. research was undcctoed on over 200,000 people
    6. developing wobel cancer

    Paragraph 2

    1. a growing ooprritpon
    2. they account for around two-thirds of aocirles
    3. a more urnitiotus and well balanced diet
    4. nmamilily processed foods
    5. the prevention of besotiy
    6. uiardoacsrvcal diseases

    Put the text back together

    (...)  products made in factories from ingredients that are largely or entirely made in a
    (...)  Ultra-processed foods make up a growing proportion of the food we eat. The WHO says they account
    (...)  laboratory. They are added with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings, sugar
    (...)  increase the risk of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death. Ultra-processed food includes
    (...)  period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing bowel cancer.
    (...)  revealed that consuming food such as sausages, frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, sodas and cakes can
    (...)  ate ultra-processed food gained weight more quickly than those who ate a more nutritious and well balanced
    (...)  for around two-thirds of calories in the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who
    (  1  ) Further light has been shed on the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has
    (...)  diet. She said: "Americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She gave
    (...)  and fats. The research was conducted on over 200,000 people in the USA over a 28-year
    (...)  should consider substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods
    (...)  advice on how people can look after their bodies better through their diets. She said: "We
    (...)  in our diet for cancer prevention and for the prevention of obesity and cardiovascular diseases."

    Put the words in the right order

    1. has   dangers   .   Further   been   the   on   shed   light
    2. the   can   and   of   cakes   increase   Sodas   risk   cancer   .
    3. in   are   that   largely   made   Ingredients   laboratory   .   a
    4. with   are   added   things   They   like   preservatives   .
    5. higher   per   cent   risk   29   developing   of   A   bowel   cancer   .
    6. up   make   foods   a   Ultra-processed   growing   proportion   .
    7. account   for   around   two-thirds   They   of   calories   .
    8. who   food   ultra-processed   ate   gained   Children   more   weight   .
    9. on   people   Advice   look   can   how   after   themselves   .
    10. should  we  She   consider  said   ultra-processed   substituting   foods .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Further light has been shed in / on the possible dangers of eating ultra-processed food. A new study has revelled / revealed that consuming food such as sausages, freezing / frozen pizza, ready-to-eat meals, sodas and cakes can increase the risk / risky of cancer, heart disease or an earlier death. Ultra-processed food includes / including products made in factories from ingredients that are largesse / largely or entirely made in a laboratory. They are added / subtracted with things like preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings, sugar and fats / fatty. The research was conducted on over 200,000 people in the USA over a 28-year period. Researcher Dr Fang Fang Zhang said men who ate a lot / lots of ultra-processed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing dowel / bowel cancer.

    Ultra-processed foods make up / down a growing proportion of the food we eat. The WHO says they account for / from around two-thirds of calories in / on the diets of American children and teenagers. Dr Zhang said children who ate ultra-processed food granted / gained weight more quickly than those / them who ate a more nutritious and well balanced diet. She said: "Americans consume a hugely / large percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods." She gave advise / advice on how people can look after their bodies better through their diets. She said: "We should consider replicating / substituting ultra-processed foods with unprocessed or minimally / maximally processed foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the prevention of obesity end / and cardiovascular diseases."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    F_rth_r  l_ght  h_s  b__n  sh_d  _n  th_  p_ss_bl_  d_ng_rs  _f  __t_ng  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__d.  _  n_w  st_dy  h_s  r_v__l_d  th_t  c_ns_m_ng  f__d  s_ch  _s  s__s_g_s,  fr_z_n  p_zz_,  r__dy-t_-__t  m__ls,  s_d_s  _nd  c_k_s  c_n  _ncr__s_  th_  r_sk  _f  c_nc_r,  h__rt  d_s__s_  _r  _n  __rl__r  d__th.  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__d  _ncl_d_s  pr_d_cts  m_d_  _n  f_ct_r__s  fr_m  _ngr_d__nts  th_t  _r_  l_rg_ly  _r  _nt_r_ly  m_d_  _n  _  l_b_r_t_ry.  Th_y  _r_  _dd_d  w_th  th_ngs  l_k_  pr_s_rv_t_v_s,  fl_v__r  _nh_nc_rs,  c_l__r_ngs,  s_g_r  _nd  f_ts.  Th_  r_s__rch  w_s  c_nd_ct_d  _n  _v_r  200,000  p__pl_  _n  th_  _S_  _v_r  _  28-y__r  p_r__d.  R_s__rch_r  Dr  F_ng  F_ng  Zh_ng  s__d  m_n  wh_  _t_  _  l_t  _f  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__d  h_d  _  29  p_r  c_nt  h_gh_r  r_sk  _f  d_v_l_p_ng  b_w_l  c_nc_r.

    _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__ds  m_k_  _p  _  gr_w_ng  pr_p_rt__n  _f  th_  f__d  w_  __t.  Th_  WH_  s_ys  th_y  _cc__nt  f_r  _r__nd  tw_-th_rds  _f  c_l_r__s  _n  th_  d__ts  _f  _m_r_c_n  ch_ldr_n  _nd  t__n_g_rs.  Dr  Zh_ng  s__d  ch_ldr_n  wh_  _t_  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__d  g__n_d  w__ght  m_r_  q__ckly  th_n  th_s_  wh_  _t_  _  m_r_  n_tr_t___s  _nd  w_ll  b_l_nc_d  d__t.  Sh_  s__d:  "_m_r_c_ns  c_ns_m_  _  l_rg_  p_rc_nt_g_  _f  th__r  d__ly  c_l_r__s  fr_m  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__ds."  Sh_  g_v_  _dv_c_  _n  h_w  p__pl_  c_n  l__k  _ft_r  th__r  b_d__s  b_tt_r  thr__gh  th__r  d__ts.  Sh_  s__d:  "W_  sh__ld  c_ns_d_r  s_bst_t_t_ng  _ltr_-pr_c_ss_d  f__ds  w_th  _npr_c_ss_d  _r  m_n_m_lly  pr_c_ss_d  f__ds  _n  __r  d__t  f_r  c_nc_r  pr_v_nt__n  _nd  f_r  th_  pr_v_nt__n  _f  _b_s_ty  _nd  c_rd__v_sc_l_r  d_s__s_s."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    further light has been shed on the possible dangers of eating ultraprocessed food a new study has revealed that consuming food such as sausages frozen pizza readytoeat meals sodas and cakes can increase the risk of cancer heart disease or an earlier death ultraprocessed food includes products made in factories from ingredients that are largely or entirely made in a laboratory they are added with things like preservatives flavour enhancers colourings sugar and fats the research was conducted on over 200000 people in the usa over a 28year period researcher dr fang fang zhang said men who ate a lot of ultraprocessed food had a 29 per cent higher risk of developing bowel cancer

    ultraprocessed foods make up a growing proportion of the food we eat the who says they account for around twothirds of calories in the diets of american children and teenagers dr zhang said children who ate ultraprocessed food gained weight more quickly than those who ate a more nutritious and well balanced diet she said americans consume a large percentage of their daily calories from ultraprocessed foods she gave advice on how people can look after their bodies better through their diets she said we should consider substituting ultraprocessed foods with unprocessed or minimally processed foods in our diet for cancer prevention and for the prevention of obesity and cardiovascular diseases

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Furtherlighthasbeenshedonthepossibledangersofeatingultra-proce
    ssedfood.Anewstudyhasrevealedthatconsumingfoodsuchassausag
    es,frozenpizza,ready-to-eatmeals,sodasandcakescanincreasetheri
    skofcancer,heartdiseaseoranearlierdeath.Ultra-processedfoodincl
    udesproductsmadeinfactoriesfromingredientsthatarelargelyorentir
    elymadeinalaboratory.Theyareaddedwiththingslikepreservatives,fl
    avourenhancers,colourings,sugarandfats.Theresearchwasconducte
    donover200,000peopleintheUSAovera28-yearperiod.ResearcherDr
    FangFangZhangsaidmenwhoatealotofultra-processedfoodhada29p
    ercenthigherriskofdevelopingbowelcancer.Ultra-processedfoodsm
    akeupagrowingproportionofthefoodweeat.TheWHOsaystheyaccoun
    tforaroundtwo-thirdsofcaloriesinthedietsofAmericanchildrenandte
    enagers.DrZhangsaidchildrenwhoateultra-processedfoodgainedwe
    ightmorequicklythanthosewhoateamorenutritiousandwellbalanced
    diet.Shesaid:"Americansconsumealargepercentageoftheirdailycalo
    riesfromultra-processedfoods."Shegaveadviceonhowpeoplecanloo
    kaftertheirbodiesbetterthroughtheirdiets.Shesaid:"Weshouldconsi
    dersubstitutingultra-processedfoodswithunprocessedorminimallyp
    rocessedfoodsinourdietforcancerpreventionandforthepreventionof
    obesityandcardiovasculardiseases."

    Free writing

    Write about ultra-processed food for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Academic writing

    Ultra-processed food should be banned. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD: Make a poster about ultra-processed food. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. FRESH INGREDIENTS: Write a magazine article about requiring all food to be produced using fresh ingredients. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on ultra-processed food. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Back to the top

    Help Support This Web Site

    • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

    Sean Banville's Book

    Thank You