- Food for thought

Reading and Multiple matching

Use of English 2

1 C> What are the myths and facts related to the health benefits of drinking lots
of water?
Why do people buy bottled water rather than drink tap water?
Is this a positive situation in your opinion? Why/Why not?

2 You are going to read an article about the trend of drinking bottled water. For questions
1-10, choose from the sections (A-E). The sections may be chosen more than once.

In which section of the article are the following mentioned?

commonly held myths about the benefits of drinking bottled water DI=i
bottled water being responsible for a change in a social custom ~
the existence of cities having been dependent on the consumption of a particular drink CIT::::]
an explanation for why a temporary trend in bottled water sales occurred [ID
the view that the role a particular person plays is largely redundant [IT=:J
the ability of a certain drink to provide comfort and bring people together [ID
appreciation for an insight that supported the writer's own viewpoint cu=J
the desire to behave in a way that would highlight the absurdity of a situation ITC]
the potential uses of a drink to enhance physical well-being and mental performance [I]=:J
the habit of drinking bottled water being used to promote the image of its consumer ITQCJ

A nice cup of tea beats bottled water every time

Our writer tries to understand the appeal offashionable plastic

A a series of graphs - and, as for the dinner, I will get

I am occasionally engaged to speak in public,
and the preliminary formalities are handled by a
functionary who telephones to ask whether I will
be needing a power point, and whether I have 'any
s special dietary requirements'. Sooner or later I'm
going to answer both in the affirmative: 'Being a
novelist, I will naturally be illustrating my talk with
my doctor to forward you the list of my allergies:
10 Immediately before the talk, the pointless man will
stand up and say, 'A few housekeeping notes', before
pointing out the exits, which, since they are usually
the same as the entrances by which we came in,
we already know. He then wastes further effort by
15 marshalling before me some bottles of water. Again,

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 Food for thought MN

I am tempted to call his bluff. I ought to spend the
first five minutes of my speaking time tipping the
contents of these bottles down my throat. But, in
practice, I never touch them. It just so happens that
20 I have never been gagging with thirst while being
introduced as a speaker. Don't get me wrong, when
I am thirsty, I have a drink: ideally, apple juice,
because I prefer something with a taste. Above all, I
drink tea - no fewer than half a dozen cups a day.
their own well-being. The other reason I can't stand
55 bottled water is that it seems unpatriotic. Since
the 1980s, our traditional four cups of tea a day
have apparently dropped to three. But let's quickly
eliminate one suspect in the case of the lost cup. At
first glance, it might appear to be coffee when we
60 notice the proliferation of high street coffee shops.
But sales show that the culprit is actually bottled
water, and to a lesser extent, fruit juice.

B D
25 I find the bottled water fad to be a distressing
instance of mass hypnotism, so when the remarks
of an Australian scientist were reported last
week, they represented to me a series of nails
being hit firmly on the head. Dr Spero Tsindos
30 resoundingly pronounced that bottled water has
become 'a fashion accessory and a token of instant
gratification'. Unfortunately, the British public
is not so sensible. Sales of bottled water have
ascended continually since the 1980s apart from
35 a brief dip from 2006-2010. This was probably
accounted for by a backlash against bottled water
- at the glibness of the whole phenomenon, whose
only tangible result is a mountain of landfill.
Restaurants that refused to serve tap water were
40 condemned and often shamed out of the practice.
But notwithstanding the fact that it doesn't flush
toxins out of the body, improve the skin, or taste
better than tap water, people now consume more
bottled water than ever before.
c Tea is associated with an enjoyable and very social
45 I suspect that the appeal of a small bottle of water is
that it is not a glass of wine. 'Look; the water carrier
proclaims, 'I am not drinking alcohol!' (at least, not
right now). The water bottle is a priggish symbol
of purity and piety, and insofar as this is radiated
50 externally, it is a reproof to the person daring to
drink wine in the presence of the water-drinker.
Insofar as it is not radiated, then the water-drinker
is claiming moral points for being conscious of
Why should we be celebrating tea? Being 99 per
cent water, it has all the hydrating virtues of bottled
65 water but with a bonus, namely the tea itself, which
provides a moderate dose of cerebrally-stimulating
caffeine (the best thing you can do before an exam
is drink a cup of tea). It is also rich in flavonoid
antioxidants, which aid cardiovascular fitness
70 and tea leaves applied externally can act as an
antiseptic, as monkeys in the jungle know very
well. And unlike bottled water, tea requires the
boiling of water, and it is said that tea consumption
enabled the concentrations of population necessary
75 for urban living in the 18th century, when
metropolitan water supplies were not clean.
E
As a child, I was involved in a serious car crash,
and I could not speak from shock until a woman
- a complete stranger, and angelic in my memory
80 - came up with a cup of sweet, milky tea. I doubt
that a bottle of water would have done the t rick.
ritual, but imagine the sheer crassness of a host
who inquired, 'More bottled water, anyone?' Tea is
85 our national common denominator, and it would
be helpful in these uncertain times if it could be
allied to our other such symbol, namely a certain
Elizabeth. But I fear that Her Majesty is invariably
accompanied on her travels by bottles of mineral
90 water.

C> Reacting to the text

To what extent do you agree with the statements below?
... the bottled water fad (is) a distressing instance of mass hypnotism ...
... bottled water has become 'a fashion accessory' ...
... it doesn't flush toxins out of the body, improve the skin, or taste better than tap water ...
What other food trends or fads do you see developing at the moment?
Imagine you worked for an advertising company. How would you promote a new brand of
bottled water ?

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 Food for thought

O._,Li_str.'l en_in_g____) Multiple choice ~ 2.34- 2.36

•:m•• 1 C::> Where do people usually buy their fruit, vegetable and meat products in
your country?
How popular are farmers' markets like the one in the photo?
In Britain, it's common for children to eat in a school canteen. What did you do for
lunch when you were at school? What do you think of the meal in the bottom photo?
Why is it important for food to be packaged nowadays? What's your reaction to the
photo of the packaged apples?

2 You will hear three different extracts. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B or C)
which fits best according to what you hear. There are two questions for each extract.
Extract One
You hear part of a radio discussion in which two people are talking about
farmers' markets.
1 The man feels that farmers' markets are gaining in popularity because
A there has been a resurgence of interest in traditional foods.
B people have come to prefer locally grown produce.
C the produce sold here is perceived to be healthy.
2 Both speakers say that anyone hoping to set up a market stall
A needs to consider what shoppers want.
B should focus on the presentation of goods.
C must offer diversity in their range of products.
Extract Two
You overhear two students talking about their presentation on the food industry.
3 What does the woman say about food packaging?
A It must show the different ingredients of a product more clearly.
B It should only be used on certain products.
C It can generate a great deal of waste.
4 The man believes that the use of packaging is an essential means of
A reducing advertising costs for food producers.
B preventing contamination of food products.
C conveying health-related facts to consumers.
Extract Three
You hear part of a radio interview in which two people are discussing a new policy
concerning food at school.
5 What does the woman feel about the new policy?
A It will be impossible to put into practice.
B It will fail to achieve the desired results.
C It will put additional pressure on schools.
6 What does the man believe is the main cause of childhood obesity?
A poor role models at home
B the wide availability of unhealthy food
C a lack of information on healthy eating

3 C::> How healthily do people generally eat in your country?

What changes have there been in eating habits in recent years?

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- Food for thought

Vocabulary 2: Deception
1 Look at the following phrases from the listening and complete the table.
That's blatantly deceptive!
Nowadays, manufacturers are covering their products with fraudulent health claims ...
So it's all rather misleading.
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
deceptive
I

fraudulent
misleading

2 Complete each of the gaps with the appropriate form of one of the words from the
table in exercise 1. In each section 1-3, the words required for both spaces a and bare
different, but from the same word family. There is an example at the beginning (O) .
0 He has been charged with defrauding the company of £2 million.
Car insurance firms have expressed concern at the increase in the number of
fraudulent claims.
1 a With their pointed snouts, fruit bats are often _ _ ___ referred to as
'flying foxes'.
b The tobacco company was found guilty of publishing _ _ __ _ information on
the effects of passive smoking.
2 a The device, which is simple in appearance, is capable of performing
a number of extremely complex functions.
b You're yourself if you think you can pass without studying.
3 a He is serving a six-year jail sentence for tax _ __ __
b The court heard how Smith had obtained money by posing as a
charity worker.

3 Complete each of the gaps in the following newspaper article with one of the words from
the box.

through into out in for for

Retired widow loses life .savings

A retired widow has been tricked (1) _ _ _ _ and failing to see (5) his false promises
of her life savings by a bogus financial adviser. of immediate high returns on her money. 'I've
Sixty- five-year-old Grace Smedley was been taken (6) a ride,' she complained.
completely taken (2) by the smooth- 'I feel a bit of a mug.'
talking confidence trickster, who deceived her
(3) handing over nearly £20 000. Mrs The man, who is believed to be in his early 30s,
claimed to have access to a high-yielding annuity
Smedley expressed h er frustration at allowing
h erself to fall (4)
-~ ..- -
the conman's trickery
~/!'- .,,..... ~-· ~ --
. ---- ____,,. _____
scheme which would provide an . . .
__,,_~~
HJ!""'

4 Underline and record any other words in the article which are related to deception.
5 <::> Tell your partner about
• a time in your life when you or someone else told a lie.
• a television programme where tricks are played on people.
• a swindle you heard about in the news or saw in a film .
• someone you know who cheated at games as a child.
• a time when appearances proved to be deceptive .
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