Q2e

SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 5

Unit 5: Nutrition
NOTE-TAKING SKILL: Editing notes after a
The Q Classroom
lecture
Activity B, page 89
Activity A, page 90
Teacher: We’re going to talk about the science
Professor: Hello, everyone! Today, I am going to
of food, so let’s start off with the Unit Question,
be talking about the study of zootherapy, which
“How has science changed the food we eat?”
simply means using food in place of medicine.
Yuna, what do you think?
Traditionally, in many cultures around the
Yuna: Science has changed packaged food a lot.
world, people have used food to cure illnesses.
They add vitamins because they’re good for us,
For instance, in China, one famous and delicious
and they use less fat and things that aren’t good
dish is Peking Duck. Have any of you ever tried
for us.
it? Have you ever wondered how it gets that
Teacher: What do you think, Felix? How has
beautiful red color? Well, it is also very healthy
science changed the food we eat?
because the skin of the duck is colored with red
Felix: Well, I think it’s because of science that
rice powder that contains a natural chemical
people eat so much packaged food. They’ve
that lowers cholesterol. Maybe this is one
discovered ways to create food that people like,
reason why fewer people have heart disease in
usually by adding a lot of salt or sugar. It’s not
China than in many other countries. Perhaps
healthy at all.
doctors in China advise their patients with heart
Teacher: How else has science changed the
problems to eat more Peking Duck.
food we eat? Marcus?
Another example of using food for good health
Marcus: They’ve learned to make all kinds of
comes from Brazil. Some of the indigenous, or
things out of corn. They use corn syrup to
native, populations that live near water use
sweeten sodas and candy, and corn oil for
specific kinds of fish as medicine. For example,
frying. Corn is cheap to grow, so a lot of food is
they use the oil from the liver of a shark called a
less expensive, like fast food. But I agree with
hammerhead to cure asthma. So, when
Felix—it’s not healthy.
someone is having an asthma attack and they
Teacher: Sophy, do you have any other answers
have trouble breathing, they may drink shark
to this question? How else has science changed
liver oil. Now that these traditional cultures
the way we eat?
have more access to modern medicine, their
Sophy: Well, science has changed the plants
use of fish as a source of medicine, especially
and animals we eat. A long time ago, corn was a
fish that are endangered, like the hammerhead,
small plant, but now it’s a huge one. And the
is decreasing. Nowadays, people are more likely
animals are bigger, too, because they’ve figured
to visit a doctor than to go fishing for their
out just the right diet to feed them to make
medicine. However, even as the practice of
them larger.
using food as medicine seems to be
Teacher: Some of you feel that science has
disappearing in some places, modern drug
made food less healthy. Do you think science
companies are looking to traditional foods for
has done anything good for our diets?
new medicines. Right now, researchers are
Sophy: Absolutely. Because of science, we’re
testing new asthma drugs that contain oil from
able to grow more food and feed more people.
other sharks, like nurse sharks and blue sharks.
Less hunger in the world is a very good thing.
In your text, you will read more examples of

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 5

food being used in medicine. Please open to received ordinary fruit juice or a drink identical
page 271. in look and taste that contained common
additives. Some children were given a drink
LISTENING 1: Food Additives Linked to containing colorings typically found in a couple
Hyperactivity in Kids of 50 gram bags of candy. Others were given a
From “Food additives may cause hyperactivity: higher level of colorings, equal to consuming
study” by Maggie Fox, September 5, 2007, the additives in four of these bags. Parents,
Reuters. All rights reserved. Republication or teachers, and the researchers then studied the
redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, children’s behavior. Both mixtures significantly
including by framing or similar means, is affected the older children, when compared
expressly prohibited without the prior written with the regular drink. “Although the use of
consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters artificial coloring in food might seem
and its logo are registered trademarks or superfluous, the same cannot be said for
trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of sodium benzoate, which has an important
companies around the world. © Thomson preservative function,” the researchers write.
Reuters 2009. Thomson Reuters journalists are “The changes to food additive rules could be
subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires substantial.”
fair presentation and disclosure of relevant The issue of whether food additives can affect
interests. children’s behavior has been controversial for
Activity A, D, pages 92–93 decades. Dr. Benjamin Feingold has written
Reporter: The controversy about food additives books arguing that not only do artificial colors,
and children’s behavior continues, this time flavors, and preservatives affect children, but so
with a study linking food additives and a do natural chemicals found in some fruits and
common preservative to hyperactivity. But not vegetables.
everyone is convinced this latest research is Several studies have contradicted this notion.
definite. Certain artificial food colorings and And some have only found an effect of food
other additives can worsen hyperactive additives on the behavior of children
behaviors in children aged 3 to 9, UK diagnosed with extreme hyperactivity. In this
researchers report. Tests on more than 300 latest research, children generally reacted
children showed significant differences in their poorly to the mixtures.
behavior when they drank fruit drinks mixed “We have found an adverse effect of food
with food colorings and preservatives, say additives on the hyperactive behavior of 3-year-
Professor Jim Stevenson and colleagues at the old and 8- to 9-year-old children,” the
University of Southampton. researchers write.
“These findings show that adverse effects are Stevenson has this message for parents:
not just seen in children with extreme “Parents should not think that simply taking
hyperactivity but can also be seen in the general these additives out of food will prevent all
population,” the researchers write. Stevenson’s hyperactive disorders. We know that many
team, which has been studying the effects of other influences are at work, but this at
food additives in children for years, made up least is one a child can avoid,” he says.
drinks to test in a group of 3-year-olds and a Dr. Sue Baic says that the study is well-designed
second group of children aged 8 and 9. Children and “potentially very important.”

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 5

“It supports what scientists have known for a suggests that drinking even one soda a day can
long time: that feeding children on diets that increase your chances of getting heart disease.
mainly consist of heavily processed foods which Excerpt 3:
may also be high in fat, salt, or sugar is not Tea is one of the world’s oldest and most
optimal for health.” popular drinks. In spite of the recent popularity
Others disagree. “The paper is not a of fancy coffee in parts of Asia, most people in
demonstration of cause and effect,” says Dr. China still look forward to the peace and calm
Paul Illing. they associate with the ancient practice of
drinking tea.
LISTENING SKILL: Understanding bias in a Excerpt 4:
presentation Can we believe what the food labels claim?
Activity A, page 95 Labels say things like “all-natural” or “helps
Speaker: Don’t Believe the Organic Hype. build healthy bones” or “made with real fruit”
For too many people, eating healthier means or “contains real chocolate,” or “helps burn
buying organic food. fat.” But research shows that food labels can
People think that just because the label says often be confusing. Or they try to make you
“organic” that the food is better for them. believe something that isn’t quite true.
However, a quick look at the list of ingredients
on many organic products shows that they can LISTENING 2: The Science behind Food Cravings
be just as high in salt, calories, and fat as Activity A, C, pages 97–98
normal foods. Just because some potato chips Announcer: Welcome back to “Why in the
are made from organic potatoes doesn’t mean World?” Turning now to Twitter, we are going
it’s a healthy choice to eat the whole bag. to try to scientifically answer some of your
Furthermore, research shows that the dangers questions. Today the question comes from
associated with eating too much high-calorie Chuni in Beijing. She tweets, “Sometimes in the
food are worse than eating food with additives evening, when I’m sitting at my desk and
or artificial coloring. working on homework, out of nowhere, I really,
Activity B, pages 95–96 really want to eat something salty. It’s a bit
Excerpt 1: disturbing because I’m not even really hungry. I
As the sale of fast food increases just can’t think about anything else until I go to
internationally, people’s weights are increasing, the kitchen and open a bag of potato chips.
too. Several important international Why in the world do I have these strong food
organizations, including the World Health cravings?” Well, I certainly can relate to Chuni,
Organization, are very concerned about the except I often crave sweet foods, not salty
growing rate of obesity around the world. foods. For me, chocolate is the ultimate snack!
Scientists believe that fast food restaurants play So, in order to answer Chuni’s question, we
a substantial role in more and more people asked Lara Jones, a nutritionist from the
becoming overweight. Baltimore Institute of Food Sciences, Dr.
Excerpt 2: Svacina, a dietary psychologist, and Howazen Al
Can it really hurt your heart to drink one soda a Ganem, professor of ethics in advertising at the
day? A recent study published by the American University of Vancouver. First, Ms. Jones, what
Heart Association says it can. The report can you tell us about food cravings?

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 5

Lara Jones: Well, I think most people have often start to think about how much I want to
experienced this kind of intense desire for a eat them.
particular food. However, even though they are Announcer: Howazen Al Ganem, some of your
really common, there is not a lot of agreement research has focused on how TV advertisers use
about what causes these food cravings. In fact, pictures of food to trigger cravings.
there is an interesting debate among some Howazen Al Ganem: That’s right. When we turn
experts right now. Many nutritionists believe on the TV, we see image after image of rich,
that a food craving is a message from your body fatty, sweet, and salty food. So, just like Dr.
signaling a need for a particular nutrient or Svacina craves the nuts on her co-worker’s desk
vitamin. after she sees them, I might start to crave a
Announcer: So, Chuni’s craving for potato chips hamburger if I see one on TV. Suddenly, I just
might signal a lack of sodium? can’t live without one.
Lara Jones: Yes, these nutritionists would say Announcer: So, what does this mean for
that her desire for salty food is a reaction to not consumers? For those of us who race to the
having enough salt, or sodium, in her diet. store when we experience a food craving?
Similarly, your desire for chocolate might come Howazen Al Ganem: Well, that’s a good
from a lack of the mineral magnesium. question. I think we really do need to think
Announcer: Really? So, Dr. Svacina, do you about the ethics of advertising unhealthy food
agree that I should eat more chocolate? to children, for instance. We may need to make
Dr. Svacina: Well, unfortunately, not everyone modifications to our laws to protect young
agrees with this. Some psychologists point out people from food cravings caused by TV. On the
that there is other food, like spinach or fish, other hand, perhaps adults simply need to be
that has much more magnesium than chocolate aware of the effect TV can have on our desire
does, but most people don’t crave this food. for certain foods. We can also alter our TV
Announcer: That’s true. I never crave spinach. watching habits, like walking to another room
Dr. Svacina: Also, while our cravings may start when the advertisements are on.
from real hunger, some scientists believe they Announcer: And what should I do if it’s too late,
are compounded by our feelings. Being sad, if I’ve already seen that delicious ice cream
worried, stressed, bored, or lonely can make cone or slice of cheesy pizza, and I can’t get it
food cravings more likely. So, maybe while out of my mind?
Chuni is doing her homework, she is feeling Lara Jones: Well, in that case, some experts
stressed or bored, which makes her a target for have some surprising advice. They say we
food cravings. Other researchers have should let ourselves have a little bit of the food
discovered that where we live affects what we we are craving so we can move past the craving
crave. Americans, for example, tend to crave and return to whatever it was we were doing.
chocolate … Announcer: That’s interesting advice! Thanks so
Announcer: Like me! much to our panel of experts for setting us
Dr. Svacina: Exactly. However, Egyptians tend straight about food cravings.
to crave more flavorful dishes, like stuffed
eggplant. We also crave things that are in our PRONUNCIATION: Other common intonation
immediate space. For example, if I walk past a patterns
bowl of nuts my co-worker has on her desk, I Examples, page 105

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Q2e SE Listening & Speaking 4: Audio Script Unit 5

This tomato is genetically altered? Faisal: That’s interesting. I feel that way about
You eat five sandwiches a day? Saudi Arabian food here, too. It’s not quite the
I ate eggs, toast, and cereal. same.
Would you like coffee?
Would you like coffee or iced tea?
Activity A, page 106
1. What? You’ve never eaten a tomato?
2. Do you prefer water or juice?
3. My favorite foods are rice, yams, and pizza.
4. What did you say? You don’t like ice cream?
5. Are you hungry? Do you want some bread
and cheese?

SPEAKING SKILL: Expressing interest during a
conversation
Activity A, page 107
Faisal: Hey, Marc. Is this seat free? Do you mind
if I sit here?
Marc: Not at all! How are you doing?
Faisal: I’m absolutely starving!
Marc: Really? Why?
Faisal: I went to the gym this morning before
school, and by 11:00, my stomach was growling
in class.
Marc: Wow, that had to be embarrassing.
Faisal: Definitely. So, what did you get for
lunch?
Marc: Well, they’re serving French onion soup
today, so I got some of that. It’s not bad, but
not like home!
Faisal: Yeah! French food is famous around the
world, but I’ve never had it.
Marc: Well, I am from Provence, in the south of
France. People take food very seriously there.
Faisal: Mm-hmm.
Marc: People buy fresh fruit and vegetables
from the market every day.
Faisal: Every day?
Marc: Yeah, and the cheese is amazing! It tastes
nothing like what we buy in the grocery stores
here.

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