UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
FOOD AND NUTRITION 1
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FOOD AND NUTRITION
READING COMPREHENSION
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All living organisms require food for survival, growth, and reproduction.
Most broadly, the term food can be taken to include any kind of nutrient
needed by animals, plants, and simpler forms of life, on down to
bacteria. This would include, for example, the inorganic substances that
plants draw from air and water. The processes that circulate these basic
nutrients in the environment are called nutrient cycles, and the processes
by which organisms make use of nutrients are collectively known as
metabolism.
In terms of the energy needs of humans and other animals, food consists
of carbohydrate, fat, and protein, along with vitamins and minerals.
Humans may consume a wide range of different food substances, as
long as they meet nutrition requirements. Otherwise nutritional-
deficiency diseases will develop.
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Nutrition is the science that interprets the relationship of food to the
functioning of the living organism. It is concerned with the intake of
food, digestive processes, the liberation of energy, and the elimination
of wastes, as well as with all the syntheses that are essential for
maintenance, growth, and reproduction. These fundamental activities are
characteristic of all living organisms – from the simplest to the most
complex plants and animals. Nutrients are substances, either naturally
occurring or synthesized, that are necessary for maintenance of the
normal function of organisms. These include carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, vitamins and minerals, water, and some unknown substances.
The nutritionist, a scientist working in the field of nutrition, differs from
the dietitian, who translates the science of nutrition into the skill of
furnishing optimal nourishment to people. Dietetics is a profession
concerned with the science and art of human nutrition care, an essential
component of the health sciences. The treatment of disease by
modification of the diet lies within the province of the physician and the
dietitian.
The foods consumed by humans must contain, in adequate amounts,
about 45 to 50 highly important substances. Water and oxygen are
equally essential. Starting only with these essential nutrients obtained
from food, the body makes literally thousands of substances necessary
for life and physical fitness. Most of these substances are far more
complicated in structure than the original nutrients.
Energy metabolism and requirements are customarily expressed in terms
of the calorie, a heat unit. Adoption of the calorie by nutritionists
followed quite naturally from the original methods of measuring energy
metabolism. The magnitude of human energy metabolism, however,
made it awkward to record the calorie measured, so the convention of
the large calorie, or kilocalorie (kcal), was accepted. Atwater factors,
also called physiologic fuel factors, are based on the corrections for
losses of unabsorbed nutrients in the feces and for the calorie equivalent
of the nitrogenous products in the urine. These factors are as follows: 1g
of pure protein will yield 4 calories, 1g of pure fat will yield 9 calories,
and 1 g of pure carbohydrate will yield 4 calories.
Questions:
Answer the questions about the reading.
1) What is food?
2) What are nutrient cycles?
3) What is metabolism?
4) How different are the nutritionist and the dietitian?
5) What are physiologic fuel factors?
True-False:
Write T if the sentence is true and F if it is false.
_____ The term food does not include the inorganic substances
that plants draw from air and water.
FOOD AND NUTRITION 3
_____ The intake of food, digestive processes, the liberation of
energy, and the elimination of wastes are the fundamental
activities of all living organisms.
_____ Unless food substances humans consume meet nutrition
requirements, nutritional-deficiency diseases will develop.
_____ Water and oxygen are equally essential.
_____ The treatment of disease by modification of the diet lies
within the province of the physician and the nutritionist.
VOCABULARY
Fill in these statements with the words in the box.
diet dietetics nutrients metabolism organisms
consume province nutrition synthesis
nourishment
1) Improvements in ……………… have been mostly to do with
persuading people to eat less fatty food and more raw vegetables.
2) Exercise is supposed to speed up your ……………….
3) A young baby obtains all the ……………… it needs from its
mother's milk.
4) If you have a balanced ………………, you are getting all the
vitamins you need.
5) ……………… is the scientific study of diet and its effects on
health.
6) Humans may ……………… a wide range of different food
substances.
7) The treatment of disease by modification of the diet lies within the
……………… of the physician and the dietitian.
8) Plants draw minerals and other ……………… from the soil.
9) All living ……………… require food for survival, growth, and
reproduction.
10) Plants need sunlight for the ……………… of their food from
carbon dioxide and water.
WORD STUDY
A. UN-, IM-, IN-, DIS-, AND NON-
The prefixes un-, im-, in-, dis-, and non- can be added to the beginning
of some words. These prefixes mean “not.”
Look at this example:
un- + healthy = unhealthy
Smoking is not good for you. It’s unhealthy.
4 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
Here are other words with these negative prefixes.
un- unimportant, unpopular
im- impossible
in- incomplete, inexpensive
dis- discontinue
non- nonfat
Exercise:
Choose the best word to complete each sentence.
1) A person who is unfriendly is probably ………, too.
A. unpopular B. unusual
C. uncomfortable D. unimportant
2) The service at this restaurant is very slow. It’s ……… to have a
quick lunch here!
A. impossible B. important C. immoral D. immediate
3) The airline will ……… service to that city. It is not a popular place
to go.
A. discontinue B. disagree C. disable D. discover
4) ……… yogurt is better for you than ice cream.
A. Nonstop B. Nonfat C. Nonstandard D. Nonstick
5) Jaime’s homework is ……… because he felt sick last night.
A. inexpensive B. incomplete C. inflexible D. inevitable
B. MENT AND ER
Some nouns and verbs have the same form. We can add a special
ending, or suffix, to other verbs to make noun forms.
Here are some examples:
same form -ment -er
verb noun verb noun verb noun
order order govern government drive driver
drink drink agree agreement own owner
cost cost run runner
work worker
Exercise: Complete the sentences with verbs and nouns from the chart. (If you
need to, make the nouns plural. Also, make sure that each verb
agrees with its subject.)
1) Susan is the fastest ……………… . She can ……………… the
race in less than three minutes.
2) The bus ……………… will not ……………… an unsafe bus.
3) I think the two companies will ……………… to work together.
They will both sign the ……………….
4) – Did Saul ……………… a salad and some tea?
– Yes. Now he’s waiting for his ……………… .
5) Joseph bought a lot of food and ……………… for the get-together.
He hopes that everyone will eat and ……………… a lot.
6)
Even though they……………… hard, most of the ………………
FOOD AND NUTRITION 5
at fast-food restaurants do not make a lot of money.
7) – My aunt is the ……………… of that popular take-out restaurant
on Main Street.
– Does she ……………… the restaurant on Green Street, too?
C. TH AND GHT
Some nouns that end in th or ght are related to similar words that are
not nouns. Read the following pairs of sentences and see how the words
in bold print are related.
1) Some cities grow quickly. Their growth is fast.
2) The street is five kilometers long. The length is five kilometers.
3) The street is fifteen meters wide. Its width is fifteen meters.
4) The lake is thirty meters deep. Its depth is thirty meters.
5) Joanna is very strong. She has a lot of strength.
6) How high is that building? What is its height?
7) Anna weighs 50 kilos. Her weight is 50 kilos.
Exercise:
Now choose the best word for each sentence. Use each word only
once.
depth height strength width
growth length weight
1) The flag is flying high above the ground. The …………………of
that flagpole is about 20 meters.
2) The …………………of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
is about 1,400 meters. It is a very long bridge.
3) What is the …………………of the Pacific Ocean at its deepest
point?
4) People who build houses must be very strong. They must have
great …………………in their arms.
5) Plants need a lot of water to grow. Without it, their ………………
is slow.
6) What is the …………………of your garage? Is it wide enough to
park two cars inside?
7) David is very thin now. He weighs only 49 kilos. He lost a lot of
………………….
STRUCTURE STUDY
THE PASSIVE
A sentence is often written in a passive form when the important idea is
not WHO does something, but WHAT IS DONE.
(a) They measured the extension in the steel bar.
(b) The extension in the steel bar was measured.
6 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
If the doer of the action has some importance (though less than the
object), or is needed to complete the sense of the sentence, it is given,
e.g. ‘A knowledge of statistics is required by every type of scientists.’
Passives can be formed in the following ways:
A tense of be + past participle
active: He cooked the food.
passive: The food was cooked.
Modal + be / have been + past participle
active: He may cook the food.
passive: The food may be cooked.
to be / to have been + past participle
active: He is to cook the food.
passive: The food is to be cooked.
being / having been + past participle
active: Cooking / Having cooked …
passive: Being / Having been cooked …
Exercise:
Rewrite the following sentences in the passive :
1) People apply mathematics in many different activities.
2) People use computers for many different purposes.
3) People use the decimal system even in countries with non-
decimalized systems of weights and measurements.
4) Water covers most of the Earth’s surface.
5) Somebody was cleaning the room when I arrived.
6) Huge ocean waves swept houses into the sea.
7) They have postponed the seminar.
8) A mystery is something that we can explain.
9) We are going to build a new zoo next year.
10) The vegetables didn’t taste very good. People had cooked them for
too long.
11) The situation is serious. We must do something before it’s too late.
12) When we got to the stadium, we found that they had cancelled the
game.
13) They are building a new ring road round the city.
14) I don’t like people telling me what to do.
15) We gave the police the information.
16) We will give you plenty of time to decide.
17) They must first clean sewage in treatment plants.
18) Has anybody told you about ecology?
19) In modern zoos, people can see animals in more natural habitats.
20) He said that he wanted somebody to wake him up at 6.30 next
morning.
ESSENRIAL NUTRIENTS 7
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ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS
READING COMPREHENSION
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Water
The human body contains 50 to 70% water, making it the most abundant
compound in the body. Because there is no storage of water within the
body water must be replaced continually. Water may be obtained from
beverages, foods, and from energy metabolism within the body. Water
functions in temperature regulation, as a solvent, in chemical reactions,
and as a body lubricant. Adults must consume two to three liters of
some form of water each day.
Proteins
Proteins are widely distributed in nature, and no life-forms are known
without them. They are made up of relatively simple organic
compounds, the amino acids, which contain nitrogen and sometimes
sulfur. Humans and animals build the protein they need for growth and
repair of tissues by breaking down the proteins obtained in food into
their component parts, the amino acids, and then building up these
components into proteins of the type needed. The protein-rich foods
from animal sources contain complete proteins, which supply all the
amino acids in the proper proportions necessary in the human diet.
Although it was formerly believed that plant proteins had to be
combined at each meal, research shows that a balanced diet will provide
the proper combinations.
Vitamins and Minerals
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Most foods contain several vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are organic
food substances, needed only in minute quantities but essential for the
normal metabolism of other nutrients. Many vitamins and minerals act
as catalysts or help form catalysts in the body. Minerals – such as
calcium, iodine, and iron – are an essential part of all cells and body
fluids and enter into many functions.
Fats and Carbohydrates
Fats, which are widely distributed in nature, are a concentrated food
source of energy. Fats are glyceryl esters of fatty acids and yield
glycerol and many different fatty acids when broken down by
hydrolysis. Carbohydrates are the most abundant food sources of
energy. Important dietary carbohydrates are divided into two groups –
starches and sugars. The starches, which may be converted into
utilizable sugars in plants or in the human body, are in the grains, the
pulses, the tubers, and some rhizomes and roots. The sugars occur in
many plants and fruits, the most important being sucrose, obtained from
sugarcane or the sugar beet.
Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber, also known as bulk and roughage, is also an essential
element in the diet even though it provides no nutrients. It consists of
plant cellulose and other indigestible materials in foods, along with
pectins and gums. The chewing it requires stimulates saliva flow, and
the bulk it adds in the stomach and intestines during digestion provides
more time for absorption of nutrients. Diets with sufficient fiber produce
softer, bulkier stools and help to promote bowel regularity and avoid
constipation and other disorders, such as diverticulosis.
Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads, and products made from nuts
and legumes are all sources of dietary fiber. A diet overly abundant in
dietary fiber, however, can cut down on the absorption of important
trace minerals during digestion.
Vegetables, fruits, grains, and
legumes constitute a rich
source of dietary fiber.
ESSENRIAL NUTRIENTS 9
Questions: Answer the questions about the reading.
1) What are the essential nutrients in human diet?
2) Where may water be obtained?
3) What are proteins used for?
4) Why are vitamins essential for the normal metabolism of other
nutrients?
5) What are the two groups of important dietary carbohydrates?
True-False:
Write T if the sentence is true and F if it is false.
1) _____ Water functions in temperature regulation, as a solvent, in
chemical reactions, and as a body lubricant.
2) _____ A few life-forms do not have proteins.
3) _____ Vitamins are inorganic food substances, needed only in
minute quantities.
4) _____ Carbohydrates are the most abundant food sources of
energy.
5) _____ A diet overly abundant in dietary fiber can help the
absorption of important trace minerals during digestion.
VOCABULARY
Fill in these statements with the words in the box.
bowel beverages indigestible tuber catalysts
digestion absorption constipated starches balanced
1) You should eat more fiber and fruit if you are ……………….
2) Hot …………… include tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
3) Many vitamins and minerals help form …………… in the body.
4) Research shows that a …………… diet will provide the proper
combinations.
5) Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of
cancer of the …………….
6) A …………… the short thick round part of an underground stem
or root of some plants, such as potatoes, which stores food and
from which new plants grow.
7) Vegetables are usually cooked to aid …………….
8) Vitamin D is necessary to aid the …………… of calcium from
food.
9) Beans can be rather …………….
10) …………… may be converted into utilizable sugars in plants or in
the human body
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WORD STUDY
A. COMPOUND WORDS
A compound word is two smaller words put together. The meaning of
the compound word is related to the meanings of the two words.
Here are some examples:
bird + house = birdhouse (a place for birds to live)
car + wash = carwash (a place to wash your car)
Exercise:
First, make compound words by putting together these pairs of
words.
some + one = …………………………
stop + light = …………………………
bed + room = …………………………
birth + day = …………………………
under + line = …………………………
note + book = …………………………
Now use the compound words to complete the sentences.
1) In class, students write notes in a …………………………
2) I sleep in a bed in my …………………………
3) Cars must stop when the …………………………is red.
4) Next week is my 20th …………………………. I am going to have
a party for all my friends. I will be 20 years old.
5) If the teacher says to put a line under the verb, then we must
………………………… the verb.
6) ………………………… wants to talk to you on the telephone. I
don’t know who it is.
B. -AL, -ABLE, AND -FUL
The suffixes -al, -able, and -ful can be added to the end of some words.
These suffixes mean that something “is full of something” or “has
something.”
Here are some examples:
Roses are beautiful flowers. (full of beauty)
Puerto Rico has many coastal cities. (has a coast)
That is a very comfortable chair. (has comfort)
When you add these suffixes to a word, the new word becomes an
adjective. An adjective describes a noun or a pronoun. It usually comes
before a noun or after the verb be.
ESSENRIAL NUTRIENTS 11
Exercise: Practice making adjectives by adding the suffixes -al, -able, and -ful
to the following words.
Spelling Note: Change y to i before -al and -ful.
noun (add –al) adjective verb (add -able) adjective
coast ……………………… notice ………………………
season ……………………… agree ………………………
industry ……………………… enjoy ………………………
nation ………………………
noun (add -ful) adjective
beauty ………………………
help ………………………
wonder ………………………
Complete each sentence with an adjective from the lists.
1) Most people in Puerto Rico live in …………………… cities.
2) The influence of Spain is very …………………… in San Juan.
3) The people of Puerto Rico are usually …………………… to tourists.
4) San Juan is a modern, …………………… city.
5) Puerto Ricans cannot vote in U.S. …………………… elections.
6) The beaches and mountains of Puerto Rico are ……………………
7) My cousins had a very …………………… time visiting the old city
of San Juan. They bought some souvenirs and had a delicious lunch.
8) In general, Puerto Rico is a …………………… place to visit.
C. -EN
We can change some nouns and adjectives into verbs by adding the
suffix -en. For example, if you add -en to the adjective dark, you get
the word darken. Darken means “to make something dark.”
Exercise:
Look at these examples. Complete the chart.
noun verb adjective verb
strength
length
strengthen
…………
weak
…………
short
weaken
widen
…………
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STRUCTURE STUDY
THE PASSIVE (continued)
When we talk about what other people say, believe, etc we can use
two possible passive forms. Compare:
Active: People say that Mr. Ross is a millionaire.
Passive (1): It is said that Mr. Ross is a millionaire.
Passive (2): Mr. Ross is said to be a millionaire.
We often use these passive forms in a formal style and with verbs
such as: say, think, believe, consider, understand, know, report,
expect, allege, claim, acknowledge, fear.
Exercise:
Read each sentence. Then make two new sentences in the passive.
1) People expect that taxes will be reduced soon.
2) People say that the monument is over 2000 years old.
3) People expect that the president will resign.
4) People think the fire started at about 8 o’clock.
5) Journalists reported that seven people had been injured in the fire.
6) They expect that a new law will be introduced next year.
7) People say that the concert was very good.
8) People allege that the man drove through the town at 90 miles an
hour.
9) They report that many people are homeless after the floods.
10) Those two houses belong to the same family. People say that there
is a secret tunnel between them.
11) They say that the company is losing a lot of money.
12) People expect that the strike will end soon.
13) They believed that the workers had stolen the money.
14) They say that it was designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
15) They say that there is plenty of oil off our coast.
16) People know that there are thousands of different species of
beetles.
17) They suppose that George is an expert in financial matters.
18) They say that thousands of new jobs will be created in the
computer industry.
19) They reported that all the passengers had died in the crash.
20) They say that there are thousands of people waiting to renew their
passports.
FOOD GROUPS 13
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FOOD GROUPS
READING COMPREHENSION
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Bread and Cereal
The bread-cereal group includes all breads and cereals that are whole-
grain, enriched, or restored. The protein content is not high in cereals,
but these products can be a significant source of protein when they are
consumed in large quantities. All cereals are very high in starch, and
they are good, generally inexpensive sources of energy. The fat content
of cereal products generally is very low unless the germ is included.
Whole-grain products contribute significant quantities of fiber and such
trace vitamins and minerals as pantothenic acid, vitamin E, zinc, copper,
manganese, and molybdenum.
Vegetables
Most vegetables are important sources of minerals, vitamins, and
cellulose. Certain vegetables, such as potatoes, contribute appreciable
quantities of starch. Large amounts of the minerals calcium and iron are
in vegetables, particularly beans, peas, and broccoli. Vegetables also
help meet the body's need for sodium, chloride, cobalt, copper,
magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. Carotenes (the
precursor of vitamin A) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) are abundant in
many vegetables. Vegetables are useful as sources of roughage.
Fruits
The nutritional value of fruits varies. Some fruits are composed largely
of water, but contain valuable vitamins. The citrus fruits are a valuable
14 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
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source of vitamin C, and yellow-colored fruits, such as peaches, contain
carotene. Dried fruits contain an ample amount of iron, and figs and
oranges are an excellent source of calcium. Like vegetables, fruits have
a high cellulose content.
Milk
The milk group includes milk and milk products, cheese, and ice cream.
Milk is a complete protein food containing several protein complexes. It
also contains important amounts of most nutrients, but it is very low in
iron and ascorbic acid and low in niacin. Calcium and phosphorus levels
in milk are very high. Vitamin A levels are high in whole milk, but this
fat-soluble vitamin is removed in the production of skim milk.
Riboflavin is present in significant quantities in milk unless the milk has
been exposed to light.
Modern milking parlors
enable few people to
milk and inspect a large
number of cows in a
clean environment.
Meat and Meat Substitutes
The meat and meat substitutes group includes beef; veal; lamb; pork;
organ meats such as liver, heart, and kidney; poultry and eggs; fish and
shellfish; and dried peas, beans, and nuts. The meat group contains
many valuable nutrients. One of its main nutrients is protein, but meat
also contains cholesterol, which is believed to contribute to coronary
artery disease. The minerals copper, iron, and phosphorus occur in
meats in significant amounts, particularly iron and copper in liver.
Different meats vary in their vitamin content. Liver usually contains a
useful amount of vitamin A. Thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, all B
vitamins, occur in significant amounts in all meats.
Other Foods
Butter, margarine, other fats, oils, sugars, or unenriched refined-grain
products are included in the diet to round out meals and satisfy the
appetite. Fats, oils, and sugars are added to other foods during
preparation of the meal or at the table. These foods supply calories and
can add to total nutrients in meals.
FOOD GROUPS 15
Questions: Answer the questions about the reading.
1) What nutrients are provided most by breads and cereals?
2) What nutrients are provided by most vegetables?
3) What kinds of fruit contain vitamin C?
4) Why is milk a valuable food?
5) Why is meat believed to contribute to coronary artery disease?
True-False:
Write T if the sentence is true and F if it is false.
1) _____ Cereals provide a sufficient amount of protein for the
human body’s need.
2) _____ Vegetables contain a significant amount of sodium,
chloride, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese,
phosphorus, and potassium.
3) _____ Vegetables have a high cellulose content, but fruits do not.
4) _____ Vitamin A levels are high in skim milk.
5) _____ Liver usually contains a useful amount of vitamin A.
VOCABULARY
Fill in these statements with the words in the box.
contribute fat-soluble enriched appetite vary
nutritional cholesterol germ mineral roughage
1) The fat content of cereal products generally is very low unless the
………… is included
2) Most breakfast cereals are ………… with vitamins.
3) Certain vegetables, such as potatoes, ………… appreciable
quantities of starch.
4) Fruit and vegetables are important sources of ………….
5) Chemical sweeteners, like preservatives and colorings, have no
value.
6) Vitamin A is a ………… vitamin, so it can dissolve in fat only.
7) Don't spoil your ………… by eating between meals.
8) ………… is thought to be part of the cause of heart disease if there
is too much of it.
9) Different meats ………… in their vitamin content.
10) Many people drink ………… water because they do not want to
drink tap water.
16 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
WORD STUDY
A. RE-
The prefix re- means “to do something again.”
Here is an example:
re- + read = reread (to read again)
If you don’t understand a story the first time you read it, then you
should reread it.
Exercise:
Add the prefix re- to each word in the box. Then choose the correct
word to complete each sentence.
arrange do order tell
build married take write
1) José made many mistakes in his first composition. Before he gives
it to his teacher tomorrow, he is going to ……………………… it.
2) Dave and Susan Johnson got divorced 10 years ago. Last year
Susan got ………………… and moved to Canada with her new
husband.
3) I think I should ……………………… the furniture in my
apartment. The way I have the tables and chairs now makes the
room look crowded.
4) Children love to hear their grandparents tell stories! They often ask
their grandparents to ……………………… their favorite stories
many times.
5) The new waiter at the restaurant forgot our order for dinner, so we
had to …………………… everything.
6) If you don’t get a good score on the TOEFL exam this weekend,
you can …………………… it next month.
B. WORD FORMS: NOUNS
Sometimes verbs and nouns have the same form. Sometimes we can
change adjectives and verbs to nouns by adding a suffix or changing the
form of the word. Look at the nouns below. Notice how they are related
to other words.
-ity same form
adjective noun verb noun
change
control
divorce
change
control
divorce
different form
electric
able
national
necessary
possible
electricity
ability
nationality
necessity
possibility
marry
choose
marriage
choice
FOOD GROUPS 17
Exercise: Practice using direct objects. Choose the correct noun form of the
word in bold print to complete each sentence.
electric
1) Yesterday there was a big storm and we lost the
……………………… at school. Everything was
dark!
national 2) Katarina was born in Spain. Her first language
and her ………………… are Spanish.
marry
3) Parents used to arrange the ………………………
of their child. Now people usually marry the
person they love.
control
4) After 1800 mothers usually stayed home and had
……………………… of the children and the
home.
necessary
5) An education is very important for a good life.
Parents must explain this ………………………
to their children.
able
6) My cousin is able to learn languages very
quickly. She uses this ……………………… in
her job as a tour guide.
choose
7) You must choose which movie to see tonight. I
chose the movie last week. Now it’s your
……………………….
possible
8) Ali doesn’t know where to go on vacation. He
might choose Mexico, but Puerto Rico is another
………………………
C. WORD FORMS: NOUNS
Sometimes in English we can change an adjective to a noun by adding a
suffix or changing the spelling.
Look at the examples. Complete the chart.
-ness
t → ce
adjective noun adjective noun
smooth
happy
weak
smoothness
happiness
………………
important
different
……………
importance
………
silence
When we add a suffix to some verbs, we can make nouns. Sometimes
a verb and a noun have the same form.
Look at these examples.
-ture -er same form
verb noun verb noun verb noun
mix
sign
furnish
mixture
signature
furniture
explore
dry
wash
explorer
dryer
washer
change
work
start
change
work
start
18 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
Exercise: Complete each sentence with the correct form of the word in bold
print.
change
1) The teacher explained the reason for the ………
in the class schedule.
different
2) Modern and traditional clothes are different. Do
you understand the ………………………?
explore
3) James Cook is the name of an ………………
furnish
4) What kind of ……………… do you have in your
apartment?
happy
5) Money does not always bring ……………………
important
6) Social scientists do not understand the
…………………… of animal carvings in Eskimo
society.
mix
7) To make lemonade, mix lemon juice and water.
Then add sugar to the ……………………… .
sign
8) There is a place for your ……………………… at
the bottom of the application. Please sign it.
silent
9) You can almost hear the ……………………… in
northern Canada. It is very peaceful there.
smooth
10) Handling the carvings makes them smoother, and
……………………… improves them.
start
11) The students finished their homework in the
cafeteria only five minutes before the
……………………… of class.
work
12) What kind of ……………………… did you do in
your native country?
STRUCTURE STUDY
THE CAUSATIVE
Form
have object past participle
I am having
How often do you have
We had
Simon has just had
You should have
Are you going to have
a garage
your hair
our computer
a suit
your eyes
new carpets
built at the moment.
cut?
serviced last week.
made.
tested.
fitted in your flat?
Use
We use the structure have something done to talk about something
which we arrange for someone else to do for us.
Compare:
m building a garage at the moment. (I am building the garage
FOOD GROUPS 19
myself.)
m having a garage built at the moment. (I arranged for someone
else to do this for me.”
We can also use have something done when we do not arrange for
someone else to do something for us.
I had my leg broken in a football match.
We had our fence blown down in a storm last week.
We often use have something done un this way when something
unpleasant or unexpected happens to someone.
Note that we can often use get something done instead of have
something done especially in an informal style e.g. I must get this jacket
cleaned.
Exercise:
Complete the sentences using the correct form of having something
done.
1) Are you going to ……………………………………… or shall I
throw them away? (these shoes / repair)
2) My neighbors are ……………………………………… onto their
house at the moment. (an extension / build)
3) I must ……………………………………… They keep falling off.
(my glasses / mend)
4) Where do you …………………………………? It always looks
very nice. (your hair / do)
5) I ……………………………………… on my car last month. (four
new tires / fit)
6) I’ve just ……………………………………… (my suit / dry-clean)
7) Peter ……………………………………… while he was out at
work. (his flat / burgle)
8) Mr. and Mrs. Woods ……………………………………… in a
storm. (the roof of their house / damage)
9) Kate ……………………………………… from her bag while she
was out shopping. (her wallet / steal)
10) My brother ……………………………………… in a football
match. (his nose / break)
20 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
4
FOOD PRESERVATION
READING COMPREHENSION
5
10
15
20
Food preservation is the process of treating and handling food in such a
way as to stop or greatly slow down spoilage to prevent foodborne
illness while maintaining nutritional value, texture and flavor.
Preservation usually involves preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi
and other micro-organisms, as well as retarding the oxidation of fats
which causes rancidity.
Common methods of preserving food include drying, freeze drying,
freezing, vacuum-packing, canning, radiation treatment and adding
preservatives. Other methods that not only help to preserve food, but
also add flavor, include pickling, salting, smoking and curing.
The oldest method of food preservation is by drying, which reduces
water activity sufficient to delay or prevent bacterial growth. Smoking is
sometimes done in conjunction with drying. Although not sufficient by
itself to permit long term storage of food, smoking adds chemicals that
help inhibit the growth of micro-organisms.
Vacuum-packing stores food in a vacuum environment, usually in an
air-tight bag or bottle. The vacuum environment strips bacteria of
oxygen needed for survival, hence preventing the food from spoiling.
Vacuum-packing is commonly used for storing nuts.
Curing draws moisture from the meat through a process of osmosis.
Meat is cured with salt or sugar, or a combination of the two. Nitrates
and nitrites are also often used to cure meat.
FOOD PRESERVATION 21
Method Effect on microbial growth or survival
Refrigeration or chilling Low temperature to retard growth
Freezing Low temperature and reduction of water
activity to prevent growth
Drying, curing and conserving Reduction in water activity sufficient to delay
or prevent growth
Vacuum and oxygen free modified
atmosphere packaging
Low oxygen tension in inhibit strict aerobes
and delay growth of facultive anaerobes
Carbon dioxide enriched modified
atmosphere packaging
Specific inhibition of some micro-organisms
by carbon dioxide
Addition of acids Reduction of pH value and sometimes
additional inhibition by the particular acid
Lactic fermentation Reduction of pH value in situ by microbial
action and sometimes additional inhibition by
the lactic and acetic acids formed and by other
microbial products. (e.g. ethanol, bacteriocins)
Emulsification Compartmentalisation and nutrient limitation
within the aqueous droplets in water-in-oil
emulsion foods
Addition of preservatives Inhibition of specific groups of micro-
organisms
Pasteurization and appertization Delivery of heat sufficient to inactivate target
micro-organisms to the desired extent
food irradation (Radurization,
radicidation and radappertization)
Delivery of ionising radiation
Application of high hydrostatic
pressure (Pascalization)
Pressure-inactivation of vegetative bacteria,
yeasts and moulds
Main food preservation methods
25
30
35
Pickling is a method of preserving food by placing it in either a brine
(high in salt), or a solution of vinegar which is too acidic to permit
bacterial growth.
Canning involves cooking fruits or vegetables, sealing them in sterile
cans or jars, and boiling the containers to kill or weaken any remaining
bacteria. Various foods have varying degrees of natural protection
against spoilage and may require that the final step occur in a pressure
cooker. High-acid fruits like strawberries require no preservatives to can
and only a short boiling cycle, whereas marginal fruits such as tomatoes
require longer boiling and addition of other acidic elements. Many
vegetables require pressure canning.
A 1950s issue of Popular Mechanics details the impending arrival of
"food irradiation". However, at the present time, the implications
surrounding the irradiation of food are still not fully understood, and the
technology is therefore still not in widespread use. However, irradiation
of potatoes, strawberries, and meat is common in many countries where
22 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
40
45
refrigerated facilities and trucks are not common. In 2002, the FDA
permitted irradiation of meat and poultry to reduce the spread of E. coli
and Salmonella. In the US and most of Europe irradiation of spices is
common, as the only alternative (treatment with gas) has been shown to
be potentially carcinogenic. The process is incorrectly called
"pasteurization" to avoid the reduced sales that arise from the correct
term of "irradiation".
A tomato cannery in Modesto, California
Questions:
Answer the questions about the reading.
1) What is the definition of food preservation?
2) What are some common methods of preserving food?
3) Why can vacuum-packing prevent the food from spoiling?
4) What is pickling?
5) Why is food irradiation still not in widespread use?
True-False:
Write T if the sentence is true and F if it is false.
1) _____ Food preservation is aimed to stop or greatly slow down
spoilage to prevent foodborne illness.
2) _____ The oxidation of proteins causes rancidity.
3) _____ Pickling, salting, smoking and curing not only help to
preserve food, but also add flavor.
4) _____ Various foods have varying degrees of natural protection
against spoilage.
5) _____ Irradiation of spices can cause cancer.
FOOD PRESERVATION 23
VOCABULARY
Fill in these statements with the words in the box.
osmosis carcinogenic spices preservatives pasteurization
poultry bacteria preserved implications facilities
1) Olives are usually ………… in brine.
2) ………… are chemicals used to keep especially food from
decaying.
3) Curing draws moisture from the meat through a process of ……….
4) Irradiation of potatoes, strawberries, and meat is common in many
countries where refrigerated ………… and trucks are not common.
5) Many people who give up eating meat and ………… carry on
eating fish.
6) The introduction of …………, which kills micro-organisms by
heat, has been a major factor in making milk safer to drink.
7) They are studying the ………… effects of some pesticides used on
fruit.
8) Illnesses caused by ………… can often be treated with antibiotics.
9) Cinnamon, ginger and cloves are all ………….
10) At the present time, the ………… surrounding the irradiation of
food are still not fully understood.
WORD STUDY
A. WORD FORMS: NOUN ENDINGS
So far you have studied many common noun endings. Look at the word
list below and notice how the nouns are related to the other words.
noun adjective verb
1) similarity similar —
2) crowd crowded crowd
3) excellence excellent excel
4) payment — pay
5) equipment — equip
6) popularity popular popularize
7) weakness weak weaken
8) pleasure pleasant please
24 ENGLISH FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES
Exercise: Choose the correct word form to complete each sentence. Some
nouns may need to be made plural. Use a word from line 1 in
sentence 1, and so on.
1) There are several major …………………… between life in the
United States and in Canada.
2) Lots of people went to the movie theater last night. There was a big
……………………… waiting outside to buy tickets.
3) Keiko had no mistakes on her test yesterday. The teacher wrote
“……………………!” on the top of her test. Keiko was very
happy.
4) If you take a loan from the bank to buy a car, you must make a
…………………… every month until you pay all the money back.
5) Tennis shoes and other sports …………………… are usually very
expensive.
6) It’s hard to understand the …………………… of video games.
Many people play them, but I don’t like them.
7) David is very good at speaking and reading English. His major
…………………… is writing, so he practices all the time.
8) I was so happy when I received a letter from my best friend at
home. It is such a …………………… to get mail when you are far
away from family and friends.
B. - LESS
The suffix less means “without” or “not having something.”
Here is an example:
The number of English words to learn is endless. (“without end”)
Exercise: Add the suffix -less to each word. Then choose the best word for
each sentence.
care ………………… change …………………
hope ………………… worth …………………
help ………………… thought …………………
end ………………… sleep …………………
1) Babies cannot take care of themselves. Someone must help them
because they are …………………….
2) Stephan found an old coin. He thought it was gold, but it wasn’t. In
fact, it had no value. It was …………………….
3) You must take your time and be careful when you write. If you try
to hurry, you will make …………………… mistakes.
4) Michael was sick last night so he could not sleep. Today in class he
was very tired after such a …………………… night.
5) Helen said something that hurt my feelings. I know she didn’t want
to hurt my feelings. She just wasn’t thinking. She made a
…………………… mistake.