Welcome everyone to the Final Debate Contest 2024!
Today, we will be exploring a very familiar yet fascinating topic – sugar.
Sugar is basically a sweet substance, often found in the form of white or brown
crystals, made from the juices of various plants. While it's common in our daily lives,
sugar has a rather simple chemical structure, consisting of just two molecules
/ˈmɒl.ɪ.kjuːl/: one molecule of glucose bound to one molecule of fructose.
In a nutshell, sugar is just a carbohydrate. Carbohydrates, along with fat and protein,
are macronutrients //ˌmæk.rəʊˈnjuː.tri.ənt/ that provide the body with energy. You can
find carbohydrates in all plant and dairy foods and beverages that supply your body
with calories.
However, this seemingly simple white substance is actually quite controversial
/ˌkɑːn.trəˈvɝː.ʃəl/. The question today is that, is sugar bad for us?
According to statistical /stəˈtɪs.tɪ.kəl/ interpretations /ɪnˌtɝː.prəˈteɪ.ʃən/ from the
WHO, “each day, the average person consumes more than 20 teaspoons of sugar
without even realizing it – an astounding /əˈstaʊn.dɪŋ/ figure compared to the
recommendations by nutrition experts.” So, do you know where all this sugar is
coming from? It’s not just from spooning sugar directly into your food, but from soft
drinks, candy, processed foods, and more. The appeal of these unhealthy food and
beverage options has led to many people becoming addicted to sugar. However, the
harmful effects of excessive /ekˈses.ɪv/sugar consumption are similar to those of
tobacco /təˈbæk.oʊ/, according to Robert Lustig. This means sugar can lead to
serious health issues, with obesity /oʊˈbiː.sə.t̬i/ being one of the most concerning.
The dangers of sugar have become so widespread that many documentaries criticize
/ˈkrɪt̬.ɪ.saɪz/ major food corporations /ˌkɔːr.pəˈreɪ.ʃən/ like Nestlé and PepsiCo for
adding excessive amounts of sugar to their products.
Despite these harmful effects, sugar isn’t banned. In fact, governments are just
considering the implementation /ˌɪm.plə.menˈteɪ.ʃən/ of sugar taxes. This raises an
argument against: Can we live without sugar?
"And now, we have two excellent teams that have made it to the final
today. On the Disagree side, we have Duyên An and Phương Thảo; and on the
Agree side, Huy Hoàng and his partner. However, I’d like to inform everyone
that Huy Hoang’s partner could not join us today due to an unexpected illness
and has had to return to his country. Therefore, the Agree team will be
represented by just one person. So, Huy Hoàng, do you feel more pressured
now as you have to be alone on this importatnt round?
…
Oh, I feel your confidence and readiness. Alright, don’t let everyone wait
longer, leét get started. So now is Disagree team viewpoint. So, please.
…. Alright, Disagree team has made their points. So it’s Agree team turn
to argue.
… Thank you both for your arguments. Now, it’s time for our examiner,
Thiên Bảo, to share his opinion on your performances and make the final
decision on who will be crowned the champion today.
