METU / SFL Fall 2024

DBE
RHO 4 401 GROUP
READING PRACTICE
(Instructor's Copy)
Text I. Read the text below, and answer the questions that follow.
Ultra-processed foods: It’s not just their low nutritional value that’s a concern
1 In countries such as the UK, US, and Canada, ultra-processed foods now account for 50% or more of calories
consumed. Ultra-processed foods are mixtures of industrial ingredients – additives such as thickeners and
artificial flavors – that are combined with food products through a series of manufacturing processes. Sugary
drinks, many breakfast cereals, and some recently developed products, such as so-called “plant-based”
burgers, are all ultra-processed foods. These burgers are typically made of protein isolates (types of protein
powder that have undergone processing to help separate the protein that you want) and other chemicals to
make the products tasty. The extreme industrial processes that are used in the production of ultra-processed
foods destroy the natural structure of the food ingredients and remove many beneficial nutrients1, such as
fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
2 Many of us are well aware that ultra-processed foods are harmful to our health. They have been linked to a
number of health conditions, including a greater risk of obesity and various chronic diseases. However, it is
still unclear if this is simply because ultra-processed foods are of poor nutritional value. In other words,
health risks that they cause may or may not be related to the fact that they lack beneficial nutrients.
Recently, two new studies have shown just that. The first study, which looked at over 20,000 Italian adults,
found that participants who consumed the highest number of ultra-processed foods had an increased risk of
dying prematurely from any cause. The second study, which looked at over 50,000 US male health
professionals, found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of
colon cancer.
3 What’s more interesting about these studies is that the health risks from eating a diet high in ultra-processed
foods remained even after they took into consideration the poor nutritional quality of these diets. This
suggests that other factors contribute to the harms of ultra-processed foods. The study results also imply
that getting the right nutrients elsewhere in the diet may not be enough to cancel out the risk of disease
from consuming ultra-processed foods. Similarly, attempting to improve the nutritional value of ultra-
processed foods by adding a few more vitamins leads the food industry to avoid the basic problem with
these foods.
4 So, what factors may explain why ultra-processed foods are so harmful to our health? The Italian study
found that the signs of inflammation2, such as a higher number of white blood cells, were observed in groups
that ate the most ultra-processed foods. Our bodies may activate an inflammatory 2 response for several
reasons – for example, if we catch a cold. The body responds by sending signals to our immune cells to attack
any invading bacteria or viruses. Usually, our inflammatory response ends quickly, but some people develop
chronic inflammation. This can cause tissue damage and is associated with many diseases.
5 Many studies have found that poor diets can increase inflammation in the body, and that this is linked
to higher risk of chronic diseases. Signs of inflammation were seen in participants of the Italian study who
ate the most ultra-processed foods. Inflammation may contribute to our understanding of why ultra-
processed foods increase disease risk. Some common food additives in ultra-processed foods (such as
thickeners and artificial sweeteners) increase inflammation in the gut by causing changes to the gut
microbiome, that is, the good bacteria that live in the digestive system. Some researchers have theorized
that ultra-processed foods increase inflammation because they are recognized by the body as foreign –
much like invading – bacteria. So, the body gives an inflammatory response, which has been dubbed “fast
food fever.” This increases inflammation throughout the body.
6 Inflammatory responses are hard-wired in our bodies, so they are permanent and cannot be changed. The
best way to prevent them from happening is by not eating ultra-processed foods at all. Some plant-based
diets high in natural, unprocessed foods, such as the Mediterranean diet, have also been shown to be anti-
inflammatory. This may also explain why plant-based diets that are free from ultra-processed foods can help
protect against chronic diseases. However, it’s currently not known to what extent an anti-inflammatory diet
can help counteract the effects of ultra-processed foods.
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7 Simply reducing your intake of ultra-processed foods may be a challenge. To begin with, ultra-processed
foods are designed to be hyper-palatable. Hyper-palatable foods contain certain combinations of sugar, fat,
salt, and carbohydrates which tap into the brain's reward system and may make it impossible for us to stop
eating them. Secondly, there is the role of persuasive marketing. This kind of marketing applies what we
know about human psychology to develop techniques to sell products. Companies that use persuasive
marketing produce advertisements that appeal to customers’ needs and wants. These two features of ultra-
processed foods can make resisting them an enormous challenge for some people. These foods are also not
labelled as such on food packaging. The best way to identify them is by looking at their ingredients. Typically,
things such as thickeners, protein isolates and other industrial-sounding products are a sign that it is an ultra-
processed food. The best way to avoid the harms of ultra-processed foods is to make meals from scratch,
without using any packaged ingredients, only natural foods.
1
nutrient: any substance that plants or animals need in order to live and grow
2
inflammation: a process by which your body's white blood cells protect you from infection from outside invaders,
such as bacteria and viruses (adj. form: “inflammatory”)
A. Choose the best answer OR complete the blank with the correct information from the text.
1. Which of the following is mentioned in para. 1 as a feature of “plant-based” burgers?
a) They are mostly made up of natural food ingredients.
b) They have some added nutrients that make them healthy.
c) They include substances that make them taste good.
2. According to para. 2, what do the two new studies on ultra-processed foods show about their effects?
The health risks that ultra-processed foods cause may or may not be related to the fact that they lack
beneficial nutrients.
Note to the Instructor: Please remind the students of the importance of removing “in other words” while
formulating their answers.
3. According to para. 3, what does the food industry do to avoid the basic problem with ultra-processed
foods?
They attempt to improve their nutritional value by adding a few more vitamins.
Note to the Instructor: Please tell the students that if they omitted “by adding a few more vitamins,” their
answer would not seem complete, and that they should not risk omitting relevant and necessary
information.
4. “This” in para. 4 refers to: (developing) chronic inflammation
5. According to para. 5, how do some researchers explain the link between ultra-processed foods and
inflammation?
a) When people with higher risk of chronic diseases mostly eat ultra-processed foods, inflammation occurs.
b) The body attacks the ingredients in ultra-processed foods, and this causes inflammation.
c) Ultra-processed foods lead to inflammation by increasing the bacteria population in the body.
6. The word “dubbed” in para. 5 probably means __________.
a) discovered b) assumed c) called
7. What is the main idea of para. 6?
a) Because the Mediterranean diet is plant-based, it helps prevent the harmful effects of ultra-processed
foods.
b) It is difficult to explain why an anti-inflammatory diet cannot reduce the impacts of ultra-processed foods.
c) The best way to avoid inflammation that is caused by ultra-processed foods is to consume natural foods
only.

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 B. Fill in the blanks with NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS according to the information in para. 7. Do
not change the form of the words.
It is very hard to reduce our consumption of ultra-processed foods. First of all, some of their
ingredients activate the reward system in the brain, so sometimes we can’t (1) _stop eating
them__________________. Secondly, in order to attract customers, companies apply persuasive
marketing techniques by using their knowledge of (2)___human psychology________________.
Advertisements that answer consumers’ (3a)_wants/needs_______________ and
(3b)__needs/wants______________ are examples of such marketing techniques. In addition, you
cannot find labels which state that they are ultra-processed foods on their
(4)___packaging________________, so you need to check out the ingredients.

Text II. Read the text below, and answer the questions that follow.
1 As people around the world travel more and receive more formal education, languages are predicted to
disappear at an alarming rate. Denser road networks, higher levels of education, and even climate
change are just a few of the factors that could lead to the loss of more than 20% of the world’s 7,000
languages by the end of the century. This is equal to the loss of one language per month.

2 Based on a new model similar to those that are used for predicting species loss, a team of biologists,
mathematicians, and linguists has determined that, without effective conservation, language loss will
increase five-fold by 2100. “This is a dreadful statistic,” says Lindell Bromham, team leader from
Australian National University. Current language loss estimates vary considerably. Some of these predict
that up to 90% of languages might no longer be spoken at the start of the next century. Evolutionary
biologists Bromham and her colleagues thought that getting a more statistically reliable view of language
diversity loss has only been possible by borrowing modelling techniques from studies on biodiversity
loss. “The loss of a language is in a way like the loss of a species in nature. Every time a language is lost,
we lose a rich source of cultural information; we lose a unique and beautiful expression of human
creativity,” she says.

3 They analyzed 6,511 languages that are still spoken but are in danger of extinction or have stopped to be
spoken – known as “sleeping” languages. They compared the languages’ endangerment status – the risk
of becoming a lost language – with 51 criteria. These include legal recognition of the language,
demographics, education policies, environmental features, and socioeconomic indicators. They found
that having other languages nearby isn’t a risk factor for language loss. In fact, says Bromham, many
communities become multilingual when they are close to other languages. On the other hand, their
study suggested that being in a remote geographic location – like living in a valley among high
mountains on an island – doesn’t make people more likely to hold on to their language. The researchers
also discovered risk factors on a regional level, says Bromham. For example, larger rural areas were
connected with more language loss in parts of Africa, while in Europe, increased temperatures were
linked to greater endangerment, such as the language loss observed in parts of Scandinavia. However,
she adds, more studies are needed to understand these connections.

4 More concentrated road networks were also linked with higher levels of language loss on a global scale,
says Bromham. This could be due to the fact that roads increase the travelling between rural areas and
larger towns. This, in turn, leads to a greater influence of commerce and centralized government and the
language associated with them. The language used in commerce and in government institutions
becomes the dominant language. Higher levels of education were also found as another factor that
leads to greater loss of local languages across the globe, says Bromham. “This is a very worrying result,”
she says. “But I want to emphasize that we are not saying formal education is bad or that children
shouldn’t go to school. Rather, we’re saying that we need to make sure that education systems support
bilingualism so that children can get the benefit of education without the cost to their own knowledge of
indigenous language.”

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5 Marybeth Nevins, a linguist and anthropologist at Middlebury College finds it both troubling and
understandable that schooling could lead to endangerment of languages. “Schooling establishes a whole
set of practices that influences a person’s life from all aspects” says Nevins. On the other hand, while
20th century schools were based on single language learning, modern digital technology allows for
multilingualism in government institutions, including schools, she says. “With adequate indigenous
language resources, schooling will not lead to endangerment.” Schools like One Arm Point Remote
Community School in Western Australia integrate traditional culture and knowledge into the curriculum
through the inclusion of Elders, rangers, and community members. Students create material in the Bardi
language, Australian English, and Aboriginal English. One outcome was the national award-winning book
Our World: Bardi Jaawi Life at Ardiyooloon. According to Nevins, holding onto local languages is critical.
They need to be protected. If they are not, important links to the past and cultural elements are lost.

6 An example of a group of languages that has long been endangered is the indigenous American tribal
languages. Ever since European colonists arrived on the continent in the 16 th century, they have tried to
assimilate indigenous populations. In the 19th century, indigenous children were forced into special
boarding schools that were run by Christian missionaries. These boarding schools separated families for
years, stripped children of their traditional clothing and hairstyles, taught them English, and punished
them for speaking their native languages. Many children died and abuse was widespread. “Someone
else's ancestors came along and took away their language forcibly, took away their rights,” says Natasha
Warner, a linguist working on the native American Mutsun language revival* project at the University of
Arizona. “Holding onto local languages means that the descendants come along and say, ‘I want to get
my heritage back. I want to get my people's culture back.’ Language is a big route into that,” she says.

*revival: the process of becoming active again

A. Find the word in the text that means the following. Write ONE WORD on the line, and DO NOT
change the form of the word.
frightening (para. 2) :__dreadful____________________
B. Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. According to para. 2, what was Bromham and her colleagues’ purpose in borrowing the models that
are used for biodiversity loss?
To get a more statistically reliable view of language diversity loss

2. According to para. 3, a community has a higher chance of conserving its native language when
_______.
a) its language has an official status of a “sleeping” language
b) its inhabitants are physically close to other language communities
c) changing weather conditions make the area it is spoken more favorable

3. In para. 4, according to Bromham, what is a possible negative effect of formal education on local
languages?
It might lead to greater loss of local languages. OR
It might cost students their own knowledge of indigenous/native language.

4. According to Marybeth Nevins, what would make it possible to integrate multilingualism in schools
alongside modern digital technology?
Adequate indigenous language resources

5. In para. 5, why does Nevins think that indigenous people must hold onto their local language?
So that important links to the past and cultural elements are not lost./

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 They must hold onto them because if they don’t (protect them), important links to the past and
cultural elements are lost.
Note to the Instructor: If the students write only “If they are not, important links to the past and
cultural elements are lost”, this is NOT acceptable because “they” in this sentence refers to local
languages and causes confusion.

6. What is the writer’s purpose in para. 6?

a) To give a historical background on the life of Indigenous American tribes before the arrival of
European colonists
b) To explain the process of how Indigenous American cultures were taken by the dominant European
culture and became endangered
c) To describe the studies that linguists have done to bring back the Indigenous American cultures and
languages to life