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EnhancingtheTasteofOurFoodAWhatareyourfavoritefoods?Doyoulikepizza,hamburgers,roastpork,orsweetcakesandcookies?Chancesarethat,whateveryoulikebest,ithasastrongtasteandasalty,sweetorsavoryflavor.Peoplegenerallyliketoeattastyfoods,andthiscancreatepotentialhealthproblems,especiallywiththeconsumptionoffastorprocessedfood.Fastfoodtraditionallycontainalotofsaltorsugar,becausethisisacheapwaytomakefoodtastegoodanditencouragespeopletobuymorecookies,chipsandsoftdrinks,forexample.However,peoplearebecomingincreasinglyawareofthedangersofanunhealthydiet,andthemanufacturersofprocessedfoodknowthatsaleswillincreaseiftheycanadvertisethattheirproductshavelesssaltorsugar.Theyalsoknowthatiftheirproducttastesblandorboring,noamountofhealthbenefitswillmakeitapopularchoicewithconsumers,andtheywilllosemoneyiftheirproductisnotpopular.However,anewtechnologyiscurrentlybeingdevelopedthatmayallowfastfoodmanufacturerstoreducesaltandsugarwithoutsacrificingtaste.BIfyoustickoutyourtongueandlookinthemirror,youwillseethatitiscoveredwithtinybumps.Thesebumpsarecalledtastebudsandtheyarethereceptorsinyourskinthatallowustotastedifferentkindsoffoods.Therearefivedifferenttastereceptors,forsweet,salty,sour,bitterandsavoryflavors.Whenwearebornwehavealotoftheseontheroofofourmouthaswellasonourtongue,butaswegetolder,welosetastebuds,whichiswhyolderpeoplefindithardertotastethings.Adultstypicallyhaveabout10,000tastebuds,butolderpeoplemayhaveasfewas5,000.Wehavemorereceptorsforbittertastesthanforanyothers;researchersthinkthatthismaybebecausethesetastebudswarnusiffoodispoisonous.CThefoodthatweeatcontainsnaturalchemicalsthatfitintothedifferentshapedreceptorsonourtongues;forexample,sweetfoodstriggerthesweetreceptors.Thetechnologytomimic,orcopy,thesenaturalflavorswithchemicalssuchasaspartameisacommoningredientinmanydietsoftdrinksandotherdietproducts.Whileaspartameallowsustoexperienceasweettastewithouteatingsugar,italsohasdisadvantages.Firstly,manypeopledonotlikeitsbitteraftertaste,andsecondly,somepeoplesaythatitisbadforhealthiftakeninlargequantities.DHowever,anewtechnologyisbeingdevelopedthatmaybeanimprovementonartificialsweetenersandotherchemicals.Tasteenhancerstargetthetastereceptorsonourtonguesandtheymakeusmoresensitivetosweet,sourorsaltytastes.Justafewmoleculesofatasteenhancercoulddoublethesweetnesseffectofateaspoonofsugar,orthesaltyeffectofateaspoonofsalt.Thismeansthatinsteadofusingartificialchemicalstomakefoodtasty,foodmanufacturerscouldusehalfthequantityoftherealsubstanceandatinyquantityoftasteenhancertomakethefoodtastegood.Thishasthepotentialtosavefoodmanufacturersmoney,byreplacinglargequantitiesofsugarandsaltwithtinyamountsofchemicals.Itcouldalsobenefitourhealthifwecaneatfoodthattastesgoodandislowinsugarandsalt.ETasteenhancershaveotheradvantages,too.Peoplegenerallydonotlikebittertastingfood,butreversingthistechnologysothatthebittertastereceptorsareblockedinsteadofstimulatedmayreducethebittertasteofsomehealthyfoods.Thismeans,forexample,thatpeoplemaybepersuadedtoeatmoresoyprotein.FTasteenhancertechnologyisverynewtothemarketplace,andasyetitisnotwidelyused,butithasthepotentialtomakeasignificantchangetotheprocessedfoodindustry,andtoimprovethehealthinessofmanyfastfoods.IELTSTypeQuestionsMultipleChoice1.Manufacturersknowthattheirsaleswillimprove:a.iftheirfoodtastesblandorboringb.iftheytellpeopletheyhavereducedthesugarandsaltc.iftheytellpeopletheyhaveincreasedthesugarandsalt2.Theartificialsweetenerthatmanufacturersaddtofoodis:a.achemicalb.adietproductc.anaturalflavor3.Insteadofusingartificialchemicalstomakefoodtastebetter,manufacturerscould:a.adddoublethequantityoftasteenhancerb.addhalfthequantityoftasteenhancerc.addaverysmallquantityoftasteenhancer4.Anotherbenefitoftasteenhancersis:a.peoplewillenjoybittertastinghealthyfoodb.peoplewilleatmoreunhealthyfoodc.peoplewillreversetheireatinghabits5.Tasteenhancershavethepotentialto:a.makepeoplestopeatingsomuchprocessedfoodb.makehealthychangestoindustriallyproducedfoodc.makeallthefoodweeathealthierandbetterforusSentenceCompletionCompletethesentencesbelow.ChooseNOMORETHANTWOWORDSfromthepassageforeachanswer.6.Whenwearebornwehavetastebudsontheroofofour_____________andonour___________.7.Researchersbelievethatoneofthefunctionsofthebittertastebudsistotellusiffoodis______________.8.Ateaspoonofsugarcouldtastetwiceassweetifa____________oftasteenhancerisadded.9.Replacingsomeofthesaltandsugarwithsmallamountsofchemicalscouldsavemoneyfor________________.IdentificationofInformationDothefollowingstatementsagreewiththeinformationgiveninthepassage?TRUEifthestatementagreeswiththeinformationFALSEifthestatementcontradictstheinformationNOTGIVENifthereisnoinformationfromthepassage10.Consumersarehappytobuyhealthyfoodevenifittastesblandorboring._____11.Tastebudsenablethebodytotastefoodsofmanyflavors._____12.Youngerpeoplecantastemoreflavorsthanolderpeople._____13.Bittertastebudsaremoreuncommonthanothertastebuds._____14.AspartameisachemicalproducedinlargequantitiesintheUSA._____15.Artificialsweetenersandotherchemicalscausetoothdecay._____16.Tasteen