Test Your Diet IQ

by Joy Bauer in Parade’s “Healthystyle” March/April 2010, p. 7.

Smart food choices can make a huge difference in your waistline and in your health. Take the following quiz and find out how good you are at separating fact from fiction.

TRUE or FALSE? (Circle T or F.)

1. Olive oil is less fattening than butter. T or F

2. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCCS) is worse for you than regular sugar.
T or F

3. Eating at night won’t pack on more pounds than eating during the day.
T or F
1.
2.
3.


* Your IQ is your Intelligence Quotient, a test to assess “how smart you are.”

1. Olive oil is less fattening than butter. T or F
FALSE.
One tablespoon of olive oil is approximately 120 calories compared to 100 for butter. But a food can be fattening and still be good for you. Olive oil contains heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fat. Butter contains artery-clogging saturated fat. I would choose olive oil over butter. I just wouldn’t overdo it.

2. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than regular sugar.
FALSE
Since high-fructose corn syrup is cheaper to produce than sugar, food manufacturers cram it into cookies, candy, cereals, and into just about anything that requires a sweetener. Rather than banning it from your diet, you’re better off cutting back on sugar from ALL sources. That includes honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, agave syrup, and fruit-juice concentrate, which are found in many so-called “healthy” treats.

3. Eating at night won’t pack on more pounds than eating during the day.
TRUE
The only thing that matters is how much you eat over the course of a day. Excess calories from any source, eaten at any time, will be stored as fat unless you burn them off. On the other hand, stopping nighttime snacking can be an effective diet strategy. It reduces the amount of high-cal junk food we typically eat in front of the television after dinner.

VOCABULARY
Let’s find some synonyms. Compare your answers to your partner’s.
You can also try to write your own sentences using the new word.

For example true = correct, right false = incorrect, wrong
a. She’s a smart woman.
smart (adj.) ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
b. He crammed for an hour before the exam.
to cram (v) ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

c. The government banned the book, Tom Sawyer.
to ban (v) _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
d. I have to cut back on the amount of salt I eat.
to cut back (v) __________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
e. Too much bread is fattening.
to be fattening (adj,) __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
f. Exercise, but don’t overdo it.
to overdo (something) ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
g. It is approximately 4:00. I have approximately $5.
approximately (adverb)_________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
h. The airlines are now charging more money for excess weight.
excess (adjective) ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
i. If you pour oil down the drain, it will clog it up.
to clog (v); clogging (adj.) ______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
j. After doing a wonderful performance at school, all the children ate their treats.
treats (noun, plural) (examples are fine) ____________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
k. She never eats a meal. She only snacks.
to snack (verb) ______________________________________________________
snacking (noun) ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
l. I have a good strategy for learning new words – I write my own sentences for practice.
strategy (n)____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
k. My family typically goes to Chinatown for dim sum on Sundays.
typically (adv.) ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

GRAMMAR

1. What verbs should you use with these words?
verb adjective verb noun
be different make a difference
interesting an interest
interested
expensive an expense
necessary a necessity

2.
Compare a noun to another noun using these ADJECTIVE + INFINITIVE “THAN”
faster to cook than
For example: White rice is faster to cook than brown rice.
Potatoes are faster to cook than corn.
YOUR TURN
Be careful. If your subject is plural, use a plural verb. If it’s singular, use a singular verb.
a.___________________________cheaper to produce than ______________________
b.___________________________safer to drive than ___________________________
c.___________________________better to eat than___________________________
d.___________________________more expensive to buy than_____________________
e.___________________________easier to use than ___________________________
f.___________________________tastier to drink than___________________________
g.___________________________nicer to talk to than ___________________________

3. A. BE BETTER OFF doing something
You’re better off _________ing than ______________ing something else.
For example: You’re better off taking the bus than walking.

I’m better off ______________________________ than __________________________
He’s ___________________________________________________________________
She was ________________________________________________________________


B. Rather than walking, you’re better off taking the bus.

Rather than eating candy, __________________________________________________
Rather than doing my homework in the afternoon, I’m ____________________________
Rather than ______________________________________________________________


Sugar content of selected common plant foods Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits and vegetables.

Fruit
apples apricots, bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, pears

Vegetables
red beets, carrots, sweet corn, sweet red peppers, sweet onion, sweet potatoes, yams, sugar cane, sugar beets

HFCS is a mixture of fructose and glucose that comes from corn and is used
in processed foods
soft drinks, yogurt, industrial bread, cookies, salad dressing, tomato soup

CONVERSATION
Talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.

1. It’s my birthday and I have invited you to my party. There is a big cake, and everybody is going to get a piece. You are trying to lose weight, and you think the cake looks too fattening, but you don’t want to insult me. You don’t want to eat any cake, so what could you say to me?


_____________________________________________________________

2. We are going on a picnic together. You are going to bring the chicken and I’m going to bring the fruit. What kind of fruit would you like me to bring?

_____________________________________________________________

3. We also have another friend who is going to join us for our picnic. We want him
or her to bring something to eat. We want it to be something nutritious. What should we ask that person to bring?

_____________________________________________________________
4. What do you like to eat in front of the television?

_____________________________________________________________

For Mother on Mother's Day

MOTHER (1914)
words by Howard Johnson
music by Theodore Morse

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

1. This is a song built on an ACROSTIC.

Acrostic poems are easy to write, and some of the easiest acrostic poems use names. Let’s pretend your name is Joe.

J
O
E

Now think of a word or a phrase that describes you that begins with the letter J. Then think of a word or phrase that begins with O. Finally, think of a word or phrase that begins with E. Here's what your acrostic poem might look like:

Jolly
Outgoing
Excellent

Try this: Write your first name vertically and pick some adjectives that describe you.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What are the subjects and verbs in this song?
Subject Verb Tense

1. _________________ ________________ ______________
2. _________________ ________________ ______________
3. _________________ ________________ ______________
4. _________________ ________________ ______________
5. _________________ ________________ ______________
6. _________________ ________________ ______________
7. _________________ ________________ ______________
8. _________________ ________________ ______________
9. _________________ ________________ ______________
10. _________________ ________________ ______________
11. _________________ ________________ ______________
12. _________________ ________________ ______________
13. _________________ ________________ ______________

3. What rhymes with what?
a. “old” rhymes with _______________ b. “right” rhymes with ______________
c. “be” rhymes with ______________

4. What phrase means “to cry.” __________________________

5. What phrase means “she would give you anything she could”.


6. What phrase means “Nothing is more important than this. This is the most important thing to me.” _________________________________________________

7. In English, the phrase “She has a heart of gold” means what?

____________________________________________________________________________

8. If I say, “She means the world to me,” can you say this in other words?

___________________________________________________________________________
Tell me who means (or meant) the world to you.

Reduce Your Sodium Intake

The Sunday Examiner, March 29, 2009

Despite recommendations to limit sodium intake to reduce or avoid high blood pressure, Americans are eating more salt than ever.
The average American consumes about 3,000-5,000 mg of salt each day. The recommendation for healthy adults is 2,300 mg, which is equal to about 1 teaspoon of table salt (sodium chloride). Those who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure are urged to reduce intake to below 1,500 mg. Many struggle with lowering the sodium in their diets, but is it really that hard? It all depends on your food choices.
Where is the salt?
Though we can all picture friends who blindly reach for the saltshaker, only 6 percent of the sodium we eat comes from what we sprinkle. A staggering 77 percent of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from processed and restaurant foods. About 12 percent is naturally occurring in foods and 5 percent is added when cooking meals at home.
Sodium is used as a preservative to keep foods fresher longer and to enhance flavor. Some reduced-calorie foods replace fat with sodium to make up for the reduction in flavor.
What to do?
Check the labels on all packaged and processed foods for listings of sodium content. Some of the more common high-sodium foods include: cold cuts, salad dressings, snack foods, processed cheese, and canned foods. Often, the more “ready-to-eat” a packaged food is, like frozen entrees or soups, the more salt it most likely contains.
When it comes to your daily diet, choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-sodium options when available.
High-sodium menu items at restaurants may be more difficult to spot, but many restaurant chains are posting their nutrition information on their Web sites.
VOCABULARY and COMPREHENSION
1. sodium (n) = A mineral in the body, which is often called '"salt". The kidneys help to control the amount of sodium in the body. Sodium helps to control the amount of water in the body.

In reference to diet and food, SODIUM is the salt content of food. It is usually given in terms of "sodium." For instance, the label of a can of soup may list "Sodium 400 mg" per cup. Excess sodium from high sodium foods like French fries is excreted in the urine. Having too much or too little sodium in a person's body can cause the body's cells to not work properly. ( http://www.womenshealthzone.net/glossary/s/ )
2. intake (n) means what?
a. things we know b. things we say c. things we eat

3. to consume (verb) Americans consume a lot of salt.
a. like b. eat c. hate

4. to diagnose (verb) = determine or distinguish the nature of a problem or an illness through a diagnostic analysis
Who usually diagnoses the problem? _____________________________________

5. a staggering 77% (adjective) means causing great astonishment, amazement, or dismay; overwhelming
How did you feel when you heard this amount?
I _______________ _________________________________________________

6. Examples of processed foods are (make a check√)
a. _____crackers b. _________ milk c. _______apples d. _______cookies
e._______ lunch meats (like bologna and salami and sausages) f. ________chicken
g. _______pickles h. _____bread i. ______rice j. ____tomatoes k. ____eggs

7. What other foods (from the reading) are high in sodium?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
8. Sodium is used as a preservative. (noun)
a. added to protect against decay
b. added to make it taste good
c. added to give it a nice color

9.to enhance (verb) = to improve something by adding features.

10. Foods you buy in the supermarket that say they have less fat, add salt to make them taste better. Write the sentence from the reading that means the same as this sentence:
_____________________________________________________________________
11. the entrée (noun) a. What part of the meal is the entrée?


b. What part is the appetizer? ________________________________________

c, What part is the dessert? __________________________________________

12. a chain (noun) Can you tell me the names of a few business chains?


13. to post on a website = to share content
What are fast-food restaurants posting on their websites?
______________________________________________________________________

14. legumes (noun) Examples of legumes are beans, peas, lentils, soya, & peanuts

15. whole grains See picture:
Examples: whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, wholewheat pasta, corn, rye, barley
Whole grains are different from refined grains: white rice, white flour, pasta

GRAMMAR
1. MORE + noun than
Americans are eating more salt than ever.
I have more problems than before.
Dan drinks more Coke than he should.
2. LESS + non-count noun FEWER + count noun
My brother eats less salt and fewer cookies because he wants to lose weight.
He is making less money in his present job than he made in his last job

3. Write less or fewer with these nouns.
(You can use There is/there are/there was or there were in some of your sentences.)
a. ________________ movies
b. ________________ homework
c. ________________ vegetables
d. ________________ meat
e. ________________ water
f. ________________ jobs
g. ________________ American cars
4. Now write a sentence using the above phrases.
aa. ____________________________________________________________________
bb. ____________________________________________________________________
cc. ____________________________________________________________________
dd. ____________________________________________________________________
ee. ____________________________________________________________________
ff. ____________________________________________________________________
gg. ____________________________________________________________________
4. Despite is used with a noun in a phrase.
for example:
a. Despite the fact that I have a new job, I still can’t pay my bills.
b. In spite of the fact that I have a new job, I still can’t pay my bills.
c. Despite my new job, I still can’t pay my bills.
d. I still can’t pay my bills despite my new job.
the same meaning, but Even though , although , and though are used to introduce a clause
e. Even though I have a new job, I still can’t pay my bills.
f. Although I have a new job, I still can’t pay my bills.
g. Though I have a new job, I still can’t pay my bills.

aa. Despite my low-level of English, I am looking for a high-paying job.
bb. Even though I have a low-level of English, I am looking for a high-paying job.
YOUR TURN
A. Please try writing a sentence using DESPITE. Look at the examples.
__________________________________________________________________
B. Write a sentence using ALTHOUGH or EVEN THOUGH. (Don’t use BUT)


CONVERSATION
Talk to your partner and then write your answers.
1.How often do you look at the nutrition information on package labels?
Does that information influence you to buy or not to buy it?



2. Do you include legumes and whole grains in your diet? Which legumes do you eat? Which whole grains do you eat?

________________________________________________________________________

Advice for the Woman Looking for a Husband

Advice for the Woman who is looking for a Husband


1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3. It is important to find a man whom you can count on and who won’t lie to you.

4. It is important that a man loves you and makes you feel you are #1.

5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.


GRAMMAR
Notice in the 5 sentences above that after IT IS IMPORTANT, you can use an infinitive OR a that clause.

Tell me what is important to you.
1.Use an infinitive


2. Use a that clause.


CONVERSATION

Talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.

1. What can a man do to help a woman around the house? Tell me three things.




2. Nowadays, do you think the man is the only one who should have a job? If not, what do you think?






3. If a person has a good sense of humor, that person can make you laugh or see something funny in a situation. If YOU have a good sense of humor, you can make another person laugh. Do you have a good sense of humor?



4. You can count on someone is another way of saying you can trust that person or rely on that person. You cannot count on a person who lies to you or cheats on you or cheats you. If, to count on someone is a quality that you like in a person. tell me why.



5. What does a spouse (or boyfriend or girlfriend) have to do to let the other person know he/she loves him/her?

If I Had You

sung by Bing Crosby

I could show the world how to smile
I could be glad all of the while
I could change the gray skies (clouds) to blue
if I had you.

I could leave the old days behind
Leave all my pals. I’d never mind.
I could start my life anew
if I had you

I could climb the snow-capped mountains,
Sail the mighty ocean wide.
I could cross the burning desert
if I had you by my side

I could be a king, dear uncrowned,
Humble or poor
Rich or renowned
There is just nothing I couldn't do
if I had you.

COMPREHENSION & VOCABULARY
1. In this song, what do gray clouds represent? What do blue skies represent?

2. Tell me, in other words, what does “I could leave the old days behind” mean?

____________________________________________________________________

3. Tell me, in other words, what does “I’d never mind” mean?
____________________________________________________________________

2. Tell me, in other words, what does “There is nothing I couln’t do” mean?
____________________________________________________________________

3. humble
a. at home
b. not proud or arrogant
c. falling apart

4. renowned
a. owned again
b. sold
c. well-known
5. anew I could start my life anew.
a. any time
b. again; once more; in a new and different way
c. then stop

GRAMMAR
1.
If for future thoughts, possibilities in the future
Use IF + past tense in the if clause and
COULD/WOULD/MIGHT + base form of the verb in the main clause
examples:
a. If I saved my money, I could buy a new car. (save)
b. If I were thinner, I would buy some new clothes. (be)
c. I could get up early in the morning if I had an alarm clock. (have)
d. I would fly to New York if I were rich. (be)

YOUR TURN
Tell me something about your future using an IF CLAUSE and a future thought with COULD/WOULD/MIGHT + base verb

_________________________________________________________________
2.
Look at the lyrics of the song (You can do this with a partner.)
and tell me everything that could happen in your future IF I HAD YOU.

1. If I had you, I could show the world how to smile.
2. If I had you, --------------_________________________________________________
3. If I had you, _________________________________________________
4. If I had you, _________________________________________________
5. If I had you, _________________________________________________
6. If I had you, _________________________________________________
7. I ________________________________________________ if I had you.
8. If I had you by my side, _________________________________________________
9. If I had you by my side, _________________________________________________
10. If I had you by my side, _________________________________________________
11. If I were ___________, ___________, ____________, _____________ (4 adjectives) , there is nothing I couldn’t do if I had you.
12. _________________________________________________if I had you,

CONVERSATION

Talk to your partner and then write your answer.
1.
Is there anyone who helped you start your life anew? Who is that person and what did he or she do to help you?










2.
If you had a wish about your future, tell me what would it be?

The Piano Man

by Elton John and sung by Billy Joel and Elton John

(1) It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in.
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin.

(2) He says, "Son, can you play me a memory?
I'm not really sure how it goes.
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete [ly]
When I wore a younger man's clothes."

La la la, dee da da
La la, dee da da da dum

Chorus:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' all right.

(3) Now John at the bar is a friend of mine.
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's some place that he'd rather be.
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As the smile ran away from his face.
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Oh, la la la, de da da
La la, di da da da dum

(4) Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life.

(5) And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone.

Chorus
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling all right

(6) It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me* they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while.
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

Oh, la la la, dee da da
La la, dee da da da dum

Chorus:
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling all right.

COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY
(Please talk to your partner and then write your answers in complete sentences.)
1. Where is this story taking place? and When is it taking place?

________________________________________________________________________
2. Who is telling this story?


3. One of the customers asked for a song that was a memory for him. He said he knew the whole song when he “wore a younger man’s clothes.” What does that mean?



4. What is a CHORUS in a song?

_______________________________________________________________________
5. Who sings the CHORUS in this song?
____________________________________________________________________
6. What is John’s job?
________________________________________________________________________
7. “This is killing me. “ What does this expression mean in this song?

8. What would John rather be doing?
________________________________________________________________________
9. What does Paul do? Tell me two things. Also, is he married?
________________________________________________________________________
10. What does Davy do?
________________________________________________________________________
11. What does it mean that the businessmen are slowly getting “stoned.”
________________________________________________________________________
12.Are the businessmen in the bar by themselves or with someone?
________________________________________________________________________
13. Who do the customers come to see in this piano bar?
________________________________________________________________________
14. What does, “put bread in my jar” mean?
________________________________________________________________________



GRAMMAR

1. There’s an old man sitting next to me makin’ love to his tonic and gin.

One BE verb is enough for this present progressive grammar construction.
An old man is sitting and making = There is an old man sitting . . .

(Use this sentence as a model, and answer this question.)
1. Who is sitting next to you and what is that person doing?

________________________________________________________________________

2. subject + be verb = subject
It’s me. (spoken English) It’s I. (standard English)

Practice this dialogue:
A: I’m calling to talk to Ms. Jones.
B: This is she.
A: I’m sorry. I meant Mr. Jones. Can I speak to your husband.
B: Yes. Just a minute. Honey, telephone!
C: Hello?
A: Is this Mr. Jones?
C: Yes. This is he. How can I help you?

3. Songs are like poems. Many have rhyming words. What words rhyme in this song?

a, In verse 1, what rhymes with IN? _________________
b. In verse 2, what rhymes with GOES? _______________
c. In the chorus, what words rhyme? ______________________________
d. In verse 3, what words rhyme ___________________________________

e. In verse 4, what words rhyme with WIFE? _________________
DAVY rhymes with _______________
f. In verse 5, STONED almost rhymes with __________________
g. In verse 6, what word rhymes with SMILE? ________________
BEER rhymes with __________________
CONVERSATION
Answer the questions and tell your partner WHY!
would rather be
I would rather be healthy than rich. (adj.)
I’d rather be a doctor than a lawyer. (noun)
I’d rather be in San Francisco than in any other place. (prepositional phrase)
1. Is there somewhere else you’d rather be?

_________________________________________________________________

would rather be + ing
I would rather be swimming right now.

John says that he’d rather be somewhere else than where he is.
He’s in a bar, but maybe he’d rather be in Hollywood.

2. You are in school right now. Is there something else you’d rather be doing?

_________________________________________________________________

would rather _+ another base-form verb.
_______I would rather eat vegetables than meat.
I’d rather drive than fly to Los Angeles.
I’d rather use my cell phone than my land line.
.3. Is there something else you’d rather do ?

______________________________________________________________________

The Constitution

THE CONSTITUTION of the United States is the nation's fundamental law, providing the framework for its governance [how to govern] and the principles [the ideas]under which it must operate. The courts then can change the laws as times change.

The first constitution of the United States was the ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION ratified in 1781. Because this document left too much sovereignty to the states, it was not good enough, so they held a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787



The framers were the men who wrote it. 55 statesmen came, and 39 signed it on September 17, 1787. Among the men who signed it were George Washington (the first President), Alexander Hamilton ( the first Secretary of the Treasury), James Madison (political philosopher and 4th President), Benjamin Franklin (scientist, inventor, diplomat), and Thomas Jefferson (the author of the Declaration of Independence).

[This is the preamble, the first sentences BEFORE the Constitution.]

“WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence [defense], promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”


[We the people of the United States, have put together this Constitution because we want our country to be united. We want a country that brings justice to everyone, that makes people feel calm, that will provide military protection so people won't feel threatened, and make sure that we keep our freedoms for ourselves and for all those people who come after us.]