Can ultra-processed
food affect your mental abilities? This is News Review from BBC
Learning English. I'm Neil.
And I'm Beth. Stick with us until the end of the programme
and you'll learn some vocabulary about junk food. Yeah, you will. And don't forget subscribe
to our channel, like this video, and try the quiz on our website. Now,
today's story. Ultra-processed food affects
people's mental abilities. That's according to a new study
in Australia, which found that older people were negatively
af
fected by things like junk food and fizzy drinks. Meanwhile, research in the UK found that almost
seventy five percent of calories in school lunches comes
from ultra-processed food. Health experts have called for there to be a limit on this type
of food for schoolchildren. You've been looking at the headlines, Beth. What is the vocabulary? We have 'ultra', 'cap'
and 'escape the cycle'. This is News Review
from BBC Learning English. Let's have a look
at our first headline. This one comes from The
New Telegraph
in Nigeria. So, first of all 'cognitive function'. That's an expression that refers
to a broad range of mental abilities, but we're looking at 'ultra'
in the word ultra-processed. Processed, though Beth,
I think most people know? Yeah. It's food that has had
some kind of industrial process done to it, often to make the food
last longer or look better. And here, by putting 'ultra' at the beginning
of the word, it means 'extremely'. So ultra-processed food
has had a lot of things do
ne to it, even before we put it in our mouths. Yeah. And this prefix 'ultra'
we can add to different adjectives and it just means 'more extreme'. Yeah, exactly. So, a really
modern building is ultra-modern. A very strict teacher could be ultra-
strict and someone like you, Neil, who is really cool
could be ultra-cool. Thanks, Beth.
You're welcome. 'Ultra' is added to adjectives,
using a hyphen but not always. No. And you'll see in the headline
and in lots of other places that it can be written a
s one word or
two words with or without a hyphen. 'Ultra' also exists as a noun
and it is a type of person. Exactly. So, an ultra is a person
with extreme views on something so, they have opinions. For example, that are much more extreme
than the other members of their political party or they might be
extreme supporters of football team. OK, let's take another look at that. Let's have a look at our next
headline. This one comes
from the Times: And we are looking at the word 'cap'. Nice and easy,
Beth, a cap is something
you put on your head. Well, that's actually quite
a useful way of thinking about it. So, yep, you put a cap
on top of your head and as long as you're standing up that
cap is the upper limit of your body. There is nothing beyond that. Yes and 'cap' in this headline
is used just like that in that way. Cap is a limit, something you cannot go
above. Exactly, and we can also use as
a verb 'to cap' something And that just means 'to put
a cap on' or 'put a limit on something'.
And, it's
quite official sounding? Yes, is and we mainly use it for serious things and also official
measures taken to limit things, so, for example, at work they might put a cap
on your spending. Yeah, but you probably wouldn't say
'I put a cap on my kids mobile phone use'? No, probably not.
It sounds a bit strange. So, you might say that you'd restrict
their time or put a limit on it. OK, let's have a look at that again. Our next headline please.
This one comes from The House: We have 'escapi
ng the cycle'. There's an expression with
two main parts 'escaping' and 'cycle'. Exactly. So, 'escaping' is
about getting away from somewhere that you don't like. We often hear
about people escaping from prison and the second part is 'cycle'. Neil, what can you tell us about 'cycle'? Well, a cycle is something
that goes around. So think of a bi-cycle. Your legs go around, the wheels go
around, a washing machine cycle, the clothes go round
and round and round. Yep. So, 'escaping a cycle' is to tr
y and get away from a situation
that just keeps repeating itself. And we do tend to use
this for bad, negative situations. Yeah. And you can put the bad thing
in the middle of this expression 'escaping the cycle'. So, 'escaping the junk food cycle'... people don't have enough time
or money to buy healthy food, they buy unhealthy ultra-processed junk food, but then they become unhealthy
themselves. And it's a cycle that goes around. Yeah. And we can use this
with other dangerous situations. So, w
e hear about people escaping
the cycle of addiction or violence. Let's take another look. We've had 'ultra-'. Add it to an adjective
and it means 'more extreme'. 'Cap' - a limit.
And 'escape the cycle' - get away from the situation
which keeps getting worse. And you don't want
your English to get worse, so don't forget there's
a quiz on our website. Thank you for joining us, goodbye.
Comments