Six Minute English from BBC Learning English.
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English! I'm Neil and I'm Catherine. Catherine,
I'm going to start this program with a quick test just for you! Oh, I love tests! Complete this
phrase - wake up and smell the ... Coffee! Coffee, Neil, it's coffee! I have to say that I love
coffee, it's great. Yeah, okay, so do you drink much? Well, just a couple of cups, you know. Uh,
every day? No, no, every hour! I love coffee, don't you like coffee, Neil?
I do. Maybe not as much as you! What's the best thing about it? Oh, it's the smell,
it's got to be the smell. You know when you open the packet, it's great, isn't it?
Uh, yes, but it never quite tastes as good as it smells, does it? Well, no. It's always a bit
disappointing. I live in hope. Another cup, I think it'll be better. I might change brands,
actually, try a different one. Yeah, okay. You've had quite a lot of coffee today, haven't you? Oh,
just the usual six cups. Well, our topic is the smell of coffee and coffee is also the
subject of today's question: the world's biggest producer of coffee is.... Brazil, Brazil. Yes,
yes, but that's not the question. The question is: Brazil is the biggest coffee producer - which is
the second largest coffee producing country? Is it a) Colombia, b) Vietnam or c) Ethiopia? Right,
so it's not Brazil but I bet it's another South American country so I'm gonna go for Colombia.
Colombia is that right? Okay, we'll have the answer later in the program by which time maybe
the caffeine will have left your body, Catherine. Tim Hayward is a coffee shop owner. He appeared
in the BBC radio 4 program, the Kitchen Cabinet. How important does he say the smell of coffee is?
Absolutely vital, it's the key thing and you when you walk into the coffee shop in the
morning and that smell hits you, you're getting physiological responses. So, how important is it?
I'm feeling a bit calmer now. Tim Hayward says the smell of coffee is vital. That means it's
very important, it's perhaps the most important thing. And he backs this up by saying that it's
the key thing. Something that's key is essential, it's really important. And, he says that when you
experience the smell, when the smell hits you, you get a physiological response. This phrase
means your body has a reaction to the smell of coffee - perhaps your mouth begins to water in
anticipation. Catherine, when you get a coffee do you normally have it there or take it away?
Well, I usually take it away, although if I'm feeling really in need of a coffee hit,
I might have one there and then get another one to take with me. Can you describe the container that
you're given when you have a coffee to go? Yes, it's in a tall paper cup with a lid and the lid
has a hole in it so that I can drink that lovely coffee. Don't you think that's a problem? I mean,
we know how important the smell is, so what's the effect of the lid on that experience? The effect
of the lid? Yeah, well, here's Tim Hayward again, talking about coffee being served with lids. What
baffles me is how many of the large coffee chains actually sell a product in a cup that removes the
smell. So, you walk into the coffee shop, you get the smell but when you actually take the
drink out, you're drinking it from something that's designed to deliver the hot liquid
directly past your tongue but stop any smell coming up to your nose. That's just weird. So,
what is it he's describing there? I see, yes, he's talking about the big coffee chains.
A chain is a company that has lots of its stores in towns and cities, sometimes around the world.
I think we can all think of a few well-known coffee chains, and he says that by putting a
lid on takeaway cups, you're actually blocking the smell. That smell that is really important
to the coffee experience. Yes, and he says he finds that weird, which is a way of saying he
finds it unusual - thinks it's strange, odd. So much so, that he says it baffles him. If you are
baffled by something you find it confusing. You can't really understand it. Here's Tim
Hayward again. What baffles me is how many of the large coffee chains actually sell a product
in a cup that removes the smell. So, you walk into the coffee shop, you get the smell but when
you actually take the drink out you're drinking it from something that's designed to deliver the
hot liquid directly past your tongue but stop any smell coming up to your nose. That's just
weird. That was coffee shop owner Tim Hayward. Right, before we have another cup of this week's
vocabulary, let's get the answer to the question. After Brazil, which country produces most coffee?
Is it a) Colombia, b) Vietnam or c) Ethiopia? Catherine, you said... I said it was a) Colombia.
Ah, sorry, no extra coffee for you today. The answer is Vietnam. And now on to the vocabulary
we looked at. Take it away, Catherine. So, the first word was vital, which is an adjective that
means very important. And another word with a very similar meaning was key, meaning essential. Next,
we had the phrase, physiological responses. Physiological refers to what our bodies do
and a response is a reaction. So, a physiological response is a reaction your body has to something,
like the smell of coffee. Something that baffles you confuses you. You don't understand it. You
might find something that baffles you to be weird. This adjective means unusual or strange.
And finally, a chain is a group of shops from the same company with the same name.
Well, that is the end of our program. For more from us check out Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube and our app and, of course, the website bbclearningenglish.com. See you soon, goodbye.
Bye! Fancy a coffee? I think you've had too much! 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com
Welcome to 6 Minute English where we introduce a refreshing topic and six related items of
vocabulary. I'm Rob and I'm Neil and today we're talking about water. There's nothing
more refreshing than an ice cold bottle of water straight out of the vending machine.
Hmm, okay, refreshing in this context means making you feel cool again after being hot
so has that cooled you down, Neil? Yes, I feel very refreshed now, thanks. Can I ask you though
why didn't you just get a glass of water from the kitchen tap? That water is cool and refreshing
too, and it's free! Well, I like this brand of bottled water better. It's enriched with salts and
minerals that are very beneficial to your health. Enriched means improving the quality of something
by adding to it. Enriched, honestly, Neil! It tastes better, Rob and I'm not the only one who
thinks so. For the first time in the UK, bottled water is more popular than cola. In fact, can you
tell me how many litres of bottled water was sold in the UK in 2016? Was it a) 2.9 billion, litres
b) 29 million litres or c 2.9 million litres? Um, right. well, I'm going to say 29 million litres.
OK, we'll find out later if you got that right or wrong. But seriously, Rob, don't you think it's a
good thing that people are choosing to buy bottled water at the supermarket rather than fizzy drinks?
Yes, of course, but as I said to you earlier, why don't people just drink tap water?
Let's listen to Natalie Fee, founder of City to Sea, which campaigns again plastic pollution. And,
of course, bottled water causes a huge amount of that. Here's Natalie now talking
about how drinks manufacturers have persuaded people that bottled water is better for them.
They manufactured the demand for bottled water and they spent millions of pounds on adverts,
sort of scaring us off of tap water. The bottled water companies set out to make us believe
that tap water wasn't healthy and yet tap water is way more regulated than bottled water is
and in taste tests tap water comes up trump most times.
If you manufacture something you make it in large amounts in a factory.
But here Natalie says the drinks companies manufactured the demand for bottled water, which
means they made adverts to persuade people that tap water wasn't healthy and bottled water was.
To scare people off - what does that mean, Rob? Well, if you scare somebody off you
make them go away by frightening them. S,o some advertisers may have suggested, for example,
that tap water was unsafe to drink, whereas bottled water was safer and tasted better too.
You're catching on! However, Natalie Fee claims that tap water is more regulated than bottled
water is. Regulated means controlled. Natalie also says that in taste tests, tap water comes
up trumps. What does she mean by that? Well, a taste test is where you ask people to try several
very similar products without knowing which one is which and then you grade them according to
which you like the best. And if something comes up trumps, it means it produces a good result, often
unexpectedly. So tap water comes up trump's, eh? Yep. Perhaps we should try a taste test now, Neil?
It would be interesting to see if your enriched bottled water comes up trumps or not. I tell you
what, let's leave that until later and hear the answer to today's quiz question instead. Okay,
I asked you: how many litres of bottled water were sold in the UK in 2016? Was it a) 2.9 billion
litres, b) 29 million litres or c) 2.9 million litres? Yeah, and I said 29 million litres. And
the answer is... 2.9 billion litres. Wow! You can buy many different brands of bottled water with a
range of price tags. At the top end, there's water from a 4,00 year-old Norwegian iceberg.
How much does that cost? Around £80 a bottle. Oh, as cheap as that - I'll pop out and get some
later. Okay, let's review the words we learned today. The first one was refreshing, which means
making you feel cool again after being hot. I enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea. Hmm, well we
British like to say that, don't we? Though I don't understand how a hot drink can be refreshing. OK,
number two - enriched, which means improving the quality of something by adding to it. For example,
did you know that many types of breakfast cereal are enriched with vitamins and minerals, Neil?
No, I didn't, Rob. You learn something new every day. Number three is manufacture - to
make something in large amounts in a factory. This company manufactures wellington boots I'm
a wellington boot manufacturer - that has a nice ring to it. Anyway, when you scare someone off
you make them go away by frightening them. The dog barked fiercely and scared off the two burglars.
Down, Rob, down number. Five - regulated or controlled. For example, the sale of tobacco is
tightly regulated by the government. And finally - if something comes up trumps it produces a
good result, often unexpectedly. My lottery ticket came up trumps again, I can't believe it! You're a
lucky man, Neil. Okay, it's time to do that taste test now. If you have an opinion on bottled water
or anything else, please tell us about it on our Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or Youtube pages.
Okay, this one definitely tastes better. And how about this one?
Yeah, definitely - that's the tap water, Neil. No, no, no - I refuse to believe it!
6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil and I'm Rob. Now, Rob, you like your food, don't
you? Oh yes. Yum, yum - food one of my favorite things. And what do you think of street food? Oh,
I love street food - there are some great places in London where you can find delicious foods
from all over the world cooked in front of you in market stalls on the street.
It's quite new though, isn't it? Not really a British tradition. I guess not but it seems to
be much more popular these days. Well, our topic today is street food but before we tuck into that,
here is today's question: recently, archaeologists in Jordan discovered what they believe is the
oldest remains of bread. How old is this bread? Is it a) 18,000 years old, b) 14,000 years old or c)
5,500 years old? What do you think? I don't know but what I do know is i wouldn't really want to
try sandwich made from that bread - might be a bit moldy. Yes, uh, anyway ii'm gonna have a guess
then ii'll go for c) 5500 years old. Right, we will find out the answer later in the programme.
Mark Laurie is from the nationwide caterers association. He's an expert in the business of
street food in the UK. He appeared on BBC Radio 4's, The Food Programme and was asked how the
business of street food has changed in recent years. In his answer, he talks about the areas
where there is most growth in street food. What are those areas? It's been phenomenal the growth,
uh, in street foods, it's really taken off, it's really become quite mainstream - part
of the cultural fabric of the country, really, or so it's beginning to be. Uh,
certainly in the bigger cities and increasingly in the sort of provinces, if you like.
So where does he say the popularity of street food is growing? He says that it's in the bigger
cities and also in the provinces. The provinces is a word which means the parts of a country
outside of the cities, so essentially he's saying it's getting more popular everywhere. Exactly! In
fact, he says the growth is phenomenal. This means he thinks the growth is spectacular - really big.
Yes, he says that it's really taken off. Taken off is one of those phrasal verbs that can be
used in many different ways. In this sense, when something takes off it means it becomes
successful and popular. You know, street food isn't really something you associate with Britain.
Perhaps it's the climate or British food, so street food is something that we're now getting
used to and enjoying more. In fact, Mark says that it's now becoming mainstream. This means it's no
longer something that is seen as being unusual or different - it's becoming an accepted part of the
everyday eating experience. Well, let's listen again to Mark Laurie talking about the growth of
street food in the UK. It's been phenomenal, the growth in street foods - it's really taken off,
it's really become quite mainstream - part of the cultural fabric of the country, really, or so it's
beginning to be. Certainly in the in the bigger cities and increasingly in the sort of provinces,
if you like. Mark Laurie goes on to talk about why street food has become popular. What kind of
food does he say it's not like? Yeah, it's just really captured the imagination of the public.
It's honest food, it's authentic food and it's people that you can trust making it.
It's not some microwave food or whatever that you might get in your local pub.
So, street food is many things but what isn't it? Well, he says that it's not like food you
might get in some pubs. That food, he says, may be some microwave food - which is food
prepared in a microwave oven. You know I quite like a microwave meal now and then,
and I reheat my leftovers in the microwave. But I guess if you were paying for a nice meal you
wouldn't expect reheated leftovers. I think the point he's making is that in many places,
the food you're served is not freshly made - it may be pre-prepared and finished off in a
microwave. Street food, he says, is authentic. Yes, authentic - it's real, fresh and cooked
right in front of you and if it's food from a particular country it's probably being prepared
by people from that culture. He also says that this has captured the imagination of the public.
It's something that the public have experienced and thought, yep, you know, I like this. This
is a great idea. Well, all this sort of food is making me hungry, so let's get the answer to the
quiz and review today's vocabulary before we head off and grab a bite to eat. We asked about the age
of bread discovered by archaeologists in Jordan. Was it a) 18,000 years old, b) 14,000 years old
or c) 5,500 years old? And I said c) 5 500 years old. And I'm afraid it's a lot moldier than that.
The answer was 14,000 years. Ah, very tasty, I'm sure. Yes, right then the vocabulary - we
started off with the adjective phenomenal to describe something that is amazing, remarkable
and extraordinary. Then we had - to take off - a phrasal verb which means to become popular. Street
food has really taken off in the UK - it's become really popular. And not just in the cities but
also in the provinces which is a noun to describe areas of a country that aren't the major cities.
Something which captures the imagination is something which makes you interested and not
just for a short time. And one thing which has captured the imagination of the British public
is authentic street food. Something authentic is real - it's genuine. It's not a fake or a copy.
And finally, we had microwave food - food prepared in a microwave oven and that kind
of food is not seen by some as authentic. Well, it's time to eat, so that's all we
have time for today. Join us again next time and remember you can find us on Instagram, Facebook,
Twitter, Youtube and, of course, on our website: bbclearningenglish.com. See you soon, bye. Bye.
I'm Rob and welcome to 6 Minute English. We've got a sweet topic today and six tempting items
of vocabulary. Hello, I'm Neil and we're going to be talking about sugar which many of us find
tempting. But how much is too much, Rob? I don't know, Neil, but hopefully we'll be finding that
out. I must admit, though, I have a sweet tooth and that means I like sugary things. Me too
but something I'm always seeing in the news these days is that we're eating too much sugar. And one
important factor is that sugars are sometimes hidden in processed foods. Processed food is any
food that has been changed in some way by freezing it or putting it in tins, or by combining foods or
adding chemicals. In fact, some of the sugars we eat are hidden in food that we think of as
healthy, such as yoghurts, low-fat snacks and fruit drinks. Do you check the information on the
back of food packets, Rob, to see what's in them? Yes, I do, but it can be very confusing - there's
so much information and I'm not always sure how much of a certain thing is bad. Well,
that brings me on to today's quiz question. Can you tell me: if a food contains five percent total
sugars per 100 grams, is it a) high in sugar, b) low in sugar or c) somewhere in the middle?
I'll say low, Neil. Okay, well, we'll find out later. Some food products have colour coding
on the packaging to help you understand the information, don't they? Red for high levels
of sugar, salt or fat, orange for medium and green for low. That sounds helpful. Then you can see at
a glance what's good or bad for you. At a glance means with a quick look. Okay, let's listen now
to BBC reporter Rajiv Gupta interviewing a man in Chester in the UK. He's asking him to guess how
much sugar there is in a pot of fat-free yoghurt. I've actually got a pot of yoghurt in front of me.
This says fat-free on it and it's been marketed as being quite healthy. If I was to say to you,
how much sugar is in here what would you say, as I say, a quantity of the tub?
I'd probably think maybe a couple of teaspoonfuls, you know, it's quite surprising how much there's
sugars in all these products, isn't there? Well, there's about a third of this yoghurt
pot is actually sugar. To be honest, that's quite amazing, that. I would never have thought a third
of that would have been sugar in the... just by looking at it and it does say it's fat-free.
So the yogurt is fat-free which means it doesn't contain any fat and the man guessed there might be
two teaspoons of sugar in the yoghurt. That's right, and if something is sugar-free then it
doesn't contain any sugar. But in this case, a third of the yoghurt's content was sugar. That
to me sounds like an awful lot -even for someone with a sweet tooth like me. Okay,
well, let's listen to Dr Gunter Kuhnle. He's a nutritional biochemist at Reading University.
One problem we see in nutrition is, sort of this, focusing on individual foods. It was at one time,
it was that fat has to be avoided at all costs. Now it seems to go towards sugar and sugar is
demonized and people link it to drugs and so on. I think this is the wrong way forward. Individuals,
yes, you should have a balanced diet but it is important also to enjoy your food and not
really do this extreme focusing on one side or one aspect in individual nutrients.
So, if you avoid something at all costs you do everything you can to avoid it.
And demonize means to make someone or something seem very bad. Dr Kuhnle thinks that
totally cutting out one type of food like this, whether it's fat or sugar
is wrong. He thinks we should eat a balanced diet and enjoy our food. That sounds very sensible.
Now, how about telling us the answer to today's quiz question, Neil. Ah, thanks for reminding me,
Rob. I asked if food contains five percent total sugars per 100 grams, is it a) high in sugar, b)
low in sugar or c) somewhere in the middle. You said low, and you were right. Well done if
foods contain more than 22.5 total sugars per 100 grams, they are classified as high. And I guess
that between 5 and 22.5 they are somewhere in the middle. Correct, okay, shall we go over the words
we heard today? Yeah. First up, if you have a sweet tooth it means you like sugary things.
For example, my little nephew has a sweet tooth - he eats far too many biscuits and sweets. His
dentist won't be pleased. Number two. Processed food is any food that has been changed in some way
by freezing it or putting it in tins or by combining foods or adding chemicals. For example,
the meat in sausages is highly processed. Oh dear, I didn't know that - I'm a big fan of sausages.
Number three - at a glance means with a quick look. For example, I could tell at a glance
that I wouldn't like the food at that restaurant. Fat-free means without any fat in it. For example,
I bought this yoghurt because it says fat-free on the label. But did you realize that a third of it
was sugar? Moving on - if you avoid something at all costs you do everything you can to avoid it.
For example, I wanted to win the game at all costs. I didn't know you were so competitive,
Neil. And finally, demonize means to make someone or something seem very bad. Politicians shouldn't
demonize their opponents. They often do, though, don't they? Okay, well that's all we've got time
for on today's show, but please check out our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube pages.
Join us again soon! Meanwhile, visit our website: bbclearningenglish.com where you'll find
guides to grammar exercises, videos and articles to read and improve your English. Goodbye. Bye.
Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil and I'm Catherine. Catherine are you flexitarian? Oh no,
I'm not really religious, Neil. It's not a religion, it's a diet. It means mainly eating
plant-based foods and only occasionally eating meat. Oh, I see. Sorry, um, well,
I don't eat too much meat, so i'm kind of on the way to flexitarianism. Some people don't eat meat
for ethical reasons - that means that for them, it's wrong to eat meat. It's wrong that animals
should be killed for our food but one of the reasons for being flexitarian and only eating meat
once in a while is for the benefit of the planet. According to a recent report, being flexitarian is
healthier for the individual but can also help to fight climate change. Before we look in more
detail at this topic, a question - do you like peppers, Catherine? Yes, I do. Is that correct?
Well , that's not the quiz question but this is - all peppers are in the same food group. What group
is it? Are peppers fruit, vegetables or herbs? Any ideas? This one sounds like a trick question
but I think it's obviously vegetables. Yep? Well, you'll have to wait a bit to find
out. I'll have the answer later in the program. Now, Dr Marco Springmann
is from the University of Oxford and was one of the lead authors of a major report
that looked at the global food system and how it affects the climate. On the BBC Today program,
he talked about what changes would be needed. Does he mention just one thing?
We really found that a combination of measures would be needed to stay within environmental
limits and those include changes towards healthier more plant-based diets, ambitious
technological improvements and changes in farming management and a reduction of food loss and waste.
So, did he mention just one thing, Catherine? No, not at all. He said that there would need
to be a combination of measures which means a variety of different actions
including moving to a plant-based diet, developing technology, changing the way we farm and wasting
less food. He described the need for ambitious technological improvements. Ambitious here means
the developments will have to be impressive - above the ordinary, not simple. Dr Springmann
was asked if we had to completely remove meat from the food that we eat to be healthy. What was his
recommendation? Well, we look... we've surveyed the literature on what a healthy diet is and
according to that, um, if you treat it as luxury it's probably okay but you shouldn't have more
than one serving of red meat, which includes beef and pork, per week. So the more plant-based you go
the healthier and the lower in environmental impacts. And lamb is just the same? Yes.
So, do we need to cut out meat entirely? He says that while a plant-based diet is certainly
healthier, you could still have some red meat but only once a week. Yes. He said think of it as a
luxury - a luxury food is one that we really enjoy but don't eat very often. perhaps because it's
very expensive or rare. Or delicious but very bad for us. We eat it as a treat but not every day.
Springman says we should think of red meat in the same way - it shouldn't be a regular part of our
diet. How did he come to this opinion? Did they just make it up themselves because it sounds like
a good idea? Not at all, Neil. He said that they surveyed the literature - this means that as part
of their report, they studied different scientific research that had previously been published. Their
advice is based on the evidence of those research papers. Okay, now the answer to our quiz question.
I asked: to what food group do peppers belong. Was it a) fruit, b) vegetables c) herbs? Catherine,
you said... I said b) vegetables. Oh dear. Good try but not right. Thanks for playing. The answer
is a) fruit. Fruit? Really? Yes, a fruit is the part of a plant that contains the seeds,
so peppers, like tomatoes, pumpkins, avocados and olives are actually fruit. Well done if you
got that one right. Now our vocabulary. Our first word is flexitarian - this is the term for a diet
that is mainly plant-based but can include meat occasionally. Our next word is ethical - this is
in the context of choosing not to eat meat. Some people are vegetarian because they don't like meat
some because they want a healthier diet and some for ethical reasons. This means that their choice
is because they feel it is the right thing to do. The next phrase was a combination of
measures - this means taking different actions to achieve something - not just doing one thing. We
then had ambitious. If a person's ambitious, it means they want to get on in life and be
successful. But ambitious can also be used to describe a plan or achievement which is impressive
and above the ordinary. The next phrase was to survey the literature. This means
to study and analyze the different scientific research on a particular subject. And finally,
we had luxury - when talking about food, a luxury is something that we only eat occasionally as a
special treat because it's expensive or unhealthy but delicious. Well, I'm off for a plate of
delicious vegetables - please join us next time and why not check us out on your favourite social
media platform on our app and, of course, the website: bbclearningenglish.com Goodbye. Bye.
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil and I'm Georgina. I'm going to
order some takeaway food, Neil. Do you want anything? Maybe a pizza? Fish and chips?
Indian curry? Mmm, take away food to eat at home - that's a great idea. Yes, I'll have a poke bowl,
please. What's that? It doesn't sound like typical takeaway food. It is nowadays, Georgina.
Over the last few years, the explosion of food delivery apps like Deliveroo and Just Eat
has seen a revolution in takeaway food. Today, it's not just pizza and curries being delivered
to people's front door - there's a wide range of food dishes and styles from all around the world.
And with cafes and pubs closed during lockdown, more and more food chains and restaurants are
switching to delivery only services - takeaways, to bring meals to people who are isolating. Over
the last few weeks, many takeaway companies have seen orders increase dramatically as people find
themselves stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. But what are they choosing to eat?
That's my quiz question for today, Georgina. Last year, what was Deliveroo's most ordered dish:
was it a) Hawaiian poke bowls, b) cheeseburgers or c) chicken burritos?
I would have thought it was fish and chips but I'll go with b) cheeseburgers. Okay, we'll find
out later if you were right. One consequence of the increasing popularity of takeaways is
something called dark kitchens - unlike apps such as Deliveroo and Just Eat which connect customers
to local takeaways, these digital dark kitchens work as just for delivery restaurants. Inside,
chefs cook in kitchens without waiters tables or diners, preparing high-quality dishes ready
for delivery straight to your home. One of the first dark kitchen operations, Taster,
was started by chef Anton Soulier who in 2013 was working for Deliveroo when it was just a
tiny company operating only in London. Now he's in charge of 12 kitchens catering for customers in
London, Paris and Madrid. Sheila Dillon of BBC radio 4's, The Food Programme went to the Bethnal
Green area of east London to find out more. When you go on the Taster website, the restaurant names
are virtual. All of them sold as 'designed for delivery' by Taster. What that means is all the
menus drawn up by serious chefs are designed to travel well, chosen so they'll be warm,
retain their texture and won't look like a dog's dinner when they come off the back of a bike.
So, strangely the delivery, the bike has become a shaper of the foods we eat. All the restaurants
on Taster are virtual, existing online and created by computers to appear like the real thing. Chefs
cook the dishes using recipes and ingredients designed to travel well - be transported a long
way without being damaged or their quality being spoiled. That's to avoid the takeaway food ending
up like a dog's dinner - an informal way to say something that looks messy or has been very badly
done. Usually, the takeaways are transported in a box on the back of a delivery cyclist who rushes
them from the kitchen to the customer's home. It's a very modern way of eating which Sheila thinks
has become a shaper of the foods we eat - meaning that it has a strong influence on how a situation
develops. However, some are worried that the increase in takeaways and delivery-only food
means people are losing basic cooking skills. It's something that Taster boss, Anton, has noted too.
There is a strong underlying trend that, maybe, you know - in 20, 30 years people won't have
kitchens and it's already happening in the U.S., for example. I love cooking - it's one of my
passions but I'm really doing it occasionally - on Sundays and everything, and I think it's going to
almost become a weekend hobby. People choosing to eat takeaways instead of cooking at home has
become an underlying trend - a general development in how people behave, which is real but not
immediately obvious. And in the future, cooking at home may even switch from being a daily necessity
to a hobby - an activity someone does in their spare time for pleasure or relaxation. I do enjoy
tucking into a takeaway sometimes but personally I couldn't survive without my kitchen, Neil.
Ah, but could you survive without Deliveroo? Remember in today's quiz question, I asked you
what Deliveroo's most ordered dish was. I said b) cheeseburgers, but the correct answer was a
Hawaiian poke bowl - a Hawaiian version of sushi. Now that's something I couldn't cook at home.
Today, we've been discussing the revolution in takeaways and home delivered food which in recent
years has become an underlying trend - a general development in how people behave or in this case,
eat. Another trend has been the creation of virtual restaurants - online restaurants which
look like the real thing but exist only on the internet. Chefs create dishes using ingredients
which travel well - can be transported a long way without being damaged or spoiled. That's so
the customer doesn't end up with a dog's dinner - an informal expression meaning something messy
or badly done. Recent developments like high quality restaurant meals being delivered by bike
are shapers of modern eating - things that have a strong influence on how a situation develops.
All of which means that cooking may soon become just a hobby - an activity someone does in their
spare time for pleasure or relaxation. For example, cycling or learning English.
That's all we have time for today. Happy cooking! And goodbye for now! Bye.
Hello, this is 6 Minute English. I'm Neil. And I'm Sam. Sam, have you considered the future of food
much? Uh, well, I think in the future I might have a sandwich in about 30 minutes in the future. Uh,
not quite what I meant. With the population of the world increasing, along with the negative
effects of climate change and other global issues, we might have to radically change our
diets in the future. Ah, yes, I have heard about this. There are all sorts of developments from
growing artificial meat to developing insect-based foods. Tasty. Well, we'll look a little more at
this topic shortly but we start as ever with a question and it's a food based question.
In which continent did tomatoes originate? Is it a) South America, b) Africa or c) Asia? What do
you think, Sam? Uh, no idea - I'm going to say Africa but that's just a guess. Okay, well, I
will reveal the answer later in the program. On a recent edition of BBC Radio 4's The Food Program,
there was an interview with Dr Morgaine Gaye. She is a futurologist - a futurologist is someone who
studies and predicts the way we will be living in the future. Her particular area of expertise is
the subject of food. What two things does she say she thinks about? As a food futurologist,
I think about not just what we're going to be eating in the future but why - why that thing,
why that trend, why will people suddenly latch on to that food that way of eating that food
at that particular time. And when I work for large companies that's what they want to know.
There is an element of a hunch and then proving or disproving that hunch. So, what two things
does she think about? She says that as a food futurologist, she thinks about what we will
be eating in the future and also why we will be eating that food. Yes, in particular, she looks
at why there are particular trends - a trend is what is popular now or what is becoming popular.
For example, at the moment there is a trend for eating less red meat. She also looks at why people
latch on to particular trends - to latch onto here means to be very interested in something. So,
if you latch on to a particular food trend you start to follow that trend. You might start eating
that particular diet. Information about future trends is very important for companies in the
food business. How does she actually predict these trends? She says she starts with a hunch - a hunch
is a feeling you get that something is true. You don't have any real evidence but your experience
and knowledge makes you think you might be right. Let's listen again. As a food futurologist,
I think about not just what we're going to be eating in the future but why - why that thing,
why that trend, why will people suddenly latch onto that food that way of eating that food
at that particular time. And when I work for large companies, that's what they want to know.
There is an element of a hunch and then proving or disproving that hunch.
Dr Gaye goes on to talk about how on the subject of food, there are restrictions.
Why is that? Food business, of course, has different restrictions around it because it's
about safety. We're ingesting that. The supply chain and the labeling laws are very stringent,
especially in this country. So it takes a lot longer to get an idea from just a concept that's
discussed around a table to an actual production facility labelled, branded, tested, marketed
and put on the shelf. So why restrictions? Well, it's about safety. Because we are ingesting food,
which is a way of saying we are putting it into our bodies, it has to be safe. It can be a long
process of developing a new food and getting it into the shops because of the need to be safe and
meet the laws of different countries. In the UK, she mentions that the food safety laws are very
stringent. This means that the laws are very tough, very strict. Let's hear Dr Gaye again.
Food business, of course, has different restrictions around it because it's about
safety. We're ingesting that. The supply chain and the labeling laws are very stringent,
especially in this country, so it takes a lot longer to get an idea from just a concept
that's discussed around a table to an actual production facility labelled, branded, tested,
marketed and put on the shelves. Right, well before we review our vocabulary, let's get
the answer to the question. In which continent did tomatoes originate? Is it a) South America,
b) Africa c) Asia? Sam, what did you say? I made a guess at Africa. Well, I'm afraid that's not
right. Congratulations, though, to everyone who said South America. Right, let's recap our words
and expressions. Okay, well we started with the word futurologist - this is a noun to describe
someone who studies and predicts the way we will be living in the future. Then we had trend - this
word can describe what is popular now and the way in which what is popular is changing. For example,
now we are seeing a trend for eating less red meat in some parts of the world. If you latch
on to something you become interested in it and associate yourself with it. We heard that people
very quickly latch on to food trends. Then there was hunch. A hunch is a feeling about something
you think might be true even though you don't have real evidence for it. Ingesting something means
taking it into your body - so eating or drinking it. And finally, a stringent rule is a very strict
rule - a tough rule or law which, in connection to food, is designed to make sure it is safe and of a
suitable quality. Okay, thank you, Sam. That's all from 6 Minute English. Goodbye. Bye-bye.
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil. And hello, I'm Rob. In 6 Minute English, we often
talk about food, don't we, Rob? Oh, yes. And I love food - it's a very important topic. We know
that too much of the wrong kind of food can be bad for our health. But there is another way that
food can be harmful for some people. Yes, you're right - some people have food allergies. They can
become very ill if they eat certain foods such as peanuts, shellfish, milk and so on. So, Neil,
do you have any food allergies? Uh, fortunately, I don't but my daughter is allergic to tree nuts
and so she gets very ill if she eats those. Oh dear. Well, it seems as if there are more food
allergies these days, or more people have them, or maybe it's just in the news more. Well, that's a
very interesting point because that is the topic of this program. Before we find out more though,
here is our question. One of the most common food allergies is to peanuts. Now, what kind of food
is a peanut? Is it a a) vegetable, b) a nut or c) a legume? Oh, come on! A peanut is a nut! There's
a clue in the name there, Neil, but that would be too easy, wouldn't it? So, I'm going to say that
I've got no idea what a legume is, so that's my answer - c. I'll have the answer at the end of the
program. To help answer the question as to whether food allergies are more common now here's Dr Adam
Fox who is speaking on The Food Program on BBC Radio 4. Does he think there has been an increase?
I think we can be very confident, if you look back over say 30 or 40 years, that there are much more
allergic problems around now than there were. So, for example, very robust studies that look at
prevalence of things like eczema, food allergy, do show really significant increases over
20, 30 years, for example. Has there been an increase? Well, yes. He says there have been
significant increases - this means there has been a clear and obvious rise. Why does he think that?
He said that there have been robust studies - a study is a piece of research and if you say
a study is robust, it means that it was very detailed and conducted thoroughly to a high
standard. He said that these studies looked at the prevalence of a few things. Prevalence is a noun
that refers to how common something is, how often it happens. One of the things they looked at,
as well as food allergies, was eczema - this is a skin condition that usually happens in childhood.
The skin can get red, itchy and painful over different parts of the body. Here's Dr Fox again.
I think we can be very confident if you look back over say 30 or 40 years that there are much more
allergic problems around now than there were. So, for example, very robust studies that look at
prevalence of things like eczema, food allergy do show really significant increases over 20,
30 years, for example. So what is the reason for the increase in food allergies? Is it genetics?
Dr Fox again. We certainly can't put it down to genetics and we now understand that there
is a key role for eczema. So there's a pretty direct relationship between whether you've got
eczema during infancy and your likelihood of getting a food allergy. Is it genetics?
No, he says. You can't put it down to genetics, which means you can't explain it by genetics.
In fact, according to the research if you have eczema as a child you are more likely to develop
food allergies. Here's Dr Fox one more time. We certainly can't put it down to genetics and we now
understand that there is a key role for eczema. So there's a pretty direct relationship between
whether you've got eczema during infancy and your likelihood of getting a food allergy.
Okay, now time to review our vocabulary, but first let's have the answer to the quiz question.
I asked: what kind of food is a peanut? Is it a a) vegetable, b) a nut, c) a legume. What did you
say, Rob? Uh, I said c) a legume because that was the only one I didn't know and it can't be
as simple as being a nut. An inspired guess! If you said c) legume, then congratulations!
Despite the name, a peanut is not actually a nut. Rather conveniently though, we don't have time for
me to explain exactly why it's not a nut but i'm sure you're smart enough to look it up yourself.
So you're not going to explain it? No, sorry we don't have the time. Um, sounds to me like
you're allergic to hard work! Nice link to today's vocabulary! We do have time for that.
Today, we've been looking at the topic of food allergies. This is when a particular
food causes a medical problem. The problem could be minor or it could be very serious, even fatal,
and these are called allergic reactions. The topic has been investigated with robust
studies - this is research that has been done in a very detailed accurate and thorough way.
The next word was the noun prevalence - this is used to talk about how common or how frequent
something is. In this research, they examine the prevalence of food allergies in certain age
groups. Closely connected to food allergies is eczema - this is a medical condition that makes
your skin dry painful and itchy over different parts of the body. It was reported that there
had been a significant increase in the number of people suffering from eczema and food allergies.
A significant increase is a big and important increase. And finally, we had the phrase - to
put something down to something. This means to say one thing is the reason for another. In this case,
you couldn't put the increase in food allergies down to genetics. You know what I put the success
of 6 Minute English down to? No, what's that, Rob? Your great knowledge of different subjects
and skill as a presenter and communicator. Well, that's very kind of you but I still don't have
time to explain what a legume is. In fact, now it's time to wrap up this edition of 6
Minute English. We look forward to your company again soon. In the meantime, check us out in all
the usual places online and on social media. We are BBC learning English. Bye for now. Goodbye.
6 Minute English from BBClearningenglish.com.
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil. And I'm Rob. Now, Rob, you look like you enjoy a
good meal. Well ,I do like eating out and I like to think I know a good meal when I have one.
Well that should give you an advantage with today's quiz. In 2016, which is the last year
we have statistics for, how many restaurants and mobile food services were there in the UK?
Was it a) about 75,000 b) about 83,000 or c) about 93,000? Well, I know there are a lot, so I'm going
gonna say 93,000, but that is just a guess. I'll reveal the answer a little later in the programme.
Today, we're talking about being a foodie. Rob, what is a foodie? Well, I would describe a foodie
as someone who has a strong interest in food. They like preparing it, as well as eating it.
They like using good ingredients and they're probably not fans of fast food. Angela Hartnett
is one of Britain's top chefs. In the BBC podcast, The Bottom Line, she talks about this topic.
In this first clip, how does she describe people who say they are foodies?
I think people who say they're foodies, buy the books, watch tv and we'll cook a little bit. She's
saying that people who say they are foodies may not actually know that much about food. They buy
books and watch cookery programs on tv and will cook a little bit. A little bit is a common phrase
that means a small amount. And if you do something a little bit, it means you don't do it a lot.
You could just say a little but adding 'bit' to the phrase makes it very natural. Well, we
heard a little bit of Angela Hartnett there, let's hear more now. What's her description of a foodie?
My idea of a foodie is the very European idea that people go and shop every day. They understand one
end of a pig from another. They, um, that's a bit romantic but I look at my mother and I look at my
grandmother. In our background, you know, they made food ,they knew about what was expensive,
they knew about quality and stuff like that. Rob, do you know one end of a pig from another? Well,
I hope so, but the point Angela Hartnett is making is that a true foodie has a good understanding,
for example, of the different parts of an animal that are used in cooking and what they're used
for. She says that idea might be a bit romantic. We normally think of the word romantic when we're
talking about love and relationships but that's not what it means here, is it? No,
romantic can also describe a pleasant idea - an imaginary perfect way of life that forgets about
the difficult things of everyday existence. Let's hear some more from chef, Angela Hartnett. Now,
what is she worried about? I think we think we're foodies but I think food is expensive in
this country, I don't think it's affordable for lots of people and I think we are in danger of
not knowing you know how to cook anymore, how to make a meal for a family of four for five pounds.
So, Rob what is Angela Hartnett worried about? She commented that food was very expensive here
in Britain. Many people don't have enough money to buy it. As she said it's not
affordable - she thinks we might be in danger of not being able to feed our families cheaply.
Can you say a bit more about the phrase 'in danger of'? Sure. The phrase to be in danger of
is followed by a gerund and it means that there is the possibility of something bad happening - it's
not happened yet but it could happen. Thanks, Rob. Right, well, we're in danger of running
out of time, so let's get to the answer to the question I asked at the start of the program.
I asked how many restaurants or mobile food services there were in the UK in 2016. And I said,
it was a guess, 93,000 but was I right? I'm afraid you're 10,000 out. The answer is approximately
83,000. Right, well, I've still got a few more to get to before I can tick them all off my list.
Me too! Well, before we go, let's recap the words and phrases we talked about today.
The first was foodie. Yes, foodie is a modern word to describe someone who is very interested
in all aspects of food, from buying, preparing and cooking to eating. And someone who may or
may not know which end of a pig is which. Well, I think you're being a little bit silly there,
aren't you? Well, a little bit was our next phrase, wasn't it? Yes, a little bit - a very
simple but a very natural conversational phrase that means a small amount. The next word was the
adjective romantic - not used in the context of love here, though, was it? No, it wasn't.
A romantic idea here is one that is not realistic but is an imagined perfect situation. For example,
we have a very romantic view of our childhoods - when every Christmas was a white Christmas and
every summer holiday was baking hot and spent on the beach. Of course, it wasn't like that at all.
In reality, both Christmas and summer were cold and rainy. Then, we had the adjective affordable
for something we have enough money to buy. Finally, the phrase to be in danger of. Yes,
meaning the possibility of something bad happening. Well, that's it for this program.
For more, you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our Youtube pages and, of course,
our website: BBClearningenglish.com, where you can find all kinds of videos and audio programs and
activities to help you improve your English. Thanks for joining us and goodbye. Bye-bye.
Well, I have to say I'm a little bit hungry and if i don't get some food soon,
I'm in danger of getting very grumpy. You're always grumpy,
Neil, but there is a very affordable cafe around the corner. Let's head over there now, shall we?
Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC learning English. I'm Neil. And I'm Georgina.
Last November, NASA launched a very unusual home delivery service - a rocket carrying four tons of
supplies to the ISS - the International Space Station. Among the scientific equipment were
12 bottles of red wine from the famous Bordeaux region of France. The astronauts might have wanted
a glass of wine with dinner but the real purpose of the bottles was to explore the possibility
of producing food and drink in space. Not for astronauts but for people back on Earth.
In today's programme, we'll be finding out how growing plants in space can develop crops which
are more productive and more resistant to climate change here on Earth. And we'll hear how plants
can grow in environments with little or no natural light. But first, today's quiz question: What was
the first food grown in space? Was it a) potatoes, b) lettuce or c) tomatoes? Well, in the film,
The Martian, a stranded astronaut grows potatoes on Mars. I know it's only a film but I'll say a)
potatoes. Okay, we'll find out the answer later. Now, you might be wondering how it's possible to
grow plants without natural light. British company Vertical Future has been working on this problem
by developing indoor farming methods in partnership with NASA. Here's their head
of research Jen Bromley explaining the process to BBC World Service program The Food Chain.
Basically, we use LED lighting and we use LED lights that are tuned to specific wavelengths. So,
if you imagine what the rainbow looks like, the reason a plant looks green is because it's not
using all the green light. It actually reflects a lot of that back. So the reason why it looks pink
in here is because we're actually only using red light and blue light to grow the plants.
And that essentially tailors the light diet so that the plants look kind of
black when you look at them because they're not reflecting any light. They're being
super efficient - they're using up every photon that hits them. The lack of natural
light in space means that plants are grown using LED lights. LED is an abbreviation of
light emitting diode - an electronic device that lights up when electricity is passed through it.
On Earth, plants look green because they reflect back any light traveling at a certain
wavelength - the distance between two waves of light, which makes things appear to us in the
various colors of the rainbow. But when scientists control the wavelengths being fed. plants are able
to absorb every photon - particle of light energy - making them appear black. Each particle of light
that hits the leaves is absorbed and through photosynthesis is converted into plant food.
NASA found that different color combinations or light recipes can change a plant's shape, size and
even flavour. But the lack of natural light isn't the biggest obstacle to growing food in space.
Here's Gioia Massa, chief plant scientist at the kennedy space center in florida to explain
Microgravity is really challenging but plants are amazing! They can adapt to so many different
environments – we call this plasticity because they can turn on or off their genes to really
adapt to all sorts of conditions and that’s why you see plants growing in
different areas on Earth - the same type of plant may look very
different because it’s adapting to the environment in that specific location.
On Earth, plants use gravity to position themselves – shoots grow up,
roots grow down. But this doesn’t apply in space because of microgravity - the
weaker pull of gravity making things float and seem weightless.
Plants can only survive in these conditions due to their plasticity – the ability of living organisms
to adapt and cope with changes in the environment by changing their biological structure.
Plants adapt themselves to being in space by manipulating their genes - chemicals and DNA
in the cells of plants and animals which control their development and behaviour.
In the low-gravity atmosphere of space, plants become stressed but they adapt genetically.
And as a result they’re stronger and more resilient to other,
less stressful events when they return home to Earth.
Like those bottles of red wine orbiting Earth as we speak.
The effects of microgravity on the wine’s organic composition will be studied
and could hopefully offer solutions for growing food in Earth’s changing climate.
So, Neil, if it wasn’t red grapes, what was the first food grown in space?
Ah yes, in today’s quiz question I asked what the first plant grown in space was.
I said, a) potatoes.
But, in fact, it was… b) lettuce - grown over fifteen months on the ISS,
then eaten in fifteen minutes in the first ever space salad.
Today we’ve been discussing the possibilities of growing plants in space
using LED lights – devices that use electricity to produce light.
The energy needed for plants to grow is contained in photons – or light particles, travelling at
different wavelengths – distances between light waves which make things look different colours.
Plants have evolved over millennia using the strong gravity on Earth.
But this changes in space because of microgravity – the weaker gravitational
pull making things in space float and seem weightless.
Luckily plants use their genes – the chemicals in DNA responsible for growth - to adapt to new
environments by changing their biological structure – a process known as plasticity.
All of which makes it possible for astronauts to enjoy a glass of wine and green salad in space.
And genetically stronger plants specimens to study back on Earth.
That’s all for today but join us again soon at 6 Minute English. Bye for now!
Bye!