Tutor Preparations
Useful Links:
What Is Asthma: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/asthma
Red and processed meat and cancer prevention: https://www.wcrf-uk.org/uk/preventing-cancer/ways-reduce-cancer-risk/red-and-processed-meat-and-cancer-prevention
Related Articles:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/health/eating-processed-meat-could-be-bad-for-asthma/article/482178
Warm-up (2-3 minutes)
Use the questions to lead your student to the article topic.
Do you like processed meat products? Why or why not?
What processed meat products are usually offered in fast food restaurants?
Unlocking Word Meanings (5 minutes)
Let your student read the items below. Confirm that he/she understood each word. Use additional info/definition/question only when necessary.
1. aggravate / ˈæg rəˌveɪt / [AG-ruh-veyt] (v.) – to make something worse
Example: His cough was aggravated by smoking.
Additional info: The synonyms of aggravate are intensify and worsen.
2. chronic / ˈkrɒn ɪk / [KRON-ik] (adj.) – continuing for a long time
Example: She is suffering from chronic pain.
Additional info: A word that has the opposite meaning is acute.
3. severity / səˈvɛr ɪ ti / [suh-VER-i-tee ] (n.) – the degree of unpleasantness of something
Example: The doctor asked her to rate the severity of her pain from one to ten.
Additional info: Its adjective form is severe, which means “very bad or harsh.”
4. preservative / prɪˈzɜr və tɪv / [pri-ZUR-vuh-tiv ] (n.) – a substance used to keep food or other products from spoiling
Example: Salt is a common preservative.
Additional info: It can also refer to something that keeps organic materials such as wood from decaying.
5. limitation / ˌlɪm ɪˈteɪ ʃən / [lim-i-TEY-shuh n ] (n.) – a weakness that restricts the ability or effectiveness of something
Example: The study’s limitation was it had too few participants.
Additional info: Restriction is a synonym of the word
Article (10 minutes)
Let the student read the article aloud. For the Comprehension Questions, you may:
(a) Ask the questions in between. Tell the student ahead of time when to pause from reading.
(b) Ask the questions after he or she finishes reading everything.
For words difficult to pronounce, pronunciation guides are provided beside the word.
A new study revealed that eating processed meat regularly may aggravate symptoms of asthma.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), asthma affects 235 million people in the world. It is a chronic lung disease that makes a person’s airways narrow. Its symptoms include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and chest pain.
For this study, the researchers observed more than 900 French people who have asthma. From 2003 to 2013, the researchers collected data on the amount of processed meat that the participants consumed weekly. They also monitored the severity of the participants’ asthma symptoms.
Q: Who did the researchers observe in the study?
A: The researchers observed more than 900 French people who have asthma.
The study revealed that those who consumed the highest amount of processed meat had a 76% chance of aggravating their asthma symptoms. The researchers suspect that nitrite [NAHY-trayt], a preservative used to keep meat from spoiling, could be the cause of worsening asthma symptoms.
However, the study's lead researcher clarified that the findings were not conclusive and that the study has limitations. The researchers warn that the data may not be very accurate because they were based on what the participants reported from memory. Despite this, the researchers still strongly advised against eating too much processed meat, as previous studies have also associated excessive consumption with other chronic diseases.
Q: What is a possible cause of the aggravating symptoms of asthma according to the researchers?
A: The researchers believe that nitrite could be the cause of the aggravating symptoms of asthma.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published its findings about the link between processed meat and bowel cancer [BOU-uh l KAN-ser]. The IARC reported that consuming 50 grams of processed meat, which is equivalent to a piece of sausage or five slices of bacon, raised the risk of bowel cancer by 18%. The same report also linked red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb to the risk of cancer.
Q: By how much does eating 50 grams of processed meat increase the risk of bowel cancer?
A: Eating 50 grams of processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer by 18%.
Follow-up (optional)
Use the question below to check if your student understood the article.
What is the article all about?
Viewpoint Discussion (7-8 minutes)
Lead the discussion using the questions below.
Discussion A
·
After reading the article, would you encourage people stop eating processed meat products? Why or why not?
·
In your opinion, how can consumption of processed meat be reduced around the world?
Discussion B
·
Do you think it is easy to give up eating processed meat? Why or why not?
·
What can people do to stay healthy even if they eat processed meat products?