The Reading / Listening - Coffee or Tea - Level 0

Our DNA affects whether we like coffee or tea. Researchers studied how our DNA did this. The researchers said people who like bitter tastes are more likely to drink coffee. People who are sensitive to the bitter taste of caffeine will drink coffee. They will also drink more coffee than people who are not sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked at data on more than 400,000 people. They said other things can also affect our taste, not just DNA. A researcher said our environment, social factors or medicine can change our taste. He said we can even learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting food and drink.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Coffee or Tea - Level 1,  Coffee or Tea - Level 2   or  Coffee or Tea - Level 3

Sources
  • https://tribune.com.pk/story/1848673/3-tea-coffee-answer-might-genetic/
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-coffeeunless-you-are-genetically-disposed-prefer-tea-180970841/
  • http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2018/11/16/the-bitter-truth-coffee-lovers-love-of-caffeine-is-wired-in-their-dna


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. DNA affects whether we
  2. Researchers studied how
  3. more likely
  4. People who are
  5. the bitter taste
  6. drink
  7. people who are
  8. sensitive to
  1. more coffee
  2. like coffee or tea
  3. not
  4. to drink coffee
  5. caffeine
  6. sensitive
  7. of caffeine
  8. our DNA did this

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers looked
  2. more than
  3. They said other
  4. affect our
  5. not just
  6. social
  7. medicine can change
  8. learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting
  1. factors
  2. things can
  3. DNA
  4. our taste
  5. at data
  6. taste
  7. food and drink
  8. 400,000 people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) ___________________ whether we like coffee or tea. Researchers (2) ___________________ DNA did this. The researchers said people (3) ___________________ tastes are more likely (4) ___________________. People who are sensitive to the (5) ___________________ caffeine will drink coffee. They will also drink more coffee than people (6) ___________________ sensitive to caffeine.

Researchers looked (7) ___________________ more than 400,000 people. They said other (8) ___________________ affect our taste, (9) ___________________. A researcher said our environment, (10) ___________________ medicine can change our taste. He said (11) ___________________ learn to like or enjoy bitter-tasting (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

OurDNAaffectswhetherwelikecoffeeortea.Researchersstudiedhowo
urDNAdidthis.Theresearcherssaidpeoplewholikebittertastesaremor
elikelytodrinkcoffee.Peoplewhoaresensitivetothebittertasteofcaffei
newilldrinkcoffee.Theywillalsodrinkmorecoffeethanpeoplewhoaren
otsensitivetocaffeine.Researcherslookedatdataonmorethan400,00
0people.Theysaidotherthingscanalsoaffectourtaste,notjustDNA.Are
searchersaidourenvironment,socialfactorsormedicinecanchangeou
rtaste.Hesaidwecanevenlearntolikeorenjoybitter-tastingfoodanddri
nk.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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