EXHORT (v.)
To encourage; urge; IMPLORE; give a pep talk
Are you a member of a team? If so, has your coach ever given your team a pep talk designed to EXHORT you to give it 110 percent and in the game? Taken from the movie Braveheart, here is William Wallace's famous speech EXHORTING the Scottish troops to stand and fight the English:
William Wallace: What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?
Soldier: Against that? No, we will run, and we will live.
William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live. At least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to come back and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!
Quick Quiz
The parents arranged to publicly exhort the kidnappers for the return of their son by —----.
A. explaining his special medical needs
B. saying that they would get and kill them
C. referring to them as foolish criminals
Answer: A
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
To encourage; urge; IMPLORE; give a pep talk
Are you a member of a team? If so, has your coach ever given your team a pep talk designed to EXHORT you to give it 110 percent and in the game? Taken from the movie Braveheart, here is William Wallace's famous speech EXHORTING the Scottish troops to stand and fight the English:
William Wallace: What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?
Soldier: Against that? No, we will run, and we will live.
William Wallace: Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live. At least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance to come back and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!
Quick Quiz
The parents arranged to publicly exhort the kidnappers for the return of their son by —----.
A. explaining his special medical needs
B. saying that they would get and kill them
C. referring to them as foolish criminals
Answer: A
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
Diminutive (adj.)
A diminutive person or object is very small
The three living groups of amphibians vary greatly in size and structure. Long tails and two pairs of limbs of about equal size distinguish the salamander, although members of the family Sirenidae have no hindlimbs. Their total length varies greatly; a DIMINUTIVE terrestrial species in Mexico measures 27 millimeters (1.06 inches) long, and the giant aquatic salamander in China reaches a length of more than 1.5 meters (5 feet).
Quick quiz
Three of the computer specialists wore a special uniform, the fourth was diminutive, —-------.
A. who had to bend over his head to enter the room
B. little more than a boy
C. as giant as a bodybuilder
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
A diminutive person or object is very small
The three living groups of amphibians vary greatly in size and structure. Long tails and two pairs of limbs of about equal size distinguish the salamander, although members of the family Sirenidae have no hindlimbs. Their total length varies greatly; a DIMINUTIVE terrestrial species in Mexico measures 27 millimeters (1.06 inches) long, and the giant aquatic salamander in China reaches a length of more than 1.5 meters (5 feet).
Quick quiz
Three of the computer specialists wore a special uniform, the fourth was diminutive, —-------.
A. who had to bend over his head to enter the room
B. little more than a boy
C. as giant as a bodybuilder
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
DIGRESS (v.)
To depart from a subject; wander; ramble
Have you ever listened to someone who repeatedly wanders off a topic? If so, then you know how confusing and annoying it is when a speaker DIGRESSES from a subject. For example, in the movie, Office Space, Milton is notorious for his longwinded DIGRESSIONS. DIGRESSING from a topic is not limited to speaking. Writers sometimes DIGRESS or wander off a topic. On the GRE, your first task will be to write an essay. Readers reward essays that are well-organized and deduct points from essays that DIGRESS from the topic.
Quick Quiz
She digress from her prepared speech for a moment to —-----------.
A. support her main point even further
B. pay tribute to the prominent guest who arrived
C. ensure the unity of her speech
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
To depart from a subject; wander; ramble
Have you ever listened to someone who repeatedly wanders off a topic? If so, then you know how confusing and annoying it is when a speaker DIGRESSES from a subject. For example, in the movie, Office Space, Milton is notorious for his longwinded DIGRESSIONS. DIGRESSING from a topic is not limited to speaking. Writers sometimes DIGRESS or wander off a topic. On the GRE, your first task will be to write an essay. Readers reward essays that are well-organized and deduct points from essays that DIGRESS from the topic.
Quick Quiz
She digress from her prepared speech for a moment to —-----------.
A. support her main point even further
B. pay tribute to the prominent guest who arrived
C. ensure the unity of her speech
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
MINUTIAE (n. – plural)
very small and exact details
Drake is one of the world's most popular musician. While Drake would prefer to concentrate on creating music, his zealous fans often focus on interesting but trivial MINUTIAE about his personal life, something which really bothers him to death.
Quick Quiz:
I'm not interested in the minutiae of the research, —------.
A. just its conclusions
B. only the details
C. just a detailed description of it methodology
Answer: A
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
very small and exact details
Drake is one of the world's most popular musician. While Drake would prefer to concentrate on creating music, his zealous fans often focus on interesting but trivial MINUTIAE about his personal life, something which really bothers him to death.
Quick Quiz:
I'm not interested in the minutiae of the research, —------.
A. just its conclusions
B. only the details
C. just a detailed description of it methodology
Answer: A
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
Fast-food Addiction
Make Sure to look up the new words:
Swelling obesity crisis
Subsist
Convenience food
Annually
Accumulation
Compounds
Culprits
Empirical
@aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Trigger(v.)
Endured
Single-handedly
Portion
Exceed
Secretion
Elicit
Euphoria
Purported
Inherent
Withdrawal
Ratio
Ingest
Obese
Hefty
It is no secret that the US is leading the world in its swelling obesity crisis. The nation is subsisting on a diet of high-calorie convenience food. In fact, Americans have increased their spending on fast-food items from $6 billion to nearly $160 billion annually over the past four decades. What may come as a shock, however, is the accumulation of evidence suggesting that the main ingredients in the typical "hamburger, fries, and a cola" are addictive compounds that keep customers lining up for their next fix.
The key culprits are sugar and fat. Empirical studies reveal that the heavy dosage of these substances in today's super-sized standard of a fast-food meal can trigger brain activity similar to that endured when a person is on hard drugs. A representative individual serving at McDonald's or Burger King can dish out up to 2000 calories, including more than a cup of sugar and 84 grams of fat. (Single-handedly, this meal-sized portion meets the full daily caloric requirement for the average woman. Moreover, it exceeds the recommended daily allowances of both sugar and fat for any adult, regardless of gender. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Whereas heroin is an opiate, both sugar and fat stimulate endogenous opioids such as beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus, just above the brain stem. These naturally occurring painkillers activate the secretion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, into a small cluster of cells located in the midbrain called the nucleus accumbens. Here, dopamine functions to elicit feelings of pleasure or euphoria. What's more, it motivates an individual to proactively repeat any action that originally fueled its production. In the case of sugar and fat, purported addiction is a consequence of the body craving the release of dopamine inherent in their consumption.
To validate reports that fat and sugar behave in a drug-like fashion, researchers have conducted laboratory studies demonstrating that they induce classic addictive symptoms. For example, eliminating sugar from the nutritional regime of rats that are used to a primarily sweet diet produced anxiety symptomatic of heroin and nicotine withdrawal.
Moreover, increased tolerance to addictive food substances was noted. In one experiment, rats were fed a chocolate drink containing a high ratio of both fat and sugar. Although the animals were found to ingest increasing amounts of the potent liquid, their total production of resulting brain opiates was, in fact, diminished. This would suggest that the rodents had become progressively more tolerant to the effects of fat and sugar. Furthermore, it is likely they would subsequently require a greater quantity in order to achieve the same high.
Likewise in humans, brain-imaging scans of obese and non-obese persons illustrate that the heftier the individual, the fewer dopamine receptors are present. Researchers are uncertain whether this is the basis or the outcome of obesity. However, it is clear that as weight rises, individuals need to consume increasingly larger portions to experience a comparable euphoric effect.
Make Sure to look up the new words:
Swelling obesity crisis
Subsist
Convenience food
Annually
Accumulation
Compounds
Culprits
Empirical
@aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Trigger(v.)
Endured
Single-handedly
Portion
Exceed
Secretion
Elicit
Euphoria
Purported
Inherent
Withdrawal
Ratio
Ingest
Obese
Hefty
It is no secret that the US is leading the world in its swelling obesity crisis. The nation is subsisting on a diet of high-calorie convenience food. In fact, Americans have increased their spending on fast-food items from $6 billion to nearly $160 billion annually over the past four decades. What may come as a shock, however, is the accumulation of evidence suggesting that the main ingredients in the typical "hamburger, fries, and a cola" are addictive compounds that keep customers lining up for their next fix.
The key culprits are sugar and fat. Empirical studies reveal that the heavy dosage of these substances in today's super-sized standard of a fast-food meal can trigger brain activity similar to that endured when a person is on hard drugs. A representative individual serving at McDonald's or Burger King can dish out up to 2000 calories, including more than a cup of sugar and 84 grams of fat. (Single-handedly, this meal-sized portion meets the full daily caloric requirement for the average woman. Moreover, it exceeds the recommended daily allowances of both sugar and fat for any adult, regardless of gender. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Whereas heroin is an opiate, both sugar and fat stimulate endogenous opioids such as beta-endorphins in the hypothalamus, just above the brain stem. These naturally occurring painkillers activate the secretion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, into a small cluster of cells located in the midbrain called the nucleus accumbens. Here, dopamine functions to elicit feelings of pleasure or euphoria. What's more, it motivates an individual to proactively repeat any action that originally fueled its production. In the case of sugar and fat, purported addiction is a consequence of the body craving the release of dopamine inherent in their consumption.
To validate reports that fat and sugar behave in a drug-like fashion, researchers have conducted laboratory studies demonstrating that they induce classic addictive symptoms. For example, eliminating sugar from the nutritional regime of rats that are used to a primarily sweet diet produced anxiety symptomatic of heroin and nicotine withdrawal.
Moreover, increased tolerance to addictive food substances was noted. In one experiment, rats were fed a chocolate drink containing a high ratio of both fat and sugar. Although the animals were found to ingest increasing amounts of the potent liquid, their total production of resulting brain opiates was, in fact, diminished. This would suggest that the rodents had become progressively more tolerant to the effects of fat and sugar. Furthermore, it is likely they would subsequently require a greater quantity in order to achieve the same high.
Likewise in humans, brain-imaging scans of obese and non-obese persons illustrate that the heftier the individual, the fewer dopamine receptors are present. Researchers are uncertain whether this is the basis or the outcome of obesity. However, it is clear that as weight rises, individuals need to consume increasingly larger portions to experience a comparable euphoric effect.
ANTECEDENT (n.)
A preceding event; a FORERUNNER; a PRECURSOR
Many critics have noted that the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas can be viewed as a thematic ANTECEDENT to the 2010 blockbuster Avatar. In Pocahontas, avaricious English settlers search for gold. In Avatar, an avaricious company wanted to mine unobtanium from the fictional planet Pandora. In both movies, beautiful indigenous women rescue soldiers who find themselves drawn to native peoples they originally intended to conquer. By helping Captain John Smith discover the New World's life and beauty, Pocahontas serves as an ANTECEDENT for Avatar's Neytiri.
Quick Quiz
Film critic: Some of the new films are screened today are not original in that they have some form of their antecedent in past.
The film critic believes that —-----------.
A. today’s films are worthless
B. some of today’s films are derivative
C. filmmaking has rich and long history
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
A preceding event; a FORERUNNER; a PRECURSOR
Many critics have noted that the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas can be viewed as a thematic ANTECEDENT to the 2010 blockbuster Avatar. In Pocahontas, avaricious English settlers search for gold. In Avatar, an avaricious company wanted to mine unobtanium from the fictional planet Pandora. In both movies, beautiful indigenous women rescue soldiers who find themselves drawn to native peoples they originally intended to conquer. By helping Captain John Smith discover the New World's life and beauty, Pocahontas serves as an ANTECEDENT for Avatar's Neytiri.
Quick Quiz
Film critic: Some of the new films are screened today are not original in that they have some form of their antecedent in past.
The film critic believes that —-----------.
A. today’s films are worthless
B. some of today’s films are derivative
C. filmmaking has rich and long history
Answer: B
@ibtil_TOEFLiBT_GRE_IELTS
آيا ميتوان كلمات كليدي سوال Writing Task2 را تكرار كرد؟
برای اینکه نمره خوبی به خاطر Vocabulary کسب کنید بایستی نشان دهید که دانش وسیعی از واژگان مرتبط با موضوع سوال دارید و از مترادفها و کلمات مشابه استفاده کنید تا دچار تکرار کلماتی خاص نشوید.
معمولا جالب نیست که کلمه ای کلیدی از صورت سوال را در یک جمله دوبار تکرار کنید یا نزدیک به هم در انتها و ابتدای دو جمله آورده شود ودر این مورد بهتر است از ضمیرهایی مانند it, them, this, that یا عباراتی مانند this situation و موارد دیگر استفاده کنید.
اما توجه داشته باشید که این تفکر که یک کلمه را نباید بیش از 2 بار در یک متن 250 کلمه ای تکرار کرد، ایده ای بسیار سختگیرانه و بی منطق است، فقط سعی کنید که در صورت امکان این کلمه را به دفعات زیاد تکرار نکنید و حد اقل نزدیک به هم تکرار نشود.ولی بعضی کلمات تعداد متنوعی مترادف ندارند و با عبارات مشابه هم نمی توان آنها را بیان کرد که در اینصورت بایستی آن کلمه را نسبت به دیگر کلمات بیشتر تکرار کرد.
مشکل داوطلیبین با نمره نسبتا پایین این است که نسبت به مناسب بودن بعضی مترادف ها دانش کافی ندارند ولذا کلماتی را انتخاب میکنند که از نظر معنایی به کلمه مورد نظر نزدیک هستند اما هم معنی نیستند و در نتیجه کلمه جایگزین تاکید معنایی کلمه اصلی را ندارد که بدیهی است این امر نمره مربوط به واژگان را پایین می آورد و برای خواننده گیج کننده خواهد بود. در این شرایط تکرار کلمه بیشتر به نفع شماست .
@yourielts
برای اینکه نمره خوبی به خاطر Vocabulary کسب کنید بایستی نشان دهید که دانش وسیعی از واژگان مرتبط با موضوع سوال دارید و از مترادفها و کلمات مشابه استفاده کنید تا دچار تکرار کلماتی خاص نشوید.
معمولا جالب نیست که کلمه ای کلیدی از صورت سوال را در یک جمله دوبار تکرار کنید یا نزدیک به هم در انتها و ابتدای دو جمله آورده شود ودر این مورد بهتر است از ضمیرهایی مانند it, them, this, that یا عباراتی مانند this situation و موارد دیگر استفاده کنید.
اما توجه داشته باشید که این تفکر که یک کلمه را نباید بیش از 2 بار در یک متن 250 کلمه ای تکرار کرد، ایده ای بسیار سختگیرانه و بی منطق است، فقط سعی کنید که در صورت امکان این کلمه را به دفعات زیاد تکرار نکنید و حد اقل نزدیک به هم تکرار نشود.ولی بعضی کلمات تعداد متنوعی مترادف ندارند و با عبارات مشابه هم نمی توان آنها را بیان کرد که در اینصورت بایستی آن کلمه را نسبت به دیگر کلمات بیشتر تکرار کرد.
مشکل داوطلیبین با نمره نسبتا پایین این است که نسبت به مناسب بودن بعضی مترادف ها دانش کافی ندارند ولذا کلماتی را انتخاب میکنند که از نظر معنایی به کلمه مورد نظر نزدیک هستند اما هم معنی نیستند و در نتیجه کلمه جایگزین تاکید معنایی کلمه اصلی را ندارد که بدیهی است این امر نمره مربوط به واژگان را پایین می آورد و برای خواننده گیج کننده خواهد بود. در این شرایط تکرار کلمه بیشتر به نفع شماست .
@yourielts
ANTITHESIS (n.); ANTITHETICAL (adj.)
Direct opposite; the complete reverse
In the story, the narrator cannot fathom why Alex wants to marry Jennifer, who is his ANTITHESIS. Their taste in music and sense of humor are ANTITHETICAL. The story goes on to say that Alex is marrying in haste, so he would repent at leisure. (A) prediction that finally comes true
Quick Quiz
Coercion and domination subvert the integrity of love by creating power relationships that are its antithesis. That is, if one attempts to dominate one's partner, love would —-------.
A. be strengthened
B. prevent a disaster
C. be ruined
Answer: C
@ibtil
Direct opposite; the complete reverse
In the story, the narrator cannot fathom why Alex wants to marry Jennifer, who is his ANTITHESIS. Their taste in music and sense of humor are ANTITHETICAL. The story goes on to say that Alex is marrying in haste, so he would repent at leisure. (A) prediction that finally comes true
Quick Quiz
Coercion and domination subvert the integrity of love by creating power relationships that are its antithesis. That is, if one attempts to dominate one's partner, love would —-------.
A. be strengthened
B. prevent a disaster
C. be ruined
Answer: C
@ibtil
Gregarious (adj.)
(of people) friendly and preferring to be with other people; (of animal) living in large groups
Woolly monkeys are active during the day. GREGARIOUS, they live in small groups and are often found in the company of capuchins, howlers, and other monkeys. They are rather slow-moving and generally travel on all fours, although they often swing by their hands, feet, and tail or by their tail alone. On the ground they are able to stand erect, using the tail for support.
Quick Quiz
Dolphins were happy, gregarious surface dwellers and being so they —---------.
A. shun other dolphins
B. tend to be solitary
C. move through water together
Answer: C
@ibtil
(of people) friendly and preferring to be with other people; (of animal) living in large groups
Woolly monkeys are active during the day. GREGARIOUS, they live in small groups and are often found in the company of capuchins, howlers, and other monkeys. They are rather slow-moving and generally travel on all fours, although they often swing by their hands, feet, and tail or by their tail alone. On the ground they are able to stand erect, using the tail for support.
Quick Quiz
Dolphins were happy, gregarious surface dwellers and being so they —---------.
A. shun other dolphins
B. tend to be solitary
C. move through water together
Answer: C
@ibtil
ENIGMATIC and INSCRUTABLE (adj.)
Mysterious; puzzling; unfathomable; baffling
What do da Vinci’s portrait the Mona Lisa, Fitzgerald’s description of Jay Gatsby, and J.K Rawling’s portrayal of Snape have in common? All three figures are ENIGMATIC. The Mona Lisa’s ENIGMATIC smile has puzzled art lovers for centuries. When The Great Gatsby opens, Jay Gatsby is an ENIGMATIC figure whose great wealth and extravagant parties spark endless gossip. And Snape’s personality and loyalties remain INSCRUTABLE until the final chapters of Ha1’ry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Quick Quiz
His face wore an enigmatic smile, but he did not speak. I’m sure everybody present —----.
A. wondered if the smile was really a sign of satisfaction
B. was happy that they knew the was pleased
C. decided to smile too
Answer: A
@ibtil
Mysterious; puzzling; unfathomable; baffling
What do da Vinci’s portrait the Mona Lisa, Fitzgerald’s description of Jay Gatsby, and J.K Rawling’s portrayal of Snape have in common? All three figures are ENIGMATIC. The Mona Lisa’s ENIGMATIC smile has puzzled art lovers for centuries. When The Great Gatsby opens, Jay Gatsby is an ENIGMATIC figure whose great wealth and extravagant parties spark endless gossip. And Snape’s personality and loyalties remain INSCRUTABLE until the final chapters of Ha1’ry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Quick Quiz
His face wore an enigmatic smile, but he did not speak. I’m sure everybody present —----.
A. wondered if the smile was really a sign of satisfaction
B. was happy that they knew the was pleased
C. decided to smile too
Answer: A
@ibtil
INDULGENT (adj.)
willing to allow someone, especially a child, to do or have whatever they want, even if this is not good for them; overly tolerant
In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George’s mother prides herself on being INDULGENT. She proudly tells Regina and Cady, “I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, don’t be shy, OK? There are NO rules in the house. I’m not like a ‘regular’ mom. I’m a ‘cool’ mom.” Mrs. George should have said, ‘‘I’m a super-INDULGENT mom who lets Regina do anything she wishes.”
Quick Quiz
Don't indulgent parents realize that —----------?
A. their children have many needs
B. they're spoiling their children
C. they deny their children the basic necessities of life
Answer: B
@ibtil
willing to allow someone, especially a child, to do or have whatever they want, even if this is not good for them; overly tolerant
In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George’s mother prides herself on being INDULGENT. She proudly tells Regina and Cady, “I just want you to know, if you ever need anything, don’t be shy, OK? There are NO rules in the house. I’m not like a ‘regular’ mom. I’m a ‘cool’ mom.” Mrs. George should have said, ‘‘I’m a super-INDULGENT mom who lets Regina do anything she wishes.”
Quick Quiz
Don't indulgent parents realize that —----------?
A. their children have many needs
B. they're spoiling their children
C. they deny their children the basic necessities of life
Answer: B
@ibtil
A reading passage with new words:
Make Sure to look up the new words:
Hazards
Trend
To name a few
Conscious
Alternative
Object(v.)
at the expense of
ingest
pesticide
residues
coated with
peeling
Bugs
Combat
Disrupt
premature puberty
genetically modified
tampered with
comprise
contamination
vicious cycle
fertilize
exacerbate
emissions
toxic
intensify
arise
conventional
irrigation
preponderance
algal
depletes
@aalaeeTOEFLiBT
The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture
The growing international trend in organic farming is driven by consumer demand, which is currently rising at the rate of 20 percent per year. Countries with the highest growth rate include Argentina, the US, and China to name a few. People all over the world are becoming increasingly conscious of the adverse effects of industrial agriculture and view organically grown food as a healthier alternative. While the majority tend to be sympathetic to small-scale farmers and especially appreciate the benefits of locally grown food, they take exception to factory farms controlled by multinational corporations. In particular, they object to the corporate focus on maximizing profits at the expense of health and environmental concerns.
Health risks include pesticide residues, antibiotics, and hormones as well as the unknown impact of biological engineering. First, recent studies indicate that many produce items are heavily coated with pesticides even after washing and peeling.
What's more, these pesticides have been linked with cancer. Second, the antibiotics we ingest from both plant and animal sources lead to the development of super bugs, which are increasingly difficult to combat. Third, plant and animal growth hormones are known to disrupt the endocrine system* and have the potential to bring on premature puberty in children. Fourth, the unregulated use of genetically modified organisms makes these items virtually invisible in today's grocery stores. People have no way of knowing whether a product has had its genetic code tampered with by artificial means. Furthermore, they have no idea how this genetic manipulation could impact their health.
The environmental hazards of industrial agriculture comprise air pollution, global warming, water contamination, oceanic dead zones, animal cruelty, decreased biodiversity,** and unsustainable farmlands. Moreover, there is the vicious cycle of producers having to use more pesticides and fertilizers, which exacerbates this core problem. Synthetic fertilizers are the largest global source of nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more toxic than carbon dioxide gases. If these are allowed to continue unchecked, they will not only affect air-pollution levels but also dangerously intensify our current global warming crisis.
According to authorities, water pollution is one of the most serious problems arising from conventional farming methods. Animal waste, artificial fertilizers, and pesticides leach into the soil. Then they run off through natural irrigation to contaminate groundwater, which accounts for a large portion of our water supply. Studies consistently show that nitrates from waste and fertilizers, and chemicals from pesticides, are creating permanent damage to groundwater around the world. Furthermore, the preponderance of nitrogen in fertilizers, which helps crops grow, ends up harming oceans. It generates algal overgrowth that depletes so much oxygen in the water that no plant or animal can survive. This is how the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea were created. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Make Sure to look up the new words:
Hazards
Trend
To name a few
Conscious
Alternative
Object(v.)
at the expense of
ingest
pesticide
residues
coated with
peeling
Bugs
Combat
Disrupt
premature puberty
genetically modified
tampered with
comprise
contamination
vicious cycle
fertilize
exacerbate
emissions
toxic
intensify
arise
conventional
irrigation
preponderance
algal
depletes
@aalaeeTOEFLiBT
The Hazards of Industrial Agriculture
The growing international trend in organic farming is driven by consumer demand, which is currently rising at the rate of 20 percent per year. Countries with the highest growth rate include Argentina, the US, and China to name a few. People all over the world are becoming increasingly conscious of the adverse effects of industrial agriculture and view organically grown food as a healthier alternative. While the majority tend to be sympathetic to small-scale farmers and especially appreciate the benefits of locally grown food, they take exception to factory farms controlled by multinational corporations. In particular, they object to the corporate focus on maximizing profits at the expense of health and environmental concerns.
Health risks include pesticide residues, antibiotics, and hormones as well as the unknown impact of biological engineering. First, recent studies indicate that many produce items are heavily coated with pesticides even after washing and peeling.
What's more, these pesticides have been linked with cancer. Second, the antibiotics we ingest from both plant and animal sources lead to the development of super bugs, which are increasingly difficult to combat. Third, plant and animal growth hormones are known to disrupt the endocrine system* and have the potential to bring on premature puberty in children. Fourth, the unregulated use of genetically modified organisms makes these items virtually invisible in today's grocery stores. People have no way of knowing whether a product has had its genetic code tampered with by artificial means. Furthermore, they have no idea how this genetic manipulation could impact their health.
The environmental hazards of industrial agriculture comprise air pollution, global warming, water contamination, oceanic dead zones, animal cruelty, decreased biodiversity,** and unsustainable farmlands. Moreover, there is the vicious cycle of producers having to use more pesticides and fertilizers, which exacerbates this core problem. Synthetic fertilizers are the largest global source of nitrous oxide emissions, which are 300 times more toxic than carbon dioxide gases. If these are allowed to continue unchecked, they will not only affect air-pollution levels but also dangerously intensify our current global warming crisis.
According to authorities, water pollution is one of the most serious problems arising from conventional farming methods. Animal waste, artificial fertilizers, and pesticides leach into the soil. Then they run off through natural irrigation to contaminate groundwater, which accounts for a large portion of our water supply. Studies consistently show that nitrates from waste and fertilizers, and chemicals from pesticides, are creating permanent damage to groundwater around the world. Furthermore, the preponderance of nitrogen in fertilizers, which helps crops grow, ends up harming oceans. It generates algal overgrowth that depletes so much oxygen in the water that no plant or animal can survive. This is how the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea were created. @aalaeeTOEFLiBT