Fast-food Addiction
Make Sure to look up the new words:
Swelling obesity crisis
Subsist
Convenience food
Annually
Accumulation
Compounds
Culprits
Empirical
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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
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For and Against: Old Nice Argumentative Essays!👌☝️☝️☝️☝️

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 .
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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
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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
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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

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
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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

TENACIOUS (adj.)
Characterized by holding fast; showing great determination in holding on to something that
is valued

What do Jason Bourne (The Bourne UZtimatum), Noah Calhoun (The Notebook), and Jamal Malik (Slumdog Millionaire) have in common? All three TENACIOUSLY pursued something they desperately wanted. Jason Bourne refused to accept the loss of his identity. He showed great TENACITY in his single-minded attempt to learn who he was. Noah Calhoun loved and lost Allie. He then demonstrated great TENACITY in his attempt to win her back. And finally, Jamal refused to accept being separated from Latika. He demonstrated great TENACITY in his attempts to find her.

Quick Quiz
She is very tenacious and will —---------.
A. work hard and long to achieve objectives.
B. cause trouble to those trying to help him
C. change his mind after experience a little of hardship





Answer: A
@ibtil

The Sandwich King
Key Words:
Affluence: wealth
Disdain: scorn: contempt
Candid: frank
Intrepid: courageous
Alien: unfamiliar: foreigner
Gauche: ill-mannered
Aficionado: fan, supporter
Novice: beginner:
Astute: shrewd: smart
Hypocrisy: Insincerity
Stoic: tolerant
Capriciousness: changeability @aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Adroit: skillful
Frivolous: flippant: childish
Cordiality: Friendliness: warmness
Fraternal: friendly
Dogmatic: inflexible
Altruistic: unselfish
Venerable: respected
Jimmy John’s high school years were spent largely in the discipline office, but through hard work and a sense of fun he became a business success.
Almost no one would have predicted a life of affluence for this guy. He graduated next to last in his high school class. He didn’t have an easy time socially, either. Awkward and overweight, he felt he was the object of disdain from his classmates, who were often from more affluent families.
To add to his problems, he often embarrassed himself by saying things that were too candid. He got in so much trouble for smoking, fighting, and skipping class that the school staff considered kicking him out. Yet today, more than twenty years later, Jimmy John Liautaud runs a chain of over 900 sandwich shops that proudly bears his name: Jimmy John’s.
How did he do it? The answer is lots of hard work, and some help from friends and family. His father was an intrepid business owner and inventor who was willing to risk going broke to test a good idea. His mother too had made it through difficult times. Originally from Lithuania, she had escaped from Communism, lived in camps, and finally immigrated to an alien land, the United States. The family expected children to be hardworking and self-supporting.
Jimmy John also received some important help in high school. Dean of Discipline Jim Lyons recognized that inside the gauche teenager there was a gentle giant. The dean asked Jimmy John what things interested him. There were two answers: a good-looking female classmate and food. Lyons told his student to concentrate on the food!
So Jimmy John decided to open up a sandwich shop, partially funded by a loan from his father. For research, he ate in all the sandwich places he could find within a five-state area. The sandwich aficionado soon became an expert judge. His family evaluated his proposed creations, voting down his favorite—liver sausage and mayonnaise.
The novice businessman had just completed high school when he opened a shop in a garage near Eastern Illinois University. Since he sold only two sandwiches the first day, he was astute enough to try a marketing plan: distributing free sandwiches. Giving away food proved to be a hit. People started streaming into the shop to buy lunch.
Soon Jimmy John hired two helpers—and assigned them all the difficult jobs. Sensing his hypocrisy, both employees quit. Jimmy John learned a valuable lesson: the boss must work hard. He is now affluent, but he stoically continues to put in long hours.
Starting in one store, Jimmy John developed a chain. He now has shops in large cities throughout the Midwest and Southeast.
There are many reasons for the success of the chain. The food and service are dependable and fast. There is no room for capriciousness in
Jimmy John’s stores. His motto is “Make a Deal, Keep a Deal.” All ingredients are fresh. In fact, the adroitly made sandwiches are often delivered within seconds. The menu also accommodates different needs. People who are concerned about their weight may order the “unwich,” ingredients wrapped in lettuce without the bread. The management of the shops is very systematic. Employees get a detailed “to do” list, which includes such tasks as turning out the lights at closing time.

But, like Jimmy John, the shops have their frivolous side. Signs posted on the wall give advice about life. One reads, “If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.” Guides to behavior are also posted. The DOs include “Say please and thank you,” “Disable dorky ring tones on your cell phone,” and “Remember to smile.” The DON’Ts contain:
“Don’t play with your food” and “Don’t take stuff too seriously.”
Jimmy John also believes in cordiality. Staff members tell customers to, “Come back soon.” All employees, including office executives, wear T-shirts saying “Your
mother wants you to eat at Jimmy John’s.”
This gives a fraternal feeling to all parts of the business.
Jimmy John also believes in listening to his employees. His early struggles taught him that a dogmatic boss is a bad boss. So he requires all managers to hold weekly sessions that discuss employee complaints and suggestions. Good pay helps to keep employees loyal, but so does
Jimmy John’s concern for them. He named a sandwich for a manager who was killed in an accident. Look for the “Billy Club” on the menu.
Success has enabled Jimmy John to be altruistic. In 2008, he donated a million dollars to his former school for a new building. He insisted that the building must bear the name of the venerable dean of discipline who helped him: Jim Lyons. Today the Liautaud-Lyons upper grade center stands on the campus of Elgin Academy, the high school where Jimmy John struggled. It was built by the sandwich king, John Liautaud, who combined hard work with fun to build a food empire.
@aalaeeTOEFLiBT
Source: The World of Words
Vocabulary for College Success by Margaret Ann Richek