2. Burning off calories
Focus on
![]() Imagen de Sean MacEntee en Flickr. Licencia CC |
People today eat way more than they used to - and way more than they need to. This means that they're constantly taking in more calories than their bodies can burn. Unfortunately, lots of us don't realize that we're eating too much because we've become so used to seeing (and eating!) large portions. The price of such overabundance is high. It's common knowledge that people who consistently overeat are likely to become overweight. But they also risk getting a number of medical problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, breathing and sleeping problems, and even depression. Later in life, people who overeat are at greater risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke. SOURCE: http://teenshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/portion_size.html |
- Do you agree with the text?
- Why do people eat so much nowadays?
- Do you know people who overeat and are not overweight? Are they healthy?
- How much meat, fish and fruit do you eat per week? A lot or little?
- How many vegetables do you eat every day? A lot or few?
- How often do you eat snacks?
Top tips
Pay attention when answering questions like the ones above where quantifiers (much, many, little, a little, few, a few, a lot, some, any, etc.) have to be used.
Do you remember how to use them?
ACTIVITY 1
Watch the following video and answer the questions as for the use of much, many and a lot.
a.- Are the words water and homework countable or uncountable nouns?
b.- Is the following sentence correct - I drank too many water ?
c.- Is the quantifier a lot (of) used with countable or uncountable nouns?
d.- Which quantifiers can be used with uncountable nouns?
Video alojado en Youtube
ACTIVITY 2
Watch the video below and answer the following questions related to the use of little, a little, few, a few.
e.- Which of these four quantifiers are used with non-countable nouns?
f.- What do the quantifiers a little and a few mean?
g.-What's the meaning of little and few?
h.- Do the following two sentences mean the same - A few friends have visited me already and Some friends have visited me already?
i.- What's the difference between to have little time and to have a little time?
Video alojado en Youtube
ACTIVITY 1
a.- They are uncountable nouns.
b.- No, it isn't. The quantifier too many can only be used countable nouns.
c.- It can be used with uncountable nouns and with plural countable nouns.
d.- A lot and much can be used with uncountable nouns.
ACTIVITY 2
e.- Little and a little are used with non-countable nouns.
f.- They mean some.
g.- They mean hardly ever.
h.- Yes, they have the same meaning.
i. - If you have little time, you have hardly any time. On the contrary, if you have a little time, you have some time.
Moving on
Now, it's time to practise using quantifiers in context.
These exercises will help you understand when to use each of the quantifiers we have studied.
Do it yourself
Listen to the audio called Menu shows exercise needed to lose weight and say if the statements below are True or False. Listen to the recording twice.
SOURCE: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1304/130430-menus.html
After doing the listening activity, click on audioscript to listen and read the script at the same time.
Feedback
False
Some restaurant menus are showing how much exercise is needed to burn off calories.
Feedback
True
Researchers from the Texas Christian University say that telling customers how many minutes they must walk to burn off the calories from a hamburger is much better information than showing how many calories the hamburger has.
Feedback
True
They say people do not really understand calories.
Feedback
False
The researchers looked at the restaurant orders made by 300 different people.
Feedback
True
Some used a menu without calorie information; some had a menu with calorie information; and the rest were given a menu with a guide to how many minutes of fast walking would burn off the calories in the food.
Feedback
False
A woman would need to walk for two hours to burn off the calories in a double cheeseburger, not for the calories of a simple hamburger.
Feedback
True
Researcher Ashlei James said: "Brisk walking is something nearly everyone can relate to, which is why we displayed…the minutes of brisk walking needed to burn food calories."
Do it yourself
All the words below in column A are words from the listening activity you have just done. Match column A and column B to get synonyms. Write the letter (a-j) in the space provided.