Kimchi and nanoplastics: A 2-part vocabulary quiz
“Plastic pollution is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental issue but also as a public health concern,” said Dr. Sehee Lee, the lead researcher of the study. “Our findings suggest that microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods could represent a new biological approach to address this emerging challenge. We will continue to expand the scientific value of kimchi microbial resources to contribute to public health and environmental solutions.”
That was the study’s conclusion. Now, your challenge is to read the following 2 paragraphs and match the words given. View this as a way to expand your English vocabulary. Answers are at the end.
Paragraph 1
Scientists have written extensively about the prevalence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment and in our bodies. Microplastics are larger than a micrometre (1 millionth of a metre), while nanoplastics are smaller than a micrometre. A new study has found that bacteria from the fermented Korean dish kimchi can help to expel nanoplastics from the body. Researchers at the World Institute of Kimchi in South Korea have discovered a microbe that can attach itself to nanoplastics in the gut. The foreign body is then safely expelled in our bodily waste. The plastic does not pass through the intestinal lining and accumulate in organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver.
| 1. | extensively | a. | To force something out. |
| 2. | prevalence | b. | To slowly collect more and more. |
| 3. | fermented | c. | Done in a very complete and detailed way. |
| 4. | expel | d. | Changed by bacteria over time. |
| 5. | the gut | e. | How common something is. |
| 6. | bodily waste | f. | The inside part of the body where food is digested. |
| 7. | accumulate | g. | Things that leave the body, such as urine. |
Paragraph 2
Nanoplastics are of increasing concern to the medical community. There are many unknown side effects of these tiny particles being in our organs. Current estimates suggest people take in up to 120,000 microscopic fragments every year. Newspapers often print stories about our body containing 7 grams of plastic, which is about the mass of a credit card. The Korean scientists believe their research might alleviate the accumulation of plastic in our bodies. Lead researcher Dr Se-hee Lee said: “Microorganisms derived from traditional fermented foods could represent a new biological approach to address this emerging challenge. We will continue to expand the scientific value of kimchi.”
| 8. | side effects | h. | Other problems that happen because of something. |
| 9. | organs | i. | How much matter is in something. |
| 10. | mass | j. | To do something about a problem. |
| 11. | alleviate | k. | Parts inside the body that do important jobs. |
| 12. | derived | l. | Beginning to appear or develop. |
| 13. | address | m. | Made from something else. |
| 14. | emerging | n. | To make something less bad. |
ANSWERS
VOCABULARY
1. c 2. e 3. d 4. a 5. f 6. g 7. b
8. k 9. h 10. i 11. n 12. m 13. j 14. l
Source: Breaking News English©
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