Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a sweetener
    • ex. Don avoids sugar, so he puts sweeteners in his tea instead.
  2. tremendous
    • ex. Drinking less soda had a tremendous effect on her health. She lost some weight.
  3. subjective
    • ex. Art is subjective because people see different things in one picture.
  4. a beverage
    • ex. Hot beverages, like coffee and tea, are nice on cold days.
  5. content
    • ex. This snack has a high salt content, so it’s not very healthy.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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There’s a big discussion about whether Coca-Cola should use sugar from corn or white sugar in its drinks. But many people now want Coke with no sugar at all. Coke Zero, which was launched in 2017, is becoming popular. It uses both artificial and natural sweeteners. Its sales increased by 14% this year.

In July, President Donald Trump said that Coca-Cola planned to use white sugar in its regular drink, saying, “It’s just better!” But Coca-Cola didn’t confirm the change. The company also said both white and corn sugar cause health problems in the same way. Experts think Coca-Cola won’t stop using corn sugar because it would cause tremendous problems with getting enough ingredients. The change could also cause many job losses in America.

Soft drink choices are subjective. But companies should now focus on beverages with low or no sugar. Data shows that Coke Zero’s sales grew by 10%, while original Coke’s sales stayed the same. Still, experts suggest avoiding any kind of added sugar because it only has calories without nutrients. It’s still better to limit foods and drinks with high sugar content, especially for young children.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Coca-Cola and Beverage Companies

  • Coke Zero is getting more popular. Do you think this means people care more about sugar and health now? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Coca-Cola didn’t confirm the change to white sugar. Should companies be more open about their ingredients and decisions? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Experts say companies should focus on low- or no-sugar drinks. Do you think companies in your country are becoming more concerned about health? Why do you say so? Discuss.

Sugar and Food

  • Experts say we should avoid all added sugar. Do you agree that added sugar is bad for health? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Many people like sweet food and drinks. Why do you think sugar is so hard to avoid? Discuss.
  • What types of food do you usually avoid (ex. junk food, fatty food)? Why? Discuss.