Table of Contents
BEST IELTS Academic Reading Test 475
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST 475 – PASSAGE – 3
IELTS ACADEMIC READING TEST – 475
READING PASSAGE – 3
The Health Benefits of Vegetarianism
Vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat or seafood and may not eat eggs or dairy foods. Wellplanned vegetarian diets have many health benefits and can provide all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary for a long and healthy life. People have many reasons for becoming vegetarians. Some want to eat more healthy foods. Others have religious or economic reasons or are concerned about animal welfare.
“Vegetarian diets are also more sustainable and environmentally sound than diets that rely heavily on meat, poultry and fish,” says nutritionist Dr. Karen Morgan, who monitors trends in cancer risk factors. “Livestock production accounts for nearly 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture worldwide and it also places a much heavier burden on water, land and fossil fuel resources than grains and other crops.”
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Vegetarian meals focus on fruits and vegetables, dried beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts. Most people think of vegetarian diets as simply eating plant foods and not eating meat, poultry and fish. “However,” as Morgan explains, “there are in fact many different types of vegetarian diets and some are more restrictive than others.” Strict vegetarians, or vegans, eat plant foods and reject all animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. Those who also eat dairy products are called lacto vegetarians.
Vegetarians who eat both dairy and eggs are called lactoovo vegetarians. Some vegetarians eat fish but not meat or poultry and they’re called pescatarians. “Then there are the so-called flexitarians, or semi-vegetarians. These are people who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but they occasionally eat meat,” says Josie Elkei, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at NIH. “They might say, ‘I’m a vegetarian, but I need to eat my burgers every Sunday.’ People tend to follow their own rules, which is one reason why it’s hard to study vegetarians. There’s so much variance.”
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Vegetarians exhibit a wide diversity of dietary practices, often described by what is omitted from their diet. When a vegetarian diet is appropriately planned and includes fortified foods, it can be nutritionally satisfactory for adults and children and can promote health and lower the risk of major chronic diseases. The nutrients of concern in the diet of vegetarians include vitamin B12, vitamin D, some fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc. Elkei explains what can be done. “Although a vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients, a poorly planned vegetarian diet can cause deficiencies and so the use of fortified foods and pills provides a useful shield.”
However, a vegetarian diet usually provides a low intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and a high intake of dietary fiber and many health-promoting phytochemicals. This is achieved by an increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, and various soy products. General practitioner Mark Thomas explains the benefits of this.
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“As a result of this kind of diet, vegetarians typically have lower body mass index, serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and blood pressure, reduced rates of death from ischemic heart disease, and decreased incidence of hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers than do nonvegetarians.”
In some cases, however, it is unclear if the specific health benefits come from plantbased eating or from the healthy lifestyle of most vegetarians. Personal trainer Alicia Field notes that “vegetarians are generally more physically active and have healthier habits than nonvegetarians. They also typically have a higher socioeconomic status.”
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Researcher Stan Wade has been determined to find out the truth of whether vegetarianism of lifestyle is the greater indicator of health and, over the last few years, he has conducted large and carefully controlled studies that have explored this. Wade presents his results. “It’s clear that the elements of lifestyle and vegetarianism complement each other and both included factors that aid long life. Meat eaters, however, who take plenty of exercise and have healthy habits are also likely to live long and healthy lives.”
One issue that many vegetarians face is when they eat out. Most restaurant menus are geared towards meat eaters, and their vegetarian offerings are often limited to meat dishes with the absence of meat. Unfortunately, taking meat away from a dish doesn’t mean that vegetarians are getting a healthy, well-balanced vegetarian meal. Because of this, if vegetarians eat out frequently, it can be difficult for them to get the proper nutrition their bodies need. If an individual is committed to a vegetarian lifestyle, however, having issues eating out is not a significant drawback.
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Well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of a person’s life. However, special care needs to be taken with young children. Infants consuming their mothers’ milk or infant formula usually have their nutritional needs met. When introducing complementary foods for children, it is important to include protein-rich foods, such as mashed tofu or cottage cheese. Later, add cheese, cow’s milk, full-fat soy milk and legumes.
Iron is another important nutrient needed because body iron stores are usually depleted by six months of age. Sources of iron for vegetarian diets include cereals for babies fortified with iron, beans and dark green vegetables. Celia Tremlett, a child nutritionist, suggests an approach. “One way to ensure that vegetarian children meet their energy needs is to give them frequent meals and snacks and it is particularly important that vegetarian children have energy and nutrient-dense foods regularly.”
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When reviewing the facts, it is hard to understand why more people don’t embrace vegetarianism. Although the convenience of meat options and a lack of knowledge stop many people from trying it, the chief factor that stops people seems just to be the meat-eating habit. Whatever people choose to eat, however, it’s clear that moderation and balance are key to being happy and healthy.
Questions 27 – 33
Look at the following statements (questions 27 – 33) and the list of people below.
Match each statement with the correct person’s initials.
27. Adding supplements to a vegetarian’s diet can help ensure all the necessary nutrients to remain healthy are absorbed.
28. Healthy habits and vegetarian habits work well together.
29. Vegetarians are likely to suffer a lot fewer diseases than meat-eaters.
30. Vegetarian children should eat frequently through the day.
31. The farming of animals takes up disproportionate amounts of resources.
32. Some people find it difficult to give up meat completely.
33. Vegetarians often earn more money than meat eaters.
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KM. Karen Morgan
JE. Josie Elkei
MT. Mark Thomas
AF. Alicia Field
SW. Stan Wade
CT. Celia Tremlett
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Questions 34 – 40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
In boxes 34 – 40 on your answer sheet write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
34. People’s individual approach to vegetarianism makes it hard to research vegetarianism.
35. Certain fish are favoured more by pescatarians.
36. Soy is not a suitable food for vegetarians.
37. Restaurants will often prepare a vegetarian meal for people on request.
38. Tofu should be avoided as a source of protein for children.
39. Because babies are not born with adequate stores of iron, they need to have regular intakes of it through their food.
40. The main reason that people reject vegetarianism is that they’re just used to eating meat.
IELTS Academic Reading Test
IELTS Academic Reading Test
ANSWERS
27. JE
28. SW
29. MT
30. CT
31. KM
32. JE
33. AF
34. TRUE
35. NOT GIVEN
36. FALSE
37. NOT GIVEN
38. FALSE
39. TRUE
40. TRUE
IELTS Academic Reading Test