You may have some friends who are particularabout what they eat. They prefer certain foods and are thus known as picky eaters. However, this aspectof character is not necessarily negative. Picky eaters are common, but research shows that only about 25% of the population qualifyas supertasters.
The term “supertaster” was introduced in the 1990s by Linda Bartoshuk, a researcher of taste perceptionat the University of Florida. As the term suggests, a supertaster is someone with a sharp sense of taste who experiences the flavors in food more intenselythan others. This means that while non-supertasters may be able to swallow foods that they don’t enjoy without significant discomfort, supertasters find certain flavors almost unbearable.
The statusof being a supertaster is backed by scientific evidence. First, supertasters have a lot more taste budsthan non-supertasters. Moreover, among the five major flavor groups (bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and umami), supertasters are especially sensitive tobitterness. This makes them less likely to enjoy coffee, dark chocolate, and bitter-tasting vegetables and fruits.
Unfortunately, excluding certain foods from one’s diet can have health-related disadvantages. What’s worse, supertasters may use salt to cover upbitter flavors, which may lead to overseasoningand health issues.
Nevertheless, being a supertaster isn’t all bad news. For one thing,many supertasters tend to stay away from alcoholand cigarettes because of their taste. Thus, they are relativelyunlikely to become habitualdrinkers or smokers. For another,supertasters are usually mindful of what they eat, so they’re less likely to overeat. Finding out whether you’re a supertaster or just a picky eater may help you take a standnext time someone accusesyou of being too fussyabout your food.
1. Please write down picky eaters or supertasters based on the information from the passage.（填空）
Features
Types of people
More taste buds.
_____(a)_____
More sensitive to bitterness.
_____(b)_____
Account for more of the population.
_____(c)_____
2. What two types of people are supertasters less likely to be?（簡答）
______________________
3. Which of the following are NOT characteristics of supertasters?（多選題）
(A) They eat very small portions at each meal.
(B) They pay careful attention to what they eat.
(C) They cannot sense all the five flavor groups.
(D) They may add something to change the flavor of bitter foods.
(E) They can notice certain flavors that most people may not perceive.
However, this aspect of character is not necessarily negative.
介紹「部分否定」和「全部否定」的用法
針對所指人、事、物的一部分加以否定者，稱為「部分否定」：
※ 有些表整體含義的代名詞（如 all、both、every）與否定詞 not 並用時，便形成「部分否定」，且 not 要置於 all、both、every 之前。 • Not both of my parents have retired.
並非我父母都已退休。
※ everybody、everyone、everything、everywhere 與否定詞 not 並用時，亦表部分否定。 • You have to accept that not everything goes well in life.
你得接受人生中不是每件事都順利。
※ always、quite、completely、entirely、exactly、necessarily 等副詞與 not 搭配時，也有部分否定的意思。（本文用法） • Since your answer is not completely wrong, you still earn some points for this question.
因為你的答案不是全錯，這一題你還是有得一些分數。
對人事物的全部加以否定者，稱為「全部否定」：
※ 字詞本身含有絕對否定的意思，如：neither（兩者都不）、none（兩者以上都不）、no one / nobody（沒有人）、nothing（沒有任何東西或事物）等都表示全部否定。 • No one saw Den at the office today.
今天沒有人在辦公室看到阿丹。
※ neither of 作主詞時，由於 neither 視為單數，按照嚴謹的文法，其後應搭配第三人稱單數動詞，但在非正式用法中，也可搭配複數動詞使用。 • Neither of my gloves is / are dry.
我的兩隻手套都沒乾。
※ none of 後面接複數名詞或代名詞作主詞時，後面搭配單數動詞或複數動詞均可，但 none of 後面接不可數名詞時，其後則要用單數動詞。 • None of my friends has / have seen this movie.
我的朋友中，沒人看過這部電影。 • None of the news from the TV channel is reliable.
那個電視頻道的新聞都不可靠。
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