MA Sanaye Ghazaei Reading Comprehension

PASSAGE 1:

The safety of probiotics-based foods and beverages is of utmost importance, especially with the rise of public consciousness towards probiotics and functional foods. (I) This warrants detailed safety over functional evaluation which traditionally includes microbiological and phenotypical assays to confirm the absence of virulence genes.

Virulence genes (virulome) represent the bacteria-associated genes that are essential for a bacterium to affect eukaryotic cells (like humans) by invasion, colonization, immune evasion, suppression of host immune response, and acquiring nutrition from the host. (Il) The criterion would be the complete absence of virulome from probiotic bacteria and transferrable genes to relevant antibiotics in clinical practice.

Though the absence of virulence factors in probiotic strain would mean its acceptability for commercial application, proving such genes in a bacterium is an equally daunting task for several reasons. Firstly, virulome for all (entero) pathogens is not yet well characterized. The pathogenic mechanism of some pathogens like Campylobacter jejuni is still unknown, meaning the bacteria demonstrates virulome through unknown mechanisms, which are not yet detected. Secondly, probiotics in the gut exhibit virulence like properties and this is where a distinction between colonization and virulence becomes difficult, though both of them are related.

(II) Thus, it becomes difficult to define which properties of bacteria help them adhere and attach to the gut epithelium (ability of probiotic strain as colonization) and are responsible for the disease. (IV)

1.The best title for this passage is ————–.

1) Absence of Virulome in Probiotics

2) Public Awareness about Probiotics

3) Detecting Virulence Factors in Functional Foods

4) The Importance of Probiotics-based Foods and Beverage

2- All of the following are the effects of virulence genes on human cells EXCEPT

—————-.

1) deactivation of cells within the tissue

2) impairing the functions of the host immune system

3) supplying the nutrients in a parasitic relationship

4) the development of a bacterial infection in an individual

3- Where I, II, III, or IV, could the following sentence be inserted in the passage?

Hence, an additional whole-genome sequence is essential for the safety evaluation of a strain earmarked for probiotic use.

1) I

2) II

3) III

4) IV

4- The word “daunting” in paragraph 2 is similar in meaning to —————.

1) basic

2) challenging

3) impossible

4) immediate

5- According to the passage—————–.

1) there is a close connection between colonization and virulence

2) defining the properties of bacteria is a difficult task

3) formation of colonization and virulence becomes difficult in the gut

4) detecting the unknown mechanisms is carried out through virulome

PASSAGE 2:

A critical requirement in food packaging is represented by the barrier properties against the permeation of gases, water vapor, and aroma compounds of the packaging system. In fact, the chemical interactions between the products and the environment are the principal reasons for improper shelf-life and spoilage phenomena. Therefore, the evaluation of the gas exchange by means of the permeation of gas molecules is a crucial aspect in designing a product. The permeation of a gas molecule through a packaging system is a physical process made up of three independent molecules through the packaging section; and the desorption in the internal headspace. Under the assumption of steady state conditions, the physical processes involved in the permeation can be modeled by simple equations. Particularly, the diffusion of a permeant’s molecule is dependent on the concentration difference between the two sides of the packaging system, which acts as a driving force, thus creating a diffusive flux following the first Fick’s law of diffusion. Furthermore, other assumptions are needed, such as the absence of chemical interaction between the penetrant and the packaging material and the fact that the diffusion flow must follow only one direction. The adsorption/desorption processes of a permeant molecule normally exhibit a linear dependency with the partial pressure gradient across the barrier layer while keeping the assumption of steady-state transport condition and exhibiting a concentration lower than the penetrant maximum solubility, thereby adhering to Henry’s law of solubility.

6- This passage is mainly about —————-.

1) the crucial aspects of designing the products

2) the principal reasons for food shelf-life and its safety

3) critical requirements in food packaging based on chemical reactivates

4) physical process involved in the permeability of a gas molecule across a packaging material

7– Food, according to the passage, is rotten due to —————-.

1) lack of shelf-life management during food storage

2) improper mixing of food materials in the packaging process

3) gases, water vapor, and aroma compounds existing in it

4) a chemical interaction between the products and the environment

8- The word “steady” in line 9 can be substituted by—————-.

1) balanced

2) changing

3) original

4) perfect

9- You can infer from the passage that—————-.

1) the first Fick's law of diffusion is reinforced by succeeding a diffusive flux

2) the driving force of food packaging is considered a physical property

3) the substances exchange between two sides of a packaging system in constant conditions

4) the rate of diffusion of a substance across a unit area is proportional to the concentration gradient

10- The information given in this passage is based on —————-.

1) curiosity

2) evidence

3) fictions

4) theory

PASSAGE 3:

A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one’s diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order to increase the quantity of their consumption. The class of nutrient compounds includes vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, and amino acids. Dietary supplements can also contain substances that have not been confirmed as being essential to life but are marketed as having a beneficial biological effect, such as plant pigments or polyphenols. Animals can also be a source of supplement ingredients, such as collagen from chickens or fish for example. These are also sold individually and in combination and may be combined with nutrient ingredients. Multivitamins are the most commonly used product among types of dietary supplements. The National Institutes of Health states that supplements may be of value for those who are nutrient deficient from their diet and receive approval from their medical provider.

It is against regulations for supplement manufacturers to claim that these products prevent or treat any disease. Companies are allowed to use what is referred to as Structure/Function wording if there is substantiation of scientific evidence for a supplement providing a potential health effect. An example would be – “helps maintain healthy joints”, but the label must bear a disclaimer that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated the claim and that the dietary supplement product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease because only a drug can legally make such a claim. The FDA enforces these regulations and also prohibits the sale of supplements and supplement ingredients that are dangerous, or supplements not made according to standardized good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

11- The dietary supplements, according to the passage, are intended to————-.

1) replace the important balance of a variety of foods

2) increase the biological effects of food sources

3) enhance the diets of some people

4) provide nutrients not included in foods

12-It’s stated in the passage, dietary supplements include—————.

1) plant pigments and polyphenols

2) substances necessary for life

3) a wide range of products

4) animal ingredients

13- Supplements—————–.

1) must be prescribed by doctors

2) not be advised by health states

3) may compensate for nutrient deficiency

4) have mainly medicinal effects

14-The word “substantiation” in paragraph 2 is similar in meaning to ————-.

1) appearance

2) availability

3) approval

4) plenty

15- It is mentioned in the passage that drugs can be used in all of the following EXCEPT————–.

1) diagnosing a sickness

2) enforcing an illness

3) promoting well-being

4) treating a patient

MA Sanaye Ghazaei Reading Comprehension

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