Inside Reading Unit 3 Test

Name: ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

Read this passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Bacteria and What You Eat

It’s living in your stomach. It eats what you eat. And now research shows it likes the foods you
like. What is it? Bacteria. Your digestive system—the system that breaks down food so that it
can be used by the body—is filled with bacteria. Not all bacteria are the same. A new study from
the journal Science shows that there are two main groups. One group of bacteria exists on a
Western-style diet, which is based on meat and fat. Another group lives mainly on an agrarian
diet, or farm-based diet, which is made up of mostly fruits and vegetables. The types of food you
eat change the environment in your gut. The effect is that the environment is only good for some
bacteria. Scientists found that the bacteria are based on your long-term diet. In order to change
the bacteria, you would need to change the types of food you eat not just at some meals, but over
your lifetime.

Scientists are now beginning to study the effects of different bacteria. They found that too much
of the bacteria caused by high-fat foods can be harmful. It can cause inflammation, or swelling
and pain, in the body. To prevent this kind of pain, some doctors recommend changing what you
eat. They tell people to stay away from foods high in fat. They also encourage people to eat more
fruits and vegetables.

Reading Comprehension

Mark each statement as T (True) or F (False) according to the Reading.

1. ___ There are different types of bacteria that live in the digestive system.

2. ___ The bacteria are caused by the foods you eat.

3. ___ In order to change the bacteria, you only have to change the types of food you eat at
one meal.

4. ___Too much bacteria from high-fat foods can cause swelling.

5. ___ It isn’t possible to prevent inflammation that bacteria cause.

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Reading Skill: Identifying Definitions

Match each word on the right to the correct definition on the left.

6. ___ digestive system a. a farm-based diet

7. ___ agrarian diet b. swelling and pain

8. ___ inflammation c. a diet based on meat and fat

9. ___ Western-style diet d. the system that breaks down food so

that it can be used by the body

Vocabulary: Word Families

Choose the word form that correctly completes each sentence.

10. Tom didn’t mean anything bad by his comment. I think he thought it was ____________.
a. harmed
b. harmful
c. harmless

11. To ____________ clean your hands, doctors recommend washing them for at least three
minutes.
a. effective
b. effectively
c. effect

12. Her cut became __________ after a week. She had not been washing it well.
a. infectious
b. infected
c. infect

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Vocabulary: Fill in the blank

Fill in the blank with the correct word that completes each sentence.

causes environment existence

prevent procedures react transfer

13. To get to my job, I have to ____________ from a bus to a train and then walk four
blocks.

14. I didn’t __________ quickly enough, so the ball hit me in the face.

15. Wearing a seatbelt while riding in a car helps ___________ serious harm to people.

16. In many cities, people are not allowed to talk on the phone and drive; it _________ too
many accidents.

17. Laws that prevent people from talking on the phone while driving have been in
______________ in many places for over five years.

18. The _______________that a plant grows in is important. Some plants can do very well
with little water. Others need a lot.

19. The manager showed the new employee all the ____________ he needed to follow.

Writing Prompt

20. Does the food you eat affect how you feel? Give some examples of foods that make you
feel good and some that make you feel bad. Write at least four sentences.

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