3.A few years ago,bubble tea(奶茶) exploded as a popular drink for Internet foodies(吃貨) everywhere.Many take this Taiwanese drink as a guilt-free snack similar to juice or a cup of coffee.After all,it has the word "tea" in it,so it has to be healthy…right?
Not quite.Like coffee,bubble tea's ingredients(成分,配料) might not be so bad on their own,but when they're loaded with sweetener(甜味劑) and artificial flavor(人工香料),they lose their nutritional (營(yíng)養(yǎng)的) value fast.
It all starts with those "bubbles" found at the bottom of your drink,which are actually round pieces of tapioca(木薯淀粉).Called "tapioca pearls(珍珠)," they're actually made from a vegetable that grows in South America.And as it turns out,those little balls are loaded with sugar-and not the nutritious,fiber-rich(富含纖維) kinds found in whole grains(全麥類(lèi)),either.
Cooking tapioca pearls only makes it worse.They're typically fried in hot water,along with even more added sugar,for up to three hours.By that point,these balls could have nearly 160 calories per ? cup.
And don't even get us started on what comes in the extra syrups(糖漿).Thanks to all those processed(加工的) ingredients,the average bubble tea can easily reach 300 to 400 calories per cup!
On top of being an unhealthy habit,bubble tea could even shorten your life.In 2012,a group of German researchers from the University Hospital Aachen reportedly found aspolychlorinated biphenyls,or PCBs,in tapioca ball samples.These cancer-causing chemicals have also been shown to have other bad effects on the immune(免疫),reproductive(生殖),and nervous systems.
You might want to lay off your bubble tea addiction.Thankfully,we have a few choices for low-calorie,healthier drinks,instead.
(1)Why is bubble tea considered "guilt-free" by many people?
A.It is popular in Taiwan
B.Its name includes "tea"
C.It is similar to juice and coffee
D.It is liked by Internet foodies
(2)What can we know about tapioca pearls?
A.They don't contain any sugar
B.They are made from a kind of fruit
C.They contain all the calories of tea
D.They are usually cooked and fried
(3)What will be discussed following this passage?
A.Bad effects caused by bubble tea
B.Some examples of healthy drinks
C.Energy you get from bubble tea
D.Getting into the habit of drinking tea
(4)Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Bubble tea is very popular
B.Tapioca pearls are nutritious
C.Bubble tea is pretty bad for you
D.Advice on healthy drinks