Read. Choose the correct answers.

Taste or gustation is one of the five traditional senses including hearing, sight, touch and smell. Humans can distinguish five basic tastes. Each and every one of them is a message that tells us something about what we put into our mouth, so we can decide whether it should be eaten. A sweet taste can signal the presence of natural sugars and other carbohydrates found in many fruits and honey. They play an important role in giving and storing energy. Salty foods usually signal the presence of sodium. This element is necessary for maintaining our bodies’ water balance and circulating the flow of blood and nutrients. Bitter tastes can signal the presence of 35 different proteins found in plants. However, some of them are unpleasant to taste and can be toxic. A sour taste can signal the presence of acidic solutions like lemon juice and organic acids. Acids may indicate that food is no longer healthy and suitable to eat. Umami or savoury comes from protein building blocks (amino acids) found naturally in protein-rich foods like meats and cheese.

1. The five basic tastes include sweet, salty, bitter, sour and savoury.

A. True

B. False

2. Sodium plays an important role in giving and storing energy.

A. True

B. False

3. What does the word “They” refer to?

A. sugars and carbohydrates

B. blood and nutrients

C. lemon juice and acidic solutions

D. protein-rich foods

4. Why does the author mention “amino acids”?

A. To explain how proteins can be found in meats and cheese.

B. To illustrate the use of protein building blocks in cooking.

C. To indicate that savory food can cause harm to human well-being.

D. To provide another biological term of the building blocks of proteins.