Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 07 Academic Listening Test 4 · Part 4 · Questions 31–40
Audio
Questions
Questions 31–33 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 34–40 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
- MSG contains
- glutamate (78.2%)
- sodium (12.2%)
- 34 (9.6%)
- Glutamate is found in foods that contain protein such as 35 and 36 .
- MSG is used in foods in many different parts of the world.
- In 1908 Kikunae Ikeda discovered a 37 .
- Our ability to detect glutamate makes sense because it is so 38 naturally.
- John Prescott suggests that:
- sweetness tells us that a food contains carbohydrates.
- 39 tells us that a food contains toxins.
- sourness tells us that a food is spoiled.
- saltiness tells us that a food contains 40 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q31 | B | Today I am going to explore why it is so popular in these cuisines and, more importantly, how does it enhance the flavour of food | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows the teacher explaining that the most important part of today's lesson is to understand how MSG improves the taste of food. Answer Explanation: The answer B means the lecture focuses on the process by which Monosodium Glutamate makes food taste stronger or better. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explicitly highlights this as the most significant part of the talk. While they do mention history and location, the speaker uses the phrase "more importantly" when introducing the goal of explaining how MSG enhances flavor. To "enhance flavor" is a synonym for "the way it works" in the context of a food additive like MSG. |
| Q32 | C | But it wasn't until 1908 that the ingredient in kombu which was responsible for the improvement in flavour was actually discovered to be glutamate by scientists working there | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that in 1908, scientists in Japan found that glutamate was the reason why people thought food tasted better when cooked with a specific seaweed. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in the year 1908, Japanese scientists found and named the specific ingredient called glutamate. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is C because the lecturer explains that while Japanese people had using seaweed (kombu) for a long time, they did not know exactly what was inside it that made food taste better. In 1908, scientists discovered that this specific part was glutamate. The word 'identified' in the question is a synonym for 'discovered' used in the text. |
| Q33 | A | It was in 1956 that the speed of the process was improved, and industrial production increased dramatically and still continues to increase to this day | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that in 1956, making glutamate became faster, which caused a huge increase in how much factories produced. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in 1956, factories started producing glutamate in very large amounts. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because the speaker mentions that in 1956, the method used to make glutamate became faster. This improvement caused 'industrial production' to 'increase dramatically'. In simple terms, 'dramatic increase' and 'industrial production' mean that it began to be made on a large scale. Before this time, the process was described as 'slow and expensive'. |
| Q34 | water | Well, Monosodium Glutamate contains seventy-eight point two per cent glutamate, twelve point two per cent sodium and nine point six per cent water | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains exactly what is inside MSG. It gives the names and the percentages of the three parts: glutamate, sodium, and water. Answer Explanation: The answer is water, which is one of the three ingredients that make up Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is water because the speaker lists the specific parts of Monosodium Glutamate. According to the text, it is made of three things: glutamate (78.2%), sodium (12.2%), and water (9.6%). These numbers match the notes provided in the task. |
| Q35 | meat | Glutamate is an amino acid that can be found naturally in all protein-containing foods, erm, so this includes food such as meat and cheese | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that glutamate is a natural part of any food with protein, and it lists meat and cheese as two clear examples of such foods. Answer Explanation: The answer is 'meat,' which is a type of food that contains glutamate naturally. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'meat' because the lecturer explains that glutamate is an amino acid found in foods that have protein. The lecturer specifically gives 'meat' and 'cheese' as examples of these protein-containing foods. |
| Q36 | cheese | Glutamate is an amino acid that can be found naturally in all protein-containing foods, erm, so this includes food such as meat and cheese | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that glutamate exists in all foods with protein and specifically mentions meat and cheese as examples. Answer Explanation: The answer 'cheese' is an example of a specific food that has protein and glutamate. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the speaker says glutamate is a part of food naturally found in anything that has protein. The speaker then lists two examples of these types of food: meat and cheese. Since the notes ask for examples of protein-rich foods that contain glutamate, 'cheese' is a right choice. |
| Q37 | fifth taste | Well, in 1908, Kikunae Ikeda identified a fifth 'taste' | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that Kikunae Ikeda found a fifth 'taste' in the year 1908. Answer Explanation: The answer '5th/new taste' means that in 1908, Kikunae Ikeda found another type of taste that was different from the four we already knew. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on the lecture's explanation of human tastes. The speaker mentions that Western culture recognizes four tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salt. However, the speaker then explains that in 1908, a scientist named Kikunae Ikeda found a fifth one. This 'fifth' discovery added a brand 'new' category to the common list of basic tastes. |
| Q38 | common | It does make perfect evolutionary sense that we should have the ability to detect or taste glutamate because it is the amino acid which is most common in natural foods | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that humans can taste glutamate because it is the most frequent amino acid found in nature. Answer Explanation: The answer "common" means that glutamate is found in many different types of natural food. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "common" because the speaker explains why humans have the ability to taste glutamate. According to the talk, this ability is logical from an evolutionary perspective because glutamate is the amino acid found most frequently in foods that come from nature. Keywords like "detect" and "naturally" in the notes match the speaker's discussion about being able to taste what is "common in natural foods." |
| Q39 | bitterness | Bitterness, he says, alerts us of toxins in the food, while sourness warns us of spoilage and saltiness signals the presence of minerals | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the taste of bitterness is used to show us if there are harmful substances, or toxins, in what we eat. Answer Explanation: The answer "bitterness" describes a specific taste that serves as a warning signal for humans. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is supported by the part of the transcript discussing John Prescott's ideas. He explains that different tastes have different jobs. Specifically, the taste of bitterness exists to "alert" or warn people that there are toxins (poisonous substances) in the food they are eating. This matches the note that says something "tells us that a food contains toxins." |
| Q40 | minerals | Bitterness, he says, alerts us of toxins in the food, while sourness warns us of spoilage and saltiness signals the presence of minerals | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that saltiness is a signal or a sign that there are minerals inside the food we are eating. Answer Explanation: The answer 'minerals' refers to the healthy substances that our sense of taste identifies when we eat something salty. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'minerals' because the speaker mentions a scientist named John Prescott who explains why we have different tastes. He says that each taste tells us something useful about what we are eating. Just like sweetness shows there is energy (carbohydrates), saltiness tells our body that the food contains minerals. |
Transcript
In today's lecture, I'm going to talk about Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG, as it's more commonly known. Now, MSG as you probably know, is a flavour enhancer which is used particularly in Chinese and Japanese cooking. Today I am going to explore why it is so popular in these cuisines and, more importantly, how does it enhance the flavour of food?
The main reason why MSG is more commonly used in Japanese meals is tradition. For many thousands of years the Japanese have incorporated a type of seaweed known as kombu in their cooking, as they discovered it had the ability to make food taste better. But it wasn't until 1908 that the ingredient in kombu which was responsible for the improvement in flavour was actually discovered to be glutamate by scientists working there.
From 1908 until 1956, glutamate was produced commercially in Japan by a very slow and expensive means of extraction. It was in 1956 that the speed of the process was improved, and industrial production increased dramatically and still continues to increase to this day. In fact, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of MSG are produced all over the world today.
So what exactly is MSG? Well, Monosodium Glutamate contains seventy-eight point two per cent glutamate, twelve point two per cent sodium and nine point six per cent water. Glutamate is an amino acid that can be found naturally in all protein-containing foods, erm, so this includes food such as meat and cheese.
It is widely known that Chinese and Japanese food contains MSG but many people don't seem to be aware that it is also used in foods in other parts of the world. For example it is found in commercially made Italian pizzas, in American fast food and in Britain MSG is used in things like potato crisps.
So, how exactly does MSG work? Well, in the Western world, we commonly talk of four 'tastes', and I'm sure you're all familiar with the concepts of sweet, sour, bitter and salt. Well, in 1908, Kikunae Ikeda identified a fifth 'taste'. And it is thought that MSG intensifies this naturally occurring 'taste' in some food. It does make perfect evolutionary sense that we should have the ability to detect or taste glutamate because it is the amino acid which is most common in natural foods.
John Prescott, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, suggests that this fifth taste serves a purpose just as the other tastes do. He suggests that it signals to us the presence of protein in food, in the same way that sweetness indicates that a food contains energy-giving carbohydrates. Bitterness, he says, alerts us of toxins in the food, while sourness warns us of spoilage and saltiness signals the presence of minerals.
So, what else do we know about this fifth taste . . .