Questões de Inglês

haking up the Salt Myth: The History of Salt

[1]  The development of human civilization is

intricately linked to the pursuit of salt: wild 

animals wore paths to salt licks, men followed 

these animals and built settlements near the 

[5]  salt deposits. These settlements became 

cities and nations. The human obsession with 

salt has spanned thousands of years of human 

history, across many different contexts and 

continents. Nearly every society in existence 

[10]  has some level of salt use not only in their 

cuisine, but also in their medicine, their 

politics, their economies, and even their 

religious practices.

As civilization and agriculture spread, salt 

[15]  became one of the first international 

commodities of trade, its production was one 

of the first industries, and a number of the 

greatest public works were motivated by the 

need to obtain salt. Salt trade routes 

[20] traversed the globe, between Africa, Asia, the 

Middle East, and Europe. Salt was often used 

as money, and was desperately coveted, 

hoarded, searched for, traded for, and even 

fought over.

[25]  Salt has even made its way into our language 

as a metaphor for value: hardworking people 

are known to be “worth their salt”, and the 

most worthy amongst us are known as “the 

salt of the earth”. The root word “sal-” is of 

[30]  Latin origin and refers to salt. Words that have 

been historically based on humanity’s high 

value for salt include “salubrious”, which

means “health-giving”, and “salary”, which is 

derived from the Latin salarium, the money 

[35]  allotted to Roman soldiers for purchases of 

salt. 

“Salus” is the Roman goddess of health and 

prosperity. Even the word “salad” originated 

from the Italian salata, as the Romans often 

[40]  ate dishes of assorted raw vegetables with a 

brined dressing, hence the name which is 

short for herba salata or “salted vegetables”. 

Nearly four pages of the Oxford English 

Dictionary are taken up by references to salt, 

[45]  more than any other food. (12) Clearly, the high 

value placed on salt in many cultures around 

the world has greatly contributed to the 

developmental course of human history.

by Chris Kresser, 2012

_{Fonte: Disponível em: https://chriskresser.com/shaking-up-the-salt-myth-history-of-salt. Acesso em: 15 set. 2014. (adaptado)}

Salt Uses & Tips

Beside making food delicious, it's believed

there are more than 14,000 uses for salt, and

our grandmothers were probably familiar with

most of them. A number of these uses were

for simple things around the home before the

advent of modern chemicals and cleaners.

Many of these salt uses are still valid today

and can be much cheaper and more environmentally-

friendly than more sophisticated

products. We make no guarantee about the

results if you try any of these uses and tips,

but there must be something to them since

they have been handed down over the years in

many households. Most of these salt uses

have stood the test of time.

Salt Uses&Tips: Health&Beauty

Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-

ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle

for sore throats.

Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two

parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in

a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a

tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps

remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums.

Washingmouth - Mix equal parts of salt and

baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens

the breath.

Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon

of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads

soaked in the solution on the puffy areas.

Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in

warm water to which a handful of salt has

been added. Rinse in cool water.

Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately

wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the

pain.

Relieving fatigue - Soak relaxed for at least

ten minutes in a tub of water into which

several handfuls of salt has been placed.

Removing dry skin - After bathing and while

still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt.

It removes dead skin particles and aids the

circulation.

Applying facial - For a stimulating facial,mix

equal parts of salt and olive oil and gently

massage the face and throat with long upward

and inward strokes. Remove mixture after five

minutes and wash face.

America’s Sea Salt Company®

_{Fonte: Disponível em: http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/salt-uses-and-tips.asp. Acesso em: 15 set. 2014. (adaptado)}

Salt Uses & Tips

Beside making food delicious, it's believed

there are more than 14,000 uses for salt, and

our grandmothers were probably familiar with

most of them. A number of these uses were

for simple things around the home before the

advent of modern chemicals and cleaners.

Many of these salt uses are still valid today

and can be much cheaper and more environmentally-

friendly than more sophisticated

products. We make no guarantee about the

results if you try any of these uses and tips,

but there must be something to them since

they have been handed down over the years in

many households. Most of these salt uses

have stood the test of time.

Salt Uses&Tips: Health&Beauty

Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-

ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle

for sore throats.

Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two

parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in

a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a

tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps

remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums.

Washingmouth - Mix equal parts of salt and

baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens

the breath.

Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon

of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads

soaked in the solution on the puffy areas.

Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in

warm water to which a handful of salt has

been added. Rinse in cool water.

Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately

wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the

pain.

Relieving fatigue - Soak relaxed for at least

ten minutes in a tub of water into which

several handfuls of salt has been placed.

Removing dry skin - After bathing and while

still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt.

It removes dead skin particles and aids the

circulation.

Applying facial - For a stimulating facial,mix

equal parts of salt and olive oil and gently

massage the face and throat with long upward

and inward strokes. Remove mixture after five

minutes and wash face.

America’s Sea Salt Company®

_{Fonte: Disponível em: http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/salt-uses-and-tips.asp. Acesso em: 15 set. 2014. (adaptado)}

Brazilian Food - a Mix of Influences

_{For Sunday Times Extra, 6 July 2014}

In a country as geographically expansive as

Brazil, it isn't easy to define the cuisine. Native

Indians and colonisation by the Portuguese,

who brought over African slaves, have all

played their part in the culinary culture. There

is a mix of influences that have endured and

intermingled in Brazil.

There seems to be an understanding that

feijoada, the black bean stew made with

various pork cuts, with its roots in Africa, is the

national dish. Unctuous and hearty, it's served

with pork crackling, orange slices and collard

greens and enjoyed on Saturdays.

Just as many Asians rely on rice as a staple,

Brazilians look to the starchy tuber cassava

(known as manioc or yuca) – boiled, fried,

stewed, ground into flour and toasted with

butter, as their daily bread.

The South East (São Paulo and Rio fall here)

tends to serve a mix from around the country.

Coxinha (chicken croquettes), tapioca pancakes,

salt cod pasteis (deep-fried pastries)

and pão de queijo (cheese rolls) are popular

city snacks.

Other Brazilian foods to try:

1. The North: Influenced by the Amazon Indians,

the food here is as close to what it was

before colonisation. Try:

• Açaí: A superfruit and Guaraná, a berry

used to make energy drinks.

• Pimenta: spicy peppers.

• Pudim de Tambaqui: A soufflé-like fish

dish with shrimp sauce.

• Tacacá: A soup with salted dry jumbo

prawns and local watercress.

2. The North East: slaves on the sugar cane

plantations used palm oil, coconut milk and

okra, popular in some African countries.

Try:

• Acarajé: A fritter made with beans and

fried in palm oil.

• Bobó de Camarão: Hearty shrimp stew,

made with manioc, coconut milk, and

palm oil.

• Caruru: A stew of okra, dried shrimp and

toasted cashews.

3. South Brazil: A melting pot of cultural

influences from German to Lebanese can be

found here. Try:

• Arroz de Carreteiro: Fried rice with

rehydrated charque – South American

biltong.

• Churrasco: Brazilian braai. Meat

marinated in salt and milk or cachaça –

distilled sugar-cane spirits.

_{Fonte: Disponível em: http://www.foodandthefabulous.com/recipes/brazilian-food-mix-influences. Acesso em: 15 set. 2014. (adaptado)}

Neuron growth in children ‘leaves no room for memories’

25 May 2013

The reason we struggle to recall memories from our early childhood is down to high levels of neuron production during the first years of life, say Canadian researchers. The formation of new brain cells increases the capacity for learning but also clears the mind of old memories. This could be behind the absence of long-term memory events from early childhood, known as infantile amnesia. The findings were presented to the Canadian Association of Neuroscience.

Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus - a region of the brain known to be important for learning and remembering, reaches its peak before and after birth. It then declines steadily during childhood and adulthood. Dr Paul Frankland and Dr Sheena Josselyn, from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the University of Toronto, wanted to find out how the process of new neuron generation impacted on memory storage. They carried out their research on younger and older mice in the lab.

Early amnesia

In adult mice, they found that increasing neurogenesis after memory formation was enough to bring about forgetting. In infant mice, they discovered that decreasing neurogenesis after memory formation meant that the normal forgetting observed at this age did not occur. Their research suggests a direct link between a reduction in neuron growth and increased memory recall. They found the opposite to be true also - a decreased ability to remember when neurogenesis is increased (as happens during infancy).

The researchers said this provided an explanation for the absence of long-term memory events from early childhood, known as infantile amnesia. Previous studies have shown that although young children can remember events in the short term, these memories do not persist.

Dr Frankland, senior scientist in neuroscience and mental health, at the hospital, said: “Why infantile amnesia exists has long 84 a mystery. We think our new studies begin to explain 85 we have no memories from our earliest years. Before the ages of four or five, we have a highly dynamic hippocampus which can’t stably store information. As new neurons are generated, memory may be compromised by that process.”

(www.bbc.co.uk. Adaptado.)

Neuron growth in children ‘leaves no room for memories’

25 May 2013

The reason we struggle to recall memories from our early childhood is down to high levels of neuron production during the first years of life, say Canadian researchers. The formation of new brain cells increases the capacity for learning but also clears the mind of old memories. This could be behind the absence of long-term memory events from early childhood, known as infantile amnesia. The findings were presented to the Canadian Association of Neuroscience.

Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus - a region of the brain known to be important for learning and remembering, reaches its peak before and after birth. It then declines steadily during childhood and adulthood. Dr Paul Frankland and Dr Sheena Josselyn, from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the University of Toronto, wanted to find out how the process of new neuron generation impacted on memory storage. They carried out their research on younger and older mice in the lab.

Early amnesia

In adult mice, they found that increasing neurogenesis after memory formation was enough to bring about forgetting. In infant mice, they discovered that decreasing neurogenesis after memory formation meant that the normal forgetting observed at this age did not occur. Their research suggests a direct link between a reduction in neuron growth and increased memory recall. They found the opposite to be true also - a decreased ability to remember when neurogenesis is increased (as happens during infancy).

The researchers said this provided an explanation for the absence of long-term memory events from early childhood, known as infantile amnesia. Previous studies have shown that although young children can remember events in the short term, these memories do not persist.

Dr Frankland, senior scientist in neuroscience and mental health, at the hospital, said: “Why infantile amnesia exists has long 84 a mystery. We think our new studies begin to explain 85 we have no memories from our earliest years. Before the ages of four or five, we have a highly dynamic hippocampus which can’t stably store information. As new neurons are generated, memory may be compromised by that process.”

(www.bbc.co.uk. Adaptado.)