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Practice Listening: Fill in the Blanks (Type In) ID: #36192 Short MSG
Instructions ›
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
* Fill in the missing words into the blank fields
The  main  reason  why  MSG  is  more  commonly  used  in  Japanese  meals  is  .  For  many  thousands  of  years,  the  Japanese  have    a  type  of    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    in  Kombu  which  was  responsible  for  the    in  flavour  was  actually  discovered  to  be    by  scientists  working  there.

Result:

AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.
Correct answer: tradition

Explanation: You hear "used in Japanese meals is tradition". The sentence needs a word for a long-held custom.

Meaning: "tradition" means a custom done for a long time.

Wrong options:

  • traditon: It leaves out the "i". Check the letters: "tradition". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • traditional: "traditional" has an extra "al" at the end. The speaker says "tradition".
Correct answer: incorporated

Explanation: Listen for "have incorporated a type". This already happened, so the word ends in ed.

Meaning: "incorporated" means added into something.

Wrong options:

  • incorperated: It has "e" where the word has "o". Check the letters: "incorporated". A small spelling mistake loses the mark.
  • incorporate: "incorporate" is missing the ending. The speaker says "incorporated", with "d" at the end.
Correct answer: seaweed

Explanation: On the recording you hear "a type of seaweed known as Kombu". The word follows "type of", so you need a word for a thing.

Meaning: "seaweed" means a plant from the sea used in cooking.

Wrong options:

  • seweed: It leaves out the "a". The right spelling is "seaweed". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
  • seawood: That is a different word. The speaker talked about a sea plant, not wood.
Correct answer: ingredient

Explanation: Listen again to "that the ingredient in Kombu". The sentence names a single thing, not more than one.

Meaning: "ingredient" means a thing used to make food.

Wrong options:

  • ingredent: It leaves out the "i". Write "ingredient". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
  • ingredients: "ingredients" has an extra "s" at the end. The speaker says "ingredient", with no "s".
Correct answer: improvement

Explanation: Here you hear "for the improvement in flavour". The word is a thing that ends in ment.

Meaning: "improvement" means a change that makes something taste better.

Wrong options:

  • improvment: It leaves out the "e". The right spelling is "improvement". Every letter must be correct to get the mark.
  • improve: "improve" is missing the ending. The speaker says "improvement", with "ment" at the end.
Correct answer: glutamate

Explanation: The speaker says "discovered to be glutamate by". It is a chemical name, so watch the full spelling glutamate.

Meaning: "glutamate" means the chemical in Kombu that makes food taste better.

Wrong options:

  • glutamte: It leaves out the "a". Write "glutamate". Only the exact spelling gets the mark.
  • glucose: That is a different chemical. The recording named the specific chemical in Kombu.

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