CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter A pril,pril , 2024
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CinnamonCinnamon is one of the world’s most recognizable
spices and, much like vanilla, it had a long journey tobecome a stable addition to our diets.
Trading in cinnamon spice goes back thousands ofyears. It was incredibly highly prized and its origins
were a carefully guarded secret. It was the main
ingredient used in the mummification of rulers ofempires, and was offered as a gift to monarchs andspiritual deities.
The spice comes from a cinnamon tree bark, which,when cut into strips and dried, curls into a familiar
shape, and that’s why it is referred to as a “cinnamonstick”. These sticks are sold whole or, morecommonly, grounded into a powder.

Cinnamon has a whole range of applications that
benefit our health.
It contains powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants
protect your body from oxidative damage caused byfree radicals. In fact, the antioxidant effects ofcinnamon are so powerful that it can even be used as anatural food preservative.
Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde that has
antifungal and antibacterial properties, which may
reduce infections, as well as tooth decay and badbreath.
The latter is often a result of our sugar-rich diet, andhere cinnamon also comes to the rescue!
It has been shown to decrease the amount of sugarthat enters your bloodstream after a meal. It does thisby interfering with numerous digestive enzymes,
which slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in yourdigestive system. Additionally, a compound found in
cinnamon acts in a very similar way to insulin,
improving the uptake of sugar into the cells. The
effective dose is 1–2 teaspoons a day.
Cinnamon has been linked to a reduced risk of heartdisease, which is the leading cause of death around theglobe. Cinnamon has also been shown to reduce bloodpressure when consumed consistently for at least 8weeks.
Here are more benefits worth mentioning:

Ella

Janis

Several varieties of the plant are widely cultivatedbut, generally, two distinct varieties are the mostpopular: Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon) –this variety is the most popular, since it’s the easiest togrow. However, it contains large amount of coumarin,
which is toxic when consumed inlarge doses (avoid eating morethan half a teaspoon a day);and Cinnamomum v eri( Ce ylo n o r S ri La n kacinnamon) – it is of higher
quality than Cassia, is alittle sweeter and has amuch lower coumarincontent (5g/day is a safe
limit for consumption).

Enjoy the cinnamon taste in your coffee!

Article by Marek

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
Want to cook with cinnamon? check out this link:
https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/devour/2014/01/whatto-do-with-cinnamon

Joshua Says: Recently, one of our students from way back in the 1980’s emailed
us from her present location in New York City! She now makes NY her home, but
she can still remember her “Crossroads days” and wants us to help her hook-up withsome of her old classmates. I feel very grateful that a past student of ours has suchfond memories of us, but can we help locate her friends from about 35 years ago!?
Junko Says: Recently, I came across the “Last Words of Buddha.” Among
those quoted I noted the following: “everything is imperfect;” “strive
onward diligently;” “be a light unto yourself”; “your ultimate refuge isnone other than yourself.” Yes, I know everyone understands thesesentiments differently, but I also felt that these words can be of great
support for people in today’s confusing world.
Marek Says: Around this time of the year, we are likely to experience
yellow sand, a dust cloud carried by the winds from China’s deserts. The
dust obscures the sky and, with rain, settles on the cars and our clothes
we dry out in the sun. Nuisance as it is, it is also beneficial to nature, as
it actually contains large amounts of nutrients and minerals sustaining
various flora in the South Pacific region.
Mandcy dit: À moins de 100 jours des Jeux Olympiques, la France
n'a pas tenu sa promesse de nettoyer la Seine. Il n'est donc pas
possible d'accueillir les compétions de Kayak et de nage libre.
Toutefois. Comme je suis de la génération MTV, j'ai hâte dedécouvrir les compétitions de Break dance, skateboard et BMX. Ça
me rappelle ma jeunesse. Et vous, vous allez regarder quoi?
ACROSS
1 prevent
reactions tooxygen
5 combining more than one
10 functioning well
11 helps prevent food decaying
12 taking food into the body10
14 leaders of nations
15 a type of tree or shrub
17 reduced to small particles
18 two or more atoms joined together
19 measured portions (medicine)
DOWN
2 stay clear of
3 surprisingly, unlikely
4 poisonous
5 unchanging
6 god-like supernatural beings
7 destroying bacterial growth
8 different types of
9 usages13 the second of two
16 unchanging

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Draw lines between the words on the left to their correct definitions on theright, then place them into the spaces made available in the passage below:
1. due toland on which something is located

2. in turnlook after the young until they become adults

3. Migratingnear or within the Arctic or Antarctic Circle

4. availability

as a result of

5. raisemove from one region or country to another6. polarmore than what is necessary

7. sitesin proper order or sequence

8. tend toeasily obtainable

9. superabundance

behave in a particular way____ birds travel during the year between their breeding andwintering grounds. With temperatures dropping in winter, they____ travel away from ____ zones ____ the cold weather and little
food ____, towards warmer areas. However, they return to theirbreeding ____ in spring as the days become longer and there is a____ of food, which ____ allows them to ____ more young.
DEIPCEVI N S P I R A T I O NFISONFCTPTIR U D I M E N T A R YERMCLLNAPT U R B I N ELLOPAESEIVTC A L D R O NCDT I N K E R I N GTTAGLOAPTNDC O M P R E S S E DIYSGOMNELEVTLI N U N D A T E DSITNETRH O B B Y I S T SYOS U S P E N D E D\Last Month’s Puzzle SolutionDOWN1 machine or tool used for a particular
ACROSSpurpose
6 the result of creative thinking
2 set in place for use
8 in the earliest stages of
3 causing to move forward
development
4 useful machines, devices
10 a rotating engine
5 skillful, avoiding waste
12 a very large pot
7 striking one body against another
13 doing unpaid, idle, random work
9 something original, new and surprising
15 pressed tightly together
11 mechanical device to regulate movement
17 covered with water
14 useful tools
18 people pursuing pleasure activities 15 a coal mine and connected buildings
19 hang freely
16 the creation of a new device or process

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