Pre-reading questions:
- What do you usually have for breakfast?
- Do you enjoy drinking coffee in a cafe? Why or why not?
Vocabulary:
- educate [EJ-oo-keyt]
- caffeinated [KAF-uh-ney-tid]
- consume [kuhn-SOOM]
- stimulant [STIM-yuh-luh nt]
- fatal [FEYT-uhl]
(verb) to teach someone
We should educate our children about taking care of the environment.
(adjective) containing caffeine
This caffeinated cake tastes really good.
(verb) to eat or drink up
I consumed a lot of water after the basketball game.
(noun) a chemical substance that increases activity
The football player used the stimulant to increase his energy.
(adjective) causing death
Heart attack is a fatal disease.
Coffee is the most popular stimulant for stressed people around the world. Coffee drinkers also fall-in-love with its rich aroma and flavor. However, drinking too much coffee can be fatal most especially to children, teenagers, and those who have weak tolerance with caffeine. People should drink any caffeinated products moderately.
A heartbroken father advised fellow parents to educate their children about the dangers of energy drinks and caffeinated products. David Cripe, 16, died due to caffeine overdose after drinking three caffeinated drinks within a short period of time. The county coroner said that the cause of death was the speed of his caffeine intake and not the amount of caffeine that he consumed. Cripe collapsed inside his classroom two hours after drinking a large bottle of soda, a coffee latte, and an energy drink.
Comprehension Questions:
- What was the advice of David Cripe’s father to his fellow parents?
- Why did the teenager suddenly collapse?
- What was the judgment of the county coroner?
- What is the number one stimulant in the world?
- Why is drinking too much coffee fatal?
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think are the hazards of too much caffeine?
- Why do you think coffee relieves stress for some people?
- What are the good effects of coffee?
- Is drinking coffee worth the health risk? Why or why not?
- What are some other food we should take in moderation?