​School Dinners: Multiple Choice Vocabulary Test

In 1906, in an effort to (0)       B       improve the health of the country's children, the British government passed a law that gave schools (1)________ to offer pupils nourishing cooked meals. The first school to do so reported an amazing improvement in the children's health and soon most schools were offering cheap, nutritional midday meals to children, and free meals to children whose parents could not (2)________ to pay for them.

Unfortunately, in recent years the (3)________ of school meals has fallen dramatically; a situation that has coincided with the growing popularity of junk food among young people.

TV chef Jamie Oliver (4)________ the poor quality of the modern school dinner in his 2005 television series, Jamie's School Dinners. The public was made (5)________ of the disturbing truth as the cameras filmed the scenes in school kitchens, showing dinner ladies opening packets of processed food laden with salt and fat. Viewers were shown overweight, unhealthy children addicted to chips and junk food who were unable to recognise many (6)________ vegetables.

Thankfully, Jamie's campaign, together with pressure from parents and other groups, (7)________ changes. The government were forced to act, promptly (8)________ meals high in salt and fat from school canteens. It also announced that it was investing £280m in school dinners in an effort to (9)________ cheap, processed food with freshly cooked, nutritious meals. Children are now being given lessons in food and nutrition and secondary school children ­are learning how to cook healthy meals themselves.

School dinners in England now exclude junk food. (10)________ they are made from fresh ingredients every day and include at least two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal. Deep fried food is (11)________ to two portions per week and schooltuck shops and vending machines are not allowed to sell sweets, snacks or drinks unless they are (12)________ added salt, sugar and fats. They must also sell various fruit and vegetable snacks.