READING COMPREHENSION

ACTIVITY

Read the following texts and answer the questions about them.

A. http://www.esolcourses.com/ielts/reading/scanning/infographic-b.html

Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. Body mass index (BMI), a measurement which compares weight and height, defines people as overweight (pre-obese) when their BMI is between 25 kg/m2 and 30 kg/m2, and obese when it is greater than 30 kg/m2.

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. 

Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.

Source: Wikipedia

Comprehension

1. The statistics state that. 
   a.  although obesity is prevalent, it is not considered as a serious illness. 
   b.  obesity is considered as a serious illness. 
2. Obese people 
   a.  may suffer from severe illnesses.
   b.  may suffer from mild ailments. 
3. Modern medicine 
   a.  can cure obesity. 
   b.  cannot cure it at all. 
4. The best treatment for obesity is 
   a.  related to individuals lifestyle. 
   b.  medical. 

 

C. British Culture and Children

Millions of British children are "culture starved" as they have never been to an art gallery, theatre or museum, a study has claimed.

The research, commissioned by Visit Birmingham, found four in 10 children had never been to an art gallery, while a quarter of parents had never taken their offspring to the theatre.

One in five parents said they did not think their child would be interested.

The study surveyed 2,000 parents of five to 12-year-olds around the UK.

It also found 17% of children had never visited a museum, while one in 10 had not been outside their home town to visit other sites in the UK.

Half of parents said they made little effort to educate their children about culture or history and relied on schools to do so.

A quarter said they could not afford to visit attractions with 28% saying they did not have the time and 18% believed their child was "too young for culture".
However half said they were more likely to take their children sight-seeing when they were abroad on holiday.

When asked what cultural activities their children had participated in, the most popular was learning an instrument (39%), with ballet (24%), painting (23%) and singing in a choir (22%) the next most popular activities.

Just over a fifth of children were learning a foreign language.

Emma Gray, from Marketing Birmingham, which runs the Visit Birmingham campaign, said it was important for all generations to embrace cultural activity.

"Culture can take many kinds of forms and it's essential our children are encouraged to get involved with this at any early age," she said.

"A few trips during the year to museums, landmarks or even cultural festivals will prove to be memorable, informative and fun occasions for youngsters."

Are the following statements true or false?

·         1 - Most UK children have never been to an art gallery.

True 
False

·         2 - The survey focused on children from age 11 to 16.

True 
False

·         3 - 50% of parents felt it was the schools responsibility to teach children about culture.

True
False 

·         4 - Some children are learning a foreign language.

True
False

·         5 - Emma Gray thinks culture isn’t that important and more focus should be on science and maths.

False
True