The Natural Break - Unit 12 - Looking After Yourself

B2 First · Multiple Choice Reading · Ready for B2 First 4th Edition Workbook, Macmillan Education Limited

You are going to read a magazine article about a new therapy. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

These days, people fill their days with work, socialising and family commitments. We have lunch and sometimes dinner on the go and have to grab some time for exercise. On top of this, many people are working well into their 60s and 70s. This can leave very little time to unwind, leading to an increase in health problems. In some instances, people medicate without really needing to. Wouldn't it be better for us to simply get back to nature! In fact, this is why The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has decided to promote well-being in their new scheme, which encourages doctors to send patients to work on vegetable patches and herb gardens. It is thought that this would be helpful to all of us in time – the stressed city worker or the busy parent – but for now, the aim is to target people who are feeling the strain the most. At one such garden in Highgate, North London, the local hospital has teamed up with the allotment association to create a garden for patients to enjoy, which attracts insects, bees and butterflies. Another project, in Barnsley, in the north of England, involves people who have been advised by their doctor to both increase their social interaction and do more light exercise. In these two initiatives, increasing happiness is at the top of the list. Additionally, a national garden festival is getting involved. A garden from the Chelsea Flower Show will be moved to a hospital for patients to walk around in and enjoy. Gardening is good for the body as a whole. This is due to the amount and type of exercise done. Lifting pots will strengthen arms and using trowels involves movement of the wrists and hands. Then, there's the fresh air. Who doesn't feel the benefits of taking a deep breath in nature? Gardeners are known to have a reduced level of the hormone cortisol, having less of this hormone goes hand in hand with better sleep and lower stress levels. The activity doesn't really get any negative press. And it doesn't stop at gardens. Doctors are also being instructed to encourage patients to take up hobbies. Art classes, ballroom dancing and jogging can all play a part in making someone feel happier, so that we depend less on medication to sort out our problems. The added bonus is that when people get moving they get fitter as well. And let's not forget the social side of all of this. Time to yourself doesn't mean you have to be alone, rather, that you are actually deciding to take part in something you enjoy without a sense of necessity. Gardening and the like promote friendship and teamwork, which in turn lead to support. When things get too hectic and your life is full of things you'd rather not do, head for a garden, if only for a few minutes. It could change your day for the better!

There is very rarely a good reason for medication.

We don't leave enough time to take care of ourselves.

If we work harder now, we won't have to retire so late.

Health conditions are often caused by unhealthy eating habits.

What is the writer's analysis of modern life in the first paragraph?

patients

city workers

mums and dads

the general public

Who could eventually benefit from the new RHS well-being scheme?

The intention of both is to bring wildlife to the area.

The focus is on exercise and movement of patients.

The main aim of each is to encourage friendship.

The emphasis is on improving a sense of well-being.

What is true of the projects mentioned in paragraph 3?

The more you do, the more cortisol is produced.

You are able to breathe more easily outside.

You are able to achieve all-round fitness.

Heavy lifting promotes general fitness.

How can gardening help your physical well-being?

to stop doing

to do more regularly

to begin doing something

to decrease the amount that you do

What does 'take up' mean in lines 44 and 45?

taking time to pursue your own interests

being alone in a naturally peaceful environment

deciding to form new friendships with people

deciding against doing things that are required of you

What does 'time to yourself' mean in line 51?

The Natural Break

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

More B2 First Multiple Choice Reading practice · All B2 First practice