The way to relax, naturally - Unit 1

C2 Proficiency · Open Cloze · Close-up C2, National Geographic Learning

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

More and more people are moving to cities, and as they (1) ___ , they lose touch with nature. The movement of populations from rural to urban settings started with the Industrial Revolution. (2) ___ then, people have been heading to the coast or the countryside at every opportunity. Before private cars became common, workers (3) ___ take a bus for a day trip to the country. People (4) ___ always found natural environments relaxing but they (5) ___ to believe it was just the effect of peace, quiet and fresh air on the body. Now, research reveals that nature (6) ___ only affects the body, but it actually has a calming influence on the brain. Modern urban life puts so much stress on us that we (7) ___ ever slow down. Just three days, camping in the wild is plenty to rest the brain enough for it to be restored. Until now there has been almost (8) ___ scientific proof of the processes involved, but recently a lot of studies have looked at the mechanisms triggered when people relax in a natural environment. Neuroscience and psychology are finally starting to explain something that nature lovers have always understood.

The way to relax, naturally

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