Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questi...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions.

Spending time in nature is good for our health. Many studies show that being in parks, forests, or near water makes people feel better. When we walk in green spaces, our stress levels go down. Our blood pressure also becomes lower. Getting outdoors regularly is truly worth its weight in gold for our overall wellbeing. Even looking at pictures of nature can help us feel calmer. Doctors now sometimes tell patients to spend time outside as part of their treatment. Research Indicates these benefits occur across all age groups worldwide.

Physical health improves when we have access to nature. [I] People who live near parks often exercise more. [II] They walk, run, or ride bikes on paths and trails. Getting sunshine helps. Our bodies make vitamin D, which keeps our bones strong. [III] Children who play outside regularly are less likely to become overweight and may have better eyesight. Natural surroundings also strengthen our immune systems against common illnesses. [IV]

Mental health benefits from nature are clear too. Time in natural settings can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Students who study with a view of trees or plants can focus better. Office workers with plants nearby report feeling happier at work. After difficult life events, people often find comfort in quiet natural places. The sounds of birds singing or water flowing create a peaceful feeling that helps the mind rest. These experiences stimulate production of feel-good hormones in our brains.

Scientists continue to discover new ways that nature helps us. Hospital patients who can see trees from their windows often recover faster than those who cannot. Elderly people who garden regularly tend to live longer. Communities with more green spaces have lower crime rates in many cases. As our world becomes more digital, the healing power of nature becomes even more important. Making parks and natural areas available to everyone should be a priority for healthy communities. Even short nature breaks can counteract negative effects of technology use.

Question 1. Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3?

A. Nature sounds like birds and water create peaceful environments that help students focus on academic work and improve overall test scores.

B. Office productivity increases dramatically when plants are added to workspaces as they create visual interest and filter toxins from indoor environments.

C. People experiencing trauma should seek treatment in outdoor settings rather than traditional therapy since nature provides supérior healing benefits.

D. Exposure to natural settings improves mental health by reducing negative emotions, enhancing focus, providing comfort, and stimulating beneficial hormones.

Question 2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of nature in the passage?

A. Lower blood pressure                                 B. Reduced anxiety and depression

C. Improved sleep quality                                 D. Strengthened immune system

Question 3. The phrase "worth its weight in gold" in paragraph 1 could be best replaced by ____________.

A. pays off                 B. looks up                         C. falls through                 D. breaks down

Question 4. Where in paragraph 2 does the following sentence best fit?

Fresh air is cleaner than indoor air in many places.

A. [I]                         B. [IV]                         C. [III]                         D. [II]

Question 5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Modern technology has largely eliminated our biological need for natural environments, though brief outdoor breaks remain psychologically comforting.

B. Regular exposure to natural water environments is more beneficial for reducing depression than forest settings according to controlled medical studies.

C. Hospital patients who can see trees from their windows typically experience faster recovery times than those with views of urban landscapes.

D. Children who attend schools with outdoor learning programs score consistently higher on standardized tests than those in traditional classroom settings.

Question 6. The word "their" in paragraph 1 refers to ____________.

A. pictures                 B. doctors                         C. studies                         D. patients

Question 7. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Schools without windows or access to natural settings may inadvertently contribute to students' attention problems and academic difficulties.

B. Our emotional responses to stressful situations have measurable biological effects. that can accelerate or slow cellular aging processes.

C. Healthcare systems could reduce treatment costs significantly by incorporating nature-based therapies into standard medical protocols.

D. Urban planners should prioritize creating accessible green spaces in city designs to promote public health and reduce crime rates.

Question 8. Which of the following best summarises the passage?

A. Exposure to natural environments provides significant physical, mental, and social benefits to people of all ages and should be made accessible to everyone.

B. Urban planning must incorporate more green spaces to address rising healthcare costs and environmental degradation in increasingly developed communities.

C. Modern research indicates technology use negatively impacts human health, while time spent in nature counteracts these effects across demographic groups.

D. Children who grow up with regular outdoor activity develop stronger immune systems and better social skills than those with limited nature exposure.

Question 9. Which of the following best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A. Patients express greater satisfaction with medical care when treatment facilities incorporate natural elements in building design.

B. Research suggests that hospital room windows should ideally face garden areas rather than urban views for optimal psychological effects.

C. Hospitals with landscaped grounds containing numerous trees report significantly lower average patient admission durations.

D. Recovery times for hospital patients tend to decrease when their rooms provide visual access to natural tree environments.

Question 10. The word "depression" in paragraph 3 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

A. contentment        B. solation                        C. anxiety                        D. fatigue