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Practice
Intermediate
Reading Comprehension Texts
Health
in America.
When
Americans go abroad, one of their biggest concerns is, "Can you
drink the water?" You may find asking yourself the same question,
especially in a hip, urban setting where you may notice many people, young and
old, drinking from large and small plastic bottles. And these people will tell
you, fiercely to put the fear of God in you, that "No! You cannot drink
the tap water in this country anymore!" Ignore these people. These
are the same kind of people who will also inform you that you will drop dead
before 40, or worse, become ugly fat, and stupid if you don't jog or
join an expensive health club where you pay to sweat. Now simply turn
the tap water and drink long and deep to quench your thirst. Do not be
surprised the next morning if you still feel healthy and energetic.
Unless
you come from a country, or stopped over in one, where dreaded diseases
such as cholera, malaria, yellow or dengue fever are a fact of daily life, you
do not need inoculations to enter America.
Availability
of certain drugs are also restricted. What you have been able to get at your neighborhood
pharmacy in your country may require a doctor's prescription. So if you take
medications, (e.g., for blood pressure or cholesterol), you must find an
American doctor who can prescribe them for you. Or bring extra enough to last
during your stay.
QUESTIONS
1.
Match the following words to the suitable definition or synonym (2 points).
|
Concern |
Tap |
Jog |
Sweat |
Quench |
Dreaded |
Neighbourhood |
|
|
Satisfy
by drinking. |
|
|
Worry,
anxiety. |
|
|
Feared,
something that threatens. |
|
|
Device
for controlling the flow of water. |
|
|
Run
slowly and steadily for a time, for physical exercise. |
2.
Answer the following questions according to the text (2 points).
a.
Is the water from the tap good in America?
|
|
|
|
b.
Do you need to be vaccinated if you travel to America?
|
|
|
|
c.
What can you do if you go to America after having been prescribed a certain
medicine?
|
|
|
|
d.
Why do some America people drink water from plastic bottles?
|
|
|
|
3. Rewrite
the following without changing the meaning of the original sentence (1.5
points).
a.
You will fail your exam unless you work harder.
|
If |
b.
Dana never believes anything if she doesn’t see it with her own eyes.
|
Unless |
c.
The opera singer won’t make an appearance unless the photographers are there.
|
If |
4. Rewrite
the following sentences without changing the meaning of the original sentence
(1.5 points).
a.
Michael was late for school because he woke up late.
|
If |
b.
We didn’t sell our car last year and so we didn’t get a new one.
|
If |
c.
The swimmer drowned because the sea was too rough.
|
If |
5.
Composition. Write 80 words about Health and healthy habits (3 points).