Health Watch

Future 2
Unit 7 Reading
BEFORE YOU READ
PREVIEW THE ARTICLE. Look at the article. Choose the correct answers.

Relaxing Makes You Healthier

Most people know that it feels good to relax. But
relaxing is also good for your health. People who
relax regularly go to the doctor 43% less. How
does relaxing make you healthier?
5 Heart Health
When you relax, your heart slows down. Your
heart rate is more regular. It does not change a lot. 25 people need about eight hours of sleep every night.
This is good for your heart. It means that your
heart is stronger. It also makes you less likely to
10 get heart disease.
Memory
Relaxing is also good for your brain. When you
are relaxed, your brain remembers information
better. People who learn information when they
15 are relaxed remember more details a week later.
When you do relaxing activities, your brain gets
stronger. Yoga is one example of a relaxing
activity. Yoga is exercise for your body and
Yoga makes
your body and
your brain
stronger.
relaxation for your mind. People who do yoga for
20 only 12 weeks have better memory.
Sleep
When you are more relaxed, you sleep better. But
more than 50 million people in the U.S. have sleep
problems. They do not get enough sleep. Most
Feelings
Relaxed people are also happier. They have better
mental health. People who relax regularly for just
three months are 50% less sad and 30% less
30 worried. They usually do not get angry so fast.
They enjoy activities more.
Today everyone is very busy. People say there is no
time to relax. But if you take a little time to relax,
you will have more energy to do everything you
35 need to do.
A Fast Way to Relax: Slow Your Breathing.
Breathing helps your body and mind relax.
Breathe in slowly. Now breathe out slowly.
How does slow breathing help you relax?
It gives you energy.
It makes you happier.

It relaxes your brain.

It makes your immune system strong.

It helps you sleep.

1. What is in the article?

a. A title
b. Headings
c. A graph
d. A photo
e. A list

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 2. What are the headings of the article?
a. Relaxing Makes You Healthier
b. Heart Health
c. Memory
d. Sleep
e. Feelings

READ
A LISTEN AND READ. Then choose the main idea.
What is the main idea of the article?
a. Relaxing makes people healthier in many ways.
b. People who do yoga for 12 weeks have better memory.
c. Most people need about eight hours of sleep every night.

B Read the tip. Then choose the correct answers.

READING TIP: Find examples

How do you know the ideas in an article are true? Writers support their ideas with
examples. Examples give information that show how an idea is true.
In this article, there are many examples. The article explains many different ways that
relaxing makes you healthier. One example is that relaxing is good for your heart health.
Another example is that relaxing helps you sleep.

1. Writers use examples to .

a. teach difficult vocabulary words
b. give people health tips
c. explain why an idea is true
d. give information
e. make you more relaxed

2. How does relaxing make you healthier? Choose examples from the article.
a. Relaxing is good for your heart health.
b. Relaxing makes your memory better.
c. Relaxing makes you very busy.
d. Relaxing helps you sleep better.
e. Relaxing gives you happier feelings.

Copyright © 2017 by Pearson Education, Inc. Photocopying for classroom use is permitted. Future 2, Unit 7: Reading 2
CLOSE READING 1
DETAILS. How does relaxing make you healthier? Match each heading with the correct
information from the article.

1. Heart Health a. You are not as sad or worried.

2. Memory b. You get more rest at night.
3. Sleep c. Your heart rate is more regular.
4. Feelings d. You remember information better.

CLOSE READING 2
DETAILS. Read the article again. Answer the questions with details from the article.

1. Why do people who relax go to the Where is this information in the article?
doctor less often?
a. They are healthier. a. Lines 12 –14
b. They do not like the doctor. b. Lines 2 – 4
c. They live far away from a doctor. c. Lines 27– 28

2. People who relax  . Where is this information in the article?

a. have a faster heart rate a. Lines 6 –10
b. usually do not get heart disease b. The photo
c. cannot remember details c. Lines 22 – 24

3. Relaxing makes people  . Where is this information in the article?

a. more tired a. Line 27
b. busier b. Line 31
c. happier c. The infographic

4. Breathing slowly gives you more  . Where is this information in the article?
a. money a. Lines 27– 28
b. time b. The list in the infographic
c. energy c. Lines 32 – 33

VOCABULARY 1
Read the article again. Choose the correct answer to each question.

1. (Lines 6 – 8) “When you relax, your heart slows down. Your heart rate is more regular. It
does not change a lot. This is good for your heart.” A healthy, regular heart rate  .
a. stays the same
b. is usually fast
c. changes a lot

Copyright © 2017 by Pearson Education, Inc. Photocopying for classroom use is permitted. Future 2, Unit 7: Reading 3
2. (Lines 17–19) “Yoga is one example of a relaxing activity. Yoga is exercise for your body
and relaxation for your mind.” Yoga is  .
a. the time people spend relaxing with their families
b. a place people go to learn about healthy habits
c. a way people keep their bodies and brains healthy

3. (Lines 27– 31) “Relaxed people are also happier. They have better mental health. People
who relax regularly for just three months are 50% less sad and 30% less worried. They
usually do not get angry so fast. They enjoy activities more.” A person with good mental
health has  .
a. a lot of worries
b. a healthy body
c. healthy feelings

4. (Lines 32 – 35) “Today everyone is very busy. People say there is no time to relax. But if
you take a little time to relax, you will have more energy to do everything you need to
do.” A person with energy  .
a. needs to sleep more
b. gets a lot of things done
c. is always very busy

VOCABULARY 2
Match the words with their opposites.

1. Stressed a. Heart health

2. Has energy b. Forget
3. Heart disease c. Relaxed
4. Remember d. Feels tired

SUMMARIZE
Write the words in the correct blanks to complete the paragraph.

energy   heart   memory   mental   sleep   Yoga

Relaxing is good for your health. When you relax, you have a more regular heart

rate. Then your gets stronger. Relaxing is also good for your
1.

, so you do not forget information. Relaxed people are more likely

2.

to get enough at night. They are also happier and less worried
3.

because they have good health. You can do relaxing activities to

4.

become healthier. is an example of an exercise that helps your body

5.

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and mind relax. Slow breathing also relaxes your brain, helps your immune system, and

gives you more .

6.

Show what you know!

STEP 1. SPEAKING. Interview your classmates. Ask about their sleep habits. Follow the
example. Use words from the box.

A: How much do you sleep?

B: I sleep for six hours every night.
A: Do you have enough energy?
B: No, I need more sleep.

energy every night hours sleep

enough healthy more

STEP 2. WRITING. W  rite a few sentences about your sleep habits. Compare your sleep
habits to the information in the article. Look at this example.
I sleep for six hours every night.  But most people need about eight hours of sleep at night.  I do not
sleep enough.  I need more energy.

Copyright © 2017 by Pearson Education, Inc. Photocopying for classroom use is permitted. Future 2, Unit 7: Reading 5