FOCUS 5 UNIT 6 ASSESSMENT OCTOBER 2324

Name : ……………………………….. Class / No. : ………………

A Humans are hard-wired to be hunter-gatherers, an instinct so deep-rooted that we still feel a strong bond with
nature; hunter-gatherers would also have had a clear purpose in life, and been responsible for set tasks upon which
the community, who would have supported them, relied. In contrast, an inevitable consequence of the advances in
industrialization and technology is a more sedentary and isolated life, where the average person spends more time on
their computer or in their vehicle than they do in the outdoors, leading many people - including the unemployed, stay-
at-home mothers or the elderly - to feel increasingly lonely, undervalued and stressed. In addition, the number of
people on Earth living in urban settings is expected to rise to about 70 percent in the next three decades, bringing with
it yet more artificial noise, air pollution and traffic. All of these factors will undoubtedly be a threat to both physical and
psychological well-being and although the human body will eventually adapt to its changed circumstances, many
people would agree with Paracelsus, the 16th-century German-Swiss physician, who wrote, "The art of healing comes
from nature, not from the physician," a claim based less on
science than on intuition but which has nevertheless been a pervasive sentiment throughout the ages.
B Health professionals have long expressed concern about the potential effects of chronic stress, which can lead to
diabetes, obesity, depression, dementia and heart disease in two distinct ways. First, under stress we change our
behaviour: we start to crave sugar and fat, we are too tired to exercise and we may indulge in bad habits such as
smoking or alcohol. The second way in which we are affected is more direct. The hormone cortisol is released: this
causes toxic fat to be laid down in our stomachs, which in turn may result in a malfunction of the bacterium present in
our cells, known as mitochondria. This means we become more prone to disease and start to age more quickly.
C In recent years, as a result of the sharp rise in widespread health issues such as depression, obesity and
nearsightedness, scientists have begun to investigate more closely the effects of nature on our
physical and psychological state. Developments in neu roscience and psych ology have meant that wh at once
appeared solely intuitive can now be quantified; several research studies confirm that being surrounded by trees and
flowers positively impacts on people's well-being. A team of Dutch researchers also found a lower incidence of 15
diseases, including stress and depression, in those who lived near a green space, and in a series of landmark studies
in Chicago, it was found that residents living in large tower blocks surrounded by gardens were more likely to know
and support their neighbours and experience less crime than those who overlooked concrete. In addition, being able
to look out onto trees rather than concrete is believed to lead to increased concentration from office workers, a faster
recovery for hospital patients, who also required less pain relief, a lower incidence of illness amongst inmates in prison
cells and less bullying in playgrounds.
D Studies such as these make it clear that one of our main priorities in the modern world should be to make exposure
to the outdoors an essential feature of healthcare, education, planning and community development. Inspiring
initiatives are already underway, including tree planting, schemes which encourage people to walk or cycle and
inventive ways to get children more involved in outdoor pursuits. A less widespread, but more innovative, approach
empowers doctors to 'prescribe nature' to those requiring medical treatment, in the hope that this will help stem an
increase in the prevalence of stress, chronic diseases and mental health issues; several pioneering schemes
encourage patients and their families to visit nearby parks, providing them with transportation and programmes to
follow, such as outdoor conservation work or 'health walks'. In Finland, a country which has high rates of depression,
nature experiences have become part of government health policy, with people being recommended to spend five
hours a month engaged in walking, mindfulness and reflection. We may never know the precise relationship between
nature and health and perhaps it is irrelevant but we do know how nature makes us feel and the challenge is now to
incorporate this into every aspect of our daily lives.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list below. Write the correct number, I-VII.
List of Headings
I. Approaches to increasing young people's level of fitness
II. Projects which form a connection with the natural world
III. The high price being paid for progress in modern times
IV. The effect of too much pressure on people's well-being
V. Positive outcomes of wood land therapy on global health and fitness
1. Paragraph A […..] 3. Paragraph C […..]
2. Paragraph B […..] 4. Paragraph D […..]

Questions 5-6 Choose TWO letters, A- E.

The list below contains some possible statements about health and environment. Which TWO of these statements are
made by the writer of the passage?
A Individuals are programmed to want to live and work with other people.
B Scientists believe that city living will always have
a negative influence on our physical well-being.
C Research in the USA has prompted town planners to surround new buildings with green spaces.
D Studies confirm that prisoners are healthier if they are permitted to go outdoors.
E It is not yet common practice for a doctor to
recommend outdoor activities to their patients.

The French Alpine town of Chamonix has been a magnet for tourists since the 18th century. But today, tourism and
climate change are putting pressure on the surrounding environment. Marc Grainger reports.
A The town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc sits in a valley at 1,035 metres above sea level in the Haute-Savoie department
in south-eastern France. To the north-west are the red peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges massif; to the south-east are the
permanently white peaks of Mont Blanc, which at 4,810 metres is the highest mountain in the Alps. It’s a typical Alpine
environment, but one that is under increasing strain from the hustle and bustle of human activity.
B Tourism is Chamonix’s lifeblood. Visitors have been encouraged to visit the valley ever since it was discovered by
explorers in 1741. Over 40 years later, in 1786, Mont Blanc’s summit was finally reached by a French doctor and his
guide, and this gave birth to the sport of alpinism, with Chamonix at its centre. In 1924, it hosted the first Winter
Olympics, and the cable cars and lifts that were built in the years that followed gave everyone access to the ski
slopes.
C Today, Chamonix is a modern town, connected to the outside world via the Mont Blanc Road Tunnel and a busy
highway network. It receives up to 60,000 visitors at a time during the ski season, and climbers, hikers and extreme-
sports enthusiasts swarm there in the summer in even greater numbers, swelling the town’s population to 100,000. It
is the third most visited natural site in the world, according to Chamonix’s Tourism Office and, last year, it had 5.2
million visitor bed nights - all this in a town with fewer than 10,000 permanent inhabitants.
D This influx of tourists has put the local environment under severe pressure, and the authorities in the valley have
decided to take action. Educating visitors is vital. Tourists are warned not to drop rubbish, and there are now recycling
points dotted all around the valley, from the town centre to halfway up the mountains. An internet blog reports
environmental news in the town, and the ‘green’ message is delivered with all the tourist office’s activities.
E Low-carbon initiatives are also important for the region. France is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by a
factor of four by 2050. Central to achieving this aim is a strategy that encourages communities to identify their carbon
emissions on a local level and make plans to reduce them. Studies have identified that accommodation accounts for
half of all carbon emissions in the Chamonix valley. Hotels are known to be inefficient operations, but those around
Chamonix are now cleaning up their act. Some are using low-energy lighting, restricting water use and making
recycling bins available for guests; others have invested in huge projects such as furnishing and decorating using
locally sourced materials, using geothermal energy for heating and installing solar panels.
F Chamonix’s council is encouraging the use of renewable energy in private properties too, by making funds available
for green renovations and new constructions. At the same time, public- sector buildings have also undergone
improvements to make them more energy efficient and less wasteful. For example, the local ice rink has reduced its
annual water consumption from 140,000 cubic metres to 10,000 cubic metres in the space of three years.
G Improving public transport is another feature of the new policy, as 80 percent of carbon emissions from transport
used to come from private vehicles. While the Mont Blanc Express is an ideal way to travel within the valley - and see
some incredible scenery along the route - it is much more difficult to arrive in Chamonix from outside by rail. There is
no direct line from the closest airport in Geneva, so tourists arriving by air normally transfer by car or bus. However, at
a cost of 3.3 million euros a year, Chamonix has introduced a free shuttle service in order to get people out of their
cars and into buses fitted with particle filters.
H If the valley’s visitors and residents want to know why they need to reduce their environmental impact, they just
have to look up; the effects of climate change are there for everyone to see in the melting glaciers that cling to the
mountains. The fragility of the Alpine environment has long been a concern among local people. Today, 70 percent of
the 805 square kilometres that comprise Chamonix-Mont-Blanc is protected in some way. But now, the impact of
tourism has led the authorities to recognise that more must be done if the valley is to remain prosperous: that they
must not only protect the natural environment better, but also manage the numbers of visitors better, so that its
residents can happily remain there.

Questions 1-5 Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H.

Which paragraph contains the following information? You may use any letter more than once.
1 a list of the type of people who enjoy going to Chamonix …………
2 reference to a system that is changing the way visitors reach Chamonix ……………
3 the geographical location of Chamonix……………
4 mention of the need to control the large tourist population in Chamonix ……………
5 reference to a national environmental target..…
Questions 6-7 Choose TWO letters, A-E.
The writer mentions several ways that the authorities aim to educate tourists in Chamonix.
Which TWO of the following ways are mentioned?
A giving instructions about litter
B imposing fines on people who drop litter
C handing out leaflets in the town
D operating a web-based information service
E having a paper-free tourist office