A complete model answer and preparation guide for this IELTS Speaking cue card topic. Includes key vocabulary, follow-up questions, and examiner-approved response strategies.
Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
Describe a gift that you gave to someone recently. You should say: what the gift was Whom you gave it to how you felt about it and explain why you chose this gift for this person. Learn How To Answer IELTS Speaking Test Part 2 : CUE Cards. Sample Response 1: I recently gave a handcrafted wooden photo frame to my best friend on her birthday. I chose a frame that was embellished with intricate carvings, and I inserted a picture of the two of us from a memorable trip we took together. My friend has always been appreciative of artisanal crafts, and since we both value our memories, I thought it would be a heartfelt gesture. The look on her face, when she opened it, was priceless, and I felt a deep satisfaction knowing that the gift was both meaningful and personal. Sample Response 2: For my father’s retirement, I gifted him a set of golf clubs. My father has always been interested in golf but never had the time to play. Now, as he enters this new phase of life, I wanted him to have something that would encourage him to pursue this hobby. I spent a considerable amount of time researching and finding the perfect set that would suit his needs. When he opened the gift, his eyes lit up, and I could see the excitement in his face. It felt wonderful to be able to give something that not only brought joy but also aligned with his interests. Sample Response 3: I recently gave a personalized cookbook to my sister, who has recently discovered a passion for cooking. The cookbook was filled with recipes from our family, friends, and some of her favorite chefs, each one annotated with personal notes and tips. I chose this gift because I wanted to support her newfound interest and also provide something that would be a unique treasure. Compiling the recipes and adding personal touches made the gift even more special. When she received it, her reaction was one of surprise and delight, and I felt thrilled to have found the perfect gift that reflected her personality and passion. Explore Various IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Card Questions and Answers. Recommended Vocabulary: Handcrafted: Made by hand or by using only simple, non-mechanized tools. Example: The handcrafted wooden frame added a personal and artistic touch to the gift. Intricate Carvings: Complex and detailed designs cut into a surface. Example: The intricate carvings on the frame made it a beautiful piece of art. Heartfelt Gesture: A gesture done with genuine feeling or emotion. Example: The gift was a heartfelt gesture, symbolizing our close friendship. Newfound Interest: A recently discovered hobby or passion. Example: The cookbook was perfect for my sister’s newfound interest in cooking. Annotated: Provided with explanatory notes or comments. Example: Each recipe in the cookbook was annotated with personal notes and tips. Aligned with His Interests: Consistent or matching with someone’s likes or preferences. Example: The golf clubs were aligned with my father’s interests and hobbies. Priceless Reaction: A reaction that is so precious or valuable that its value cannot be determined. Example: My friend’s priceless reaction to the gift made all the effort worthwhile. Unique Treasure: Something very valuable and unlike anything else. Example: The personalized cookbook was a unique treasure that my sister could keep forever. Reflect Her Personality: Represents or embodies someone’s character or traits. Example: The gift was chosen to reflect her personality and her passion for cooking. Deep Satisfaction: A feeling of fulfillment or contentment. Example: The joy in my father’s eyes gave me a deep satisfaction in choosing the perfect gift for him. Different Cue Card Topics Personal Experiences: IELTS Cue Card TopicsPeople and Personalities: IELTS Cue Card TopicsPlaces: IELTS Cue Card TopicsObjects: IELTS Cue Card TopicsEvents: IELTS Cue Card TopicsExperiences and Achievements: IELTS Cue Card TopicsHobbies and Interests: IELTS Cue Card TopicsPlans and Dreams: IELTS Cue Card TopicsNature and Environment: IELTS Cue Card TopicsEducation: IELTS Cue Card TopicsWork and Careers: IELTS Cue Card TopicsTechnology: IELTS Cue Card TopicsHealth and Fitness: IELTS Cue Card TopicsFood and Drinks: IELTS Cue Card Topics
Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Table Completion
IELTS Reading True/False/Not given
IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
IELTS reading passage – Art or Craft
Art or Craft
A. Craftsmen have traditionally been considered distinct from artists. Craftsmen, such as woodworkers and plasterers, had their own guild, whereas the artist was thought to be a more solitary being confined to an existence in a studio or attic. Furthermore, whereas craftsmen could rely on a reasonably consistent income, artists were frequently living on the breadline, and the term “starving artist” became a synonym to describe the impoverished existence of artists in general. Even today, the lives of a craftsman and an artist could not be more dissimilar. However, what exactly distinguishes craft from art, both practically and philosophically?
B. The nature of the finished product or piece is one of the primary distinctions between art and craft. Fundamentally, the idea of craft has traditionally been connected to the creation of goods that are useful or practical. Contrarily, art is not constrained by the confines of practicality. While an artist’s creation is often without a practical purpose, a craftsman’s teapot or vase should typically be able to carry tea or flowers. In actuality, the sole purpose of art and its existence is to simply “be,” which is why Dada artist Meret Oppenheim made the fur lined teacup. The “cup” as such was evidently never meant to be used in a practical manner, any more than a chocolate teapot possibly was.
C. Artistry in craftsmanship is consequently simply a by product because the number one focus is on what something does, now no longer what it is. The opposite is real for artwork. Artistic merchandise attraction is purely at the degree of the imagination. As the prestigious philosopher, Kant, stated, ‘At its best, artwork cultivates and expands the human spirit.’ Whether the artist answerable for a chunk of artwork has sufficient expertise to acquire that is any other matter. However, the purpose of all artists stays the same: to produce a piece that also goes beyond the mundane and uplifts the viewer. In contrast, the world of the craftsman and his paintings stay lodged firmly in the practicality of the everyday world. An item produced through an artist is consequently essentially specific from the one produced through a craftsman
D. Differences among the 2 disciplines of art and craft make bigger additionally to the method required to produce the finished object. The British philosopher R.G. Collingwood, who set out a list of standards that distinguish art from craft, focused on the distinction between the two subjects in their ‘planning and execution. With a craft, Collingwood argued, the ‘result to be acquired is preconceived or thought out before being arrived at.’ The craftsman, Collingwood says, ‘knows what he desires to make before he makes it’. This foreknowledge, consistent with Collingwood, has to now no longer be vague but precise. In fact, such making plans are taken into consideration to be ‘indispensable’ to craft. In this respect, the craft is essentially one-of-a-kind from the artwork. Art is located by Collingwood at the different end of the creative continuum, the introduction of art being described as a method that evolves non-deterministically. The artist is, therefore, just as unaware as everybody else as to what the end product of the introduction will be, while he’s actually in the process of creating. Contrast this with the craftsman who already knows what the end product will seem like before she or he has even begun to create it.
E. Since the artist isn’t always following a set of standard guidelines in the process of creation, she or he has no guidelines like the craftsman. Whilst the desk or chair created by the craftsman, for example, has to conform to certain expectations in look and design, no such limitations are imposed on the artist. For it is the artist alone who, via a trial-and-error approach, will create the final object.
F. The object merely evolves over time. Whereas the craftsman can pretty correctly predict when a product can be completed taking technical methods into account, the artist can do no such thing. The artist is at the mercy of inspiration alone and pretty apart from not being capable of having a projected completion date, might also additionally never be capable of assuring that the object will be completed at all. Unfinished symphonies by wonderful composers and works of literature by no means finished through their authors testify to this.
G. Having no particular end goal in mind, the emphasis at the finished product which is true of craftsmanship is placed Instead on the act of creation itself with the artist. The creation of the work of art is an exploration and a battle and direction of discovery for the artist. It could be said that the artist is producing as much for himself as for people who will view the finished product. This act of creation is very distinct from the manufacturing of an object that is crafted, therefore. The aim of creating craftwork is monetary compensation. Craft is produced for purchase and is basically a money-generating industry. Any craftsman who observed the artistic approach to creation might quickly be out of a job. Craftsmen are predicted to deliver, artists are not. This is probably the maximum fundamental distinction that separates the craftsman from the artist.
Art or Craft reading questions
Questions 1-10
Complete the table below. Choose 10 answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-L, next to questions 1-10.
the finished product has an emotional and spiritual level appeal
the final product has no ambition to be anything more than it appears.
only the functional use is considered for the final object.
no practical purpose as such is imagined for the created object.
the process of creation is actually a means to an end.
whether there is an end product or not, the product is itself secondary to the process of production.
not having to stick to a set of rules, the process is a matter of experimentation
there is no line of error for experimentation, all of the process are following a set of rules.
the goal is defined from the outset
the process is undefined and fluid
it is useful but not commercially practical
the production process is a mixture of following experimentation and guidelines.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?In boxes 11-12 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in passage
11. One of the key differences between craft and art is the type of final item or piece.
12. Artists also have to follow a set of rules like craftsmen.
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Questions 13-14
Choose the correct letter A, B, or C. Write the correct option letter in boxes 13-14 on your answer sheet.
13. Which of the following people can predict the time when the object production will get completed?
Craftsmen
Artist
None of these
14. Which of the following is the most basic difference between a craftsman and an artist?
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Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions
IELTS Reading Multiple choice questions
IELTS Reading locating information
IELTS Reading Notes Completion
IELTS reading passage – Endangered Chocolate
A.The cocoa tree, which was formerly indigenous to the tropical American jungle, contains foreign characteristics. Slender and Shrubby, Cacao has acclimated to living near the leaf-littered forest floor. The huge leaves of this plant droop away from the light. Cacao does not blossom at the airfields of its outer and higher stems, as do other plants. Instead, its aromatic white buds dangle from the trunk, and a few thick branches emerge when the leaves fall off. These little flowers develop into pods with pulp similar to the size of rugby balls. The low-hanging pods hold magical seeds with a bitter flavor.
B.Ancient people in Mesoamerica learned the mystery of these beans more than 2,000 years ago. When you dismiss the grains from the pod together with the pulp, when you let them ferment and parch in the sun, and then roast them over a low fire, something extraordinary occurs: they turn chocolatey. If you then crush and press the beans, which are at least fifty percent cocoa butter, you will acquire a crumbly confectionary. Chestnut brown paste is chocolate at its purest and most straightforward.
C.The Maya and Aztecs cherished this chocolate, which they combined with water and spices to create restorative drinks. It was a palatable prize that was offered to their gods, used as a coin, and kept as if it were gold. long after the sixteenth-century introduction of the beverage to Europe by Spanish explorers. There was an atmosphere of aristocratic elegance in chocolate. The Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus called the cacao tree genus Theobroma in 1753, which means “food of the gods.”
D.In the past two hundred years, the bean has been considerably democratized, going from a titled drink into across-the-board candy bars, cocoa powders, and confections. Today, chocolate is earning favor around the world, with new demands emerging in Eastern Europe and Asia. This is both profitable and destructive news since, even while farmers are creating historical portions of cacao beans, some academics are concerned that this is not adequate to meet global needs. Cacao also has some concerning problems.
E.Philippe Petithuguenin, director of the cacao program at France’s Centre for International Cooperation in Development-Oriented Agricultural Research (CiRAD), just gave a presentation at a conference in the Dominican Republic. On the global map, he revealed that cacao grows in a miniature area within 180 degrees north and south of the equator. Cacao has been cultivated throughout this hot, humid tropical belt for the past four centuries, from South America and the Caribbean to West Africa, East Asia, New Guinea, and Vanuatu in the Pacific.
F.Today, 70% of all cacao beans are sourced from West and Central Africa. Farmers in several parts engage in so-called pioneer farming.” They clear sections of the forest of all but the tallest canopy trees and then plant cacao, shading the young cacao with temporary banana plantations. This type of forest may generate 50 to 60 pods per tree annually for the next 25 to 30 years. Eventually, however, pests, diseases, and soil depletion reduce crop production. The farmers then proceed to clear a fresh forest area, unless farmers of other crops arrive first. Petit-Huguenin stated, “You cannot continue chopping the tropical forest because the forest itself is threatened.” The global demand for chocolate grows by an average of 3% every year. In the absence of land for new plants in tropical forests, how can this be accomplished?’
G.Many farmers are more concerned about sidestepping sickness. Cacao, especially when produced in plantations, is sensitive to several diseases, mostly rotting diseases caused by various species of fungi that infect the pods or kill the trees. This fungus and other infections may ruin entire cacao-growing areas and kill more than a quarter of the world’s annual yield.
H.Cacao produced in the Bahia area of Brazil was eliminated by a disease called “witches’ broom.” In the 1980s, Brazil’s cocoa bean output declined by 75% as the third biggest producer. According to Petithuguenin, if a genuinely terrible illness like a witches’ broom arrived in West Africa (the largest producer in the world), the outcome would be ruinous. If another manufacturer were to fail at this time, the results would be seen globally. In the United States, for instance, imported cacao is the cornerstone of an $8.6 billion domestic chocolate sector, sustaining the nation’s dairy and nut enterprises. Twenty percent of all dairy products in the United States are used in confectionery.
I.Today, researchers are trying to handle this issue by creating disease-resistant plants. However, even the most desirable plants are useless if there is nowhere to cultivate them. Farmers who cultivate cacao typically receive a pittance for their beans compared to the profits earned by the rest of the chocolate industry. Most are at the mercy of local intermediaries, who purchase the beans and resell them to chocolate producers at a significantly higher price. These individuals must be removed from the process to improve the situation for farmers. However, the economics of cacao are fast shifting due to the dwindling bean supply. Some businesses have realized that they must collaborate more closely with farmers to guarantee the implementation of sustainable agricultural methods. They must restore and buffer the forest with ground cover, bushes, small trees, and canopy trees. The soil will then be more resilient and productive. They must also empower the farmers by guaranteeing them a greater price for their cacao beans in order to encourage them to cultivate cacao and preserve their way of life.
Endangered Chocolate IELTS reading questions
Questions 1-3
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D. Write your answers on your answer sheet from 1-3
1.The cacao plant’s flowers appear
at the tips of its uppermost branches.
across each of its branches.
primarily in the trunk.
is nearing its leaves.
2.Banana trees are planted alongside cocoa plants in Africa in order to
The effect a chocolate manufacturing collapse may have on other sectors.
safeguards the young plants.
give an additional crop.
Contribute to improving soil quality.
3. What is the author referring to in paragraph H when he states that the waves will be felt globally?
the effect a chocolate manufacturing collapse may have on other sectors
the potential for disease transmission to other crops.
the economic consequences for the world’s chocolate farmers?
the connection between Brazilian and African cultivators
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Questions 4-9
The reading passage has nine paragraphs labeled A-I. Which paragraph contains the following information?
From 4–9, write the correct letter A-I in your answer sheet 4-9.
4. a collection of cacao-growing regions
5. an illustration of the disease’s impact on one cacao-growing region.
6. information on an old chocolate beverage.
7. A quick explanation of how the contemporary chocolate business has evolved
8. the average lifespan and yield of a cocoa plantation?
9. a reference to the scientific identification of the cacao plant.
Questions 10-13
Complete the notes below. Write no more than two words from the passage for each answer. Write your answers on your answer sheet from 10-13.
Ways of dealing with the plant’s problems
Chocolate makers must deal directly with farmers as opposed to relying on 10
__________. It is necessary to discover plants that are resistant to 11 ______.
Need to encourage farmers to employ 12 ____. techniques to cultivate cocoa plants
Ensure that farmers receive a portion of the 13____ produced by the chocolate business.
3 Answer: A – The impact a collapse in chocolate production could have on other industries.
4 Answer: E
5 Answer: H
6 Answer: C
7 Answer: D
8 Answer: F
9 Answer: C
10 Answer: Local (middlemen)
11 Answer: Disease
12 Answer: Sustainable
13 Answer: Profits
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Matching Features IELTS Reading True/False/Not given IELTS Reading Matching heading questions
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS Reading Passage: Mobile phones and driving
Mobile phones and driving
A. Mobile phones used to be expensive items when they were first introduced, but they have now been around for more than ten years and are quite common. These cell phones are now more affordable for the majority of people thanks to technological advancement and public demand. The most contentious issue in today’s world, though, is whether or not one should use a cell phone while driving. Will it have any effect on us or pose a threat to others? Alternately, the likelihood of an accident won’t change.
B. Various nations around the globe have started imposing heavy violations as a national policy. Ireland imposes the harshest penalties on the continent, with the UK, Australia, and Finland joining the ranks of nations opposing this extremely dangerous act more recently. (a third offence can mean 3 months imprisonment). In addition to this, the offenders are charged 2000 Euros and 2 weeks in jail in Europe(the Netherlands).
C. As we continue to take our eyes off the road to talk on the phone or, even more dangerously, text, the statistics for motor vehicle accidents are rising daily. Speaking on the phone while driving increases the likelihood of an accident, and texting while driving increases the likelihood of an accident by nine times. The use of a cell phone by the driver has repeatedly and unequivocally been shown to significantly increase the risk of a car accident in study after study that has been replicated around the world.
D. Although the Ministry of Transport is still putting together a report based on public consultation, a proposal made by a previous Labour-led Government in New Zealand suggests a $50 fine and 27 demerit points for anyone using a cell phone while driving. The government is aware that, even though this is just a pending idea, it will be challenging to police, but something needs to be done and people need to be aware of the potential repercussions. Contrary to popular belief, hands-free devices can be just as hazardous as handheld phones when used, according to research from Waikato University.
E. On the one hand, it will be difficult to break the habit of using a cell phone while driving because it has become a part of our daily lives. However, it has been demonstrated that when faced with a hazard on the road, our reaction times are never quick enough. If you are conversing with someone else at the same time, your reaction time will be even slower. The average person finds that it takes them two and a half seconds to react in a dangerous situation. If you are on the phone, that reaction time can increase by two seconds. You have two things competing for your attention: your conversation and driving. It is a physical and cognitive distraction because you have to take one hand off the wheel to hold the phone due to the demands of the conversation and the road. However, an American radio host argued that outlawing cell phones while driving was going too far, asking, “If we outlaw cell phones, what comes next? There are no billboards, coffee shops, or CD players? The host acknowledged that texting while driving posed a risk, but talking on the phone did not.
F. Texting while driving can lead our eyes off the road and was a definite hazard; majority of the individuals accepted this and agreed with him. Now, a question arises that not holding a conversation while driving is as distracting as eating food or reaching for a CD. Even when mobile phones did not come into existence accidents still used to take place so do we really need to take this matter seriously?
G. Of course, people will have different views on this, and it will always be a contentious topic. The number of nations that have laws prohibiting using cell phones while driving is growing, but there are still many more that have yet to follow. Although there is a lack of data, it appears that tests, surveys, and research are conducted frequently in an effort to draw conclusions about how hazardous and possibly fatal this habit may be.
Look at the following list of the statement (Questions 1-5) based on ‘Mobile phones and driving’
Match the statement with the correct person or department A-E.
A.Ministry of Transport B.Road safety groups C.Waikato University D.American radio host E. The New Zealand government
1. Is assembling the public’s feedback at the moment. 2. proposed particular sanctions for using a phone while driving. 3. The likelihood of an accident is higher, as demonstrated by statistics. 4. Believes that using a phone while driving can be dangerous. 5. The risk of talking on the phone is exaggerated.
Improve your performance in Matching Features questions by clicking here to access our comprehensive guide. Learn how to match specific features or characteristics with the options provided in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 6-10
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 6-10 an your answer sheet write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
6. The world’s strictest regulations regarding cell phone use while driving are found in Ireland. 7. Speaking on the phone while driving increases the risk of an accident by nine times, according to research by organisations that promote road safety. 8. If the driver is on a mobile device, reaction times in an emergency are doubled. 9. Statistics show that eating while driving is just as risky as using a phone. 10. For a clearer conclusion, more investigation is necessary.
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Questions 11-13
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs A – G.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B – D from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-x in boxes 11-13.
List of Headings
i. Effects of mobile phones on risks ii. statistics on texting iii. worldwide responses iv. More research required v. Proof from around the globe vi. Difficulties with enforcement vii. global consensus on punishment viii. Data that contradicts each other ix. The Dangers of Interacting with Passengers x. weighing the risks
1. A 2. E 3. B 4. C 5. D 6. Not given 7. False 8. False 9. Not given 10. True 11. iii 12. v 13. vi
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Essential strategies and practice techniques for this IELTS Reading question type. Learn how to manage time and improve accuracy.
Originally published March 2025. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions
IELTS Reading True/False/Not Given
IELTS Reading Sentence Completion
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS Reading passage–Do You Look Your Age?
Do You Look Your Age?
It can be hard to guess someone’s exact age. A range of factors may leave marks on our appearance: how much sleep We’ve had – even the way we dress and our view of ourselves. The good news is that just as these factors can add years on to your appearance, it follows that they can also take years off. We don’t always have control over some of those social factors that can make us look younger, but there are other steps we can take to try to stop the ravages of age.
SOCIAL FACTORS
Last month, the University of Southern Denmark published a report, The Influence of Environmental Factors on Facial Ageing, which showed that how we live can affect how old we look. In it, 1,826 twins were photographed and then ten female nurses aged between 25-46 years were asked to guess how old the “models” were. The results were intriguing. They showed that belonging to a high social class can make us look up to four years younger, and many other lifestyle factors were shown to affect the way we look. Having children was found to make men look a full year younger, though it had no effect on women, and having four or more children cancelled out the benefit.
Depression and sun exposure were the biggest factors in making you look old before your time. Depression added up to three and a half years to a woman’s perceived age (and 2.4 years for men). Sun exposure piled on at least an extra year. Smoking put on six months for a woman and a year for a man. Meanwhile, having a high BMI (body mass index) was found to take a whole year off for both men and women. “If you are not depressed, not a smoker and not too skinny, you are basically doing well,” says Professor Kaare Christensen (married, three children, non-smoker), one of the report’s authors. Professor Christensen’s report concluded that it was more dangerous for our health to look a year older, than to actually be a year older.
NUTRITION
This is possibly the biggest change we can make fairly easily. There are four main factors that prematurely age us: smoking, too much alcohol, lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, and insufficient protein intake. You can immediately tell a smoker. It’s not just the lines around the mouth and eyes, but smoking is dehydrating to the body. Every time you inhale on a cigarette, you’re taking toxins into the body which have to be diffused and detoxified by the liver and kidneys, and they’re dependent on plenty of fresh water to carry toxins away. Most smokers don’t drink anywhere near enough water.
The really big, quick fix, though, is eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. You can see if someone doesn’t eat enough, or any, fresh fruit and veg in a minute. The skin lacks a freshness and translucency. This is because the skin is the last organ to benefit from the nutrients you eat – the likes of the brain, heart, and lungs all get first share. If someone’s diet is lacking in fruit and veg, the skin will become dehydrated. This is a sign that sufficient nutrients aren’t being delivered, so from an anti-ageing point of view, it’s important to have live, fresh food and raw food is vital. If you have to cook, steaming will retain at least some of the vitamins and minerals.
The other really important thing, and one we tend to miss out on in our diet-obsessed culture, is adequate intake of essential fatty acids (EFAs), from oily fish, nuts, and seeds. EFAs are vital for prolonging life expectancy because every cell in the body has a phospholipid bilayer that protects it, but they also give the skin a dewy, “bouncy”, youthful feel. One of the worst things you can do in terms of looking old is to go on a low-fat diet. Stress is another big one for adding years. We can help support the adrenal and thyroid glands, which take a hammering when we’re stressed, by eating plenty of fresh vitamin C and magnesium for the adrenal glands; and iodine, selenium, zinc, and B vitamins to support the thyroid.
EXERCISE
We’ve come to think of exercise as a pure slimming pursuit and women tend to be rather scared of lifting weights, but building lean tissue through weight-bearing exercise is key to keeping the years at bay. Exercise can help reduce the effects of ageing by slowing down the decline of type II muscle fibres. Generally, type I muscle fibres deal with aerobic activities and type II with anaerobic ones. The type II responds to resistance work to improve muscle tone. With ageing, there’s a reduction in frequency, duration, and intensity of habitual activity: we generally move less. So, these type II fibres deteriorate because they simply don’t get enough stimuli.
SKIN CARE
Almost every skin cream promises to make you look younger. It’s a promise many are seduced by, but many end up disappointed. The problem is not that products don’t work, but starting too late, and then not spending enough money. A lot of people skip good skin care until they think they need it, and by then it’s actually too late. In women, the skin around the eyes is the first to go, in men it’s the hands. A good routine should start early because maintenance is much easier than repair.
Your skin also becomes more transparent as you get older, so you need to adapt your make-up and hair colour accordingly. Foundation should be lighter than you’d imagine, and sheerer, and if you want to cover grey, don’t be tempted to go for a too-dark hair colour or block colour – highlights are kind. Don’t forget to apply moisturiser around the back of the neck: It’s the only bit of skin attached to a bone, so it’s important that you look after it to avoid sagging.
For each question, only ONE of the choices is correct.
27. According to surveys, which of the following social factors makes a person look older?
A Having more than four children B Having a high BMI C Spending a long time in the sun
28. Which of the following nutritional factors makes a person look older?
A Eating lots of fruit and vegetables B Not eating enough protein C Eating lots of meat
29. How can exercise help make a person look younger?
A By making them feel happier B It helps keep type II muscle fibres in better condition. C It increases oxygen flow.
30. What is the main problem with skincare products?
A People don’t use them early enough. B People spend too much money on them. C Most skincare products don’t work.
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Questions 31-35
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each gap.
The Danish survey used photographs of (31)…………………. The greatest difference people can make relatively easily is with (32)………………… The human body uses the (33)……………………to get rid of toxins. A (34)……………………….diet makes people look much older. People should use (35)………………………..on the back of the neck.
Questions 36-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 36 – 40 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this
36. A person’s social class can affect how old they look. 37. Having children makes men and women look younger. 38. Smokers need to drink more water than non-smokers. 39. Some people don’t get enough fatty acids because they are slimming. 40. Most skin creams contain vitamins that are good for the skin.
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