BBI 2411 Reading and Discussion Skills Reading Comprehension

READING COMPREHENSION

Questions 1 – 7 are based on the following passage.

Have you ever noticed that some days you look absolutely beautiful and on other days you do not? You have the same clothes on, the same makeup, the same face, and yet the results are different. The secret is that real, lasting beauty is not physical. Real beauty comes from attitude. If you have the right attitude, beauty is inevitable. If you do not, all the cosmetics in the world will not be able to help you. Advertisements sell more than the products – they sell confidence, poise, style. But those things do not automatically come with the product. They must come from inside you. So how do you achieve real beauty? The secret is simple. It is all in your attitude.      Number one on the list is having joy and passion. Find something you love to do and do it. This will increase joy in your life and enhance your passion for living. Nowadays most of us are too tired to do what we love doing. However, you have got to give yourself this gift. Whether it is taking photographs or making your own clothes or doing woodwork, or becoming a first-class baker, you are giving yourself a gift. Yes, it takes energy, but it also creates energy in the passion you find for a new activity. It brightens you up. You will feel energized, interested, more alive and other people will be drawn to your energy.       Kindness is another key to beauty. It is true that people remember striking physical beauty, but it is more true that people appreciate kindness more and will remember it longer. Stress is one of the ‘killers of kindness’. Sometimes we do not demonstrate kindness because we do not want to be drawn into someone else’s sorrow that will only increase our own stress. However, the irony is that when you reach out to people, it actually makes you feel good. Kindness can take many forms but the amazing thing is that the smallest gesture can leave the biggest impact on your life as well as the life of the person you were kind to.      Physical health is often expressed in glowing skin, bright eyes and a toned-up body. Mental health is an important part of physical health. Your mind and your body are linked. Mental health is an important part of physical health. Your mind and your body are linked. Mental health rests on our ability to be happy, to have harmonious relationships with others and on our capacity for creative self-expression. Your quality of life will suffer if you have to deal with anxiety, depression or relationship problems. You must make a commitment to your own peace of mind. A vital part of mental health is spiritual health. You must not ignore your need for quiet and for peaceful meditation.      Finally, you must have courage. You must take responsibility for your actions. The only thing that makes life meaningful is to live it with a purpose. It takes courage to keep working at creating a meaningful life despite its setbacks. Courage which comes from the French word ‘heart’, means being willing to take important risks. Courage and taking risks will lead to character building and character is what adds true beauty one’s physical self. (Adapted from http://www.freebeautytips.org/travel-tips.html)

1. You can buy confidence, poise and style.

A.    True

B.    False

C.    Not stated

2. Doing something you love will eventually make you more popular with other people.

A.    True

B.    False

C.    Not stated

3. Being kind will make us more physically beautiful.

A.    True

B.    False

C.    Not stated

4. What does the writer mean when he says stress is one of the ‘killers of kindness’?

A.    Sometimes we fail to be kind because we are too stressed.

B.    Sometimes we fail to be kind because we do not want to be stressed.

C.    Sometimes we fail to be kind because we do not want to be more stressed.

5. Which of the following statements is false?

A.    Too many financial and personal problems could mentally affect you.

B.    Spiritual health can be obtained by having good relationships.

C.    Many physically healthy people look more attractive.

6. One achieves true beauty by being
1. brave
2. creative
3. responsible

7. We can conclude that ‘attitude ‘ is

A.    the way you think and feel about things

B.    the way you look at and appreciate beauty

C.    the way you try to achieve beauty and success