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B1 Reading Test

Read a text about health in different countries, and for questions 1 to 6, choose the correct answer.

The unhealthiest places in the world

According to a study by Clinic Compare, the unhealthiest country in the world is the Czech Republic. The study, which compared data on alcohol, tobacco consumption and obesity in 179 countries, found that Czech Republic residents are among the world's heaviest drinkers. Indeed, nine of the ten unhealthiest countries are located in Eastern Europe, where smoking is more common than in the rest of the world and is increasing among teenagers. The only one outside this region was the USA, where 36 per cent of the population are obese. Obesity levels are lower in the Czech Republic but are the highest in Europe.

The study must be taken with a pinch of salt, however. According to the rankings, the healthiest country in the world is Afghanistan due to its low obesity and alcohol consumption. In second and third place are Guinea and Niger. But that doesn't make them healthy places to live. Indeed, four countries listed among Clinic Compare's top ten healthiest countries, Guinea, DR Congo, Malawi and Mozambique, were among the least healthy nations in another study, the Global Competitiveness Index.

High consumption of alcohol, tobacco and food are diseases of affluence; that is, they are common in wealthy countries. However, many countries, especially in Africa, are still struggling with diseases of poverty. For example, the average life expectancy in DR Congo is just 53 years old. Here, many people die from diseases which could be treated in other countries. In Malawi, tuberculosis and HIV are common. These countries lack basic medical facilities and trained doctors. In Mozambique, where 30% of people cannot access health services, lack of nutrients in the diet is a far more common medical problem than overeating.

Moreover, Nepal, listed by Clinic Compare as the fourth healthiest country, is the tenth most polluted country and Afghanistan the fourteenth. Air pollution is a killer, with 7 million people dying worldwide each year from diseases associated with it. It is not just vehicle fumes and industries which are the problem. Around 2.4 billion people worldwide are exposed to dangerous levels of household air pollution while cooking on fires or stoves fuelled by kerosene, wood, dung and coal.

According to a different study, which measured factors such as the cost of staying healthy, life expectancy, air pollution, obesity, sunlight hours and crime rate, the healthiest country is Spain. This is most likely due to its traditionally healthy diet, clean air, the number of people walking to work (37%), and free healthcare. Interestingly, another study, the Global Health Security Index, ranks the USA as the healthiest nation. This was because its high standards in research, safety and communication allow it to detect and respond to pandemics the most effectively. This contrasts with the Clinic Compare survey, which ranked it the tenth unhealthiest country, primarily because of its high obesity rate.

The countries with the highest levels of obesity, however, are in the Pacific islands. In countries such as Nauru, Tuvalu and Palau, over half the population is obese. This is a relatively new trend, as, before the 1950s, locals consumed a traditional diet that included bananas, coconuts, yams and seafood. Since then, incomes have increased, making imported convenience foods more affordable. This new scenario causes people to make poor food choices despite the availability of healthier, locally-grown options. In many regions of the USA, healthy choices just aren't available, or they are too expensive. In addition, this country's driving culture means that many people don't get enough exercise.

Reading comprehension test

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The unhealthiest places in the world - B1 English reading test - Test-English

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Boost your reading skills with our English reading test on the world's unhealthiest places. Comprehension questions with feedback included!

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Burgers made of insects – B1 English listening test - Test-English

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Listening comprehension test for intermediate students (CEFR B1). Watch a video about food and choose the correct answers.

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Radon is a radioactive gas that has no smell, colour or taste. Radon is produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium, which is found in all rocks and soils. Radon can also be found in water. Radon escapes from the ground into the air, where it decays and produces further radioactive particles.

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Radon is a radioactive gas that has no smell, colour or taste. Radon is produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium, which is found in all rocks and soils. Radon can also be found in water. Radon escapes from the ground into the air, where it decays and produces further radioactive particles.

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The ballpoint pen

The ballpoint pen

Most of us have at least one, but how did this popular item evolve?

One morning in 1945, a crowd of 5,000 people jammed the entrance of Gimbels Department Store in New York. The day before, Gimbels had placed a full-page advertisement in the New York Times for a wonderful new invention, the ballpoint pen. The advertisement described the pen as 'fantastic' and 'miraculous'. Although they were expensive, $12.50 each, all 10,000 pens in stock were sold on the first day.

In fact, this 'new' pen was not new at all. In 1888, John Loud, a leather manufacturer, had invented a pen with a reservoir of ink and a rolling ball. However, his pen was never produced, and efforts by other people to produce a commercially successful one failed too. The main problem was with the ink. If it was too thin, the ink leaked out of the pen. If it was too thick, it didn't come out of the pen at all.

Almost fifty years later, in 1935, a newspaper editor in Hungary thought he spent too much time filling his pens with ink. He decided to invent a better kind of pen. With the help of his brother, who was a chemist, he produced a ballpoint pen that didn't leak when the pen wasn't being used. The editor was called Ladislas Biro, and it was his name that people would associate more than any other with the ballpoint pen.

By chance, Biro met Augustine Justo, the Argentinian president. Justo was so impressed with Biro's invention that he invited him to set up a factory in Argentina. In 1943, the first Biro pens were produced.

Unfortunately, they were not popular, since the pen needed to be held in a vertical position for the ink to come out. Biro redesigned the pen with a better ball, and in 1944 the new product was on sale throughout Argentina.

It was a North American, Milton Reynolds, who introduced the ballpoint pen to the USA. Copying Biro's design, he produced the version that sold so well at Gimbels. Another American, Patrick Frawley, improved the design and in 1950 began producing a pen he called the Papermate. It was an immediate success, and within a few years, Papermates were selling in their millions around the world.

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The ballpoint pen - IELTS reading practice test

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The ballpoint pen reading practice test has 5 questions belongs to the Short Practice subject. All of the questions are Sentence Completion form

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Trust is the essential ingredient for successful teamwork. How can we avoid misunderstandings and build strong professional relationships?