1.     Read the following passage carefully:                                                                                   (12 marks)

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

(1) It's not 'cool' to be fat, but that has not prevented an obesity epidemic from occurring among America's youth. Childhood obesity increased from 5% in 1964 to about 13% in 1994. Today, it is about 20% and rising. Children, on an average, spend up to five to six hours a day in sedentary activities like watching television, using the computer and playing video games, which is partly to blame for this escalating rate. Perhaps, it wouldn't matter if they were sufficiently active at other times, but most of them aren't. To make matters worse, children are bombarded with TV ads from fast food chains and other purveyors of high fat, high sugar meals and snacks. These highly effective advertising campaigns, combined with a physically inactive lifestyle, have produced a generation of kids who are at high risk of obesity-associated medical conditions.

(2) The major health threat is the early development of Type 2 diabetes (adult onset), particularly in children with a family history of disease. Doctors are reporting a surge in young adolescents developing Type 2 diabetes which can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, limb amputations and blindness. People who develop diabetes in adolescence face a diminished quality of life and shortened life span, particularly if the disease progresses untreated. It's a scary prospect for our children, but, in many cases, obesity and diabetes are preventable.

(3) When children are spending most of their free time sitting in front of televisions and computers, they are not outside running, jumping or engaging in team sports that would keep their weight down. Parents need to set limits on the time their children are engaged in passive activities.

(4) Paediatricians recommend restricting children to one to two hours per day on TV and computers combined - though older children may need additional time for learning activities. Parental involvement remains the most important key to our children's healthy diets. Programmes to educate parents about nutrition are essential. Fast foods should be consumed only in moderation. Caregivers, who are often busy and harried, must avoid the temptation to whisk their kids into fast-food restaurants or to pick up fast food for dinner at home. Changing eating habits and lifestyles is not easy, but the health benefit for our children is a wonderful payoff for parents willing to take on the task.

Based on your understanding of the passage, answer the questions given below.

(i) One of the major reasons behind obesity among children is

(a) studying

(c) their sedentary lifestyle

(b) playing indoor games

(d) eating fast foods

(2) Comment on the early development of Type 2 diabetes found in children.

(i) Read and complete the following sentence suitably.

The phrase 'children are bombarded with well-crafted TV ads from fast-food chains' suggests that kids are highly influenced by the media.

Choose the correct response from the two options to complete the sentence.

The concern this analogy points towards is about

(a) a tendency in children to choose unhealthy food based on advertisements.

(b) children being naturally attracted to high-fat, high-sugar meals.

(iv) Find the antonym of the word 'untroubled' from the following.

(a) moderation              (b) payoff         (c) harried         (d) surge

(v) The writer would not agree with which of the given statements, based on paragraph 3.

(a) Children are very active in outdoor games.

(b) Children spend maximum time in TV and computer.

(c) Parents have to fix time.

(d) Outdoor activities help children to lose weight.

(vi) Based on the given passage, write one major reason for diabetes among children.

(vii) Why does the writer refer to fast food advertisements as "well-crafted" in paragraph 2?

Because:

(a) They effectively persuade children to desire unhealthy food.

(b) They use sophisticated techniques to attract children's attention.

(c) They lead children to favour products shown on TV.

(d) They are deliberately created to encourage unhealthy eating habits.

(viii) Complete the given sentence.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to ___________________

(ix) Select the most suitable title for the given passage.

(a) Obesity and Diabetes

(b) Diabetes - Symptoms and Cure

(c) Sedentary Lifestyle

(d) Diabetic Patients

(x) How does the author use TV commercials to explain children's food choices?