Question

Read the following passage carefully:

(1)	Playing sports is a fun and effective way to boost your health and fitness. Instead of the grind of treadmills or weight machines, sports offer excitement and motivation, especially when invited by friends or teammates. Engaging in sports enhances heart health, lowers the risk of diabetes, improves blood sugar control and reduces tension and stress. Physical activity also builds muscle mass, refines coordination, and strengthens muscle memory.
(2)	Life brings emotional ups and downs, and it can be tempting to cope through binge-watching or overeating. However, regular sports participation triggers positive changes in the brain. It increases serotonin and improves cardiovascular health – key for reducing anxiety and depression while the release of endorphins improves mood and provides natural pain relief. Any sport you enjoy can help you combat stress and boost overall happiness.
(3)	Modern lifestyles entail long hours at desks, fatigue and convenience food which often lead to weight gain, hypertension and heart disease. Playing sports is an efficient and enjoyable way to burn calories, reduce body fat and manage weight. Combined with a healthy diet, it can outperform traditional gym workouts, which can feel exhausting or monotonous.
(4)	Sports elevate heart rate and increase blood flow to the brain, stimulating growth-promoting hormones for brain cells. Physical exertion depletes energy and elevates body temperature, which improves sleep quality by making the body work harder to cool down at night. Studies show that exercising at least 150 minutes per week can enhance sleep quality by up to 65 percent.
(5)	Sports activities like basketball, soccer, football, tennis and baseball engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Unlike routine gym sessions, they help to build lean muscle while burning fat. These sports are driven by fun and competition and don’t feel like a chore in isolated gym training. They challenge the balance, reduce fall risk and test the limits of endurance, whether in victory or defeat.
(6)	Sport isn’t just physical – it is also emotional. It offers opportunities to face challenges, learn from failure, and celebrate victory. These experiences foster self-confidence, adaptability, and resilience, making you feel more capable and positive about life.
(7)	Beyond the personal gains, playing sports fosters social bonds and community living. Joining a team or club brings you into a supportive network of teammates, coaches and friends. Shared goals, team camaraderie and cheering each other help strengthen relationships and build a sense of belonging. This social engagement not only enhances enjoyment but also encourages you to stay committed, making regular physical activity a sustainable part of your life.

Answer the following questions, based on the passage above:

1. Which one of the following is a health benefit of participating in sports, as stated in paragraph 1? [1]
   1. promotes more screen time
   2. reduces the likelihood of developing diabetes
   3. improves hearing abilities
   4. worsens sleeping patterns.
2. What underlying mechanism makes sports more effective than binge-watching or overeating for coping with emotional stress? [1]
   1. activation of social bonding neuropeptides.
   2. enhanced serotonin and natural chemical release in the brain.
   3. increased caloric expenditure leading to mental clarity.
   4. diversion of attention through physical exhaustion.
      Paragraph (2)
3. Complete the following suitably: [1]
   Modern lifestyles lead to weight gain because ______.
4. Rectify the given false statement. [1]
   Playing a sport and consuming a lot of convenience food balances weight gain and reduces body fat. [1]
5. How does physical exertion affect body temperature and sleep quality? [1]  Paragraph (4)
6. In what way are gym sessions different from sports activities? [1]  Paragraph (5)
7. Mention one way in which playing a sport helps in emotional development. [2]  Paragraph (6)
8. List one way in which playing a sport reduces the risk of falling. [2]
9. How does belonging to a team or community act as a positive feedback loop for continued engagement in physical activity? [2]

Answer 1

1. reduces the likelihood of developing diabetes
2. enhanced serotonin and natural chemical release in the brain.
3. Modern lifestyles lead to weight gain because of long hours at desks, fatigue, and frequent consumption of convenience (processed) food.
4. Playing a sport combined with a healthy diet helps manage weight and reduce body fat.
5. Physical exertion raises body temperature and depletes energy; the subsequent cooling-down process at night improves sleep quality (the passage also notes ~150 minutes/week of exercise can improve sleep by up to 65%).
6. Gym sessions are often routine/isolated and can feel monotonous, whereas sports engage multiple muscle groups, are more fun/competitive, and feel less like a chore.
7. Playing a sport fosters self-confidence and resilience by giving opportunities to face challenges, learn from failure, and celebrate victories.
8. By challenging and improving balance and coordination, playing sports reduces the risk of falling.
9. Team/community membership provides social support, shared goals and camaraderie, which increases enjoyment and motivation this makes people more likely to keep participating, reinforcing both social bonds and regular physical activity.