IESOL Reading – Sample Paper 1

Should I get a dog?

In the last decade there has been a lot of 0) research indicating that the average domestic dog can provide many benefits to one's mental and physical wellbeing. But we need to remember that dogs are not a miracle cure for mental or physical illness. Owning a dog is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and ____ domestic animals. And just as importantly, you need to have the time and money to keep a dog happy and healthy. If you're simply not a 'dog person,' or are ____ time or financial resources, dog ownership is not going to provide you with any health benefits.

Even if you love dogs, it's important to understand everything that caring for a dog entails. Owning a dog is a commitment that will last the lifetime of the animal. This is usually between ten and fifteen years. And at the end of that period, you'll have to go through the grief and mourning that comes with ____ a beloved companion.

Dog ownership has other drawbacks too. Firstly, dogs require time and attention. As any dog owner will tell you, there's nothing ____ to your mental health about coming home to a dog who has been locked up in the house on his own all day long. Dogs need daily exercise and mental stimulation. It helps them stay calm and well-balanced.

You also need to remember that owning a dog can get in the way of your social activity. It is your job to ____ you can handle your dog appropriately. It's true that by training your dog, you'll be able to take him with you to visit friends, run errands, or sit outside a coffee shop, for example. But you won't be able to leave for a spur of the moment weekend away.

As many dog owners will testify, dogs can be destructive. Plus any dog can have an occasional accident at home. It ____ happens if he's sick or been left alone for too long. Also, some dogs have a tendency to chew shoes or destroy cushions. You can control this negative, destructive behaviour by providing your dog with training and exercise, but if the dog is left alone for long periods of time these measures will be less effective.

Delhi's Air Pollution Leading to a Health Crisis

Experts have long suggested a link between Delhi's toxic air and allergies and other serious medical conditions. But evidence from a recent car-free experiment collected by Professor Raj Kumar, a specialist from the University of Delhi, suggests that action to cut pollution might be effective. For a few hours last week, all private cars were banned from driving into the heart of old Delhi. This so called 'car free day' experiment was considered a success: scientists monitoring the air found a dramatic 60% drop in the amount of dangerous pollutants compared to the previous day.

Professor Kumar claims that Delhi is the most polluted city in the world, with other doctors and scientists agreeing that the locals are facing a public health crisis because pollutants worsen health issues such as asthma or heart disease. Clinics have to open for double their normal working hours in order to keep up with demand. Even then, corridors are overrun with wheezing patients, queuing for oxygen masks to take respite breaths as they wait. It is the rapid development of the country in recent years that has led to India having 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities. The World Health Organisation found that Delhi had an average of 153 micrograms of the smallest particles*, known as PM2.5s, per cubic metre in its air. The international 'safe' level for these particles is only 6 micrograms per cubic metre.

'Scientists have different opinions about what is the main cause of this pollution,' said Professor Kumar. He continued, 'There are over 8m vehicles on the roads already, with 1,400 new ones added every day. Most of these new vehicles burn diesel and have poor emissions standards, belching out clouds of the tiny PM2.5 particles that can be most harmful to health. In addition to vehicles, there are an increasing number of diesel-burning electrical generators attached to modern apartment blocks in the capital. Farms and coal-burning factories around the region further worsen the air.'

Health problems are happening now but the vehicle and factory emissions also contain greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide, ozone and carbon dioxide. These will remain in the atmosphere for many decades and contribute to future climate change across the planet. India's cities are facing the problems right now but the pollution (and its problems) is a warning about what many more developing nations will face in future.

The Indian government says it is aware of the issue. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said he wants to fast-track the construction of a bypass that would enable around 50,000 polluting lorries to avoid driving into the city every day. And he wants the car companies to clean up their vehicles to the stricter standards in Europe. 'We want to migrate early but the auto industry is not ready,' said the Environment Minister. The car industry in India could produce vehicles which comply with the Euro-6 standard, he said, but they have been lagging behind. 'We will deal with this threat of air pollution and we will win the battle and we will see a marked difference in the next two years.'

Delhi did manage to clean up its air before. At the turn of the century, the local government moved polluting industries out of the city, shut down coal-burning power plants and forced public transport vehicles to move from diesel and petrol to cleaner alternatives. 'The air quality improved steadily until 2007', said Anumita Roychowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment. 'But if you look at the data from 2009 onwards, you will find the levels are increasing again and have gone up so high that now what we are saying is that we have lost the gains of the action taken by the first generation.'

For Professor Kumar, all Delhi citizens need to do their part in dealing with the pollution problem resulting from increased industrialisation. Health professionals need to petition authorities to act and individuals must work out how to keep the city growing without just buying more cars.