English C1

Read the text and use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the space in the same line.

You need only look at a professional cyclist to appreciate the potential effects of cycling on the body. But what about the mind? It’s a question that has long challenged psychologists, neurologists and anyone who has wondered how, sometimes, riding a bike can induce what feels close to a state of meditation.

I’m usually incapable of emptying my mind but there have been occasions on my bike when I realise I have no recollection of the preceding kilometres. Whether riding along country lanes in spring, or doing city commutes, time can pass unnoticed in a blissful blur of rhythm and rolling, and I’m not alone in feeling this.

But what do we really know about how cycling affects us? Danish scientists who set out to measure the benefits of breakfast and lunch for academic achievement among children found diet helped, but that the way pupils travelled to school was far more significant. Those who cycled or walked did better than those who travelled by car or public transport. Another study by the University of California showed that old people who were most active, including those who cycled, had five per cent more grey matter than those who were less active.

But what is it about cycling that makes us believe it has a special effect? Psychiatrist John Ratey thinks cycling increases ‘the chemistry in your brain that makes you feel calm,’ but also that carrying out multiple operations, like negotiation a junction or jostling for space in a race, can be an effective therapy. He is currently leading a study in which more than 20 pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition affecting the ability to apply one’s mind to something, are expected to show improved symptoms after a course of cycling. The link between cycling and ADHD is well-established. It’s ‘like taking a little bit of Ritalin,' Dr Ratey says, Ritalin being a stimulant commonly used to treat ADHD. Exercise can achieve the same effect as prescribed medicine, but not all exercise is equal, as shown in a German study involving 115 students, half of whom did activities as cycling that involved complex coordinated movements, while the rest performed more straightforward exercises with the same aerobic demands. Both groups did better than they previously had in concentration tests, but the complex group did a lot better.

There have been other interesting findings too. In 2003, neuroscientist Dr Jay Alberts rode a tandem bicycle across the American state of Ohio with a friend who has Parkinson’s disease (a condition affecting the nervous system). The idea was to raise awareness of the disease, but to the surprise of both riders, the patient showed significant improvements. Dr Alberts then scanned the brains of 26 Parkinson’s patients during and after an eight-week exercise programme using stationary bikes. Half the patients were allowed to ride at their own pace, while the others were pushed incrementally harder, just as the scientist’s tandem companion had been. All patients improved, and the ‘tandem’ group showed particularly significant increases in connectivity between areas of grey matter responsible for functions such as walking and picking things up. Cycling, and cycling harder, was helping to heal their brains.

We don’t know how this happens, but there is more startling difference of the link between Parkinson’s and cycling. A video on the internet features a 58-year-old Dutchman with severe Parkinson’s. At first we watch the patient trying to walk along a hospital ward. He can barely stand and his hands shake uncontrollably. Cut to the car park, where we find the man on a bicycle being supported by staff. With a push, he’s off, cycling past cars with perfect balance and coordination. After a loop, he comes to a stop and hops to the ground, where he is immediately immobile again. Doctors don’t fully understand this discrepancy either, but say the bicycle’s rotating pedals may act as some sort of visual cue that aided the patient’s brain.

The science of cycling is evidently incomplete, but perhaps the most remarkable thing about it for the everyday rider, its effects on hyperactive children notwithstanding, is that it can require no conscious focus at all. The apparent mindlessness of pedalling can not only make us happier, but also leave room for other thoughts. On the seat of my bike, I’ve solved problems at work, made life decisions and reflected successfully on emotional troubles, as, I’m sure, have countless others.

31. What is the writer’s main intention in the second paragraph?

32. According to the third paragraph, what do certain studies show?

33. What do the studies described in the fourth paragraph suggest?

34. Studies of people with Parkinson’s disease reveal that

35. What does ‘this discrepancy’ in line 35 refer to?

36. With the phrase ‘its effects on hyperactive children notwithstanding’, the writer is referring to the fact that cycling

Here you can see examples of the questions in Part 2 of the writing test. Answer one of the questions in about 100 words.

1) You have been asked to write an article for your college newspaper entitled My view of public transport in my country. This is part of a series on public transport in different countries, and each article is written not by experts, but by the people who use the services.

2) You work for a motor car sales company that wants to open an office in London. You have been asked if you would like to work there as assistant manager. Write a letter to your boss explaining why you think you would be suitable for the job.