City’s ‘Henry’ Programme Gives Children Choices While Helping Parents Stay In The Driving Seat — IELTS Reading Answers

In the first paragraph, what does the writer say about Amsterdam?

1. AIts ‘Henry’ programme was recommended to Leeds experts.
2. BIt was the first world city to reduce obesity levels in children.
3. CIt has experienced more severe childhood obesity levels than Leeds.
4. DIts pattern of success in cutting childhood obesity is like that of Leeds.correct

“As in Amsterdam, the decline in Leeds is most marked among families living in the most deprived areas, where the problem is worst and hardest to tackle”

Option D matches the statement that 'As in Amsterdam, the decline in Leeds is most marked among families living in the most deprived areas', a similar pattern.

How did Susan Jebb respond to the fall in childhood obesity among poorer children in Leeds?

1. AShe said she had expected it.
2. BShe said she was amazed by the figures.correct
3. CShe wanted to review some of her team’s data.
4. DShe felt some results were more interesting than others.

“'The improvement in the most deprived children in Leeds is startling,' said Susan Jebb, a professor of diet and population health at Oxford University, whose team has analysed the city's data”

Option B fits Susan Jebb's word 'startling' for 'the improvement in the most deprived children in Leeds', showing amazement.

According to the writer, the NCMP data indicate that

1. Achildren should be weighed more frequently.
2. Bmost primary school children need to lose weight.
3. Cchildren from wealthy families have less weight to lose than others.
4. Dthe youngest children show the highest levels of weight loss.correct

“The data comes from the national child measurement programme (NCMP), which requires all children to be weighed at the start and end of primary school. The biggest decline in obesity in Leeds is 6.4% in the reception class, at about the age of four”

Option D matches 'The biggest decline in obesity in Leeds is 6.4% in the reception class, at about the age of four', the youngest children.

What links the 15 places listed in the third paragraph?

1. AThey are not representative of the country overall.
2. BThey all joined the ‘Henry’ programme at the same time.
3. CTheir childhood obesity levels have remained the same since 2009.correct
4. DThey are battling childhood obesity in a different way from Leeds.

“For Leeds, the 15 closest 'neighbours' at the start of its study period in 2009 were Sheffield, Kirklees, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne, Coventry, Bolton, Wakefield, Derby, Bradford, Dudley, Medway, Liverpool, Swindon, County Durham and Warrington. The obesity rates there and across the country have not shifted”

The answer is C because 'The obesity rates there and across the country have not shifted', so those 15 places saw no change.

The aim in Leeds was to take steps to stop weight gain among children before it became a real problem.

“We wanted to focus on prevention because it's very, very difficult when obesity has taken hold to tackle it”

The answer is C: the aim was 'to focus on prevention because it's very, very difficult when obesity has taken hold to tackle it'.

Childhood obesity levels in Leeds have fallen consistently over a period of time.

“Susan Jebb added that the dropping rate in Leeds appeared to be a trend. 'This is four years, not one rogue data point,' she said at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow where she presented the research”

The answer is A: Jebb called the fall 'a trend', saying 'This is four years, not one rogue data point'.

Something that simplifies the struggle to get children to eat well is very helpful to parents.

“I know how hard it can be for busy parents to make healthy choices for their families, so anything that can make it easier is a real lifeline”

The answer is D: the speaker calls anything that makes healthy choices easier 'a real lifeline' for busy parents.

Parents in general are realistic about their potential to make changes to their children’s lifestyle.

“Parents are experts in their own lives, and they know what they can and can't achieve”

The answer is C: 'Parents are experts in their own lives, and they know what they can and can't achieve', a realistic view.

“'Henry' (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) supports parents in setting boundaries for their children and taking a positive stance on issues from healthy eating to bedtimes”

Henry 'supports parents in setting boundaries for their children', the plural noun.

“The programme encourages authoritative rather than authoritarian parenting, she said.”

Henry encourages 'authoritative rather than authoritarian parenting', the adjective describing the preferred style.

“'Permissive parenting is asking children what they want to do. But 'Henry' encourages a third approach known as authoritative parenting, where parents make it clear they are in charge, but also respond to their children.'”

The contrast is with 'Permissive parenting', which asks children what they want, the adjective.

“Instead of being told to go to bed, they are asked where they want to read their story beforehand”

Children are asked 'where they want to read their story beforehand', the singular noun.

Which title is the most suitable for the text?

1. AA look at what ‘Henry’ has achieved in Leedscorrect
2. B‘Henry’s the best,’ according to Leeds children
3. CLeeds parents discuss how ‘Henry’ has helped them
4. DIt’s all about saying ‘no’, according to ‘Henry’

“Leeds has become the first city in the UK to report a drop in childhood obesity after introducing a programme called 'Henry' to help parents set boundaries for their children and put them off sweets and junk food”

Option A fits because the article reports what Henry has achieved in Leeds, the first UK city to record a drop in childhood obesity.