READING COMPREHENSION

Read the text below and answer all the questions. Your answers must be based on
the information given in the passage.

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system which originated in

Kerala, India more than 6,000 years ago, has only become popular
in Malaysia in the last few years. It is believed to be the most
holistic medical system available as Ayurveda involves studying
and treating the body, mind and spirit of the patient.

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III

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Unlike western medicine, Ayurvedic medicine is not used to treat
the symptoms of a disease. If you suffer from sore eyes, for
example, it does not just treat the redness or the swelling of the
eye. Instead, it tries to remove the root cause of the problem,
which will eventually result in permanent relief from soreness
and swelling of the eye. Ayurvedic medicine is mainly made of
herbal preparations which are carefully processed to avoid toxicity.
One of the advantages of Ayurvedic medicine is that it does not
have any side effects like drowsiness, increased heart rate or
weight gain.

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IV

Some people believe that Ayurveda is also a way of life. This is

based on the principle that Ayurveda can improve the health and
well-being of an individual. The body is seen as one that is made
up of both positive and negative elements. Ayurveda helps to get
rid of the negative elements in our body that are the cause of
diseases.
The Ayurvedic way of life stresses the importance of a healthy
diet. This is because it is believed that the food we consume is
converted to nutrients. They are absorbed by the body to nourish
its tissues and also produce energy responsible for our physical,
mental and spiritual well-being. The process is continuous and
when left uninterrupted, a state of equilibrium and good health
exists. When this process is interrupted or when the nutrients are
not absorbed by the body, diseases arise. Apart from removing the
root cause of the disease, Ayurvedic treatment involves correcting
the diet of the patient. For example, processed food which
contains preservatives and additives is removed and replaced by
fresh, unprocessed food.
Although it is safe and natural, many were unaware of the curative
30 aspects of Ayurvedic medicine in the past. However, there is

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VI

VII

VII
I

evidence to suggest that there is growing public awareness of the

benefits of Ayurveda now. Many Ayurvedic centres have
mushroomed all around the world and Ayurveda is officially
recognised as a form of alternative treatment in some countries.
For example, Sri Lanka is promoting the use of Ayurvedic medicine
in its hospitals and health clinics. Some universities in Nepal are
also offering a number of degree courses in Ayurvedic medicine.

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There is also increased awareness and acceptance of Ayurveda in

some parts of Europe. Currently, three colleges in the United
Kingdom are offering part-time courses in Ayurvedic medicine.
Russia recently carried out medical experiments that included the
use of Ayurvedic medicine on victims of nuclear disasters.

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In Malaysia, the first Malaysian Ayurvedic Centre was set up three

years ago in Petaling Jaya, followed by branches in Ipoh and Kuala
Lumpur. These centres are run by qualified physicians and
therapists. They offer curative as well as preventive treatments for
various diseases and these treatments have attracted many
people to the centres.
Despite its growing popularity however, Ayurvedic medicine has
received little attention from the majority of the international
medical community. They claim that Ayurveda is based on
unscientific concepts and cannot manage serious medical
conditions.
Adapted from Sunday Star, September 2003
1. Read each of the following statements and write T if it is TRUE and F if it is
FALSE in the boxes
provided.

(a) Ayurvedic medicine is largely made from herbs and does not
contain any
toxins.

(b) Great importance is placed on what one eats when one follows
the
Ayurvedic way of life.

(c) Most European countries are using Ayurvedic medicine to treat

nuclear
disaster victims.

(d) There are many Ayurvedic centres in Malaysia which have been
operating
for a long time.

(e) Ayurvedic medicine is now widely accepted by all doctors and

medical
practitioners.

2.What do the following words in the passage refer to?

a) which (line 10 )
b) the principle (line 13-14)
c) it (line 28)
d) its (line 33)
e) They (line 46)

3. Below are some words from the passage. Choose a word or a phrase from the box
that has the
same meaning as the word selected from the passage.

lasting
emphasizes
main
from
planted
completed

worries
came
changed

(0) originated (line 1)

(a) root (line 7)

(b) permanent (line 8)

(c) stresses (line 18)

(d) converted (line 19)

came from

Answer the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES.

4. According to the writer, Ayurveda does not treat the symptoms of a disease. How
then
does Ayurvedic medicine treat a disease?

5. State one (1) advantage of Ayurvedic medicine.

6. What happens when there are more negative elements than positive ones in the
human
body?

7. Ayurvedic medicine is gaining popularity in Sri Lanka and Nepal. Give two (2)
examples from
the passage which support this idea.

8. State the two (2) types of Ayurvedic treatments available in Malaysia.

9. What is the topic sentence of Paragraph VI?

10. Complete the chart below with information from the passage.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIET IN AYURVEDA

(a) ___________ diet

Body (b) _________ nutrients.

effectively

Nutrients nourish (c) _________

and produce energy

Unhealthy diet

Body fails to absorb nutrients

Good health exists

(d) __________arise