Study Buddy (Explorer): How doing nothing can improve mental health, as Hong Kong ‘space-out’ event aimed to show
Each week, this page presents a light article with questions to test your comprehension.
The 9th International Space-Out Competition encouraged participants to stay still and not do anything for 90 minutes. Photo: Dickson LeeContent provided by British Council
Read the following text, and answer questions 1-9 below:
[1] It is 3pm on a Saturday, and I am in Hong Kong’s Central business district. I am fully aware of the dozens of different things that I could be doing. But I find myself at the arts and design venue, PMQ. I take my shoes off and sit on a yoga mat laid out in the courtyard. I am not here for yoga, though.
[2] Around me are more than 70 Hongkongers of different ages and ethnicities. They have also decided to spend 90 minutes of their precious weekend doing nothing but space out. That is exactly the point of the International Space-Out Competition 2024. The rules are simple. You sit and do nothing.
[3] Talking, sleeping or moving excessively will disqualify you. To win requires maintaining a low, steady heart rate, measured every 15 minutes, and attracting enough spectators’ votes. They pick a favourite based on the contestant’s reasons for participating and on their spacing out “performance”. The prize is a free flight to South Korea, where the competition started in 2014.
[4] The quirky contest is one of many South Korean cultural exports that have gained international popularity. The competition was held for the first time on the grass lawn in front of Seoul’s city hall in 2014. Back then, no one could have foreseen that it would draw so much global attention and go on to take place in cities including Beijing, Tokyo, Taipei and Rotterdam.
[5] This is the second time the competition has been held in the city. The first was in 2018 on the Central Harbourfront. This year, the Korean Cultural Centre hosted the competition as part of its annual “Festive Korea” cultural festival. Even the organiser was surprised when more than 1,200 Hongkongers applied to take part. Around 70 were selected based on their age and occupation to include a diverse range of participants.
[6] The mood in the PMQ courtyard is light and cheery before the competition starts. While waiting to register and enter the arena, many contenders speak of how excited they are about this chance to take a break from their hectic lives.
[7] Some are in playful outfits. Optometrist Jacki Luk is dressed as Nobi Nobita, a character from the popular Japanese animation Doraemon. “In Hong Kong, people are often nervous and in a rush. This is a good opportunity to just free your brain and let your mind relax,” Luk said.
[8] Denis Kwan Hong-wang, the winner of the competition, is an educational psychologist in his 30s. “In modern cities, people really want to achieve things in their life, sometimes forgetting about themselves and their mental health,” he said. The competition “is a good reminder for us that we can calm down a bit in life, especially when we’re really busy,” he added.
Source: South China Morning Post, October 13
Questions
1. Paragraph 1 describes the writer as …
A. working out
B. interviewing people
C. trying out a yoga mat
D. none of the above
2. How long does the competition last, according to paragraph 2?
___________________________________________________
3. Decide whether the following statements based on paragraphs 2 and 3 are True, False or the Information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) Contestants lose if they move too much.
(ii) Contestants’ heart rates are checked every 15 minutes.
(iii) Most of the contestants are between 30 and 40 years old.
(iv) Contestants need to stand throughout the competition.
4. According to paragraph 3, what does the winner get?
___________________________________________________
5. In paragraph 3, what do spectators consider when voting for their favourite contestant?
A. their heart rate
B. their clothing
C. their reasons for participating
D. their nationality
6. Find a word in paragraph 4 that means “strange”. ___________________________________________________
7. How were participants chosen for the competition, according to paragraph 5?______________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. According to paragraph 7, why did Luk take part in the competition?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Based on your understanding of the story, what is the goal of the competition?
A. to promote physical fitness
B. to encourage mental relaxation
C. to increase awareness of Korean culture
D. to raise funds for charity
Answers
1. D
2.90 minutes
3. (i) T; (ii) T; (iii) NG; (iv) F
4. a free flight to South Korea
5. C
6. quirky
7. They were chosen based on age and occupation to ensure a diverse range of participants.
8. because it is a good opportunity to take a break and just relax (accept all similar answers)
9. B