Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- novel / ˈnɒv əl / (adj.) – new and original, different from what was done before
Example:This novel technology allows people to charge their phones using solar energy.
- pilot / ˈpaɪ lət / (adj.) – done as a test or trial before something is used widely
Example:Our city started a pilot program for free public transport to see if it helps reduce traffic.
- frailty / ˈfreɪl ti / (n.) – weakness, especially in the body, due to age or illness
Example:Grandpa’s frailty made it hard for him to walk long distances.
- upside / ˈʌpˌsaɪd / (n.) – an advantage or a good part of something
Example:The upside of working from home is that you don’t have to spend time traveling.
- wishful thinking / ˈwɪʃ fəl ˈθɪŋ kɪŋ / (n.) – the act of believing something will happen just because you want it to, even if it is unlikely
Example:It’s wishful thinking to believe you can get fit without exercising.
Article
Read the text below.
The Swiss town of Neuchâtel is offering its residents a novel medical option: Expose yourself to art and get a doctor’s note to do it for free.
Under a new two-year pilot project, local and regional authorities are covering the costs of “museum prescriptions” issued by doctors who believe their patients could benefit from visits to any of the town’s four museums as part of their treatment.
The project is based on a 2019 World Health Organization report that found the arts can boost mental health, reduce the impact of trauma, and lower the risk of cognitive decline, frailty, and “premature mortality,” among other upsides.
Art can help relax the mind—as a sort of preventative medicine—and visits to museums require getting up and out of the house with physical activity like walking and standing for long periods.
Neuchâtel council member Julie Courcier Delafontaine said the COVID crisis also played a role in the program’s genesis. “With the closure of cultural sites (during coronavirus lockdowns), people realized just how much we need them to feel better.”
She said so far, some 500 prescriptions have been distributed to doctors around town, and the program costs “very little.” Ten thousand Swiss francs (about $11,300) have been budgeted for it.
If successful, local officials could expand the program to other artistic activities like theater or dance, Courcier Delafontaine said. The Swiss national health care system doesn’t cover “culture as a means of therapy,” but she hopes it might one day if the results are positive enough.
Dr. Marc-Olivier Sauvain, head of surgery at the Neuchâtel Hospital Network, said he had already prescribed museum visits to two patients to help them get in better shape before a planned operation.
“It’s wishful thinking to think that telling them to go walk or go for a stroll to improve their fitness level before surgery will work,” Sauvain said on a video call. “I think that these patients will fully benefit from museum prescriptions. We’ll give them a chance to get physical and intellectual exercise.”
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Doctors in the article believe that going to a museum can help people be more mentally and physically active. Do you think small changes like this can make a difference in people’s health? Why or why not? What are other ways to encourage people to move more in their daily lives without forcing them to exercise? Discuss.
- The program in Switzerland is publicly funded. Do you think governments should support cultural therapy programs? Why or why not? If you could receive a free prescription for any cultural activity, what would you choose and why? Discuss.
Discussion B
- The article says people realized the importance of cultural spaces after they were closed during COVID-19. How did the pandemic affect your own appreciation for public spaces? What places or activities did you miss the most during the crisis? Why? Discuss.
- Museums are often seen as educational places. Do you think they should also serve as spaces for relaxation and therapy? Why or why not? Would you visit museums more often if they were promoted as a way to improve mental health? Why or why not? Discuss.
