Social Media Influencers Draw New Attention to Unassisted Home Birth

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s primary purpose?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To provide instructions for conducting an unassisted birth
   2. To examine visibility, persuasion, and risk surrounding free birth
   3. To compare home-birth regulations across several countries
   4. To present statistical evidence about childbirth outcomes
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To examine visibility, persuasion, and risk surrounding free birth

   It examines how online visibility can normalize a medically risky practice.

   Greater visibility may encourage curiosity and community; it can also make a high-risk practice appear more ordinary than it is.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can be inferred about the relationship between storytelling and safety?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Narrative appeal can substitute for professional assessment
   2. Personal stories are irrelevant to public-health communication
   3. Storytelling proves safety when audiences respond positively
   4. Safety judgments depend primarily on an influencer’s popularity
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Narrative appeal can substitute for professional assessment

   A compelling narrative may influence audiences without demonstrating that the choice is safe.

   However, an engaging personal story cannot establish that the same choice is safe for everyone.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article describe childbirth as capable of changing rapidly?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To explain why online birth narratives are difficult to record
   2. To justify the importance of trained monitoring and emergency response
   3. To show that childbirth usually happens without warning
   4. To suggest that professional involvement prevents all complications
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To justify the importance of trained monitoring and emergency response

   This supports the argument that immediate professional responses may become necessary.

   Childbirth can change rapidly, which is why trained professionals are normally involved in monitoring the parent and baby and responding when complications arise.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   In the final paragraph, what does “it” refer to?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Personal expression
   2. Public health
   3. Greater visibility
   4. A high-risk practice
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   A high-risk practice

   The pronoun refers to the high-risk practice becoming more ordinary through visibility.

   Greater visibility may encourage curiosity and community; it can also make a high-risk practice appear more ordinary than it is.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How is the article organized overall?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Chronologically, from one birth account to another
   2. Argumentatively, from online appeal toward risk and responsibility
   3. Statistically, from general claims toward numerical findings
   4. Procedurally, from preparation to emergency intervention
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Argumentatively, from online appeal toward risk and responsibility

   It moves from visibility and appeal to risks, persuasion, and the broader public-health tension.

   The growing online interest in free birth consequently presents a difficult balance between personal expression and public health.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What limitation does the article imply about influencers’ expertise?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Their accounts are always intentionally misleading
   2. Their personal experience does not constitute formal medical guidance
   3. Their audiences rarely find personal accounts convincing
   4. Their reach prevents them from discussing health responsibly
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Their personal experience does not constitute formal medical guidance

   Influencers may share experiences without possessing formal medical authority.

   They may be sharing their own experiences rather than offering formal medical guidance, yet their reach can give personal accounts considerable persuasive power.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What contrast does the conclusion establish between audiences and individuals?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Private choice versus collective entertainment
   2. Personal expression versus critical evaluation
   3. Medical training versus online popularity
   4. Community building versus technological innovation
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Personal expression versus critical evaluation

   Individuals may speak openly, while audiences must evaluate claims critically.

   People can discuss their choices openly, but audiences also need to distinguish an individual testimony from information about medical safety.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.