Reading - Finding Magic in the Mud: My Slow Hobby

Read the text and complete the activities below.

Five years ago, my life was a mess. I used to work 60 hours a week in a big marketing agency. I drank five cups of coffee every day and always checked my emails in bed. One day, I felt completely exhausted. I realized I needed a change before I became sick.

I decided to find a hobby that forced me to slow down. I tried running, but it was too fast. I tried reading, but my mind was always thinking about work. Finally, I discovered pottery (the art of making things with clay).

Pottery is the perfect slow living activity. You cannot rush clay. If you try to make a bowl too fast, it breaks. You need to focus on your hands, the water, and the wheel. When I am in the pottery studio, I don't look at my phone. I get my hands dirty and forget about my problems.

Now, I spend my Saturday mornings making plates, cups, and bowls. They are not perfect; some are a little crooked. But that is the beauty of it. Slowing down helped me understand that we don't need to be productive all the time. Sometimes, we just need to play with mud and breathe.

ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Comprehension (Multiple Choice)

Choose the correct option according to the text.

1. How was the author's life five years ago?
Select... A) She was a pottery teacher and very relaxed. B) She worked too much and drank a lot of coffee. C) She worked in a coffee shop for 60 hours a week.

2. Why is pottery a good hobby for slow living, according to the text?
Select... A) Because it is cheap and easy to do at home. B) Because you can check your emails while doing it. C) Because you cannot rush; if you go too fast, the clay breaks.

3. How does the author feel about her pottery creations?
Select... A) She loves them, even though they are not perfect. B) She is sad because they are crooked. C) She sells them to make a lot of money.

Activity 2: Vocabulary Match

Match the vocabulary from the text to the correct definitions.

Definitions:
A) A type of heavy, sticky earth used to make pots.
B) Not straight; bent or uneven.
C) Very tired; with zero energy.
D) To do something very quickly.

1. Exhausted
Select... A B C D

2. Clay
Select... A B C D

3. To rush
Select... A B C D

4. Crooked
Select... A B C D