Concision Test Prep

Many young people don't know how to cook, but they should. There are numerous benefits that cooking offers. Cooking can be an excellent way to $\boxed 1$ get rid of excess stress. Many find it to be a soothing activity, and you even get to $\boxed 2$ enjoy the product of your creation when you've finished. Plus, cooking is a $\boxed 3$ skill that is useful in many contexts.

Why is cooking so calming? Perhaps it's because cooking $\boxed 4$ requires you to be carefully focused, which makes it more difficult for your mind to wander to stress-inducing thoughts. Perhaps it's the physical motions of cooking, $\boxed 5$ such as the kneading of dough, that release mood-improving endorphins. Or perhaps it's the warmth and the scents $\boxed 6$ that are produced by cooking that calms us down. Either way, it's $\boxed 7$ clear that cooking is a great way to relax frazzled nerves.

Beyond being a calming excercise, cooking is $\boxed 8$ a skill that is important to have. Buying already-made food may be easier, but it is often $\boxed 9$ more money-costing than preparing your own meals. Small expenses like buying ready-made meals can certainly add up. Plus, freshly-cooked meals $\boxed {10}$ are in general more healthful than pre-cooked meals. A certain peace of mind comes with $\boxed {11}$ the knowledge of which ingredients are in what you consume.

Cooking can certainly be difficult and time-consuming. That said, it can offer valuable relief from stresses $\boxed {12}$ caused by the trials of daily life. It is also frequently more affordable than buying pre-made meals. These benefits and others make cooking a crucial skill for young people to learn.

1.

1. NO CHANGE
2. jettison extra stress
3. getting rid of excessive stress
4. quash the budding of stress

2. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. enjoy your creation
3. indulge in the enjoyment of the fruits of your labor
4. eat the food you made

3. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. vital and undeniably overlooked skill
3. important skill to have in the toolbox of life
4. useful skill

4. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. requires the complete focus of your mind
3. requires complete focus
4. requires undivided, full focus

5. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. such as kneading dough
3. such as the beating and whacking of dough
4. with the example of kneading dough

6. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. that get produced in the process of
3. of
4. from

7. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. difficult to convincingly refute the fact that
3. obviously true
4. certainly clear

8. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. an important skill
3. an ever-useful, crucial skill
4. a skill that you need

9. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. likely to cost more money
3. more expensive
4. less money-saving

10.

1. NO CHANGE
2. are usually healthier than
3. oftentimes have an increased nutritional content compaed to
4. tend to be less unhealthy than

11. 

1. NO CHANGE
2. having information about what's in your food
3. knowing what's in your food
4. being aware of what ingredients you're consuming