Read the passage about health consciousness and answer the question: According to the passage, talking about health all the time makes people do what?

Introduction / Context:
This comprehension question focuses on the effect of constant discussion about health, as described by the author. The passage criticises the modern obsession with health news, columns, and programmes and claims that this obsession has a particular psychological impact on people. You must choose the frequency that best reflects what the passage says.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage notes our "great concern with health," shown by medical columns, articles, television programmes, and books.
• It then says, "We talk about health all the time."
• It continues, "Yet for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness."
• The question asks: "Talking about health all the time makes people" followed by options describing how often they suffer from imaginary illness.

Concept / Approach:
The key phrase is "for the most part the only result is more people with imaginary illness." "For the most part" means generally or often. The passage does not say that all people or always, but it does indicate a frequent result. Therefore, the best match for this idea among the options is "often suffer from imaginary illness," because that reflects a common, not absolute, outcome.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the sentence that explains the result of constant health talk. Step 2: Interpret "for the most part" as "usually" or "in many cases." Step 3: Interpret "more people with imaginary illness" as an increase in the number of people who think they are ill without real disease. Step 4: Combine these ideas to see that the author is saying that frequent talk about health leads many people, quite often, into imaginary illness. Step 5: Select "often suffer from imaginary illness" as the answer that best expresses this frequency.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check the extremes. "Always suffer" is too strong and would require expressions like "always" or "every time" in the passage, which are not present. "Rarely suffer" is the opposite of what "more people" suggests. "Sometimes suffer" is weaker than "for the most part" and does not convey the strong criticism the author makes. This analysis confirms that "often suffer" is the closest to the author's meaning.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• always suffer from imaginary illness: Implies every person or every case, which is not stated; the passage speaks of "more people," not all people.
• sometimes suffer from imaginary illness: Understates the frequency, while "for the most part" shows that imaginary illness is a common result.
• rarely suffer from imaginary illness: Completely contradicts the passage, which highlights an increase in such cases.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often misread qualifiers such as "most," "many," and "some." These words are crucial for understanding frequency and degree. Another pitfall is assuming that the passage adopts a neutral or mild tone when it is actually strongly critical. Paying attention to phrases like "for the most part" and "the only result" helps you choose the best frequency related option.

Final Answer:
According to the passage, talking about health all the time makes people often suffer from imaginary illness.