Ejercicios de comprensión lectora.
Not long after moving to the University of Southampton, Constantine Sedikides had
lunch with a colleague in the psychology department and described some unusual
symptoms he’d been feeling. A few times a week, he was suddenly hit with nostalgia for
his previous home at the University of North Carolina: memories of old friends, Tar
Heel basketball games, fried okra, the sweet smells of autumn in Chapel Hill. Nostalgia
had been considered a disorder ever since the term was coined by a 17th-century Swiss
physician who attributed soldiers’ mental and physical maladies to their longing to
return home — nostos in Greek, and the accompanying pain, algos.
But Dr. Sedikides didn’t want to return to any home. “I told him I did live my life
forward, but sometimes I couldn’t help thinking about the past, and it was rewarding,” he
says. “Nostalgia made me feel that my life had roots and continuity. It made me feel good
about myself and my relationships. It provided a texture to my life and gave me strength to
move forward.” Nostalgia has been shown to counteract loneliness, boredom and
anxiety. It makes people more generous to strangers and more tolerant of outsiders.
Couples feel closer and look happier when they’re sharing nostalgic memories. On cold
days, or in cold rooms, people use nostalgia to literally feel warmer.
Nostalgia does have its painful side — it’s a bittersweet emotion — but the net effect is to
make life seem more meaningful and death less frightening. When people speak wistfully
of the past, they typically become more optimistic and inspired about the future.
“Nostalgia makes us a bit more human,” Dr. Sedikides says. He considers the first great
nostalgist to be Odysseus, an itinerant who used memories of his family and home to get
through hard times, but Dr. Sedikides emphasizes that nostalgia is not the same as
homesickness. It’s not just for those away from home, and it’s not a sickness, despite its
historical reputation.
Nostalgia was originally described as a “neurological disease of essentially demonic cause”
by Johannes Hoffer, the Swiss doctor who coined the term in 1688. Military physicians
speculated that its prevalence among Swiss mercenaries abroad was due to earlier damage
to the soldiers’ ear drums and brain cells by the unremitting clanging of cowbells in the
Alps
In the 19th and 20th centuries nostalgia was variously classified as an “immigrant
psychosis,” a form of “melancholia” and a “mentally repressive compulsive disorder”
among other pathologies. But when Dr. Sedikides, Tim Wildschut and other psychologists
at Southampton began studying nostalgia, they found it to be common around the world,
including in children as young as 7 (who look back fondly on birthdays and vacations).
Nostalgic stories aren’t simple exercises in cheeriness, though. The memories aren’t all
happy, and even the joys are mixed with a wistful sense of loss. But on the whole, the
positive elements greatly outnumber the negative elements, as the Southampton
researchers found by methodically analyzing stories collected in the laboratory as well
as in a magazine named Nostalgia.
Ejercicio 1. Are the following statements true or false? Copy the evidence from the text.
a) Nostalgia is a useless feeling
b) Dr Sedikides is depressed and wants to return to his home.
c) The word ‘nostalgia’ means physical pain in Greek.
d) There is a newspaper called Nostalgia.
Eercicio 2. In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions.
Do not copy from the text.
a) Is nostalgia a negative feeling?
b) In which ways people use to express their nostalgic feelings?
c) When nostalgia appears as a term in history?
Ejercicio 3. Do the following statements appear in the text? Explain why not.
a) Psychological disorders appear when people feel depressed.
b) Nostalgia is a burden that Dr. Sedikides have been carrying since when he was in college.
c) There is a medicament that cures nostalgia, because it is a common illness.
Ejercicio 4. Summarize the text and explain the main ideas of each paragraph.
Ejercicio 5. Classify text’s paragraphs and group them by parts.
Ejercicio 6. Translate one of the paragraphs. The translated text has to have coherence and be
grammatically correct
Ejercicio 7. What is the intention of the writer? What is his thesis?
Ejercicio 8. Order the following text chronologically.
“I met Amelia when I was fourteen. I used to believe that I would not be in love with any girl, but
when I was with her, it was different. We used to play and have fun, and right now I remember
those times as the best of my life. But when we were knowing each other, something happened.
Her mother died, and her father has to travel to pay the debts. After that, I lost her trace, and I
never found her”
Ejercicio 9. The following text belongs to Maurice Sendak’s ‘Where the wild things are’, a children
book. Read it and answer the questions
The night wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another. His mother called him
“WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” so he was sent to bed without eating anything.
That very night in Max’s room a forest grew and grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines
and the walls became the world all around, and an ocean tumbled by with a private boat for Max,
and he sailed off through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where
the wild things are.
And when he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars and
gnashed their terrible teeth, and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws until
Max said “BE STILL!” and tamed with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without
blinking once and they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all and made him
king of all wild things. “And now,” cried Max, “let the wild rumpus start!”
“Now stop!” Max said and sent the wild things off to bed without their supper. And Max the king
of all wild things was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.
a) What is the objective of the text?
b) What kind of things can children learn reading this book?
c) Is it mature the attitude of Max? What means the monsters in this tale?
Ejercicio 10. Read about ten pages of the book that you’re reading and summarize them in at least
150 words
Ejercicios de vocabulario
Ejercicio 1. Use the following words to make statements.
1) a) Environment b) Improve c) Develop d) Research
2) a) Although
b) Despite c) Moreover d) Indeed
Ejercicio 2. Connectors are a crucial part of a writing. Classify the connectors that you have in your
list (at least ten of them) in the following groups
a)
b)
c)
d)
To express your opinion
To differ with other opinion
To add information
To end what you’re saying.
Ejercicio 3. Search ten words for the following groups.
a) Words ending in –ful
b) Words ending in –ly
c) Words ending in –ness
d) Words ending in -ment
e) Words ending in -able
f) Words ending in -ism
Ejercicio 4. According to the words found in the previous exercise, explain what suffix would you
use to convert a word to:
a) An adjective
b) A verb
c) A noun
Ejercicio 5. Translate the following words and use four of them to make a statement.
a) Extravagante, terrorífico, húmedo, silencioso
b) Tergiversar, imprimir, entorpecer, lograr
c) Panfleto, crítica, maldición, consejo
Ejercicios de gramática
Ejercicio 1. Complete the extract with the present simple tense of the verb in the list. Some verbs
are used more than once.
Words: be, eat, get, go, have, need, read, separate, take, throw, wake up, walk
I normally ____ about seven. I seldom ______ to be called because I ____ a built-in alarm clock. I
_____ sparingly, one piece of dry toast, fruit juice and tea. It _____(negative) me long to dress,
about three minutes. I _____ a relatively large wardrobe, but that _____ because I rarely _____
anything away. I ______ the New York Times, Daily News and Washington Post over breakfast, and
then ____________ the mail between my wife’s and mine. The business mail ______ into my
briefcase, to be dealt with at the office. My office ____ about a mile away and I usually ______ . It
___________ about the only exercise I ________ in the city
Ejercicio 2. Complete the passage, using the present simple tense of the verbs in the list. Use each
verb once only
Words. Be, buy, release, leave, scan, show, suck, record, take, let
When you _________ a ticket you ______ which _______ it in, ___________ it, ___________ it
and ___________ a barrier for you- in about a third of a second. And when you ________ a station
a similar gate ________ your ticket from you (always assuming you’ve got the correct ticket) and
______ you out, returning your ticket if it _______ a season.
Ejercicio 3. Answer the questions, using the present simple of a verb, together with the adverb
suggested.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
When do you get up? (generally)
What do you do on Saturday mornings ?(often)
Where do you spend your summer holidays? (ocassionally)
How do you travel to work or school (always)
What sort of films do you enjoy (nearly always)
Ejercicio 4. Complete the sentences using the present simple or past simple of the verb suggested
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
I understood exactly what you ____ (mean)
Listen! I _____ (think) there’s someone at the door
John ____ (resemble) when he was young
How ___ (know) where I lived?
He _____ (understand) better than he speaks
Ejercicio 5. Complete the following newspaper report with the past simple of the verbs in the list.
One of the verbs is used twice, all others only once.
Verbs: advance, be, come, leap, make, order, reach, say, sink, submerge, watch.
One minute Mr Jack Jones was using his huge mechanical digger to clear sand which had blown up
against the foreshore at Swansea. The next his mighty machine had scooped up a breathless police
sergeant and a constable who ___________ him to follow a man running along the beach.
With the two determined lawmen crouching in the bucket, the digger ____ its top speed of 10
mph as it ____ on the fugitive. When the digger _____ level with the man, the two law officers
____ out of the bucket and _________ their arrest. But as Mr Jones ________ in horror the 10-ton
digger ________ deeper and deeper into the sand. His efforts to free it _________ fruitless and
soon the tide _____ in and ____it
Last night, after a five-hour rescue operation, Mr Mervyn Owens head of the company which
owns the digger, _______ : ‘We have been landed with a repair bill of at least 6000 pounds.
Ejercicio 6 Complete the sentences with the present continuous tense of the verbs in the list
Verbs: act, die, jump, be, drive, kill, begin, get on, read,, boil, give, take, brush, go, try, come
happen
a) Let’s sit down for a while. My feet ______ me
b) Do be quiet, will you? I ______ to concentrate
c) The tea won’t be long. The kettle _____
d) Don’t take the newspaper away. I __________ it
e) Do tell me what happened! I _______ hear
f) I’ll be ready in a minute. I ___ my hair
g) I won’t have another drink, thanks, I __________
h) I ___________ to work my bus this week- my car ______ trouble
i) Peter _____ very strangely these days. What’s come over him?
j) Just listen to that noise! What on earth _______out there
k) How you _____ I your new job
l) He should have arrived by now. I ________ to think he not ______
m) Don’t you think you ______ rather foolish?
Ejercicio 7. Rewrite the sentences using the present progressive tense of the verbs related to the
nouns in bold type, and beginning your sentences with the words in italics. It may be necessary to
omit some words, and some adjectives need to be changed into adverbs.
a) There is a steady introduction in industry of robots on production lines.
b) One effect of the present credit squeeze is a severe reduction in the ability of the average
citizen to save a greater proportion of his income.
c) There is an expansion of the Company’s activities abroad.
d) There is a slower rise in living standards in most European countries.
e) The investigation of the crime is in the hands of the police.
f) The result of the strike at London Airport is heavy delays to passengers
g) There is a steady improvement in passenger services on suburban lines
h) There is a fight among manufactures of personal computers to maintain their position in a
highly competitive market.
i) There is a gradual replacement of large jumbo jets by quieter, more economical aircraft.
j) One result of the apparently inexorable rise in oil prices is the creation of a search for
energy-saving schemes.
Ejercicio 8. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past progressive of the verbs in
brackets.
a) Who was that girl you (talk) to when I (pass) you in the street?
b) He (sleep) soundly when he (awaken-passive) by a noise. He (go) downstairs to find out
what (happen). He (know) something must be wrong because the dog (bark) furiously
c) He (not take) my remarks seriously. In fact, he (think) I (Joke)
d) A storm (break) while the golfers (approach) the halfway stage in the competition.
e) The men (drink) together when an argument (break out). The men soon (come) to blows,
and the publican (call) the police. The situation just (begin) to get out of hand, when the
police (arrive) and (take) the two men to the police station. While they (get) out of the
police car, one man (make) a break for it, and (succeed) in getting away. They still (look)
for the man two hours later
f) One of the airliner’s tyres (burst) as it (taxi) along the runway. Fortunately, no one (injurepassive)
g) I (look) for you in the theatre all evening. Where you (sit)?
h) It’s odd you should mention seeing him last night. I just (wonder) what had become of
him. I suppose you (not ask) where he (live) these days?
Ejercicio 9. Replace the words in italics by the present progressive or past progressive of the verbs
in bold type.
a)
b)
c)
d)
The plains is that oil producers shoul meet tomorrow to discuss oil prices
I have arranged to take a week’s holiday starting next Monday.
Do you intend to visit the exhibition before it closes?
I can’t see you this evening because I plan to go out.
Ejercicio 10. Complete the sentences with the present perfect progressive or past perfect
progressive of the verbs in the list.
Verbs: ask, operate, expect, point out, fly, say, give, see, learn, wait, listen, work, look
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
At last you’re here! I ______ for you for over twenty minutes
He knows quite a lot of English. He ______ it for six years.
She finally said ‘Yes’. He ____ her to marry him for years
I think I need a break. I ____________ solidly for the last three hours
You ______ to a word I ____, have you?
For some time now, world leaders _________ the necessity for agreement on arms
reduction
g) The police, who ____ trouble during the civil right demonstration, were surprised by the
eventual absence of violence.
h) The manager went down with pneumonia. He ______unwell for several days
i) The chairman said that the Board of Directors _____ serious thought to the possibility of
entering the American market.
j) At the inquiry into the plane crash, the pilot said in evidence that he ________ this type of
aircraft for ten years.
k) I know why you’re having nightmares. You _______ too many horror films recently.
l)
The new one-way scheme _________ for just over twelves months, and traffic has
improved considerably as a result