‫המכללה האקדמית אשקלון‬
Ashkelon Academic College
English for Academic Purposes
Gateway
to
Academic Reading
Beginners One - Two
)1 -2 ‫(מתחילים‬
Compiled and edited by the English Department
‫לשימוש פנימי ולצורכי לימוד בלבד‬
-0-
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Part 1 : Grammar in Context
Present Simple
Robots
Present Progressive
Our Changing Diet
Comparatives
Eating in New York
Culture, Personality, Communication
Superlatives
Excitement
Past Simple
Leonardo da Vinci
Present, Past, Simple
Driver, Switch Off That Phone
Future Simple
India
Present Perfect
Weather Control
Passive Voice
The Death of the Jungle
Following Orders
Modals
The Powerful Influence of Weather
Word Formation
Can You Read This?
The Pueblo Indians
Page
7
10
13
16
18
21
25
28
32
37
41
44
47
51
Part 2: Reading Strategies
1
Parts of speech
54
2
3
4
5
Word parts – suffixes and prefixes
The Structure of the Basic Sentence
Reference Words
Connectives - Overview
66
72
75
78
Connectives of…
6
Addition & Order
84
Cause & Result
87
Contrast
90
Comparison
94
Main Idea and Examples
Review of Connectives
Vocabulary Development
-1-
97
99
102
Part 3: Comprehension Passages
1.
1.
Food Personalities
2.
2.
Losing Sleep
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
4.
5.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26
27.
28.
6.
7.
8.
9.
106
3.
109
Is One Kid Enough?
Dreams
Television Commercials
Backpacking
Stay-at-Home Kids
European Behavior
When Parents Say “Yes” to Drugs
Discipline in British Schools
The Power of the Mind
Good Luck Superstitions
Reading Hands
Identity Theft
Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean Diet Fight Heart
Disease
The Pace of Life
Were You Born to Rebel?
Older People Eating Enough Fruit and Vegetables Might
Cause Serious Problems for Rural England
Surfing the Net
Adaptation : The Key to Survival
Secondhand Smoke
Multitasking
Teen Dating Violence
It's War on Supermarket Waste
Web Plagiarism
Psychologically Speaking: Feeling SAD
In a Digital Future
Five Ways Women Can Save the World
112
114
118
120
123
129
132
137
140
145
149
154
158
Additional Reading
Appendix
249
254
-2-
163
168
173
181
186
193
199
206
213
220
227
234
240
The table below contains a list of reading skills together with the texts
that have examples of them.
Language Skills
Texts
References



Following Orders
Pace of Life
Older People Eating Enough Fruit and
Vegetables Might Cause Serious
Problems for Rural England
Connectors of Addition

Teen Dating Violence
Connectors of Contrast

Multitasking Can Make You Lose Focus

Connector of Cause and Result

Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean
Diet Fight Heart Disease
5 Ways Women Can Save the World
Connectors of Comparison

Adaptation: The Key to Survival

It's War on Supermarket Waste:
Supermarkets Forced To End Needless
Packaging
Main Idea and Example
-3-
MATHILIM 1 + 2 ANNUAL COURSE GRADING GUIDELINES
The PASSING GRADE for the course and ALL exams is 60
TESTS
A student may only take an extra exam if s/he missed an earlier one.
Each semester a student does 3 TESTS - all internal
NO GRADE IS DROPPED AT THIS LEVEL.
THERE IS NO ‘MAKE-UP’ IN ORDER TO IMPROVE A GRADE.
TESTS WILL COUNT FOR 80% OF THE GRADE.
QUIZZES/ SEENS:
10 %
Homework should be set each week. The teacher may determine the type and amount
of class work to be counted in the homework grade.
GUIDED READINGS: 10%
FINAL MARK
The final mark consists of the internal grade (60%) and the final test (40%).
A minimum grade of 50 is required on the final test before calculations of
the final mark can be made.
The passing grade in all English courses at Ashkelon Academic
College is 60.
-4-
‫הסבר חלוקת ציון בקורסי אנגלית‬
‫ציון הקורס מרוכב מציון כיתה – ‪ 06%‬וציון מבחן סופי – ‪.06%‬‬
‫‪ ‬ציון כיתה‪ :‬ציון זה אינו "מגן"‪ ,‬אלא משקף את רמת הידע של הסטודנט ומוכנותו‬
‫להמשיך לרמה הבאה‪.‬‬
‫להלן הרכב ציון כיתה‪:‬‬
‫‪.1‬‬
‫מבחנים פנימיים במהלך הקורס מהווים ‪ 08%‬מסך ציון הכיתה‪.‬‬
‫על הסטודנט להשלים את כל המבחנים הפנימיים טרם סיום הקורס‪.‬‬
‫כל המבחנים (‪ 5‬או ‪ 0‬מבחנים‪ ,‬בהתאם לדרישות הרמה) כלולים בחישוב הציון הסופי‪.‬‬
‫אין מבחן "שיפור ציון" פרט לרמת "מתקדמים"‬
‫‪.2‬‬
‫‪5%‬‬
‫‪15%‬‬
‫שיעורי בית‪ ,‬השתתפות בשיעורים‪:‬‬
‫תרגילים בכיתה ובחנים‪:‬‬
‫חובות הסטודנט‬‫צייון עובר‪ 08 :‬לכל המבחנים‪ ,‬ולקורס בכלל‪.‬‬
‫נוכחות‬
‫חובת נוכחות בכל השיעורים‪ .‬אסור להעדר מיותר מ‪ 4-‬שעות שבועיות בסמסטר בקורס שנתי ומ‪ 0-‬שעות שבועיות‬
‫(שני מפגשים) בקורס סמסטריאלי‪ .‬סטודנט שנעדר פעמים רבות לא יקבל ציון כיתה (שערכו ‪ 06%‬מהציון הסופי) או‬
‫שלא יוכל להמשיך את קורס האנגלית באותו סמסטר‪/‬שנה‪.‬‬
‫כללי יסוד‬
‫איחורים לשיעור מכל סיבה שהיא לא מקובלים‪ .‬סטודנט לא יוכל להכנס לכיתה אחרי ‪ 16‬הדקות הראשונות של השיעור‪.‬‬
‫לכן‪ ,‬ייחשב הדבר כהעדרות‪.‬‬
‫דפוסי התנהגות לא מקובלים‪:‬‬
‫‪ .1‬יציאה מוקדמת מהשיעורים‪.‬‬
‫‪ .2‬דיבור בפלאפון בזמן השיעור‪.‬‬
‫‪ .3‬אכילה ושתייה בשיעור‪.‬‬
‫‪ .0‬אין אפשרות להחליף קורס חוץ מאשר בתקופת השינויים‪ .‬סטודנט חייב להשאר באותו קורס אליו הוא נרשם‪ .‬לכן‪,‬‬
‫כל שעות הקורס צריכות להתאים לסטודנט‪.‬‬
‫שיעורי בית‬
‫שיעורי בית יינתנו באופן קבוע‪ .‬יש להשלים את שיעורי הבית עד לשיעור הבא‪ .‬אם הסטודנט נעדר משיעור מכל סיבה‬
‫שהיא‪ ,‬עליו ליצור קשר עם סטודנט אחר מהקבוצה ולהתעדכן לגבי שיעורי הבית‪ .‬סטודנט כזה יראה למרצה את שיעורי‬
‫הבית מיד בשובו לכיתה‪.‬‬
‫מבחנים‬
‫אם הסטודנט יודע שלא יוכל להבחן בבחינה שנקבעה במערכת‪ ,‬עליו להודיע למרצה מראש‪ ,‬כך שיינקטו הצעדים‬
‫המתאימים‪.‬‬
‫אם הסטודנט לא נכח במבחן‪ ,‬מחובתו להסביר את העדרותו למרצה‪.‬‬
‫סטודנטים עם צרכים מיוחדים‬
‫כל הסטודנטים עם צרכים מיוחדים (תוספת זמן‪ ,‬השמעת השאלון על גבי קלטת‪ ,‬עולים חדשים עד ‪ 5‬שנים בארץ‪ ,‬בני‬
‫‪ )+06‬חייבים להמציא את המסמכים המתאימים מבר אילן במהלך השבועיים הראשונים של הקורס‪.‬‬
‫ספרים‪:‬‬
‫על הסטודנט לרכוש את הגרסה החדשה של הספר‪ .‬אסור להשתמש בספרים ישנים‪.‬‬
‫מילונים‬
‫‪-5-‬‬
‫חל איסור מוחלט על שימוש בכל סוגי מילוני "עט" (בסיגנון ‪ ) QUICKTIONARY‬גם בכיתה וגם במבחנים‬
‫‪Part I‬‬
‫‪Grammar‬‬
‫‪in‬‬
‫‪Context‬‬
‫‪-6-‬‬
Robots
1.
The word "robot" describes many different kinds of machines. When people
hear this word, they often think of something they have seen in the movies: a machine
that looks like a human being. However, most robots do not look like people and can
have different sizes and shapes.
2.
The first robots were very simple machines, which could hardly move around.
Modern robots can do more complicated things. Each robot has a computer inside
it that tells it what to do. People can tell the computer what to do in many different
ways: by pressing a button on the robot, using a remote control, or talking to the
robot. Some robots can even answer when you talk to them.
3.
There are many advantages in using robots to do certain jobs. Robots can go to
places that are difficult for people to get to. They can also perform dangerous tasks. In
addition, robots can work day and night without stopping. They do many jobs that
people find boring.
4. Today we see robots in many work places. You can see them guarding museums at
night or helping the police. They are also used in many factories and in hospitals. In a
few years, robots will also help people in their homes. Someday you may have a
personal robot that will cook your meals and clean your house!
Bibliography/Works Cited: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: Robots
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot>
Focus on Grammar
The Present Simple Tense
Form
Positive
Today we SEE robots in many work places
V1
The word robot DESCRIBES many different kinds of machines
V 1+s
Negative
Yes/No
Questions
Most robots DO NOT LOOK like people do not (don’t)
A robot DOES NOT GET tired.
does not (doesn’t)
DO robots LOOK like people?
-7-
+ V1
Do (Does) + V1………………..?
DOES the word robot DESCRIBE different kinds of machines?
Wh – non-subject
+ V1
questions
In what way DO robots LOOK different from people?
Irregular Formations
to be
to have
Robots are of different sizes and shapes
Each robot has a computer inside it
I
We, You, They
He She, It
I, We, You, They
He, She, It
am
are
is
have
has
Use
We use the Present Simple Tense to describe regular actions, habits and general
truths.
Practice
I .Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the text “Robots”
Robots. When we ______________ this word we _______________ of the movies
where we have seen them. The word “robots” ______________ machines of different
kinds. There can be a robot that _______________ like a human being, but most robots
_________________ like people, as they ______________ different sizes and shapes.
Modern robots ________________ complicated things. Inside a robot there is a
computer which _______________ it what to do.
Using robots has many advantages: they ______________ boring jobs,
_______________ dangerous tasks and ______________ day and night without
stopping.
II. Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verbs in the
Present Simple Tense. Use the words from the word bank.
be
rent
learn
play
have
get
bring
consist
use
The name Cambridge ______________ to mind the famous University in Great Britain.
It ______________ brilliant teachers and ____________ famous all over the world.
This is why another institution also ______________ the name Cambridge. It is the
Cambridge School of English in New Delhi, India. It ______________ a crumbling
building and _______________ of six small rooms. Its students ______________ old,
second-hand books. However, this school and hundreds of others like it ___________a
very important part of a global revolution in which millions of people ______________
-8-
English.
.
Robots - Comprehension Questions
1. In what way do robots look different from people?
They ___________________________________________________.
2. a. How many of commanding robots does paragraph 2 mention? _____
b. Name TWO
1._____________________________
2._____________________________
3. a. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
_______________________________________________________
b. Give ONE example to illustrate it.
______________________________________________________
4. According to Paragraph 4, museums, factories and hospitals are
examples of
________________________________________ . (THREE words)
5. The author concludes the article by saying that robots will never be used
for personal needs.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
-9-
Our Changing Diet
North American Eating Habits Are Changing
1.
What does the typical American or Canadian usually eat? Most people think that
the typical North American diet consists of fast foods—hamburgers and French fries. It
also includes convenience foods, usually frozen or canned, "junk food" without much food
value—candy, potato chips, cereal with lots of sugar but no vitamins—and so on. This
diet is very high in sugar, salt, fat, and cholesterol, and the choice of food does not
provide much good nutrition.
2. However, eating habits are changing. North Americans are becoming more
interested in good health, and nutrition is an important part of health. People are
eating less red meat and fewer eggs, and they are eating more chicken and fish. They
know that chicken and fish are better for their health than meat or eggs because these
foods do not contain much fat or cholesterol. Some foods might cause health
problems, and people want to stay away from them.
3. For health reasons, many people are also buying more fresh vegetables. They
may eat them without cooking them first, or they might cook them quickly in very little
water because they want to keep the vitamins.
4. The "typical" North American diet now includes food from many different
countries. More ethnic restaurants are opening in big cities in the United States and
Canada. Foods from Japan, Thailand, Mexico, West Africa, China and India are very
popular. At lunchtime, many people go to ethnic fast-food places for a Mexican taco,
Middle Eastern falafel or Philippine lumpia.
5. How are we going to eat in the future? We will probably continue to eat more
fish and vegetables and less meat. We will still buy convenience foods, but frozen foods
will be better for our health, and canned foods will have less salt and sugar. Our "junk
food" in the future is not really going to be “junk" at all, because instead of candy bars
we are going to eat "nutrition bars" with a lot of vitamins and protein. In the future, our
diet will probably be even more interesting and healthful than it is now.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Putnam, Judith Jones, American eating habits changing:
Part 1,. Food Review. Washington: Sep-Dec 1993; Part 2, Food Review. Washington: MayAugust 1994
- 10 -
Focus on Grammar
The Present Progressive Tense
Form
Positive
North Americans ARE BECOMING more interested in good health.
People ARE EATING less red meat and fewer eggs
to be (am, are, is) + Ving
Negative
They ARE NOT EATING junk food.
Yes/No
ARE North Americans’ eating habits CHANGING?
Questions
Wh – non-subject What ARE they BUYING for health reasons?
questions
Use
The Present Progressive Tense is used to describe an incomplete action still in
progress NOW. It is usually a temporary action.
Practice
I. Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the article “Our Changing Diet”
Although North Americans eat a lot of fast food, their diet _______________ these
days. They _______________ more and more interested in health nowadays. As a
result, they __________________ much red meat anymore. What
__________________ instead?- Chicken and fish. In addition, Americans
___________________ more vegetables, which can be both fresh and cooked. North
American restaurants __________________ ethnic food, that is, food from different
countries. More and more ethnic restaurants ______ all over America.
- 11 -
II. Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verbs in the
Present Simple or the Present Progressive Tense Use the words from the word
bank.
work
look after
get
do
have
cook
help
leave
be
clean
Working Women
Just like women in the past, modern women _______________ still the main house
workers in our society. They _________ still ____________ more things at home than
men. However, more and more women today _________________ university degrees.
Also, there are more women who_______________ homes for their workplaces.. This
means that modern women, unlike women in the past, _______________ paid jobs.
Because more women 6._________________ outside their houses now, more fathers
7.________________ them with the children and with the house chores: they
8.________________ the children,9. ________________ the house , and sometimes
they 10.______________meals.
Our Changing Diet - Comprehension Questions
1. According to paragraph 1, what are hamburgers and French Fries examples of?
______________________________________________________ .
2. Why is "junk food" unhealthy?
_______________________________________________________
3. Complete the following sentence according to paragraphs 1 and 2.
Although most people believe that North Americans mainly eat _______________, the
truth is that today North Americans eat more _______________ and less
_____________________ than before.
4. Circle the correct words in the following sentences.
North American diet now is national / international. Ethnic food is mainly served in
cities / villages of Canada and the U.S.
5. Put a check (V) next to the two statements that indicate what our future food will
probably be like.
__ "Nutrition bars" will replace candy bars.
__ We will eat less fish and vegetables and more meat.
__ Canned foods will contain as much salt and sugar as today's canned foods.
__ Our diet will be healthier than today's diet.
- 12 -
Eating in New York
1. New York is a city of extremes. The goods are better. The bads are worse. There's
more of everything in New York, and above all there's more food. The restaurants are
more numerous, and there are more unusual foods available in New York than anywhere else. Would you like to try Norwegian salmon, Maine lobster, or Peruvian
anchovies? You'll find them in New York
2. There is a wider range of choices in New York. The restaurants are more varied
and more plentiful. You can choose among nightclubs, the automat, bistros, street
vendors, and ethnic restaurants. The ingredients may be fresher and more authentic in
New York, but the prices are probably higher. And the waiters are perhaps less friendly
than almost anywhere else in the world!
3. Nevertheless, neither the prices nor the service will stop a true food lover. If you
love food, New York is the place for you.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Essential New York City Eating Experience
www.dummies.com/travel/nyc>
Focus on Grammar
Adjectives of Equal Value and Comparative Adjectives
1. When Adjectives are of equal value, we use:
as + adjective + as
The restaurants in New York are as numerous as in London.
2. We use Comparative Adjectives to compare two people or things.
a. For adjectives that have one or two syllables (wide, pret-ty), we use:
adjective + er
There is a wider range of choices in New York
b. For adjectives that have three and more syllables (au-then-tic, nu-merous), we use:
more + adjective
less + adjective
The ingredients are more authentic.
.
- 13 -
3. Here are some irregular adjectives and adverbs:
Adjective
good
bad
little
many / much
Comparative
better
worse
less / lesser
more
4. When adjectives have two syllables and end with a suffix (care –ful), we do not
add er.
We use more or less.
Be more careful about what you eat.
Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the text “Eating in New York””
Are you a true food lover? In New York, you can get more __________ and authentic
foods than anywhere else. Restaurants have a _________________ and larger range
of choices. The cost of these uncommon foods might be _________________ in New
York than in other places. The restaurants are more __________________ and more
_________________but the waiters are less _________________. Nevertheless,
loving food is _________________ than just the service and the prices, so there is no
_________________ place for you than in New York.
Eating in New York - Comprehension questions
1. “More numerous New York restaurants with a great variety of food” are
mentioned to show that
___________________________________________
.
2. What is the general point of paragraph 2?
____________________________________________________
3. How many kinds of places to eat in New York are mentioned in
paragraph 2? ____
- 14 -
4. What characterizes NY restaurants?
Mark with a check (V) the three correct statements.
__ Low Prices
__ Ethnic food of high quality
__ There is a great number of them.
__ All kinds of tastes can be satisfied.
__ Excellent service
5. NY is not the best place for a true food lover.
True / False
Copy a sentence from the text to support your answer.
____________________________________________________
6. What is the author’s conclusion?
_______________________________________________________
Eating in New York - Vocabulary Practice
A. Find the Synonyms:
Par. 1:
Par. 2 :
most of all
-
________________
you can get -
________________
locate
________________
-
have more differences, different -
________________
true to the source -
________________
may be
________________
-
Find an expression that means ‘not this and not that’ __________________________
B. Find the Opposites:
Par. 1:
Par. 2 :
less -
_______________
lose -
_______________
narrower-
_______________
lower -
_______________
- 15 -
Culture, Personality and Communication
1.
Communication involves much more than just speaking a common language.
Nonverbal messages are also important. Because we speak with our eyes, gestures
and movements, our body language plays a major role in communication.
2.
Our culture determines at least some of our body language. Thus, communication
between people from different countries may be more difficult than necessary if neither
is aware of the body language of the other. A South American prefers more eye contact
and speaks more rapidly than a North American, for example. He or she also gestures
more frequently. In the Middle East, people stand nearer to each other than North
Americans are accustomed to, and they often touch each other during a conversation.
These differences can make people who are not from the Middle East uneasy, and they
may even cause distrust or disapproval.
3.
Cultural differences often make communication complicated. In addition, personal
styles and preferences affect our behavior with others. Even within the same culture,
people stand, talk and act very differently. Although our culture determines some things,
our own personality determines many others.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Bar Ilan University English as a Foreign Language,
The Faculty of Humanities
Focus on Grammar
Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the text “Culture, Personality and
Communication” Use the correct form of the words from the bank.
essential
much
quick
close
physical
frequently
important
complicated
slow
little
Speaking a common language is as ______________ as non-verbal messages.
Body language plays an _________________ role in communication. If people from
different places don’t know the body language of the other, then communication is
______________. One example is how South Americans speak ______________ and
move their hands _________________ than North Americans. Another example is how
people from the Middle East stand ________________ to others and are
________________ than them, during a conversation. The differences in body
language may cause one to trust ________________ or disapprove
__________________. In the end, it is one’s culture and personality that equally
determine __________________ different behaviors in our communication.
- 16 -
Culture, Personality and Communication - Comprehension Questions
1. List two components of communication.
a. ____________________________
b. ____________________________
2. What is the reason for our body language playing “a major role in
communication?”
__________________________________________________
3. What is the general point of paragraph 2?
__________________________________________________
4. Which differences is the author referring to in the last sentence of
paragraph 2?
_______________________________________________
5. What other factor besides culture affects our behavior?
____________________________________________
6. Our culture and personality equally determine our behavior.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
_________________________________________________________
Culture, Personality and Communication - Vocabulary Practice. References
A. Find the Synonyms:
Par. 1 :
not - spoken -
Par. 2 :
decides, dictates - _______________
harder -
_______________
_______________
not one of them - _______________
quickly -
_______________
often -
_______________
used to -
_______________
be the reason for _______________
B. Find the opposites
Par. 3:
similarities -
_______________
easy
_______________
-
C. The word “neither” par. 2 L-2 refers to:
- 17 -
___________________
Excitement!
1. Everyone has different ideas about the most enjoyable way to spend free time.
Some people prefer to stay at home and relax, while others enjoy leisure activities
including spending their time at local clubs, museums, theaters, or sports arenas.
2. These activities may be personally rewarding for "normal" people, but they will
not suit the most adventurous people. The truly adventurous look for excitement. They
take up sports and before long become "the best." They can ski the fastest; climb the
highest mountains, run the farthest, or dive the deepest.
3. When these people exhaust possibilities close to home, they travel. Of course,
their trips are never ordinary! They will go to the most remote areas of the world to find
the greatest danger with the least amount of personal comfort! In fact, in recent years,
these thrill-seekers have made some of the most unusual trips on record. For instance, a
young woman crossed the Australian desert alone, accompanied only by a few camels.
Three British men kayaked the length of the Nile River, braving crocodiles, hippos, and
rushing water. And a group of adventurers from the United States piloted a balloon
across the Atlantic Ocean.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Yunyoungdu, O. Encounter, Ch. 8. 2004-09-07
Focus on Grammar
Superlative Adjectives
1. We use Superlative Adjectives to compare three or more people or things.
a. For adjectives that have one or two syllables, we use:
the + adjective + est
They can ski the FASTEST, climb the HIGHEST.
b. For adjectives that have three and more syllables, we use:
the most + adjective
the least + adjective
They will go to the MOST REMOTE AREAS.
2. Here are some irregular adjectives:
- 18 -
Adjective
much, many
bad
good
little
Comparative
more
worse
better
less, lesser
Superlative
the most
the worst
the best
the least
I. Fill in the blanks with the superlative adjectives to complete the summary of
the text “Excitement” – Paragraphs 1 and 2
What is the _____________ way to relax and spend free time?
Everyone has different ideas about this. On the one hand, people, who are “normal”,
prefer to stay at home or visit museums and local clubs. On the other hand, the
_________________ people look for excitement. They work hard to become
_________________ at sports. They want to climb _________________
mountains and dive ________________ oceans. They are thrilled when they ski
_________________ and run_________________.
II. “Excitement” - Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the adjectives
to complete the summary of paragraph 3
Use the words from the word bank. (You have TWO extra words.)
unusual
amount
adventurous
rushing
remote
young
ordinary
great
People, who are the__________________, like to take MOST unusual trips to
the__________________ places in the world. They enjoy finding the
_________________ danger, even if they have the least _________________ of
personal comfort. For instance, on one of the __________________ trips, a woman
thrill-seeker crossed the Australian desert alone, and three men braved the
___________________ water of the Nile River.
- 19 -
Excitement - Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraph1 discusses possible _____________ (ONE word) of spending
free time such as relaxing at home or going to local clubs.
2. How many examples of leisure activities are mentioned in
paragraph 1?____
3. Which activities can satisfy “normal people”?
__________________________________________________________
4. The fastest skiing and the deepest diving are examples of the feeling of
______________ real adventurers need.
5.
What kind of people is the author referring to in the first sentence of
paragraph 3?
________________________________ (THREE words)
6. What are “thrill-seekers”?
People who stay in the ____________ comfortable, the most
____________and _____________ places of the world.
7. The end of paragraph 3 gives _____ (2, 3, 4) examples of
___________________________________
- 20 -
(no more than SIX words)
Leonardo da Vinci
1. Leonardo da Vinci was born in Italy in 1452 near a little town called
Vinci. He became an artist and a scientist and one of the most famous
people in the history of the world. One of Leonardo's most famous paintings
is the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is in the Louvre, an art museum in Paris.
Every day people come to see the Mona Lisa. They all ask the same
question: "Is she smiling?" Nobody is sure. What do you think?
2. Leonardo painted pictures of rich beautiful people, but sometimes he went into the
back streets of Milan and drew the poor people. Some of them were very ugly; these
drawings are caricatures (drawings of people that exaggerate parts of their face, so
much that they make people laugh). Leonardo was one of the first caricaturists or
cartoonists.
3. Leonardo was also a scientist. He was interested in everything and wrote in his
notebooks: "It is important to ask questions. “He studied birds and insects because he
wanted to fly. He made wings out of wood, cloth and feathers. Once one of his students
put the wings on and jumped off a hill near Florence. Fortunately, he only broke his leg!
4. Leonardo also invented a tank and various "machines of war". He designed
bridges, canals, houses, churches, castles, musical instruments and many other things.
He also studied and drew the bones and muscles of the human body. This helped to
make his drawings realistic.
5. Leonardo was a man of many talents. He rode horses well and loved to paint them.
He was also an excellent musician.
6. Leonardo never married, but he adopted a young boy called Salaino who had
blond curly hair and blue eyes. In the beginning, Salaino was a thief and a liar! He often
stole money from Leonardo. But Leonardo was still kind to him. For example, one year
Leonardo bought him 24 pairs of shoes with jackets and trousers to match. Fortunately,
Leonardo's kindness helped Salaino to become honest. When he grew up, Salaino
himself became a good artist.
Bibliography/Works Cited: "Leonardo da Vinci" Encarta 1996; Cooper, Margaret. The
Inventions of Leonardo da Vinci. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1965
- 21 -
Focus on Grammar
The Past Simple Tense
Form
Positive
Leonardo PAINTED pictures of rich beautiful people. V1+ ed = V 2
Negative
Yes/No
Questions
Leonardo DID NOT GET MARRIED. did not (didn’t) + V 1
DID he ADOPT Salaino?
Did…………..+ V1
……
?
DID he BUY Salaino 24 pairs of shoes with jackets and trousers?
Wh – non-subject Why DID he STUDY birds and insects?
questions
Wh – word did…………………….. + V1
Spelling Rules
Open – opened
jump - jumped
stop – stopped
study – studied (in verbs ending in a consonant + y ------- y → i + ed)
but
play – played (in verbs ending in a vowel + y -------- no change in the ending)
Irregular Verbs (from the text)
V1 Infinitive
V2 Past Simple
p.t (Past Tense)– dictionary abbreviation
be
become
go
draw
write
make
break
ride
have
steal
buy
grow
was / were
became
went
drew
wrote
made
broke
rode
had
stole
bought
grew
- 22 -
Use
We use the Past Simple to describe actions completed in the past which took
place at a definite time.
Practice
I. Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the text “Leonardo da Vinci".
Leonardo da Vinci ______________a man of many talents. He ______________
pictures of rich beautiful people and ________________ poor people in the streets of
Milan. Leonard_______________ also a scientist. He ________________ birds, insects
and the human body. He _________________ wings for a man to fly. One of his
students tried to use the wings but only ___________________ his leg. Leonardo
________________"machines of war" and _________________ buildings, bridges and
cannels.
Leonardo da Vinci _____________ one of the most famous people in the history of the
world.
II. Complete the following passage with the correct form of the verbs from the
word bank.
cause
tell
kill
warn
stay
run
recognize
die
On December 26, 2004 an underwater earthquake ________________ a giant wave,
called tsunami, near the coast of Southeast Asia. The tsunami _______________ over
200,000 local residents and tourists. But a hundred tourists on one of the beaches in
Thailand ________________ alive thanks to a ten-year-old girl. Tilly Smith
____________ the signs of a tsunami because she had learned them at school. The girl
_________her mother about the danger and they __________. all the people on the
beach. All the tourists _______________ away within a few minutes and nobody
_____________.
.
- 23 -
Leonardo da Vinci - Comprehension Questions
1. Complete the following sentences according to paragraph1 with ONE word in
each space.
Leonardo da Vinci was born in a little _______________ town. He is well-known
as an _______________ and a ________________. In the history of the world
there are many ________________ _______________ and Leonardo is
________ of them. There is something mysterious about his most
_______________ ______________ “The Mona Lisa”, since
________________ knows for sure whether she is really _______________.
2. Leonardo painted only rich beautiful people.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
______________________________________________________
3. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?
______________________________________________________
4. The reason Leonardo studied birds and insects was _____________
___________________________________.
5. The student was lucky he didn’t die.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
_______________________________________________________
6. What made his drawings realistic?
_________________________________________________________
7. What changed Salaino for the better?
_______________________________ (TWO words)
8. Based on your reading of the article, make a list of Leonardo’s talents.
(One is done for you)
a.________________
b._______________ c._________________
d_________________
e. horse rider_______ f._________________
- 24 -
Driver, Switch Off That Phone!
Adapted from CNN, August 6, 2001
1. It is a well-known fact that using hand-held cellular phones while driving is
unsafe. Therefore, many states in the USA have laws that forbid this practice.
However, a new study by the American National Safety Council (NSC) suggests
that these laws are not good enough. According to the study, when drivers use a
cellular phone they are distracted and less able to make quick decisions. It
makes no difference which kind of phone is being used - a hand-held phone or
one that leaves the driver's hands free.
2. The 64 participants in the study were asked to perform specific tasks while
driving: changing a cassette, listening to music, talking on a hand-held phone,
and talking on a hands-free phone. As they performed each task, researchers
measured their response times — how long it took them to brake or stop the car. It
was found that when the drivers used a cellular phone, their response times were
much longer than when they performed the other tasks. Most of the drivers
talking on the phone were late in braking for a red light, and some even missed
it entirely. No difference was found in response time for either type of cellular
phone.
3. The NSC study may explain some very surprising statistics: only 8% of drivers
in the USA use cellular phones on the road; however, cellular phone users cause
about 25% of all car accidents. "We expect the problem of accidents to get even
worse as the number of cell phones increases", says Alan McMillan, president of the
NSC. "That's why, in our driver education programs, we've started teaching
people when it's safest to use a cell phone. We're also working with lawmakers to
change existing laws. But above all, road safety is in the hands of the people behind
the steering wheel. So I appeal to all drivers: please think twice before using cell
phones on the road."
Bibliography/Works Cited: www.macam.ac.il
Focus on Grammar
Underline all the examples of the Present and the Past Simple in the passage
- 25 -
Focus on Grammar
Underline all the examples of the Present and the Past Simple in the passage
Driver, Switch Off That Phone! - Comprehension Questions
1. a. What kind of practice does the author refer to at the beginning of the
article?
___________________________________________ (SIX words)
b. Which laws are not good enough, according to NSC?
________________________________________________________
2. Circle the correct word in the following sentence.
According to the NSC study, using cellular phones makes drivers more / less
able to concentrate and more / less likely to create dangerous situations on the
road.
3. Which information about the NSC study is provided in paragraph 2?
a. how participants were chosen.
b. how long it lasted.
c. where it took place.
d. how it was carried out.
4.
“Most of the drivers talking on the phone were late in braking for a red light and
some even missed it entirely.”
These facts show that their time response was ______________ (ONE word)
5.
Using a hand-held or hands-free cellular phone is equally unsafe.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
________________________________________________________________
6.
According to the author, what is “very surprising” about the statistics?
a. 25% of all drivers had an accident.
b. Users of cellular phones cause most accidents.
c. Only 8% of cellular phone users cause accidents.
- 26 -
8. Which TWO solutions does Mr. McMillan suggest? (up to FOUR words)
a._____________________________________________________
b._____________________________________________________
9. According to Mr. McMillan, who is most responsible for preventing accidents?
___________________ (ONE word)
Driver, Switch off that Phone – References. Vocabulary Practice
A. Find the References:
Par. 1:
Par. 2:
“this”
L-2 -
_____________
“one”
L-6 -
_____________
“their” L-4 -
_____________
“it”
_____________
L-7
B. Find the Opposites :
lines 1-4:
result in -
______________
better -
______________
lessens -
______________
C. Find the Synonyms:
lines 5-8:
begun -
______________
address (v) - ______________
beg -
______________
two times-
______________
- 27 -
Can India control its population growth?
1.
The majority of the children of India, in this generation and the next, will never
live in a comfortable home, will never wear a pair of shoes, will never learn to
read, will never raise themselves out of their poverty, will never face life
without fear of hunger. India's hope of overcoming the country's terrible
poverty has been destroyed by the explosion of its population.
2.
India's population is increasing at the rate of 50 per minute, 3,000 per hour,
36,000 per day, 13 million per year — the total population of Australia.
Experts warn that the country's present population of nearly 800 million will
reach "the economically impossible" figure of 1.1 billion by the year 2000.
"Look at the misery of these 800 million people. Look at the malnutrition,
the slums, the unemployment, the ignorance," said a foreign economist. "It
frightens me to think of life here with over one billion people.
3.
"There are many reasons why India has been unable in the past and will be
unable in the future to control its population growth. However, both Indian
and foreign experts agree that the most important reason is that babies mean
wealth to the average rural family. At India’s current socio-economic stage
of development, it is to the economic advantage of the family to have as
many children as possible. At present, the only chance for getting ahead in
India is having many children, all of whom can contribute to the family
income. How do you explain to an illiterate farmer that wanting twelve
children to help him in the fields now and to provide him with security in his
old age are damaging to the nation as a whole?
4.
Economists and planners in India have received very little support from the
politicians, who avoid the subject of family planning for fear of losing votes.
Voters are still angry about earlier attempts at compulsory birth control.
Without the support of those in power to implement and enforce effective
measures, the outlook for improvement of the situation in India is, indeed,
pessimistic.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Mahinder D. Chaudhry, Royal Military College of Canada.
“Population policy in India.” Population and Environment, A Journal of Interdisciplinary
Studies, Winter 1989.
- 28 -
Update: Can India control its population growth?
Which way of “restricting the size of Indian families does the article discuss”?
Sunday 2 August 2009
India is searching for a way of restricting the size of families as the battle over
scarce resources grows.
Thousands of couples in India, who agreed to put off having babies for at least two
years after their wedding, will collect cash payments this month. This way health
officials attempt to curb the country's rapidly growing population.
The country's population stands at 1.2 billion and is expected to reach 1.53 billion by
2050. But increasing pressure on resources means that there is barely enough water
and food to go round.
A pilot project in the Satara district of Maharashtra has proved a success and other
states, including Delhi and Assam, are now considering cash incentives.
Bibliography/Works Cited: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/02/india-chinabirth-control
Focus on Grammar
The Future Simple Tense
Form
Positive
They WII never LIVE in comfortable homes.
will+V1
India IS GOING TO REACH the population of 1.1 billion.
be going to + V1
Negative
They WILL NOT (WON’T) OVERCOME poverty.
will not (won’t)+V1
Yes/No
Questions
WILL the Indian politicians SUPPORT the country’s economists?
Will……………….+ V1……..?
Wh – non-subject How WII the Indian economists together with the politicians
questions
IMPROVE the situation in the country?
Wh – word will…………….. + V1………………..?
Use
We use the Future Simple Tense to describe an action in the future – often a
prediction
- 29 -
Practice
I. Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of “India” (Use the verbs in their
positive and negative forms).
Because of the explosion of its population it seems that Indian people ______
never_______ life without fear of hunger,_____ never _________ to
read,________________ in a comfortable home and _______________ have
acceptable living conditions. India's population is still incredibly growing. Experts warn
that at such a rate by the year 2000 the country's present population
________________ the "economically impossible" figure.
Economists and planners in India hope that politicians _________________ them in
their implementing and enforcing effective measures of birth control. Politicians are
afraid that they _______________ their voters if they support these measures. Without
political backing, the perspective for improvement of the situation in India
_______________ pessimistic, indeed.
II. Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verbs in the
Future Simple Tense. Use the words from the word bank.
enjoy
be going to
bring
succeed
celebrate
be
come
leave
begin
Planning a Reunion Party
Next week we ________________ the 15-th anniversary of our school graduation. At
the end of the summer many of us ________________ our home places for our
vacations, so we ____________________ do it now. I hope all the
graduators_____________, no matter where they live. Actually we think all of them
_______________their wives or husbands. The party______________ at 7:30 pm.
After the formal part the guests _______________a musical entertainment and of
course there ________________ food and refreshments. We are sure the
party_________________.
- 30 -
India - Comprehension Questions
1. In paragraph 1 the writer predicts that Indian children
a. will overcome poverty.
b. will solve the country’s problems.
c. will live without the fear of hunger.
d. will continue to be poor.
2. India’s poverty is caused by
a. its malfunction and slums.
b. its unemployment and ignorance.
c. its rapidly growing population.
d. its government’s management.
3. The foreign economist mentioned in paragraph 2 is optimistic / pessimistic
about the future of the country.
4. What explains Indians’ interest in having many children?
______________________________________________________
5. List two specific things that Indian farmers want their children to do for them:
a. _____________________________________________
b.______________________________________________
6. Economists and politicians work together on family planning.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
______________________________________________________________
7. In conclusion the author says that without ________________ (1 or 2 words)
the situation will not improve.
- 31 -
Weather Control
1. For thousands of years people all over the world have been concerned
about the weather. Some people even pray to their gods to get the kind of weather they
want. People have always talked about the weather, but it is only recently that they have
actually been able to do something about it. Today meteorologists - scientists who study
and forecast the weather - can control it to some extent. They can disperse fog and
clouds, and they can make rain.
2. Meteorologists have tried to make rain for a long time. In 1891, scientists
tried to make rain with liquid carbon dioxide, the gas now used to make dry ice. In 1930,
a Dutch meteorologist used dry ice to "seed" clouds and get rain. In 1946, an American
meteorologist used a chemical, called silver iodide that worked better than the dry ice.
Since 1952, cloud seeding has been used all over the world.
3. The cloud seeding method is not simple. First, dry ice or silver iodide is
dropped into large clouds, which contain a great deal of moisture. The water in the
clouds clings to the dry ice or silver iodide and becomes large heavy ice droplets.
These droplets then become so heavy that they fall from the cloud. As the droplets get
closer to the ground, they get warmer and turn into rain.
4. Meteorologists have also learned how to disperse clouds. This is important to
fruit growers, who usually want to disperse fog and clouds that can harm their fruit. One
way of doing this is by raising the air temperature on the ground. This is done by first
setting up heaters all around the fruit trees. The heaters warm up the air, causing the
fog and clouds to disperse.
5. A second method of dispersing fog is solar radiation. A black chemical is
sprinkled on the fog. The heat from the sun warms the chemical, which then warms the
fog. When the fog is warm enough, the moisture in it evaporates and the fog disperses.
6. A third way to disperse clouds is the seeding method. This method is similar
to the cloud seeding method that is used to make rain. However, because smaller
droplets of dry ice or silver iodide are used, the droplets never become heavy enough to
fall to the earth as rain. After the droplets fall out of the cloud, the cloud gets smaller and
disappears or blows away.
7. Since weather affects the lives of people in all parts of the world,
meteorologists meet at international conferences to discuss their common problems and
report on their experiments. They try to learn as much as possible about the different
- 32 -
kinds of clouds in order to find still better and safer ways of cloud seeding, fog dispersal,
and other possible methods of weather control.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Paul Holper, Cloud Seeding. CSRIO, Australia. 2001 / 2008.
Eskhart, Gregg, The Edwards Aquifer Website <
http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/cloudseeding.html>
Focus on Grammar
The Present Perfect Tense
Form
Positive
People HAVE always TALKED about the weather.
have (has) +V3
V3 = V1 + ed
Negative
Until recently meteorologists HAVE NOT (HAVEN’T) BEEN ABLE
to affect the weather.
have not (haven’t) + V3
has not (hasn’t) + V3
Yes/No
Questions
HAVE meteorologists completely CHANGED the weather?
Have (Has)……………..V3..........?
Wh – non-subject Why HAVE people PRAYED to their gods about the weather?
questions
Wh –word have (has) ………………V3………?
Use
The Present Perfect Tense is used to describe past events that are relevant to the
present
a. when no specific time is mentioned
Meteorologists have tried to make rain for a long time.
* Note!
b.
If a definite time in the past is stated or implied the Past Simple
Tense is used.
In 1930 a Dutch meteorologist used dry ice.
when an action has repeated itself a number of times
c.
People have always talked about the weather
when an action started in the past and is still going on
People have always been concerned about the weather.
- 33 -
Irregular Verbs (from Leonardo da Vinci” – p. 19 ,“Weather Control” – p. 30 and
exercise II - p 33
V1 Infinitive
be
become
go
draw
write
make
break
steal
ride
buy
grow
read
feel
give
V2 Past Simple
V3 Past Participle
dictionary abbreviation -
dictionary abbreviation -
p.t (Past Tense)
p.p (Past Participle)
was / were
became
went
drew
wrote
made
broke
stole
rode
bought
grew
read
felt
gave
been
become
gone
drawn
written
made
broken
stolen
ridden
bought
grown
read
felt
given
Practice.
I.
Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the text “Weather Control”
People _________ always _________ interested in the weather. They. ___________
always ___________ about it with other people. However, meteorologists
._____________ able to do something about it only in recent years. For a long period of
time, they ______________ to make rain. They ___________ also ______________
how to disperse fog and clouds, which is important for fruit growers since it avoids harm
to their fruit. Meteorologists _____________ a few ways to disperse clouds such as
raising the air temperature on the ground, using solar radiation and seeding.
- 34 -
II. Complete the following paragraphs with the correct form of the verbs in the
Present Perfect Tense. Use the words from the word bank
Use the chart above (p 32 ) for the underlined irregular verbs.
read
change
feel
publish
refuse
give
buy
write
be
Following the tremendous success of his documentary film, Al Gore, the former US vice
president, ___________________ the book for young readers “An inconvenient Truth”.
Both the book and the film link the rising level of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s
atmosphere to global warming. Al Gore ______________ the book in a simple
understandable language. It includes a lot of graphics and photos that prove that the
Earth ___________________greatly in the last 1OO years.
There _______________ mixed reactions to the book. Some parents
__________________ to buy it, since they wish to protect their children from this
frightening information. Others, on the other hand, _________________ necessary to
show their kids the real situation of global warming.
One of those who ________________ the book says:” It is simply one of the best books
I ________ ever __________. It is suitable for both youngsters and adults. It
_____________ me the feeling that urgent steps must be taken and changes must be
made immediately.
Weather Control - Comprehension Questions
1. How do people express their concern about the weather?
They___________________________________________________
2. Give the definition of the word “meteorologist” (up to SEVEN words)
______________________________________________________
3. List TWO ways of controlling the weather.
a.______________________________
b. ______________________________
4. The years mentioned in Paragraph 2 show that _________________
________________________________________________________
- 35 -
5. Describe the three stages in the process of cloud seeding to make rain.
a._____________________________________________
b._____________________________________________
c.______________________________________________
6. What is the main idea of paragraph 4?
_______________________________________________________
7. List three different methods of dispersing clouds and fog:
a._____________________________________________
b._____________________________________________
c.______________________________________________
8. The method used to make rain is different from the one used to disperse
clouds.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
______________________________________________________
9. Complete the following sentence according to paragraph 7.
The weather’s influence on the entire world brings meteorologists to
______________________________Their main goal is to improve ways
of ______________________________.(TWO WORDS in each space)
10. What is the main idea of the passage?
a. Weather can now be influenced because of the work of
meteorologists.
b. Fruit growers and meteorologists no longer consider weather
a problem.
c. People have only recently started treating weather seriously.
d. Weather cannot be changed by man even today.
- 36 -
The Death of the Jungle
Adapted from The Sunday Times of London, 02-2001
1.
Tropical rain-forests (jungles) are found in South-East Asia and South America.
These jungles were hardly touched by human activity until the middle of the twentieth
century, but now they are being destroyed by chemicals, and cut down and burned at
the rate of 2 square kilometers a minute. In some places, destruction is almost
complete, The worst case is in Brazil, where only 2 percent of the former rain-forests
remains. Twenty years ago, no one would have believed that rain-forests would vanish.
2.
Loss of forest means loss of cloud cover and of rain, which consequently causes
a change of climate. In South America, cutting down the jungle (deforestation) in Brazil
has led to the expansion of desert in nearby Peru. Similarly, this same process on the
African continent has led to the Sahara creeping southwards, and the resulting drought
has caused human suffering that has shocked the world in Ethiopia, Mali and other
African countries..
3.
It was hoped that cutting down the jungle would provide more agricultural land.
Such actions in Europe did just that. However, this has proved false. Unlike the forests
of Europe, tropical rain-forests have very thin soil beneath them. Cutting down the trees
has exposed the soil which soon has been washed away by the rain, thereby creating
deserts. (,. Worse, while the forests used to hold back the rainwater, now the rain floods
down the treeless valleys. For example, the 1981 floods in China were a direct result of
deforestation in the upper parts of the Yangtse River.
Bibliography/Works Cited: UNEP News Release 3 February 2001; Nick Nuttall, media
officer at UNEP, Robert Bisset, Office of the Spokesman, Tore J. Brevik, UNEP
Spokesman and Director of Communications and Public Information
- 37 -
Focus on grammar
The Passive Voice
Form
TENSE
Present
Simple
PASSIVE FORM
to be + V3
am / is / are + V3
EXAMPLES
Tropical rain-forests are found in South - East
Asia.
Present
am / is / are + being + Rain-forests are being destroyed by
Progressive
V3
chemicals.
Present
Perfect
have / has + been =
V3
Human suffering has been caused by floods.
Past Simple
was / were + V3
People were told they were participating in an
experiment.
Future
will be + V3
More rain-forests will be destroyed in the
future.
Use
1. We use the Passive when:
a. the action is more important than the person who does the action.
It was hoped that cutting down the jungle would provide more agricultural land.
b. we don’t know who does the action.
South American forests are being cut down.
2. When we mention the person who did the action, we use the word ‘by’.
People would perform any task if they were told to do so by an authoritative
figure.
Practice
I. Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the article “The Death of the
Jungle”.
The jungles of the world are in danger. Until 1950 the rainforests _________________
by human beings, but at
present they _________________
by chemicals,
_________________ and __________________.
As a result, the climate is changing and deserts are expanding. Terrible suffering
__________________to people in African countries because of lack of rain.
It _________________that agricultural land __________________ by cutting the
forests. Unfortunately, this idea was not a good one: The soil _______________ easily
- 38 -
_____________
by
the
rain
because
it
was
too
thin.
Treeless
valleys
_________________ by deforestation and everything ___________________ by
floods.
II. Complete the following paragraph with the correct form of the verbs in the
Passive Voice. Use the words from the word bank.
find
form
develop
open
give
construct
announce
donate
need
consider
The Final Frontier
During most of human history, the heart ________________the most important part of
the body, while the brain ________________ a back seat. Thanks to Descartes, the
17th [seventeenth] century French philosopher, scientist and mathematician, what is in
the human head has superceded what beats in the human chest. Descartes viewed the
brain
as
the
seat
of
the
soul
and
the
place
in
which
all
human
thoughts______________. Today’s cardiologists understand cardiovascular diseases
much better than in the past and new medical technologies _________________ to
treat them.
However, the same cannot be said of many brain diseases. The brain is one of the few
remaining “great frontiers” in medical research. As part of the worldwide effort to
discover the causes of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and how to delay and
treat them, Swiss philanthropist Lilly Safra has joined with the Hebrew University to
establish one of the world’s six largest brain research centers. The Edmond J. and Lilly
Safra Center ___________ already _________________ on the Givat Ram campus in
the capital and a large building _________________to house it. A huge amount of 50
million dollars__________________ and an additional 80 million dollars must
be________________ for the project which _________________ during the university’s
board of governors meeting attended by Safra in early June 2009.
Brain diseases are devastating not only to the victims and their families, but also to the
health
system
and
the
economy,
as
_______________.
- 39 -
expensive
caregivers
_______
often
The Death of the Jungle - Comprehension questions
1. Para. 1: How are the rain-forests destroyed? Name THREE ways.
a. _____________________________
b. _____________________________
c. _____________________________
2. Complete the sentences according to paragraph 2. (ONE or TWO words in
each space.).
Destruction of rain-forests causes loss of rain and of ___________________.
As a result, climate ___________________.
3. What is “deforestation”? _____________________________________________
4. In paragraph 2 the writer says “this same process.” Which process is he referring to?
________________________________________________________________
5. True / False
Cutting down the jungle has resulted in more agricultural land.
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________________
6. According to paragraph 3, what are the TWO damaging results of destroying the rainforests?
a.______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
7. What does the example of floods in China illustrate?
___________________________________________________________________
8. Circle the correct answer:
Rain-forests are similar to / different from the forests of Europe and South
America.
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
__________________________________________________________________
- 40 -
Following Orders
Background
1.
Psychologists have tried to find tasks that people would be unwilling to do if they
were asked, but they have had difficulty in finding them. However, they found that
people would perform any task if they were told to do so by an authoritative figure. One
psychologist asked college students to sort garbage; they did, with little objection. Other
students were asked to pick up a dangerous snake; they obeyed (and were stopped just
in time). Still others obeyed when they were asked to put their hands into a container of
acid (but were stopped before actually doing so).
Hypothesis
2. Why do people obey instructions to do such dangerous tasks? Suppose, for
instance, you were told to electrocute someone. Would you follow orders? Hollander
designed an elaborate experiment to find out the answer to this question.
Method
3. People who volunteered for the experiment were told that they were participating
in an experiment on the effects of punishment on learning. Their job was to administer a
painful electric shock to a man – he was called the “learner” whenever he made a
mistake when remembering a word he should have memorized. The “learner” was a
male actor who did not actually get an electric shock. The participants were the only
people being studied, and they believed that they were indeed shocking the “learner”.
4. They observed the “learner” being strapped down in a chair and electrodes being
attached to his arm. At each mistake the “learner” made, they were instructed to
increase the voltage, choosing one of the switches on a 15 to 450 volt scale.
Results
5.
Hollander was surprised and dismayed by what he found. Over 60 percent of the
participants were willing to give the highest level of shock to the “learner”, even though
he screamed with pain and begged for mercy (playing his part).
Conclusions and Discussion
6.
Hollander showed that under some circumstances, people are willing to commit
cruel acts because they are ordered to do so. Why? Because they were able to transfer
all responsibility to an “authority” who, in this case was a researcher in a white coat.
7.
A second reason is that the participants were not treated as individuals. They
knew that their names would not be disclosed publicly, they had no personal contact
- 41 -
with the victim -- the “learner” -- they were just one of the crowd. Hollander also found
that if there is a group of subjects in the room together, and one of them decides to
disobey the authority, it gives courage to the rest to join the disobedience.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (1974),
Stanley Milgram, < http://www.age-of-thesage.org/psychology/milgram_obedience_experiment.html>
Focus on grammar
Underline all the passive forms of the verbs in the passage.
Following Orders - Comprehension questions
1. What do the three examples in paragraph 1 show? Complete the sentence.
People ____________________________________________________________.
2. The writer says: “…but they have had difficulty in finding them.” What does the word
“them” refer to? __________________________________________________.
3. Paragraphs 6, 7: According to the research, why do people obey very cruel orders?
a.____________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________
4. Hollander discovered that only a minority of the participants was ready to increase
the voltage to the maximum when instructed to do so.
True/ False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. In which case would people NOT follow dangerous orders?
___________________________________________________________________
- 42 -
6.
What is the purpose of this article?
a. To explain why the participants in an experiment were willing to electrocute
the “learner”.
b. To explain why people perform dangerous and cruel tasks.
c. To compare different cases of following orders.
d. To show that punishment improves learning.
Following Orders – Vocabulary Practice
A. Find the References:
Par. 1:
“they” L-2 -
_______________
“so” L-7
- _______________
Par. 2:
“this” L-3
- _______________
Par. 3:
“he” L-4
- _______________
Par. 4:
“they” L-2
- _______________
B. Find the Synonyms:
Par. 5:
Par. 6:
“more than”
-
_______________
“appealed”
-
_______________
“carry out”
-
_______________
“commanded” -
_______________
- 43 -
The Powerful Influence of Weather
(Adapted from “Interactions”)
1. Weather has a powerful effect on people. It influences health, intelligence, and
feelings.
2. In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States.
Southerners have heart attacks and other kinds of health problems during this month. In
the Northeast and the Mid- West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other
times. People in these states tend to have heart attacks after the weather changes in
February or March.
3. The weather can also influence intelligence. For example, in a 1938 study by
scientists, the IQ scores of a group of undergraduate college students were very high
during a hurricane, but after the storm, their scores were 10% (percent) below
average. Hurricanes can increase intelligence. Very hot weather, on the other hand, can
lower it. Students in many states in the United States often do badly on exams in the
hottest months of the year (July and August).
4. Weather also has a strong influence on people's feelings. Winter may be a bad time
for thin people. They usually feel cold during these months. They might feel depressed
during cold weather. In hot summer weather, on the other hand, fat people may feel
unhappy. At about 65°F (18° C), people become stronger.
5.
Low air pressure relaxes people. It increases sexual feelings. It also increases
forgetfulness. People leave more packages and umbrellas on buses and in stores on
low-pressure days. Finally, there is a "perfect weather" for work and health. People feel
best at a temperature of about 64°F (17°C) with 65 percent humidity (moisture in the
air).
6.
Are you feeling sick, sad, tired, forgetful, or very intelligent today? The weather
may be the cause.
Bibliography/Works Cited: English Cyber School, A Gateway for Teaching & Learning
English <http://www.cyberenglish.or.kr/reading/Act5/low/wealow-all.htm>
Online Vocabulary Activities: http://www.quia.com/jg/154987.html
- 44 -
Focus on Grammar.
Modal Verbs
Form
Meaning
Modal
Examples
ability
skill
knowledge
can
could
The weather can influence intelligence.
possibility
permission
may
might
Winter may be a bad time for thin
people.
Thin people might feel depressed
during cold weather.
advisability
should
North Europeans believe that time is
money and should not be wasted.
necessity
obligation
must
Teenagers must sleep for 9 hours and
15 minutes to be able to concentrate,
to learn and solve problems
prohibition
mustn’t
Anger mustn’t be resolved by losing
control .
lack of necessity,
obligation
needn’t
Today young adults needn’t leave
home, because their parents have
become more permissive towards
them.
Practice
I .Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the article "The Powerful
Influence of Weather”
Weather affects people's health, intelligence and feelings. People in the Southern part
of North America __________have heart attacks or they __________have
other health problems. The weather ___________also affect a person's intelligence.
Hurricanes, for example, ___________make people more intelligent, while heat
__________decrease one's intelligence. A person's feelings___________ also be
affected by the weather. Thin people ___________have a bad time in the winter.
These people ___________suffer from depression when it is cold. However, fat
people ____________feel unhappy in the summer. So if you don't feel so great
today, it ____________be because of the weather.
- 45 -
II. Complete the following paragraphs with the correct modal verb. Use the
modals from the word bank.
can
couldn’t
may
might
mustn’t
be able to
must
have to
I _________________ tell you about something funny that happened to me last week. It
_________________make you laugh as it is really funny. But you ________________
promise me not to tell anyone. All this happened because, sometimes, I
______________be really forgetful. So last week I ___________________find where I
had put my glasses, because I ______________not_________________ see anything
without them. I was looking for them all afternoon, when my friend came in and asked
me what I was doing. After I told him, he asked politely: "__________________it be that
you are looking for the glasses that you are wearing?" We laughed a lot. It was funny
but you _________________tell anyone.
The Powerful Influence of Weather - Comprehension Questions
1. What is affected by the weather?
Our _______________, ______________, ______________. ONE WORD in each
space)
2. Complete the following sentences (ONE word in each space).
Whereas Southerners have heart attacks in ____________, people in the Northeast
and the Mid- West tend to have heart attacks in ___________ or ___________.
3. The purpose of the examples in paragraph 3 is to show that
a. Hurricanes can increase intelligence.
b. Very hot weather can lower intelligence.
c. Students do badly on exams in hot weather.
d. The weather can influence intelligence.
4. Circle the correct words in the following sentences (paragraph 4).
Thin / Fat people may feel unhappy when the weather is hot.
However, thin / fat people may feel depressed when it is cold.
- 46 -
5. What are the results of low air pressure?
a. __________________
b. __________________
c. __________________
6. You may feel _________________________________ because of the weather.
Can You Read This?
1.
The American writer Jonathan Kozol recently published a book in which he states
that 25 million Americans are completely illiterate - THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO
READ AND WRITE! In addition, some thirty-five million only have a limited knowledge
of these skills. For such people, the world of words around them is a frightening place,
they often feel helpless in it. Signs mean nothing to the non-reader, so when he is
outside his own neighborhood, he is lost. Packaged foods labeled only with words are
often left on the shelf in the shop, though they may be cheaper than those with pictures
on the covers.
2.
Illiteracy is far more than the inability to read and write. It is the shame of a
mother or father who cannot help the children with their homework, who cannot write,
read and answer letters. It is also the fear that comes with not understanding what is
written: street names, notices, shop signs or advertisements and invitations all mean
nothing to them.
3.
Many who are illiterate often become unemployed. Some even become
emotionally ill as a result; some begin to steal and are often imprisoned. All this costs
the American public thousands of millions of dollars a year. There are people who think
that it is impossible to change the current situation, but Kozol proves they are mistaken.
4.
Kozol suggests several stages in conquering illiteracy. First, the illiterates have
to be found and taught. This will have to be done by teachers, university students and
retired people. Second, as progress is made, some of those who have progressed
quickly will be able to take over some of the teaching duties. Kozol also suggests that
- 47 -
the millions of unsold books which are regularly destroyed every year by the
publishers should be distributed free to those who have learned to read and write.
When the level of literacy rises, then the standard of living will also rise and people will
have more free time and will buy more books to read.
5.
Although the people Kozol has written about are, at present, unable to read his
book, he hopes that something will be done quickly to remedy the situation.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Illiterate America, Jonathan Kozol. Plume: March 1, 1986.
Focus on Grammar
Negative Prefixes and Suffixes
Form and Use
Negation can take the following forms in English:
Prefix / Suffix
Examples
un-
unable, unemployed, unsold, unnecessary
in-
informal, incorrect, inability
il-
illiterate, illiteracy, illegal, illogical
ir-
irregular, irrational, irresponsible
im-
immature, impossible, improbable
non-
nonreader, nonstop, nonverbal
dis-
disadvantage, dishonest, disrespect
mis-
misunderstand, mistake, mismanage, misguide
-less
helpless, homeless, hopeless, careless, meaningless
Practice
I .Fill in the blanks to complete the summary of the article “Can You Read This?.
Use the negative form of the word in parentheses.
People who are _______________ (able) to read and write are called _____________
(literate). The world is a frightening place for such people, as the written signs mean
nothing for______________ (readers). They feel ________________ (help-) in the
world of words around them.
_________________ (literacy) means not only ___________________ (ability) to read
and write, but it also means being ashamed. Just imagine the shame of parents who
cannot help their children with their homework. Illiteracy often leads people to become
- 48 -
________________ (employed), and eventually costs the American public thousands of
millions of dollars.
Some people think that it is _________________ (possible) to do anything about the
present state of affairs, but Kozol suggests a few ways of improving the situation. One
of the ways of conquering ______________(literacy) is teaching people to read and
write. People who become literate can get the ________________ (sold) books from
publishers. Kozol hopes that with enough effort the situation will change in the near
future.
II. Complete the following paragraphs with the negative form of the words in
parentheses. You may use the table above.
In the recent years, the rate of car accidents has risen dramatically. Some of the
reasons for the high number of road accidents include drinking alcohol and
__________________ (care-) driving. We all know that driving under the influence of
alcohol is ________________ (legal), but some people do not take this seriously
enough. An ________________ (responsible) driver can cause _________(necessary)
injury or even death of innocent people.
Experts believe that it is _________________ (possible) to stop the rising death toll on
the roads without the help of schools and parents. "We are ________________ (able)
to do this by our own forces," says the chief police officer of the city. "However, through
the involvement of educational institutions, the situation will not seem so ____________
(hope-) in the future."
Explaining the dangers of drunken driving in an ________________ (formal)
environment, like the home, might lead to even better results, an expert says. Extended
driving courses for teenagers might also lower the number of _______________(-takes)
they make on the road and lead to a more careful and responsible behavior on the road.
- 49 -
Can You Read This? - Comprehension Questions
1. What is “illiterate”? __________________________________________________
2. Para. 1: Why is the world of words a frightening place for the illiterate?
___________________________________________________________________
3. In the first paragraph the writer says “such people”. What kind of people is he
referring to? __________________________________________________________
4. What do the examples of signs and packaged foods labeled with words illustrate?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Give THREE examples from paragraph 2, which explain why illiteracy is “far more
than being unable to read and write”?
a._______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
6. According to paragraph 3, what may be the results of illiteracy? Name THREE.
a._______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
c. _______________________________________________________________
7. Why are teachers, students and retired people mentioned in paragraph 4?
Because they ______________________ (ONE OR TWO WORDS) the illiterates.
8. According to the passage, TWO things could happen if more people learned to read
and write. What are they?
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
9. Why did Jonathan Kozol write his book?
a. To suggest ways of improving the situation of illiteracy.
b. To provide employment for the illiterates.
c. To write a text book for the illiterates.
d. To describe the condition of illiteracy.
- 50 -
The Pueblo Indians
1.
The Pueblos, a cliff-dwelling people, are one of the best-known Indian peoples in
the United States. They live in the center of North America and can easily be reached
by any traveler. Unlike some other American Indian communities, their culture has not
been destroyed. Month after month and year after year, the old dances of the gods are
danced in their stone villages. Life basically follows the old ways, and what they have
taken from modern civilization has been changed to suit their own needs.
2.
It is difficult to understand why they settled in a waterless valley, which seems
one of the most inhospitable regions in what is now the United States. Yet, it was here
in the American Southwest that the greatest Indian cities north of Mexico grew up.
These were of two kinds: the cliff-dwellings and the semi-circular valley buildings, and
they seem to have been built by the same civilization at the same period. The cliffdwellings were built deep into the rock or hung over the side of a mountain hundreds of
feet from the valley floor. We cannot guess what the circumstances were that led to the
building of these homes, far from the cornfields and from any water supply. The other
type of dwellings was very similar to those found in a modern city. These houses were
built in a semi-circle, and protected by a wall that rose three floors high.
3.
But the Pueblos’ way of life, even today, is not at all similar to that of the Western
world. They do not picture the world, as we do, as a conflict between good and evil.
They do not see the seasons of man’s life as a race between life and death. Both are
always present. Instead of seeing life as a struggle with the forces of nature, they
consider themselves at one with the universe. When they pray, they say to their gods,
“We shall be one person.” Within the vast American society, they maintain a cultural
island of their own.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Native Americans Facts for Kids < http://www.nativelanguages.org/kids.htm > < http://www.bigorrin.org/pueblo_kids.htm>
Focus on grammar
Underline all the words with negative prefixes and suffixes in the passage.
- 51 -
The Pueblo Indians
The Pueblo Indians - Comprehension Questions
1. In the first paragraph, the writer mainly wants to show how
a. different the Pueblos are from other Indian tribes.
b. ancient the Pueblo Indians are.
c. isolated the Pueblo Indians are.
d. the Pueblo culture has not been lost.
2. The writer knows why the Pueblos settled in the waterless valley.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
________________________________________________________________
3. The region was “inhospitable” (paragraph 2) because _______________________
_______________________________________________________________________________ .
4. Complete the sentence:
In the second paragraph, the writer states that great Indian cities grew up in the
American Southwest although the place was ________________ (ONE word).
5. a. The two kinds of homes the Pueblos built were:
___________________________________
____________________________________
b. How does the writer describe the second type?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________.
6. Para. 3: The word “both” refers to:
a. life and death.
b. the Pueblos and other Americans.
c. struggle and acceptance.
d. seasons and life.
7. Circle the correct answer in the following sentences:
Pueblos / The Western world view/s the world as a conflict between good and evil.
For Pueblos / the Western world both life and death are always present.
8. Complete the sentence:
While Western people see life as a struggle with nature, Pueblos ___________
_________________________________.
- 52 -
Part Two
Reading
Strategies
1. Parts of Speech
2. Word parts – suffixes and prefixes
3. The Structure of the Basic Sentence
4. Reference words
5. Connectives
6. Vocabulary Development
- 53 -
1. Parts of Speech
Functions of Parts of Speech
Each word (or group of words) has a function in a sentence. This function determines
the meaning of the word.
Noun (n.) is a word used to name a person, place, thing, idea
Examples: Who*? Irit. Where? Tel Aviv. What? bicycle. What? democracy.
*A pronoun may replace a noun: I, you, he, she it, we, they
Adjective (adj) is a word to describe a noun
Examples: What kind of? big. What kind of? Huge. Which one? The attractive
one.
Verb (v.t., v.i.) is a word to express action, occurrence, or existence
Examples: What does someone do? talks. What does someone do? sits.
What is someone doing? eating.
Adverb (adv) is a word to describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
Examples: quickly, often, very
Adverb shows (a) Time – When? Yesterday, tomorrow. (b)
Place – Where? here, there. (c) Manner – How? quickly,
beautifully, terribly
(d) Frequency – How often? Sometimes, often
Nouns






Nouns may be in three places: (1) before verbs, (2) after verbs, (3) after
prepositions.
Nouns may come after articles (articles include a, an, the).
Nouns may come after possessive pronouns (possessive pronouns
include my, our, your, his, her, its, their).
Nouns may come after demonstratives (demonstratives include this, that,
these, those).
Nouns may come after quantifiers (quantifiers include many, much, few,
little, some, five)
There may be an adjective between the article and the noun. (The
wonderful student).
- 54 -
Look at the nouns and pronouns and the words before them in the following
sentences:
a) Many students often complain that difficult homework takes up so much
of their time that they have no time left for other more interesting
activities.
b) If we study the working habits of most young people, we see that they
waste much of their valuable time and do not use it effectively.
c) Learning how to be well organized is the first step toward efficiency.
d) We should start by making a list of the five or six main tasks we have to
do tomorrow and number them according to their importance.
e) This excellent advice is very helpful.
Adjectives


Adjectives are before a noun(s)
Adjectives are after a linking verb that connects a noun with an adjective
Linking verbs: am, is, are, was, were, appear, feel, sound, taste,
look, become, seem
Look at the adjectives in the following sentences:
a) Learning how to make better use of your time, how to read fast, and how
to do homework properly is something every child should learn in the
elementary grades in school.
b) Different students work best at different hours of the day.
c) If you are an early riser, you may find that waking up at four o’clock in the
morning could be the best time to study.
d) After a quick shower and breakfast, you still have three hours left before
school.
Verbs
Every English sentence must have a verb.
Look at the verbs in the main sentences below:
a) Take advantage of every minute.
b) While you are waiting for the bus or the dentist, read a chapter of your
history book.
c) If you learn to make the best use of your time, you will find there is plenty
of time for hobbies and fun.
Adverbs
Adverbs do not have a permanent place in the sentence.
 Adverbs come after and sometimes before a verb.
 Adverbs come before an adjective.
 Adverbs come before another adverb.
- 55 -
ADVERBS OFTEN END IN – LYAdverbs that do not end with the letters –ly include: fast, well, hard, late.
Look at the adverbs in the sentences below:
a) The first grade teacher speaks loudly.
b) The college professor speaks politely.
c) If the doctor examines each patient carefully and explains clearly what
the illness is, he will be well liked and very popular.
What is the function of the underlined word in each
sentence?
1. A diamond is the only element that can cut another diamond.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
2. The chess game is incredibly intricate and at times quite confusing.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
3. Unfortunately, Van Gogh drank absinthe and ate his paints, which contained
lead and led to his death.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
4. The cameraman’s photograph captured images of the attack by three dogs on
a soldier.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
5. A herpetologist is a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians including
snakes.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
- 56 -
6. That scar on your leg will eventually heal and the scarring will nearly
disappear.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
7. The wide-angle lens will allow you to include more of the horizon.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
8. Please tell me if you like Italian food so that I can make reservations at an
appropriate restaurant.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
9. He is the silliest man that I know.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
10. The recluse rarely left his home in the light of day.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
11. Who can install the modem to this computer?
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
12. Our home is the largest one in the neighborhood.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
- 57 -
13. A 4.8-meter long great white shark has been caught off the Waikato coast of
New Zealand. Great white sharks occasionally bite surfers and swimmers but
rarely kill them.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
14. Mozart was an unusually brilliant musician. He is possibly the best-known
and most beloved composer of all time.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
15. He suffered severe injuries in the car crash and has not sung since the
accident.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
16. The music in the nearby apartment seems loud.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
17. He is cautious about believing others and did not even believe the story that I
told him.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
18. New compositions from "Mozart Meets Cuba" will be released next year to
commemorate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birthday in 2006.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
19. After you have completed this quiz, you should know the functions of parts of
speech.
a) verb
b) noun
c) adjective
d) adverb
- 58 -
Working Dogs Protect People
1
You ask, "What is a working dog?" "Is it a dog that does more than hang out at
the house all day and bark at the mailman?" "Is it a dog that gets in the car and goes to
the office?"
2
Working dogs are amazing animals specially trained to protect people and to
make life easier for them. Some working dogs act as eyes for blind people, ears for the
hearing impaired, and helpers for the physically challenged. They also protect sheep
from wolves, and they can help a police officer catch criminals. These special dogs can
find victims of disasters under lots of rubble, and they can find people lost in the woods.
3
The FBI has some very special working dogs. The newest addition to the FBI's
group of working dogs is a service dog that is placed with an individual who has a
physical disability and can work with his or her dog independently. Service dogs perform
practical tasks, such as opening and closing doors for their handlers, turning light
switches on and off, picking up things from the floor, pulling a wheelchair, and even
carrying a purse or a bag. In addition, service dogs can be specifically trained to retrieve
objects -- like the phone. Service dogs can even be trained to take off a handler's socks
or coat.
4
FBI’s chemical explosives dogs are trained to "sniff out" different explosive
chemicals and bombs. During their extensive training, explosives scents are imprinted
into the dog's memory and the dogs are trained on every type of explosive. This means
that they can detect approximately 19,000 different combinations of explosives.
5
FBI's narcotics detection dogs use their excellent sense of smell to find drugs
that the bad guys have hidden. They search cars, trucks, airplanes, houses, and
apartments. They almost always find what they are looking for.
6
Search and rescue dogs, SARs, are brought in to help rescue people who are
trapped or lost anytime there is a crime or a disaster like an earthquake. They also track
people who have committed crimes and fled. The dogs' noses are so good they are
almost always able to sniff out and find what they are looking for -- even if it's
- 59 -
underground or underwater!
7
Dogs instinctively know how to find things. A handler, the dog's human partner,
teaches the dog what to search for. A dog can use all of his/her senses, like hearing,
seeing, and smelling to find a specific person or thing. To do this, though, requires a lot
of training. They are always practicing, but the dogs love it because it is what they were
born to do. At the FBI, the handler is usually an FBI special agent. The agent and his or
her dog work together as a team.
Facts about Search Dogs

We all give off cells, gasses, and vapors. These cells and odors act like
smoke. So dogs, which have 44 times the sniffing power of humans, can
pick up the scent and follow it.

A much larger part of a dog’s brain is devoted to processing smells than
yours.

Dogs can be trained to ride in anything from helicopters, trucks, and boats,
to sling harnesses and chair lifts.

Cloudy days, mornings, and evenings are the best times for dogs to
search. Dogs navigate in brush better than humans.
Bibliography/Works Cited: FBI Working Dogs <
http://www.fbi.gov/kids/dogs/doghome.htm>
What is a Working Dog?
Parts of Speech . Vocabulary
Exercise 1
The following is a summary of What is a Working Dog.
a. Read the sentences and decide what parts of speech the missing words are:
The FBI uses dogs to 1______________ with FBI agents; the dog might assist a
2_____________ who has a physical 3________________ with 4_______________
tasks, and together the dog and his handler protect people, save lives, and catch
5__________________. 6___________________ dogs are highly 7_______________
animals. They use their keen sense of 8____________________ to pick up a
9___________________ and follow it. Working dogs can be found where there are
explosives, narcotics, and natural disasters like earthquakes, where there are lost
persons on the ground and even under water.
- 60 -
b. Now complete the sentences using the words from the list below. Choose the
appropriate part of speech.
criminals
scent
working
rubble
disability
smell
work
handler
trained
practical
Exercise 2
The following phrases appear in the text. For each emphasized word (in bold)
indicate what its function is in the sentence.
Para 1, line 1
a working dog
___________________
Para 2, line 1
specially trained to protect
___________________
line 2
the hearing impaired
___________________
line 4
police officer catch criminals
___________________
line 5
people lost in the woods
___________________
Service dogs
___________________
turning light switches on and off
___________________
extensive training, explosives scents
___________________
approximately 19,000 different
___________________
Para 3 , line 3
line 4
Para 4, line 2
line 4
Para 5, line 1
excellent sense of smell to find drugs that _________________
Para 6, line 1
brought in to help rescue people who are _________________
line 2
track people who have committed crimes _________________
line 4
if it's underground or underwater
_________________
A handler, the dog's human partner
_________________
like hearing, seeing, and smelling
_________________
Para 7, line 1
line 2
- 61 -
Comprehension Questions
1. Complete this sentence.
Working dogs are specially trained to
a. ________________________________________
b. ________________________________________
2. Working dogs help the physically challenged.
These dogs are :
a. _______________ for blind people
b._______________ for hearing impaired people
c._______________ for physically challenged people
3. What is the newest Working Dog for the FBI?
_____________________________________________
4. What are some tasks the Working Dog can perform for the physically
disabled person?
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
c. ___________________________
d. ___________________________
e. ___________________________
f. ___________________________
g. ___________________________
5. Where do working dogs store explosive smells?
In their _____________________
6. TRUE / FALSE:
Chemical explosives dogs can sniff out 1,900 different combinations of
chemicals
Justify your answer by quoting from the text
__________________________________________________________
7. TRUE / FALSE:
Narcotics detection dogs rarely find what they are looking for in cars,
trucks, airplanes, houses and apartments.
Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________
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8. Which working dog is used when a natural disaster strikes?
___________________________________________________________
9. TRUE / FALSE:
Working dogs can find what they are looking for under water.
Justify your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
10. What is another word for the dog’s human partner?
___________________________________________________________
11. Why do working dogs not protest practice?
___________________________________________________________
12. Who are the team members mentioned in this article?
________________ and _____________________
Working Dogs Protect People - Additional Questions
1. How does the author define working dogs?
__________________________________________________
2. List the functions that working dogs can fulfill:
a._______________________________
b._______________________________
c._______________________________
d._______________________________
e._______________________________
3.
Paragraph 3:
a. The writer mentions Service Dogs as an example of _________________.
b.
The writer mentions Service Dogs to illustrate the idea that ___________
________________________
4. Paragraph 4
“This means that…”.(Line 3)
What does this refer to?____________________________
- 63 -
5.
Paragraph 5
The author mentions that dogs "almost always find what they are looking for" to
illustrate the idea that _____________________________________________.
6.
Paragraph 6
Neither criminal actions nor natural disasters can prevent dogs from finding what
they are searching for.
False / True
Quote from the text to support your answer.
________________________________________________________________
7.
Name the types of working dogs the FBI has:
a.__________________
b.__________________
c.__________________
d.__________________
8.
Who is “a Handler”? _________________________________________
9.
A dog can find a person or thing without any (previous) training.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
________________________________________________________
10. Paragraph 7
“To do this, though, requires a lot of training.”
What requires a lot of training?
____________________________________________
11. Working dogs do not mind a lot of practicing, since it ________________.
12. List the characteristics of search dogs that are better than those of humans.
a.______________________
b.______________________
c.______________________
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VERBAL NOUNS
Verbal nouns are used after the following verbs:
enjoy; consider; admit; imagine; suggest; prevent; cannot stand; risk; forgive;
avoid; deny; delay; see; hate; do not mind; cannot help; finish; practice; cannot
bear; dislike {and others]
Complete the sentences
1. Jane enjoys [play] _________________
the piano.
2. I cannot bear [watch] ____________ the news about the Tsunami.
3. The guide tried to prevent the climber from [fall] _______ down the mountain.
4. You will have to leave [study] __________ flower arranging, until you have finished
your English!
5. If you walk with your bag open you will risk [lose] __________ your money and your
passport.
6. She cannot help [make] ___________ mistakes in her spelling.
7. I want you to consider [take] _________ a trip to England.
8. She avoided an accident by [drive] ___________ very carefully and slowly.
9. The thief denied [break] ___________ into the house and [take] ___________ the
jewelry.
10. The policeman suggested [leave] ___________ the car and walking to the stadium.
: Complete the sentences
1. Some people dislike ________________________________________
2. The thief admitted __________________________________________
3. I don’t mind _______________________________________________
4. Mr Smith hates ____________________________________________
5. John finished ______________________________________________
- 65 -
2. Word Parts – Suffixes and Prefixes
When we read words we have not seen before, recognizing part of the word can
help us to guess its meaning without going to the dictionary.
Look at the following sentence:
I find your lateness unacceptable.
What is the root of the word “lateness”? _________________
How can we divide the word “unacceptable”? _____ - ___________ - ________
Adding an ending – a suffix – to a word usually changes the grammar of
the word.
Adding something at the beginning – a prefix – usually changes the
meaning of the word.
If we know the function (grammar) of the word in a sentence, or if we
understand the meaning of a prefix or suffix, we can often guess the
meaning of new words.
The following suffixes indicate certain parts of speech:
Suffixes which indicate NOUNS
.EXAMPLES
-ity
ability
-ship
leadership
-ist
communist
-ism
communism
-hood
childhood
-ment
retirement
-tion / -sion
addition / expression
-ing
singing
-ian
historian
-ee
employee
-er
teacher
-or
actor
-ness
lateness
-ery
recovery
-ion
religion
- 66 -
Suffixes which indicate ADJECTIVES
EXAMPLE
-able / ible
readable / reversible
-al
national
-ive
objective
-ous
religious
-less
careless
-ful
careful
-y
healthy
-ic
scientific
-ed
bored
-ing
boring
Suffixes which indicate VERBS
EXAMPLE
-en
sharpen
-fy
simplify
-ize / ise
modernize
Suffix which indicates ADVERBS
EXAMPLE
-ly
slowly
There are a few exceptions: fast, hard are both adjectives and adverbs
The following common prefixes have certain
meanings:
Prefix
Meaning
Example
un- / im- / in- / il-
not
uninvited; impossible; incorrect;
illegal
mis-
in the wrong way
misunderstand
sub-
below, under
submarine
anti-
against
antiwar
pro-
for (in favor of)
pro-Israel
bi-
two
bilingual
tri-
three
trio
quart-
four
quarter
dec-
ten
decade
cent-
one hundred
century
dis-
opposite action
disconnect
- 67 -
pre-
before
prehistoric
post-
after
postwar
re-
again
reread
inter-
between
international
under-
not enough
underpaid
over-
too much
overworked
Practice I
A.
Using both lists as guides, explain the following sentences:
1. He remarried. _____________________________
2. My trousers are too long. Can you shorten them?
_______________________
3. He was driving very carelessly; that’s why he had the accident.
____________
4. Be careful with that glass table, it is breakable.
_________________________
5. Teenagers usually go to bed too late. They are always overtired.
___________
6. She looks so bored; I wonder why she finds it so uninteresting.
____________
7. That’s a very colorful dress you’re wearing.
____________________________
8. The subtitles in the text are very helpful. _____________
_______________
9. She’s very musical and her piano playing is amazing.
___________________
10. He is trilingual. _____________________________
B. What part of speech – Noun, verb, adjective, or adverb – is each of
the highlighted words?
- 68 -
Practice II
Study the following chart. Translate the examples into Hebrew.
Affixes
able- means
“capable or
worthy of.”
Examples
What is breakable?
anti- meaning
against
What is anticrime?
antipollution?
bio- generally
refers to living
organisms
contra-means
“against.”
counter –
means against
de- usually
means reversal,
removal, or
reduction
dis- basic
meaning is “not,
not any.”
equi- means
“equal” or
“equally
ex- meaning
“out of, from
ex- only forms
new words
when it means
“former”
fore- means
“before, in
front.”
ful- means ‘full’
What is biology?
biotechnology?
fy-, means “to
make or cause
to become’
hyper- is
“excessive or
excessively”
inter-, means
“between,
among”
Hebrew Meanings
readable?
acceptable?
What is
contraposition?
What is defrost?
demobilize?
What is disbelieve?
disappear?
disrespect
What is equidistant?
What is export?
extend?
What is exPresident?
What is a
forerunner?
foreword?
What is colorful?
careful?
healthful?
What is purify?
Simplify?
What is
hyperactive?
What is
international?
interaction?
- 69 -
mis- is “bad;
badly; wrong;
wrongly”
oid- is “like” or
“resembling.”
omni- means
“all.”
post- is “after.”
pre- is “before.”
pro- usually
means
“favoring” or
“supporting,”
re-, is “again.”
What is misfortune?
misunderstand?
misjudge?
mismanagement?
What is humanoid?
What is
omnipurpose?
What is postwar?
What is prehistoric?
prejudge?
What is proAmerican?
What is rearrange?
semi- means
“half” or
“partially.”
sub- means
“under”
What is semicircle?
semidarkness?
sub- means
“less than
completely”
What is
subhuman?
trans- means
“across,
beyond,
through”
trans means
“across” or
“through” a
geographic
element
uni- is “one.”
zoo- means
“animal, living
being
-ward is
“having a
particular
direction or
location.”
-wise means
“in a particular
direction or
manner.”
What is transfer?
What is submarine?
subway?
subtitle?
subconscious?
What is transAtlantic?
What is a uniform?
What is zoology?
What is inward?
eastward?
northward?
downward?
What is likewise?
otherwise?
- 70 -
-en basic
meaning “to
cause to be” or
“to become.”
-en, meaning
“made of,
resembling
-less meaning
“without.”
What is lengthen?
strengthen?
soften?
What is wooden?
golden?
What is headless?
meaningless?
useless?
-ment forms
What is
nouns. It means entertainment?
“an action”
improvement?
involvement?
-ous, which
What is famous?
forms
dangerous?
adjectives, has
the basic
meaning
“having, full of,
or
characterized
by.”
- 71 -
3. The Structure of the Basic Sentence
A sentence is basically a group of words that are tied together and convey an idea,
event or description. The words in an English sentence have a certain order. The
THREE MAIN PARTS of the basic English sentence are:
Subject
+
Main Verb
+
Complement
The Main Verb is the focus of the sentence. It expresses or describes the action the
subject performs or that is performed upon it. It usually answers the question
What happens? or What is described?
The subject of a sentence is a person, a place, an object, or an abstract concept, which
acts, is described or is acted upon. The subject usually answers the question Who /
What is the sentence about?
The Complement follows the main verb. It completes the information that is given by
the Subject and the Main Verb.
The Subject and the Main Verb are obligatory elements of the sentence.
The Complement is optional.
Read the following sentence:
People are eating less red meat and fewer eggs.
- Who/What is the sentence about? - people. ‘People’ is the subject of the
sentence.
- What are people doing? –They are eating.
'are eating' is the main verb of the
sentence. It tells us what the subject is doing.
- What are they eating less of? – red meat. ‘Less red meat and fewer eggs’ is the
complement.
The verb - are eating - is the "center" of the sentence.
The subject - people comes before the verb
The complement - less red meat and fewer eggs
follows it.
If you identify the Main Verb first, you will be able to find the Subject and
Complement according to their position in the sentence.
The basic units of the sentence Subject, Main Verb and Compliment can be expressed in
- 72 -
different ways.
The Main Verb can be made up of more than one word.
It may include helping verbs in their appropriate form.
Read the following sentences and see how the Main Verb is expressed.
The first robots were very simple machines.
You can choose among nightclubs, the automat, bistros…
Leonardo da Vinci was born in Italy in 1952.
Chemists have been studying why people cry.
Note also that sometimes a sentence may contain two or more Main Verbs, connected
by the words like 'and', 'but', 'or'.
The boss is very angry and speaks rudely to Mary.
The rats grew more slowly, stayed younger-looking longer, and died
much later.
The Subject and the Complement can be made up of one word, a group of words or
a clause (a part of a sentence with its own verb).
Study the following sentences to see how the Subject and the Complement are
expressed.
The Subject:
People express their personalities in their clothes, their cars and their homes.
The instructors of these classes are sometimes psychologists.
People with the sign of Taurus prefer healthful fruits and vegetables.
Riding in a car is thirty times more dangerous than flying.
Not getting enough sleep is a serious matter for teens.
The Complement:
People have always been interested in dreams.
Artists and writers have painted and discussed dreams in one form or another.
Maybe some people are afraid of the crowds and all the noise and people rushing
around at an airport.
Yoga may show that you are experiencing a sense of inner peace and calmness.
- 73 -
Remember!
A sentence is not a string of isolated words. While reading, focus your attention
on the three basic sentence elements:
- Subject
- Verb
- Complement
They will give you the main idea of the sentence.
Exercise
Read the following sentences. Underline the main verb.
1. Color plays an important role in dreams.
2. Certain experts believe that animals also have meanings in dreams.
3. Despite knowing all this, we keep buying the advertised products.
4. The ‘typical’ North American diet now includes food from many different
countries.
5. Communication involves much more than just speaking a common
language.
6. In addition, personal styles and preferences affect our behavior with
others.
7. He often stole money from Leonardo.
8. Fortunately, Leonardo’s kindness helped Salaino to become honest.
9. Most of the drivers talking on the phone were late in braking for a red light.
10. Rain forests are now being destroyed by chemicals.
11. Hollander was surprised and dismayed by what he found.
- 74 -
4. Reference Words
When we speak of REFERENCE words, we mean words which REFER to other words.
Often, they are pronouns or words that replace or refer to people, things or ideas
already mentioned in the text. Without knowing what the word REFERS to, we can't
understand the sentence.
But, there are rules and clues to help us with this! For example, when a sentence
begins with an action, the subject right after the comma is our reference:

Walking down the street, she sensed someone following
her.
"she" is the person walking down the street and in order to know who she is, we have
to look at a previous sentence or sometimes, a sentence that follows.

Jane had this eery feeling. Walking down the street, she felt
someone following her.
We still don't know who was following her, but we know that Jane is the one walking
down the street and she also doesn't know who's following her, does she?
Moving on to more sophisticated language, such as the kind we'll meet in our academic
texts, we will be surrounded by references.
In the sentence above, who is "moving on?" WE are!
And what is "the kind we'll meet?" The sophisticated language!
Let's look at some simpler examples to make sure you understand references:

He looked exhausted.

Merav ate the chocolate one.

Everybody likes him.
We do not know exactly WHO looked exhausted, WHAT Merav ate or WHO everyone
likes.
The information isn't provided in these sentences.
Now, look at these and
answer:
1. I saw David. He looked exhausted.
Who looked exhausted? ___________
2. I ate an apple cake at the reception and Merav ate the
chocolate one.
What did Merav eat? _____________________
3. Ronnie is so popular. Everyone likes him.
Who does everyone like? _______________
- 75 -
Reference words usually refer back to something, or someone already mentioned
in the text. They may also refer to something later in the text.
Common REFERENCE WORDS are:
he, she, it, they, him, her, them, his, its, their, ones, this, that, these, those, here,
there, now, then, such.
Exercises on references
1: Those kids are so rude and loud. Such behavior is unacceptable here.
What does such refer to? _______________
2. Instead of encouraging excellence, many educators have decided not to fail their
students.
They say that leading children through a system of high demands would hurt their
feelings. It would make them feel bad about themselves and damage the "selfesteem" of low achievers.
i) They refers to: (circle correct answer)
a. students
b. educators
c. excellence
ii) It refers to:
a. educators
b. excellence
c. making high demands / failing students
3. Although not encouraged, bullying continues to be a problem for many children
because it is widely tolerated.
Why does bullying continue to be a problem for many children?
_________________________________________________
4. Parents, teachers and social scientists are troubled by the kinds of TV programs
children watch. They are concerned about their impact on young children.
a. Who is concerned about the impact on children?
______________________________________________
b. What has an impact on young children?
______________________________________________
- 76 -
5. The need to travel will diminish as we communicate more electronically; in this
way, electronic mobility will increasingly replace physical mobility.
How will electronic mobility replace physical mobility?
Because ________________________________________________.
6. Teachers can supervise school hallways by standing in the doorways of their
classrooms during the break. They need to be taught what to look for when checking
for bullying.
Who has to learn what to look for in the hallways? _____________________
7. Educators quite rightly point out that many of their students are handicapped by
factors such as neglectful or abusive parents, poverty or English as a second
language. On the other hand, none of these conditions is new. If we were able to
question teachers from past generations, they would surely confirm that their
students also suffered from social handicaps.
a) In this passage, who feels that students are handicapped?
______________
b) The reasons for the students' difficulties or social handicaps in school
might be:
a. __________________________________
b. __________________________________
c. __________________________________
c) These are new conditions.
TRUE / FALSE
Support your answer by quoting from the text:
___________________________________________________________
- 77 -
5. Connectives
Overview
Connectives, also known as ‘markers’ or ‘transition words’ help us to follow the
connections between different parts of the text, the paragraph or the sentence.
Consider the following pairs of sentences:
a. The boy was sick. He ate too much ice cream.
b. The boy was sick because he ate too much ice
cream.
c. They studied hard for the test. They didn’t pass
d.
Although they studied hard for the test, they didn’t
pass.
Identifying and understanding the connectives in the text helps us to follow the
development of the article.
Read the following paragraphs:
Paragraph A
Research indicates that AIBO, a robotic dog, is an ideal pet for the elderly. They do not
need to exert themselves by looking after it. Developing emotional bonds with it can
improve their morale and reduce their blood pressure. AIBO acts just like a real dog: it
whines when scolded and makes a noise when praised. It is not difficult to become
attached to it.
As you have probably noticed, Paragraph A was not easy to read because there is no
clear connection between the ideas in the text. Now compare it to paragraph B below.
Paragraph B
Research indicates that AIBO, a robotic dog, is an ideal pet for the elderly. On the one
hand, they do not need to exert themselves by looking after it; on the other hand,
developing emotional bonds with it can result in improved morale or even reduced
blood pressure. Since AIBO acts just like a real dog, for example, it whines when
scolded and makes a happy noise when praised, it is not difficult to become attached to
it.
Note that the text in Passage B is easier to understand because the relationship
between ideas is made clear through the use of connectives.
- 78 -
Connectives may be grouped together according to the type of relationship they
indicate.
Here are some of the most common groups:
Relationship
Connective
and, another, as well,
Addition
in addition, furthermore,
Example
He’s not only a brilliant student, he works as
well. In addition, he has a family and he has
many hobbies too.
moreover, too, also,
besides, not only…but
also, as well as, apart
Green also shows these same qualities but
shows the dreamer gets great pleasure from
simple things as well. (DREAMS)
from
first, second, third,
Order
according to
logic or time
sequence
first of all, secondly,
finally,
last but not least, then,
after that, before, at the
end, while, when, since,
First of all, I don’t even know her. Secondly,
even if I did know her, I wouldn’t go out with
her and finally, she was not the person you
saw last night!
When people get a good education...they
can improve their lives. (CHANGES IN THE
FAMILY)
soon, until, during,
one, another, a further,
Lists
one of the, and,
commas , ,
One of the major reasons for this change in
the family is the change in how people earn
their money. (CHANGES IN THE FAMILY)
for example, e.g. , for
Example,
explanation
instance, such as, that
is, i.e. , in other words,
like
punctuation marks such
as
:
- () ,
Some immigrants, e.g. British people, find it
difficult to lose their foreign accents
completely – Israelis will always recognize
them as English speakers. Even Israelis
who have been here for many years, such as
Shimon Peres, have not lost their accents.
Their days are filled with activities like
knitting, painting, music, and sports.
(SCHOOL PHOBIA)
- 79 -
similar, similarly, in the
Comparison,
similarity
same way, like, alike
as…as, just as…so,
both, also, too, equally,
more / fewer than,
Just as immigrants find it difficult to lose
their accent in Hebrew, so Hebrew speakers
can usually be recognized when they speak
English.
Today more and more families work in
factories...(CHANGES IN THE FAMILY)
higher than,
but, however, on the
Contrast
other hand, unlike,
while, whereas, instead
of,
rather than, conversely,
contrary to
I love learning languages, but for many
people it is a chore. Unlike me, they see it as
a punishment rather than pleasure.
On the other hand, if you dream of bears, it
shows that you will be victorious over your
enemies. (DREAMS)
The West has had nuclear families instead of
extended families since the Industrial
Revolution (CHANGES IN THE FAMILY)
despite, yet, although,
Contrary to
expectation
even though, even if
nevertheless, still,
He was looking forward to the trip to
London. Yet the wet weather nearly spoilt
the holiday. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed it.
though
Words followed by the
Cause, effect
and purpose
cause: because (of),
as, since, due to, owing
to, as a consequence
of, as a result of, result
from, thanks to, come
They told about mothers …hitting out at
them because there was no money to
buy…dope. (WHEN PARENTS SAY YES TO
DRUGS)
These differences have their roots in
childhood; they arise from the child’s
personality, the parent’s responses to the
child’s anger…(COPING WITH ANGER)
from, stem from, arise
from
Words preceded by a
cause (x): x causes,
x leads to
___________________
Shouting and screaming nearly always result
from a failure to deal with the anger properly
(COPING WITH ANGER)
The profit motive also leads dealers to
change all drugs…(LEGALIZATION OF
DRUGS)
______________________________________
words followed by an
effect or result: hence, Crack, a kind of cocaine, is inexpensive to
produce, easy to transport, highly addictive,
therefore, thus, as a
and thus very profitable. (LEGALIZATION OF
DRUGS)
result, result in,
consequently, so, leads
- 80 -
to, causes
words followed by a
purpose: in order to,
In addition, addicts often commit crimes…in
order to support their drug habits.
(LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS)
to (+ verb), so that,
in the hope that
Read the following text and pay attention to the connectives (including
punctuation marks).
Answer the questions that follow.
Identical Twins
1.
Is it environment or do the genes we inherit from our parents make
us who we are? In the search for answers, scientists have studied identical
twins because they share exactly the same genes. They have discovered
that even if the twins have grown up apart, they often display similar
personalities and behavior traits.
2.
Jim Springer and Jim Lewis were identical twins. They were born in
Ohio in the U.S. in 1939. Soon after their birth, the baby boys were
adopted by different families. When the twins met for the first time, after
39 years, they found out that they had been living 60 kilometers apart.
Both men were astonished that their lives had developed along such
similar lines. They were both named James by their adoptive parents.
3.
Each had married twice, to women with the same names. Jim
Springer called his son James AlIen and Jim Lewis called his son James
Alan. Both had driven the same kind of car and enjoyed the same hobby - carpentry. As well as suffering from the same medical problems, the Jim
twins responded almost exactly alike when tested for personality traits
such as flexibility, self control and sociability. In 2002 they both died of
the same illness, on the same day!
4. Identical British twins, Barbara Herbert and Daphne Goodship, were
raised by different families and met for the first time after 40 years.
Despite their separation, these women's personalities and the events in
their lives were strangely similar.
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5.
Barbara and Daphne had both grown up outside of London. Both had
left school at 14, had fallen down the stairs at 15 and had met their future
husbands at 16. They were frightened of heights and both drank their
coffee cold. When they met for the first time, they were both wearing
cream-colored dresses and brown velvet jackets. People called them the
Giggle Twins because they had the same way of bursting into laughter.
Psychologists feel sure that the Giggle Twins have inherited aspects of
their laugh sounds and patterns, their readiness to laugh and perhaps even
their taste in humor. Until they had met each other, neither of these
exceptionally happy ladies had known anyone who laughed as much as
she did.
6.
After having examined hundreds of pairs of identical twins to find
answers to their questions, psychologists still can't say for sure which is
stronger, genetic inheritance or the environment in which twins are
raised. So what do you think?
Bibliography/Works Cited: Dr. Thomas J. Bouchard, University of Minnesota; Good
Housekeeping, February 1980
Questions
1. Classify the connectives by placing them in the following table:
Addition
Order
Lists
Examples or Comparisons Contrast
Explanations
Contrary to
Cause,
Expectations
Result,
Purpose
2. Why have scientists studied identical twins?
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Complete the sentence using a connective from the above table.
In some cases twins may grow up apart. _________________ they often still have
the same personalities and traits.
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4. How many years were the ‘Jim ‘twins apart before they met? _________
5. Name three similarities between the twins:
a. ____________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________
6. Name one hobby they shared: __________________________.
7. How many examples of similar personality traits are listed? _______.
What are they:__________________________________________
8. What are the three events the British twins experienced before age 18?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
.
- 83 -
Connectives of Addition & Order
Connectives of addition tell us that the writer will add more information on a certain
topic.
Some connectives introduce ideas that add to the thought which was already
mentioned. Other connectives show that one event is added to another and signal time
order.
The following is a list of connectives that express addition
and
moreover
then
also
furthermore
besides
As well
in addition
as well as
not only….. but also
another
first, second, third…….
finally
Exercise
Read the following paragraphs. Circle the connectives of addition
Answer the questions.
1. When interviewed for the survey, people said they prefer watching television
to reading books because watching television is very relaxing and they do not
have to think. Another reason for the change in reading habits is that people are
spending more time at the computer surfing the Internet and playing computer
games.
Q
Name the reasons for the loss of interest in reading
a._________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________
2. In most cases these young people rediscovered enthusiasm for education.
Moreover, being trusted with “cool,” expensive technology such as portable
computers, with games and learning materials, was a new experience for some: it
helped raise their self -esteem, build trust and encourage greater responsibility.
Q
How did the young people benefit from the technology?
a._________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________
- 84 -
3.
Modern technology deprives us of sensory experiences linked to writing, and
we are fighting back”, explains the pencil club founder Henry Barnett. “Moreover,
your whole personality is expressed in your handwriting, especially when you use
a pencil. Obviously nothing of the sort happens with computers.” There is another
factor to the pencil’s success. Since it is made entirely of organic materials, it
causes no ecological problems.
Q
Name the reasons for the pencil’s success.
a._______________________________________________
b.________________________________________________
c._________________________________________________
4. On tests evaluating critical thinking, teenagers playing chess showed around
a 20 percent improvement as opposed to a 5 percent increase for the students
doing other activities. Besides, their concentration improved and their interest in
schoolwork increased. Their self-esteem became higher as well.
Q
How did playing chess affect teenagers?
a.____________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________
c.____________________________________________________
d.____________________________________________________
5.
Some countries have compulsory military service and they oblige all young
people to serve in the army for a certain period of time. Others operate their
military service on a strictly voluntary basis.
Q
Name the styles of army service mentioned in this paragraph.
a.________________________________________________
b.________________________________________________
- 85 -
6.
The peer group – people in the same age group -- serves a number of
important functions. It not only gives individuals experiences, which they cannot
obtain within the family, but also provides for the development of social skills. In
addition to these functions, the existence of a peer group gives individuals a
chance to achieve status by their own efforts. The peer group also provides
friends as well as potential marriage partners. Moreover, by the natural mixing of
people from different backgrounds, the peer group helps to integrate different
community groups.
Q: List the functions of a peer group.
a._____________________________________________________
b._____________________________________________________
c._____________________________________________________
d._____________________________________________________
e._____________________________________________________
f._____________________________________________________
- 86 -
Connectives of Cause and Result
The table below contains the list of connectives of cause and result.
Cause
Result
Verbs of Cause and Result
because
so
to cause
because of
as a result
to lead to
as a result of
therefore
to bring about
since
consequently
to result in
for
thus
to result from
as
hence
due to
that’s why
owing to
Exercise
Read the following sentences. Circle the connectives of Cause and Result.
Then fill in the charts of cause and result.
1. Recently it has been suggested that dreaming has a role in how we learn.
Experiments have shown that memory is better after a good night’s sleep, so
studying all night before exams is not a good idea.
─►
2. Interpreting dreams can be fun, but there is still scientific evidence that dreams
are nothing but dreams. Therefore, don’t take them seriously.
─►
3. Since left-handed people are in the minority, they may find it hard to make their
voices heard.
─►
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4. We are used to getting together in groups. This results from the fact that
humans are social animals in the first place.
─►
5. A word of caution: do not attempt to trek unless you are healthy, reasonably fit
and well equipped because the climate, unfamiliar food and mountain trails can
all pose hazards.
─►
6. Youngsters need a different kind of leadership, for they are less committed to a
long-term career, they are more materialistic and more questioning.
a.____________________
b.____________________
─►
c.____________________
7. Because New Jersey roads are heavily congested, there are many traffic jams.
As a result, drivers often become aggressive.
a._____________________
a._____________________
─►
b._____________________
b.______________________
8. Roads play an important part in everyone’s lives. That’s why the New Jersey
governor is well aware that road safety is an issue which could even cost him
his job.
─►
- 88 -
9.
Research shows that many people do not check bank balances and sometimes
even
throw away bank statements or put them away unopened since they are
afraid of
dealing with their financial situation.
a.______________________
─►
b.______________________
c._______________________
10.
The fact that so many young people are affected by financial phobia is a
particularly
worrying phenomenon as many banks concentrate their efforts on
persuading young
people to open accounts with them.
─►
11. The parents’ claim that they were unaware of the dangers, their daughters were
exposed to while eating hamburgers regularly, are caused by the fact that the fast
food company did not reveal the ingredients used in the preparation of its food. In
fact, the father stated he had always believed that hamburgers were healthy.
─►
- 89 -
Connectives of Contrast
The writer may contrast ideas or things and in that way point out how they are
different.
The following is a list of connectives which signal that we should expect a difference
(contrast) between things, ideas or situations.
but
although
whereas
in contrast
yet
even though
unlike
contrary to
still
(though)
rather than
nonetheless
however
nevertheless
instead
on the other hand
in spite of (despite)
while
Exercise
Read the following paragraphs. Circle the connectives of Contrast. Then fill in the
charts of contrasted ideas.
1.
A red face is commonly associated with anger and aggression, so a bright red shirt
may frighten your competitor. On the other hand, red clothes could actually make the
wearer feel more aggressive. Maybe you get brave when you pull on a red shirt!
≠
2.
Home karaoke equipment has always been available to those who could afford it.
Recently, however, thanks to lower prices and more sophisticated technology, more
and more people are entertaining their friends and family in the privacy of their home.
≠
- 90 -
3. The researchers point out that a person can have a few friends but still feel
lonely or very much alone even when surrounded by friends.
≠
4. Although science has found out a lot about how our brains work during
dreaming, we still know little about why we dream.
≠
5. While most members are women in their 20’s and 30’s, Diets ( a diet web-site)
does not target a specific demographic community.
≠
6.
The right-handers use the right hemisphere of their brains to take in the big picture - a forest for example – left-handers, however, use the right part of the brain to focus
on details, such as trees.
≠
7. If someone said you were clever, you would probably take it as a compliment.
However, recent studies have suggested that what successful people have in
their favor is not a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) score , but a high degree of
Emotional Intelligence, sometimes referred to as EQ (Emotional Quotient)
a.______________________
a.______________________
≠
b.______________________
b.______________________
- 91 -
8. Important elements of our self-image come from being part of group,” says Dr.
Douglas Howat of Coventry University. “Most people enjoy being part of a group
-- it’s a way of forming emotionally satisfying relationships. Yet, being in a group
changes the way you behave. The presence of others has a generally
stimulating effect on the nervous system.
≠
9. The number of parents who take their children’s athletic performances too
personally is increasing. The reasons are varied. While some parents would like
to relive imaginary past glories through the successes of their children, others
want their children to compete on an international level and to become a highly
paid professional. However, the most likely reason is that modern society is very
competitive and this is sharply reflected in parents’ attitudes to sport.
a.______________________
a._______________________
______________________
______________________
≠
b._______________________
b.______________________
______________________
______________________
10. Parental obsession with winning leaves young children frustrated and confused.
Many children think that their parents are sending them mixed messages. On
the one hand, they are taught the Olympic principle that participating is more
important than winning, but on the other, they are being pressured to excel at
any cost. As one child said, ”My father always tells me that it’s only a game. So
why does he get angry when we lose?”
≠
- 92 -
11. After spotting Vallor’s viruses on the Internet, the FBI computer crime unit
discovered that they had originated in Britain so they alerted the British police.
Yet, the only information their British counterparts could supply was the hacker’s
nickname – Gobo.
≠
- 93 -
Connectives of Comparison
The writer may compare ideas or things and in that way, point out how they are the
same.
The following is a list of connectives that signal that we should expect
a comparison between things, ideas or situations.
Connectors of Comparison
Longer Expressions of Comparison
similarly
In the same way,
similar
X is similar to Y in that (they)...
both
X and Y are similar in that (they)...
like
Like X, Y [verb]...
likewise
In like manner,
...the same...
One way in which X is similar to Y is
(that)...
.. the same as...
Another way in which X is similar to Y
is (that)...
Exercise 1
Complete the following paragraph with an appropriate connective. Use the words
from the word bank.
in the same
way
another
similarity
whereas
while
likewise
similarly
too
both
however
Even though they come from different cultures, John and his wife are alike in several
ways. First, they are__________________ thirty-two years old. In fact, their birthdays
are in the same month. Hers is on July 10, and his is on July 20. _________ is that they
both grew up in large cities. Helene was born and raised in Paris, and John comes from
Yokohama. Third, their hobbies are alike _________. Helene devotes a lot of her free
time to playing jazz piano. _________, John likes to spend time after work strumming
his guitar. A more important similarity concerns their values. For example, Helene has
strong opinions about educating their children and raising them to know right from
wrong. John feels _________. Their children should receive a good education and also
have strong moral training. In conclusion, John and Helene are very much in sync in
their values
- 94 -
Exercise 2
Read the following paragraphs. Circle the connectives of comparison. Then fill
in the charts of compared ideas.
1. My hometown and my college town have several things in common.
First, both are small rural communities. __________________ is compared to
__________________.
What is the same? _______________________________________
What is the connector of comparison? ________________
2. For example, my hometown, Gridlock, has a population of only about 10,000
people. Similarly, my college town, Jersey, has about 11,000 local
residents. This population grows to 15,000 people when the college students
are attending classes.
The__________________ of Gridlock is compared to the _________________
of Jersey.
What is the same?_________________________________________
What is the connector of comparison? ________________
3. A second way in which these two towns are similar is that they are both located in
rural areas.
The________________ of Gridlock is the same as the _________________ of
Jersey.
What is the same?_________________________________
What is the connector of comparison?__________________
4. Gridlock is surrounded by many acres of farmland that is devoted mainly to
growing corn and soybeans. In the same way, Jersey lies in the center of
farmland that is used to raise hogs and cattle.
Growing corn and soybeans is NOT the same as raising hogs and cattle.
What is the same? ___________________________
What is the connector of comparison? ________________________
5. Thirdly, these towns are similar in that they contain college campuses.
What in each town is the same? _________________________________
What is the connector of comparison? ____________________________
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6. Gridlock is home to Neutron College, which is famous for its Agricultural
Economics program as well as for its annual Corn-Watching Festival. Likewise, the
town of Jersey boasts the beautiful campus of Quark College, which is well known
for its Agricultural Engineering department and also for its yearly Hog-Calling
Contest.
Each college has an ________________________ program. Each college
has a yearly or annual _____________________.
What is the connector of comparison? ____________________________
- 96 -
Connectives of Examples & Main Idea
Connectives of exemplification point to examples, explanations and illustrations
of general ideas in texts.
The following is a list of connectives which signal that we should expect an example of
some thing or idea mentioned before.
for example
like
e.g.
for instance
to illustrate
specifically
such as
to demonstrate
i.e.
Exercise
Read the following paragraphs and circle the connectives. Then answer the
questions that follow.
1. It seems that many animals have a natural ability to treat themselves when
they get ill. Recently researchers have studied this ability among a large
number of wild animals and have come up with some very interesting findings.
Sheep, for example, when infected with parasites, eat more protein to make up
for food loss. Gorillas and chimpanzees often eat clay when they have an
upset stomach.
Q: What do the examples of sheep and gorillas illustrate?
___________________________________________________________
2. Even experienced filmmakers like Steven Spielberg make mistakes or
“bloopers” in their movies. Bloopers sometimes occur when somebody is not
good at geography. For example, a scene from Jurassic Park takes place in
San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica In the film we can see the sea through the
trees. This is surprising because San Jose is more than 200 kilometers from
the coast and 1000 meters above the sea level!
a. Steven Spielberg is mentioned as an example of an experienced
filmmaker
who ________________________________________________.
b. The sea in San Jose illustrates the idea that _______________________
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3. Many sports are closely connected to specific countries and cultures. Cricket,
for instance, is often associated with British culture, whereas baseball is
considered a typically American game.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?
_______________________________________________________________
4
Sometimes parental anxiety and ambition get out of hand. In fact, a friendly
game can turn quite ugly when parents are not pleased with their children’s
sporting results. In California, for example, an angry man attacked the coach of
his child’s baseball team, and in Wisconsin a mother went to court after her
daughter’s team lost an important soccer match.
What do the examples of angry parents’ behavior illustrate?
_________________________________________________________________
5.
Human behavior is a result of a person’s heredity and environment.
Heredity refers to the characteristics we get from our parents, like our intelligence
and our ability to sing. Environment refers to the influence of the world around
us, like family, school and friends. But how we behave is a combination of two
factors, heredity and environment. It is difficult to know which has more influence
on our actions.
a. Give two examples of inherited characteristics.
1.________________________________________
2.________________________________________
b. Give three examples of environmental factors.
1._________________________________________
2.__________________________________________
3.__________________________________________
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Review of Connectives
Exercise1
Read the following sentences. Underline the connectives and indicate what kind of
relationship they express. Choose from the possibilities below.
A – Addition
B – Cause and Result
D – Contrast
E -- Example
_____ 1. He knew the accident was not his fault. However, he felt responsible.
_____ 2. As he wanted to give expression to his ideas, he started to paint.
_____ 3. Certain foods, for example tomatoes and oranges, contain a lot of vitamin C..
_____ 4. People should work toward a better society instead of complaining about the
existing society.
_____ 5. Besides selling greeting cards, the store also sells gifts.
_____ 6. They went surfing despite the cold weather.
_____ 7. The trip was postponed due to the weather.
_____ 8. Even though she wants nothing more to do with him, he still loves her.
_____ 9. The working man spends most of his time out of the house, while the working
woman must divide her time between her career and her family.
_____ 10.He is very talented. He speaks five languages. In addition, he plays two
musical instruments.
_____ 11.She woke up late this morning; therefore, she missed the bus.
_____ 12.Parents use punishments and rewards since they want to teach their
children appropriate social behavior.
_____ 13.Mass communication, such as radio, television and newspapers, has become
very powerful.
_____ 14. Drug abuse among teenagers is increasing at an alarming rate. While
experts have many explanations for this dramatic increase, there is little they
can do to solve the problem.
- 99 -
Exercise 2
Circle the correct answer.
1. Yael was embarrassed ___________she didn't know the answer to a very simple
question.
a. due to
b. despite
c. because
d. though
2. __________her embarrassment, she didn't leave the restaurant.
a. Although
b. In spite of
c. In addition to
d. Because
3. We didn't pay much for the shirts _______________they were made of good quality
material.
a. such as
b. although
c. as
d. and
4. Alon managed to fall asleep __________________the noise outside his window.
a. in spite of
b. because of
c. yet
d. moreover
5. ___________________ his friend's advice, he joined the rival company.
a. However
b. Despite
c. Because
d. Besides
6. Jessie decided to stay at home _____________________the pains in her stomach.
a. because of
b. besides
c. although
d. since
7. ________________ he had prepared for the test, he did not pass it.
a. As a result
b. Although
c. Because
d. Owing to
8.________________ Leon liked science so much, he decided to study it at university.
a. In spite of
b. Owing to
c. Although
d. Since
9.___________________ unforeseen circumstances, the concert was cancelled.
a. Due to
b. So
c. Although
d. Despite
10. It was late, _________________ Lucy agreed to help her friend.
a. moreover
b. nevertheless
c. besides d. in addition
11. He had promised to come on time, _________________ , he arrived late.
a.. therefore
b. consequently
c. .furthermore
d. however
12. Cindy decided to go sailing __________________she loved the feel of the wind on
her face.
a. although
b. since
c. despite
- 100 -
d. yet
Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences.
1. Although it was raining heavily,___________________________________.
2. Since it was raining heavily, _____________________________________.
3. Jack moved to a new neighborhood because _______________________.
4. Jack moved to a new neighborhood whereas _______________________.
5. Jack moved to a new neighborhood although_______________________.
6. The political scandal became a sensation after ______________________.
7. The political scandal became a sensation despite ____________________.
8. The political scandal became a sensation because of ________________.
9. The political scandal became a sensation as a result of _______________.
- 101 -
6. Vocabulary Development
Bibliography: Reading Comprehension < www.rhlschool.com>
Guessing Word Meanings from Context
A. Ryan is a great inventor. However, I don’t think that his latest invention, edible socks,
is likely to be too successful. Not many people want to eat socks. There are some
things in life that should remain inedible.
Which word means “fit to be eaten”? -
________________
Which word means “not fit to be eaten”? _________________
B. Marsha is really an introvert. When I took her to Jason’s party, she sat in a corner
without speaking to anyone. All she did was eat most of the snacks. The only reason
she hangs out with me is because I never try to force her to be sociable. She would
never forgive me if I introduced her to anyone.
An introvert is usually _____.
a. friendly
b. hungry
c. unclean
d. shy
C. Sunshine said, “Amber, why are you making such a big deal about Robert’s hair?
Yes, he did dye it purple. It is rather unusual for a guy to have purple hair. On the other
hand, it’s not exactly going to change the course of world history. It’s really quite a trivial
matter.”
What does “trivial” mean?
a. strange
b. unimportant
c. disgusting
d. dangerous
- 102 -
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow. Guess the words
you don’t know, rather than looking them up in a dictionary.
New President
1
The United States has a new president. Americans are hopeful that George W.
Bush will succeed in dealing with some of the major problems that our
nation faces. Some feel that the task will be made extremely difficult by the
controversial way that the election ended.
5
Others are very confident that our new leader is a man who will bring people
together to get things done.
President Bush’s top priority will be to improve education in our country. He is
determined to see that no child will ever fail. He believes that local school districts
should decide how to meet national standards. The president insists that parents
10
should have greater choices about which schools their kids attend. He will work
hard to find areas of agreement between the opposing parties so that important
education reforms will become law.
Bibliography: Reading Comprehension www.rhlschool.com Word Meanings from
Context
New President - Exercises
A. Find the Synonyms:
1.
“ important” (L 2)
2.
“nation” (L 5)
3.
“make better” (L7)-
4..
“having a lot of disagreement”(L11) - _______________
-
______________
-
______________
______________
B. Find the Opposite:
“succeed” (L 8) -
______________
C. Find the References:
1.
“our” L-2
-
_______________
2.
“others” L-5
-
_______________
3.
“he” L-8
-
________________
4.
“their” L-10
-
________________
- 103 -
D. Complete the sentence:
Some Americans are of the opinion that handling major problems will be very hard
because of the _____________________________________________________.
E. Circle the correct words:
President Bush wants to achieve the cause / result that education reforms will
become law by finding agreement between agreeing / disagreeing parties.
- 104 -
Part Three
***
Reading Passages
- 105 -
Food Personalities
1. People express their personalities in their clothes, their cars, and their homes.
Because we might choose certain foods to "tell" people something about us, our diets
can also be an expression of our personalities. For example, some people eat mainly
gourmet foods, such as caviar and lobster, and they eat only in expensive restaurants
(never in cafeterias or snack bars). They might want to "tell" the world that they know
about the "better things in life."
2. Human beings can eat many different kinds of food, but some people choose not to
eat meat. Vegetarians often have more in common than just their diet. Their personalities
might be similar, too. For example, vegetarians in the United States may be creative
people, and they might not enjoy competitive sports or jobs. They worry about the health of
the world, and they probably don't believe in war.
3. Some people eat mostly "fast food." One study shows that many fast-food eaters
have a lot in common with one another, but they are very different from vegetarians.
They are competitive and good at business. They are also usually in a hurry. Many
fast-food eaters might not agree with this description of their personalities, but it is a
common picture of them.
4. Some people also believe that people of the same astrological sign have similar food
personalities. Arians (born under the sign of Aries, between March 21 and April 19)
usually like spicy food, with a lot of onions and pepper. People with the sign of Taurus
(April 20 to May 20) prefer healthful fruits and vegetables, but they often eat too much.
Sagittarians (November 22 to December 21) like ethnic foods from many different
countries. Aquarians (January 20 to February 18) can eat as much meat and fish as
they want, but sugar and cholesterol are sometimes problems for them.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Mark R. Vogel, Food For Thought, July 27, 2005.
Astrology.com Food Scopes
- 106 -
Food Personalities - Comprehension Questions
1. Why can our diets be an expression of our personalities?
________________________________________________________________
2. What do the examples in paragraph 1 show?
________________________________________________________________
3. Vegetarians are similar only in their diet.
True/ False
Support your answer by quoting from the text
_____________________________________________________________
4. Name THREE characteristics of the vegetarians in the USA.
a. _________________________________________
b. _________________________________________
c. _________________________________________
5. Paragraphs 2, 3: Complete the sentence
Unlike vegetarians, fast-food eaters are ________________________________.
6. The writer says about fast-food eaters: “It’s a common picture of them.” What is the
“common picture” he is referring to?
______________________________________________________________
7. Mark the following food personalities with F for fast-food eaters and V for
vegetarians.
_____
Don’t like competitive jobs.
_____ Believe in peace in the world.
_____ Never have enough time.
_____ Care for the environment.
_____ Succeed in business.
- 107 -
8. The examples in paragraph 4 illustrate the idea that ____________________
_______________________________________________________________.
9. According to paragraph 4, which two groups of people may have problems with their
diets?
a. _________________________
b. _________________________
10. Copy the sentence that best summarizes the main idea of the text.
________________________________________________________________
11. SUMMARY CLOZE
Complete the blank spaces with ONE word only.
People often express their 1) ________________ through the food they eat. For
example, people who eat in 2) ________________ restaurants may want to show that
they know about the pleasures of life. Vegetarians choose not to eat
3) _________________. Many vegetarians share some characteristics. For instance,
they are not 4) ___________________ and are against
5) ________________. Fast-food eaters, on the other hand, are competitive and
successful in 6) _________________. People of the same astrological sign may also
have 7) _________________ food personalities. For example, Arians enjoy 8)
________ food and Sagittarians like foods from various 9) __________________.
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Losing Sleep
1. Molly Melamed, 17, crawls out of bed at 6:00 a.m. and dashes to school for her
7:20 a.m. class. After school, she's off to student council meetings, guitar lessons or
one of her two jobs. She comes home to homework and phone calls with her friends,
then drops into bed at 11:00 p.m. Melamed knows she will pay a price for her lack of
sleep. But she only realized that not sleeping enough can actually be dangerous when
a friend fell asleep at the wheel and was killed in a car crash.
2. A new study shows that on average, teenagers are getting about two hours less sleep
a night than they need. This puts them at risk for car accidents, falling asleep in class and
moody behavior. Adolescent sleep researcher, Mary Carskadon, found that on average,
teens got seven hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night. For optimal functioning, they
need nine hours and 15 minutes, although realistically they can function on eight hours
and 15 minutes, she says.
3. Not getting enough sleep is a serious matter for teens. Of the estimated 100,000 car
crashes a year linked to driving when sleepy, almost half involve drivers aged 15 to 24.
And experts say that the number of teen car crashes from falling asleep at the wheel is
even higher than reported because "sleepiness doesn't show up on the autopsy."
4. Experts, parents and teachers are troubled by this lack of sleep among adolescents
for other reasons too. Students who are tired are more likely to fall asleep in class. They
are less able to concentrate, learn and solve problems. The irony is that many students
are staying up late to study so they can get into good colleges.
5. When young people don't get the sleep they need, it changes the way they look
at life, Carskadon says. "Kids walk around under a grey cloud. Things that are happy
and pleasant seem less so. And things that are sad and unpleasant seem more so."
Bibliography/Works Cited:
Hellmich, Nanci. A Teen Thing: Loosing Sleep, March, 2000. USA Today. December
3, 2001
Jung, MaryAnne. Are Teenagers Getting Enough Sleep? August, 2001. St. Mary’s
Medical Center. December 3, 2001
Lanford, Elizabeth. Sleep Requirements-Teenagers, January, 2000. Brown University
School of Medicine. December 1, 2001
- 109 -
Potter, Kristen. Dozing Off In Class, March, 2000. The MacGraw Hill Companies.
December 1, 2001
Randall, Peter. Sleepy Teens Behing the Wheel, September, 2001. The Gaylord
Hospital. December 3, 2001
Tiffen, Ralph. Teens, Sleep, and School, April, 1998. Washington D.C. PRN newswire.
December 1, 2001
Losing Sleep - Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraph 1 presents an example of
a.
falling asleep at the wheel.
b.
a student who has paid a price.
c.
a person who sleeps too much.
d.
a young person with little time to sleep.
2. Complete the following sentence.
Molly found out that lack of sleep was actually ______________when a
friend who ______________ while driving was ________________.
3. Complete the following sentence. (Paragraph 2)
On the average, teenagers sleep _______________ hours less than they
need to be at their best.
4. According to experts, how much more sleep does Molly Melamed need in order
to be at her best?"_____________
5. Why do experts say that the estimated number of crashes which are caused
by a lack of sleep is too low? (Paragraph 3)
a. There are an estimated 100,000 car crashes a year.
b.
Sleepiness cannot be proven as a cause of death.
c.
Almost half involved drivers 15 to 24 years old.
d.
Too little sleep is a serious matter.
- 110 -
6.
According to paragraph 4, the irony is that the students who lose sleep in
order to study
a. cannot get into good colleges.
b. are unable to learn as a result of being tired.
c. must learn to solve problems.
d. stay up late.
7. According to the expert quoted in paragraph 5, when a young person is sleepy,
a. things are happy and pleasant.
b. he sees things differently.
c.
walking around often helps.
d.
he can hardly walk around.
8. The research quoted in the passage mentions several ways that a lack of
sleep affects teenagers. Name THREE of them.
1. __________________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________
3.___________________________________________________________________
- 111 -
Is One Kid Enough?
By Marina Krakovsky, Psychology Today Magazine, Jan/Feb 2005
1.
Why do people keep having kids? After all, children cost their parents more in
food and college tuition than they bring in by, say, working the family farm. And in
developed countries where parents feel the financial pinch, birthrates have dropped
accordingly.
2.
Conventional wisdom dictates that people become parents because children
bring joy. But do they really? For scientists studying the subject, simply correlating
parenthood and happiness can't answer this question, since happy people might be
more likely to have kids to begin with. But a recent study that compared happiness
levels in adult identical twins — some of whom are parents and some who aren't — may
be getting to the bottom of the issue.
3. The study, headed by sociology professor Hans-Peter Kohler of the University of
Pennsylvania, found that people with children are, in fact, happier than those without
children. But such happiness gains differ for mothers and fathers.
4. In comparing identical twins, Kohler found that mothers with one child are about
20 percent happier than their childless counterparts; and while fathers' happiness
gains are smaller, men enjoy an almost 75 percent larger happiness boost from a
firstborn son than from a firstborn daughter. The first child's sex doesn't matter to
mothers, perhaps because women are better than men at enjoying the company of
both girls and boys, Kohler speculates.
5. Interestingly, second and third children don't add to parents' happiness at all. In
fact, these additional children seem to make mothers less happy than mothers with only
one child — though still happier than women with no children.
6. "If you want to maximize your subjective well-being, you should stop at one
child," concludes Kohler, adding that people probably have additional children either for
the benefit of the firstborn or because they reason that if the first child made them
happy, the second one will, too.
7.
Kohler adds that most previous research has asked how specific factors —
such as marriage or childbirth — contribute to happiness. His study, in contrast, asks a
general question about parenting and happiness.
- 112 -
8.
What seems to happen over time, says Kohler, is "you look forward to having
a child, then you have it and find it really difficult and your happiness dips, and then you
see a substantial gain." Overall, he says the lesson from the study is that "just having
reproduced at least once seems to be the crucial aspect of providing the happiness
gain."
Is One Kid Enough? - Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraph 1 starts with the Question: “Why do people keep having kids?”
Does the paragraph answer the question? Yes / No
2. According to conventional wisdom, ________________ and
______________ go together.
3. Paragraph 2 asks: “Do children really bring joy?”
According to Paragraph 3, what is the answer to this question?
Yes / No
Quote from the text to support your answer.
_____________________________________________________
4. Complete the following sentence with ONE word in each space.
Men are less happy with a firstborn _____________ than with a firstborn
_____________. Unlike ______________, men enjoy the company of
_____________ more than the company of _____________ .
5. Which “additional children” is the author referring to?
___________________________________________
6. Kohler’s conclusion is that your _________________ (ONE WORD) will
be increased if you have________________________ . (TWO WORDS)
7. According to Kohler, what makes people have more children?
a._______________________________________________
b._______________________________________________
8. What can we learn from the study?
___________________________________________________________
- 113 -
Dreams
1. People have always been interested in dreams. Artists and writers have painted and
discussed dreams in one form or another for hundreds of years. More recently,
psychologists have based their research on dreams.
2. Some people believe that dreams reflect something that a person has already
experienced. Others believe that dreams show the dreamer what he or she really
wishes for. Still others believe that a dream is a different way of showing problems
that the dreamer has in his or her daily life. Upon waking, these dreamers may try to
give meaning to their dreams or to understand different elements of the dream.
3. According to the experts, color plays an important role in dreams. If you dream of
something blue, this may show that you are experiencing a sense of inner peace and
calmness. Green also shows these same qualities but shows that the dreamer gets
great pleasure from simple things as well. If white is the main color in your dream, this
may indicate that people can rely on you. Contrary to the usual belief that brown means
"dark", it actually may be a sign of freedom, success, money and happy endings.
4. Certain experts believe that animals also have meanings in dreams. Alligators and
apes show that the dreamer should be careful or is afraid of something. On the other
hand, if you dream of bears, it shows that you will be victorious over your enemies.
Dreaming of donkeys means that one will be successful in all aspects of life, as does
dreaming of bees.
5. The subject of dreams is a fascinating one. Whether one explores dreams through
art, books or simple conversations with friends, it is fun to try and explain them.
Bibliography/Works Cited: G. William Domhoff, “The Purpose of Dreams”. Dream
Library.
David Foulkes (1985). Dreaming: A cognitive-psychological analysis. Hillsdale, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Corrado Cavallero and David Foulkes (1993).
Dreaming as Cognition. New York: Harvester/Weatsheaf. [Especially chapters 1, 2, 6,
and 7] Allan Moffitt, Milton Kramer, and Robert Hoffman (1993). The Functions of
Dreaming. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. [Especially the chapters by Foulkes and
Antrobus.]
- 114 -
Dreams - Comprehension Questions
1. Complete the sentence according to paragraph 1?
For hundreds of years, dreams____________________________.
2. How many different beliefs about dreams are expressed in paragraph 2? ______
3. Which words in paragraph 2 show us that dreams tell us something about the
following?
a. the past
_________________
b. everyday life
_________________
c. the future
_________________
4. Which color expresses these ideas in dreams, according to paragraph 3?
a. The little things in life make you happy
_________________
b. You are feeling peaceful and calm.
_________________
c. Everything will turn out well for you.
_________________
d. People can depend on you.
'
_________________
5. Which animals express these ideas in dreams, according to paragraph 4?
a. You will do well at school or work
_______________
b. You have certain fears. _______________
c. You will win the fight. _______________
6. Who or what does the word "one" refer to in the sentence
"Whether one explores ..." (Paragraph 5, Line 1)?
a. an artist
b. dreams
c. a person
d. the subject
7. What is the main idea of this passage?
a. All people dream about animals and colors while they sleep.
b. People dream because they hope or wish for something.
c. People like to talk about the meanings of their dreams.
d. Understanding the meaning of dreams is very complicated.
- 115 -
8. Fill in the blanks in the following summary of the passage. Use ONE word in each
blank.
Artists, writers and psychologists are all interested in (1) _______________. People
have different explanations for dreams. For example, some people think that in a
dream we are faced with everyday (2) _______________. Another explanation is
that a dream expresses something we (3) _______________for. (4)___________
is an important element in dreams, according to experts. For example, (5)
______________ and (6) ______________ may indicate that the
dreamer is
peaceful and calm. Experts also believe that (7) _________________ that appear in
our dreams are important. For instance, a dream about (8)_______________
may mean success in life. Trying to (9)________________dreams can be very
enjoyable.
Dreams - Additional questions
1. What is in common among artists, writers and psychologists?
Their attention to ________________. (ONE word)
2. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?
a. result and cause
b. additional information
c. cause and result
d. contrast
3. Green and white colors are mentioned to illustrate the author’s point that
_____________________________________________________.
4. The author’s opinion is that brown means dark / light.
5. What is the relationship between paragraphs 3 and 4?
a. general and specific
b. additional information
c. cause and result
d. contrast
6. What idea is illustrated by the examples in paragraph 4?
____________________________________________________
- 116 -
Complete the following sentences with the words below
form (n)
daily
indicated
research (n)
sense
contrary to
reflects
qualities
victorious
experience (n)
pleasure
successful
experienced (v)
1. To work in a perfume factory, one must have a highly developed ____________of
smell.
2. My teacher says she gets a lot of_____________ from hearing us speak perfect
English.
3 ______________ what the reviewers said, we thought the opera was quite good.
4. My mother is very healthy because she exercises _____________and eats
correctly.
5. The letter the class wrote to the mayor _____________the students' feelings
about ecology.
6. The army was looking for people whose personal _____________included
honesty and leadership skills.
7. Bill Gates is one of the most _____________businessmen in history.
8. She suffers from depression because of all that she _____________during the
war.
9. My professor wrote a book after he had conducted _____________on how
wolves live in the wild.
10. The sign on the road ______________that there was a change in the traffic
pattern.
11. The soldiers were ________________ in their battle against the enemy.
12. The talented chef carved the ice into the _______________of a swan.
- 117 -
Television Commercials
1. Most of us do not appreciate it when a commercial interrupts our favorite television
program. Next time it happens, however, instead of going to the fridge, take a moment
to study this informative and often quite entertaining form of advertising. If you watch
carefully, you will probably notice that most television commercials present us with three
parts: the problem, the solution, and finally, the result. Whether the advertiser is selling
headache pills, acne cream or sports shoes, the structure is always the same.
2. The "problem" is usually a familiar one - for example, a teacher with a headache,
or a girl with a pimple before an important date, or a boy who wants to make the
basketball team but can never get the ball into the net. Usually advertisers do their
best to make the situation look worse than it really is. The teacher with the headache
looks red and angry and is seen screaming at her class. The girl with the pimple is
wearing an ugly dress and her hair is a mess. The boy who can't make the team is
short and unattractive
3. Then the advertiser comes to the rescue, presenting us with the "solution" –
a pain-relieving pill, acne cream or a sports shoe. This is when the miracle happens.
After using the product, the people in the commercials are transformed. This is called
the "result". After taking the pill, the angry, screaming teacher looks relaxed and smiles
lovingly at her class. The poor girl who only seconds ago was miserable about her
pimple, flashes us a pimple-free smile as she opens the door for her boyfriend. Her
dress is beautiful and her hair is in place. As for the basketball player - his new sports
shoes seem to have added half a meter to his height. They have also improved his aim
and his appearance. We watch as his teammates lift him on their shoulders after he
shoots the winning basket.
4. Most of us watching the commercials are aware that the situations are not true to
life. We are aware that the purpose of advertising is to sell products that we don't
necessarily need. We understand that problems are not solved as quickly or as easily
as they are in the commercials. Despite knowing all this, we go on buying the advertised
products, hoping that they will perform some kind of miracle, which will greatly improve
our lives.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Dave Lindorff, Are Advertisers Really Out to
ManipulateChildren? Media industry leaders respond to charges being raised by a
group of prominent psychologists. Barbara Kiviat, Why we Buy The Products We Buy.
Time Business & Tech. Aug. 16, 2007.
- 118 -
Television Commercials – Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraph 1
i Circle the correct answer.
Most television commercials
a.
are the same
b.
are interrupted
c.
have three parts
d.
take a moment
ii. The two adjectives the writer uses to describe commercials are:
a._________________
b._________________
2. How many “familiar situations” are mentioned in paragraph 2? _____
3. How have the advertisers made the situation look worse than it really is in each
case?
a. The teacher __________________________________________________
b. The girl _______________________________________________________
c. The boy___________________________________________________
4. Circle the sentences that are true according to paragraph 3
a. The acne cream improves the girl's appearance.
b. The headache p ill makes the teacher look calm.
c. The new sports shoes help his team-mates to lift him.
d. The advertisers really perform miracles.
5. Find words from paragraph 3 that mean the same as:
a. the answer to a problem -
_____________
b. changed -
_____________
c. very sad -
____________
d. the way someone looks -
____________
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Backpacking
1. Dalit Simhai, a student at Haifa University, has taken her love of traveling especially backpacking - and used it as material for both her university thesis and a
new book.
2. After her army service, Dalit, like many other Israelis, decided to travel before
beginning her university studies. She traveled to Africa, India, Thailand and Nepal, but
loved India the most. She says that at first she thought that it was simply being in
India that was so exciting. However, she soon realized that it was the backpacking
through the country that was so meaningful.
3. For her research, she interviewed backpackers in India and the Far East, as well as
those in Africa and South America. She also interviewed non-backpacking tourists in
Europe. She found that there were differences between those tourists who backpacked
and those who didn't. In her book she writes that backpackers form a sub-group in the
Israeli population: they are people who enjoy a sense of freedom and discovery. They
see their traveling as a unique and individual experience. Non-backpackers, on the
other hand, usually prefer a better-planned route.
4. Backpackers often travel alone, meeting up with other backpackers when they stop
to eat or sleep. Backpackers experience a sense of isolation, which can be both good
and bad. If one becomes ill and has to cope with this on his or her own, it can make one
stronger, as it did with Dalit. After becoming seriously ill and being unable to eat for five
days, she eventually found a doctor who treated her.
5. Other backpackers say that when unpleasant things happen to them while
backpacking, such as having money stolen or getting sick, the most comforting
experience is to suddenly hear someone speaking Hebrew and feeling as if one is
among "friends".
Bibliography/Works Cited: Simhai, Dalit. ha-Shevil ha-zeh mathil kan : tarmilaut shel
Yisreelim ba-Mizrah ha-rahok. Tel-Aviv : Prag, c2000.
- 120 -
Backpacking – Comprehension Questions
1. What is the purpose of the passage?
a. to describe the backpacking experience
b. to encourage people to backpack in India
c. to prove that Israelis love to backpack when they travel
d. to show that backpacking is always a lot of fun
2. Paragraph 2
What aspect of her travels did Dalit enjoy the most?
She ____________________________________________________________
3. Which statement is true according to paragraph 3?
a. Backpackers seem to be those who like adventure.
b. All backpackers are unique and special individuals.
c. Travelers are a sub-group of the Israeli population.
d. Those who travel in a group don't know what to expect.
4. Paragraph 3 describes backpackers and non-backpackers.
a. Backpackers
_________________________________________________________
b. Non-backpackers:
_________________________________________________________
5. a. Choose the correct answer.
Learning to cope is an example of a positive / negative result of isolation.
b. Quote from the text to support your answer.
____________________________________________________
- 121 -
Complete the sentences with the words below.
among
between
comforting
cope
experience
individual
interviewing
isolation
material
route
sense
unique
1. His _____________ as a soldier helped him realize that he could _____________
with difficult problems.
2. When the TV host was ______________ his guest about her hobby, we were all
fascinated.
3. I spent a lot of time surfing the Net to find ______________ for my thesis.
4. Ben's mother was concerned that the ______________he had chosen for his trip
was too dangerous.
5. People love to be around Lisa because she has such a great ______________ of
humor.
6. The cake was shared ______________ all the students in the class.
7. _____________them, Karen and David finished all the cookies that Fran had
baked.
8. Each student had to present his or her _______________ project in front of the
class.
9. My new blanket is very ______________ on cold winter nights.
10. After all the visitors left, she experienced a sense of complete ______________.
- 122 -
Stay -at- Home Kids
1. In most of Europe in the 1960s and 70s, it was normal for children over the age of
20 to leave home. Some wanted their freedom; others felt their parents had too many
rules. Still others felt that leaving home and living with a friend helped them become
responsible. It was a sign of maturity.
2. Today, this trend is changing. Young adults are choosing to remain in their
parents' home for a variety of reasons. They might have lost a job or can't find one
and so can't afford to live on their own. Some young adults want to continue the warm
and supportive parent-child relationship that they have always had. People also
remain at home because it is just easier to stay there.
3. The fact that young adults are not leaving home worries both parents and
sociologists. Sociologists believe this trend has occurred because the parents
themselves have become more permissive toward their children. Therefore, children
no longer have to rebel or feel the need to be "free". In addition, loneliness pushes
parents and children together. Children often feel alone when they are in a new
environment and want to return to the warmth and "noise" they had at home. The
parents, suddenly without their children at home, feel this emptiness and are pleased
when the children return.
4. Sociologists, however, don't always believe that it is good for children to return
home. They claim that adult men behave like teenagers. They don't mature and they
may become "soft". For example, they may just get used to their parents cooking for
them, doing their
laundry and making decisions for them. They may become used to the security their
parents provide for them and make no effort to support themselves.
5. Unfortunately, it seems as if this "stay-at-home" trend could last a long time. Youth
unemployment in Europe is high and isn't expected to drop. More and more young
people are attending universities and there is not enough university housing for them.
And finally, European boys and girls marry three or four years later than they did in the
past - if they marry at all.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Clare Holdsworth, The transition out of the parental home in
Britain, Spain and Norway, Department of Geography, University of Liverpool. 21
September 2005. Gill Jones, Leaving Home. Open University Press, June 1995.
- 123 -
Stay – at – Home Kids – Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraphs 1 – 2
Why do children leave home or want to stay there?
Reasons to leave
home
Reasons to stay
home
a.
a.
b.
b.
c.
c.
2. The word "it" ( line 4) refers to _______________
3. Complete the sentence with one word.
According to paragraph 3, some of the blame for children staying at home is due to
the behavior of the _______________.
4. Which TWO statements are true according to paragraph 3?
a.
When the parents feel lonely, their children come home.
b.
When it is noisy at home, the children like to return.
c.
Being in a new environment can be very lonely.
d.
Children are free and don't feel a need to rebel.
5. a. Loneliness makes only the parents / both the parents and the children
unhappy.
b. Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________
6. Paragraph 4
List the ways in which the adult men living at home become "soft”
a.______________________________________________________
b______________________________________________________
c.______________________________________________________
- 124 -
7. Complete each sentence with one word, according to paragraph 5.
a. There are a lot of young people in Europe who are _______________
b. At the universities, there are not enough places for students to__________
c. Today, young Europeans get ______________ when they are older.
8. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?
a. The problem of unemployment causes youth to remain at home.
b. Universities need to provide more housing for their students.
c.. Young Europeans don't get married as young as they used to.
d. The tendency of young Europeans to stay at home will not change soon.
9. Fill in the blanks in the following summary of the passage.(ONE word in each space).
In Europe of the 1960's and 70's, leaving home over the age of 20 was a sign of
(1) _____________. Today, however, young people tend to stay at the
(2) _______________ of their parents much longer. There are several different
(3) ______________ for the prolonged staying at home: some do it for financial
reasons, others for emotional reasons, and still others stay at their parents' home
simply because it is (4) ___________ than living elsewhere on their own.
(5)______________are worried about this phenomenon because children no longer
feel the need to be (6______________. As a result, the behavior of these adults is like
that of (7)______________. They depend on their parents and do not try to (8)
____________ themselves. Because of the (9) ______________youth unemployment
in Europe, lack of university (10) __________ and older age of getting married, it
seems that this "stay-at-home" (11) ______________ will continue for a long time.
- 125 -
Stay – at – Home Kids - Additional Questions
1. Paragraph. 2
a. Which trend is changing?
b. What is the change?
c. How many "reasons" does the author mention? _______
2.
Paragraph 3
a.. Which trend do sociologists refer to?
b. How do they explain it?
c. How many reasons do sociologists state? ______
3. The examples in paragraph 4 illustrate the idea that ____________________
_____________________________.
4. Paragraph. 5
The facts mentioned by the author prove his point that __________________
_____________________________________
- 126 -
Stay – at – Home Kids - Vocabulary Practice
A. Complete the sentences with the words below.
maturity
supportive
environment
trend
permissive
claimed
variety
rebelled
teenagers
laundry
security
unemployment
1. The rate of ______________among young people is very high.
2. He ______________that he found all this money in the forest.
3. A supportive ______________can help a student improve his performance in
school.
4 The workers _______________ because they were treated so badly.
5 In supermarkets shoppers can find a wide ______________of cleaning
products, including soap powders for doing the ______________.
6. My family was very ______________when I lost my job.
7. The strong lock on my front door provides me with some ______________.
8. _____________ often rebel against their parents and teachers.
9. There is a ______________ nowadays to give children a lot of freedom. That
may be why some parents have become much more _______________and
have trouble saying “no" to their kids.
b. Choose the correct answer
1. The teenager was suffering from _____________when all her friends were away.
a. lonely
b. loneliness
c. alone
2 The _____________ of the apartment building was strange. Once, a large
number of families had lived there.
a. empty
b. silent
c. emptiness
3. The teacher was very _____________with the effort her students were making in
class..
a. pleased
b. please
c. pleasure
4. I listen to many different kinds of music. _____________, I read a lot about the new
trends in music.
a. Besides
b. However
- 127 -
c. In addition
5. You have very helpful ideas. _____________,I'd like your support at the next
meeting.
a. Therefore
b. However
c. Besides
6. You claim that you sent the invitation. _____________, I never received it.
a. Fortunately
b. Unfortunately
c. Since
7. I know the security situation disturbs her. _____________, she never seems afraid.
a. However
b. And
c. Moreover
- 128 -
European Behavior
1. People often speak of "European behavior". However, the truth is that what is
considered appropriate behavior in one part of Europe may not be considered
acceptable in another. In fact, you can actually tell where people come from by studying
their attitudes towards body space and time.
2. When we talk about attitudes towards body space we mean the distance people
keep from the person they are talking to. People from southern European countries
such as Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey often touch as they speak. Therefore,
they stand close to the person they are talking to. In northern European countries, such
as Britain, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia, people stand far enough apart
to make sure they don't touch, even by accident. If a southern European and a northern
European have a conversation, something amusing happens: each of them will try to
keep the "correct" speaking distance apart. This means that the southern European
will try to move closer to the northern European, and the latter will feel uncomfortable
and will try to move away.
3. Attitudes about time also differ between Europeans in the north and south. Northern
Europeans are known for their promptness. People in these countries believe that time
is money and should not be wasted. They consider it rude to arrive 10 minutes late for
anything. On the other hand, southern Europeans have a far more relaxed attitude
towards time. Being 15 minutes or even half an hour late for an appointment is
considered acceptable.
4. It has been suggested that these different attitudes in parts of Europe are related to
the climate the people live in. Northern Europeans, who live in a colder climate, may be
"colder" and more distant, while southern Europeans seem to be "warmer" and more
relaxed, like the warm weather that surrounds them. Whether this is true or not, being
aware of these differences in behavior may help you avoid uncomfortable situations.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Martin S. Remland, Tricia S. Jones and Heidi Brinkman:
“Proxemic and haptic behavior in three European countries.” Journal of Nonverbal
Behavior. December 1991. Merk, V, “Business sans frontieres? Cultural diversity and the
engineer in Europe.” IEE Review.18 Jan 1996.
- 129 -
European Behavior - Comprehension Questions
1. Complete the sentence according to paragraph 1.
We can tell which part of Europe people come from if we _______________
_____________________________________________________________.
2. Paragraph 2
i.
Circle the sentence which is true according to paragraph 2.
a. All Europeans keep the same distance from the people they speak to.
b. Southern Europeans stand close to people in order to make them feel
uncomfortable.
c.
The Greeks often touch while speaking.
d.
If an Italian man is speaking to a French woman he has just met she will
probably try to move away.
ii.
What “amusing thing” is mentioned?
____________________________________________________
iii.
Explain why the word ‘correct is in quotation marks.
3. Complete the following sentences according to paragraph 3.
Northern Europeans are famous for being _____________. They don't believe
in _______________. They think it is impolite to be______________.
4.
What is the southern European attitude towards time?
______________________________________________________
5.
Paragraph 5
What possible reason is there for the different attitudes in northern and southern
Europe?
_________________________________________________________________`
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Find words in the text which mean the same as:
a. acceptable (paragraph 1) -
______________
b. discussion (paragraph 2) -
______________
c.
______________
funny (paragraph 2) -
d. being on time (paragraph 3) -
______________
e. connected (paragraph 4) -
______________
European Behavior - Additional Questions
1. Paragraph 2
a. Complete the following sentence.
Spain and Turkey are examples of _______________________________.
b. Who tries to keep “correct distance” when talking?
_____________________________
c. What does “the latter”(line 9) refer to?
__________________________________
2. Paragraph 3
a. List the two things northerners believe. (Refer to paragraphs 2 and 3)
i. _________________
ii. _________________
b. Northerners think it is polite to be late.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text:
________________________________________________
3. Paragraph 4.
a. The weather may explain the differences in European behavior
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
__________________________________________
b.
Which “differences in behavior” (LL4-5) does the author refer to?
____________________________________________________
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When Parents Say ‘Yes’ to Drugs
by Michael Brownstein
1. "How can I say no to drugs when my mother says yes?" asked the seventh-grade
girl in front of me. She wasn't the first of my students to ask that question. Unfortunately,
I didn't have an answer that could satisfy her immediately, but I did have a suggestion. I
invited her to join our club, which is part of a new organization called "Just Say No
International". This organization is aimed at helping children with drug problems at
home.
2. Twenty children - one of them as young as seven, but most in their early teens attended the group's first meeting. I opened the meeting by asking the same
question that I had been asked by my seventh-grader: "How can you say no to drugs
when your mother, father, brothers, or sisters say yes?"
3. These were all students who come face-to-face with drugs in their inner-city
neighborhood every day. In these areas, the smell of marijuana is as common as the
smell of food coming up from the basement apartments. Used needles litter the streets
and addicts take their injections in broad daylight in full view of passers-by. Drugs are
for sale on every corner, and often the children are used as messengers between the
junkies and their customers.
4. Sharing their experiences and talking about their fears helped the kids, but just
talking wasn't enough. These students really wanted to let adults know how their drug
use affects the children who live with it and have to cope with it every hour of the
day. Unanimously, they decided that writing stories about the impact drugs had on
them, as well as on other kids they knew about, might be a way to get the word out,
not only to their own families, but also to teachers and community workers.
5. When the kids finished their stories, they shared them with the whole group. The
stories were about the difficulties and sadness in their lives and the hard lessons life
had taught them at such an early age. They told about mothers raging and hitting out
at them because there was no money to buy the daily measure of dope. They told
about fathers in prison because they had sold drugs and been caught, and they told
about coming home to cold apartments with their younger siblings crying for food while
the parents lay in bed in a drug stupor.
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6. "Every day when I go to school I pass a lot of junkies on my way, and they are all
begging for money," wrote Jason, 11 years old. "I really hope they don't have any
children, because it would make me feel really bad if they did." Jason's parents are
both drug addicts.
7. A teenager and former gang member who had been selling drugs for several years
to help support his family contributed this story: "My uncle was a great basketball
player before I got him started on drugs. I made him believe that he could play even
better with drugs. He could have become a professional player, but he was soon
so caught on drugs that he began stealing to support his habit. Today my uncle is a
wreck."
8. He continued: "I've seen people die with needles in their arms, and only felt sorry
because I was losing a customer. Then something terrible happened. I watched a
friend die of an overdose. That was what made me quit. Today I work in a grocery
store. It's much harder work and less money, but I feel much better."
9. He offered advice to children and adults alike: "I know it's hard to say no to drugs
with all the peer pressure and people like me trying to get you started, but in order not to
destroy your life completely you have to be stronger than everyone around you."
10. Latisha, 12 years old, related to the problem from the perspective of a 3 -year
old girl she knew, writing the story in the first person: "'My mother leaves me alone
at all hours of the day and night, and lots of times I think I ' m going to starve to
death. My mother doesn't buy food that often... But no matter how big a junkie my
mother is, and no matter how many times she beats me, I still love her."
11. Maleka, a teenager who has twice helped report cases of child abuse by drug
addicts who live on her street, wrote about a neighbor, who would send her small
children to Maleka's house to borrow the rubbing alcohol and cotton balls she
needed for injecting drugs. "When these children come out to play, they are always
dirty from head to toe. They always come out with no shoes on, and even if it is cold
they never wear coats."
12. My students were proud of how well their writing expressed their feelings. Now
they wanted to find a way for adults to read and learn from their tales. A grant from
"Just Say No International" gave them that chance.
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13. The kids worked together to edit their stories and compile them into a packet.
Then the grant money was used to make copies of the finished packet and mail
them to magazines and newspapers across the country. All the children also took
copies home to show their parents and others in their families. Some parents who
were drug addicts said they hadn't realized how profoundly their drug abuse
affected their children. Several of them joined treatment programs after they had
read their children's stories.
14. My students are still working very hard on distributing their stories and getting
more adults to think about how their drug habits affect their kids. Their hope is that
every day a few more adults will have the courage to do what their children implore
them to do through their stories - to say no to drugs.
Bibliography/Works Cited: The Los Angeles Times
http://articles.latimes.com/1996-08-18/local/me-35369_1
http://articles.latimes.com/1996-08-18/local/me-35369_1?pg=1
Public Still Says Yes to Just Say No Campaign by Michelle Locke, Associated Press
August 18, 1996
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When Parents Say ‘Yes’ to Drugs – Comprehension Questions
1. Why was "Just Say No International" established?
_________________________________________________________________
2.
Why were only certain students at the first meeting?
____________________________________________________________________
3. Paragraph 4
Although the club members were helped by talking in the meeting, they wrote their
stories. Who were they writing for?
________________________________________________________________
4. Paragraph 5
What did the kids write about?
____________________________________________________________________
5. The story written by Jason informs us that
a. he didn't love his parents.
b. he felt compassion for others.
c. his parents didn't care about him.
d. drug addicts take their children's money.
6. The former gang member who used to sell drugs
a. helped his uncle give up drugs.
b. was shocked when his friend died of drugs.
c. believed that drugs were not harmful.
d. was pressured by his peers to take drugs.
- 135 -
7. Latisha's story reveals that children of drug addicts
a. hate their parents.
b. sometimes starve to death.
c. can be very happy.
d. do not stop loving their parents.
8. Complete the sentences.
The stories told by Latisha and Maleka show that parents who are drug addicts
tend to____________________ Consequently, these children suffer not only
emotionally, but also ________________.
9. How did the children manage to make their stories known?
_______________________________________________________________
10. a. The children sold their compiled stories to magazines.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________
b. Some parents changed their attitude to drugs as a result of reading their
children's stories..
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer
_________________________________________________________
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Discipline in British Schools
1. Teachers in Britain refuse to teach pupils who disrupt their classes. If necessary,
they should force headmasters to expel troublemakers. That is the drastic advice to its
members by the Ministry of Education. Classroom discipline is so bad now that, unless
teachers themselves take tough action, many schools will soon be facing anarchy.
Experienced teachers all over the country are leaving their profession, because
violence and disruption of lessons make it increasingly difficult to provide meaningful
teaching.
2. What is the cause of the growing number of cases of violence in British schools?
There are as many as thirty different causes, given by the Ministry of Education. Top of
the list come modern teaching methods, the lowering of standards in society, the fact
that less authority is given to teachers. Headmasters, education authorities and
government ministers are blamed for pretending not to notice the lack of discipline in the
classroom.
3. The only answer to the problem is for the teacher to refuse to teach in any class in
which there is a disruptive child until that child has been removed "in the interest
of the majority". Already, as a direct result of this kind of pressure from staff, thirty
schools have expelled troublesome pupils.
4. But classroom violence does not have an effect just on teachers.
It is also
directly connected with the problem of truancy in schools. Every day, more than half
a million children in Britain play truant and do not appear at school. According to Dr.
Boyson, it is not always the tough, bad pupil or the backward child who decides not to
go to school. Dr. Boyson says, "Some good pupils stay at home for their own safety.
They are able to follow radio and TV school programs under more peaceful conditions
than they would experience at school."
Bibliography/Works Cited: Discipline in schools. Report of the Committee of Enquiry,
chaired
by Lord Elton, 1989, Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office.
HMSO,
p.58. Angela Harrison, BBC News Online education staff in Bournemouth: “Teachers to
boycott violent pupils.” 23 April 2003. BBC News: Pupils fear school journey attack.6
June 2008
- 137 -
Discipline in British Schools - Comprehension Questions
1. In paragraph 1 the writer says: “That is the drastic advice”. What advice does the
writer refer to?
_____________________________________________________________
2. What may happen to schools if teachers don’t take tough action?
________________________________________________________________
3. Complete the sentence:
Violence and disruption of lessons don’t allow meaningful teaching.
As a result, _____________________________________________.
5. What are the THREE major causes of the growing number of cases of violence in
British schools?
a. _______________________________________
b. _______________________________________
c. _______________________________________
5. What’s the reason for blaming headmasters, education authorities and government
ministers?
_________________________________________________________________
6. Paragraph 3:
Complete the sentence using ONE word in each space
Troublesome pupils have been _______________in thirty schools because
teachers _______________to teach in any class in which there is a disruptive child.
7. The solution to the problem of the lack of discipline is
a. troublemakers are removed from school.
b. teachers have more means of punishment.
c. troublemakers’ parents are called to school.
d. good pupils are taught separately from the undisciplined pupils.
8. What idea does the statistics of truancy in paragraph 4 illustrate?
________________________________________________________
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9. Paragraph 4
Complete the sentences:
Classroom violence leads to _______________. Good pupils don’t go to school
________________.. At home they can ________________________________.
10. Only bad students miss classes.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the article
__________________________________________________________
11. Who are “they” Dr. Boyson is referring to? ___________________________
12. Dr. Boyson thinks that good pupils stay at home because they learn from radio and
TV teaching programs more than at school.
True/ False
Support your answer by quoting from the text
____________________________________________________________
13. What’s the main idea of the article?
a. Violent students should be expelled from school, since they cause truancy
among good students.
b. Many good pupils don’t attend school because they are afraid of the violent
pupils .
c. Headmasters, education authorities and government ministers are blamed for
pretending not to notice the lack of discipline in the classroom.
d.
Because of violence in classes experienced teachers leave their profession and
good students stay at home for their safety.
- 139 -
The Power of the Mind
1.
It looked like a medical miracle, and in a way it was one. Before undergoing
brain surgery for her Parkinson's disease, the patient could hardly take a step. A
month or two later, the same woman could walk easily across the room. The
miraculous part is that her
operation was a sham. As part of a remarkable study of
cell transplantation, researchers had placed her under anesthesia and made holes
in her skull - but they hadn't placed any new cells in her brain. Her dramatic
improvement was due entirely to what is known as the placebo response. That is,
she recovered because she thought the doctors had operated on her. The study
concluded, in fact, that patients, who had the sham procedure, benefited almost
as much as those who had cells implanted in their brains.
2.
For decades, the placebo response has been considered as the last solution of
doctors who had no real treatments to offer, and the fantasy improvement of patients
with imaginary illnesses. But the placebo response has finally become the subject of
serious scientific study. In one recent experiment, kids who have asthma were given
a vanilla smell with their asthma medicine. Eventually, they reduced their asthma by
the vanilla smell alone. Clearly the mind can heal the body when given hope and
expectation. The question is whether we can use the power of placebos in other
treatments. I believe we can.
3. Researchers have found several ways in which mental states are connected to
physical health. We know, for example, that calming thoughts slow the production of
harmful stress hormones. Mental states can also affect the immune system and
trigger the release of internal painkillers known as endorphins. Physicians may
someday manipulate these systems mechanically, by controlling nerves. But until
then, sugar pills and sham surgeries are not the only tools we have. Almost anything
that sends a patient the message - someone is listening to me; other people care
about me; there's an explanation for my symptoms - can significantly improve health.
In one study, Canadian researchers followed people who had recently gone to their
family physicians about headaches. The patients who said their doctors had listened
closely to them also reported getting more relief. The difference was still considerable
a year after the visit.
- 140 -
4. We can get more out of medical treatment by getting a sense of control. In one
study, researchers taught their patients how to be more assertive when they visit
their physicians. The patients who learned to be "in charge" showed less disability
than their untrained peers. In another study, researchers taught a group of older
patients how to make more choices in their daily lives. For the next year they
enjoyed better health and lower mortality. Anyone can apply these strategies to
achieve better health. That's why sugar pills are such powerful medicine. The
power lies not in the pills, but in ourselves.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Harrington, Anne, ed. 1997. The Placebo Effect: An
Interdisciplinary Exploration. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Christopher G.
Goetz, MD, et al: “Placebo response in Parkinson's disease: Comparisons among 11
trials covering medical and surgical interventions” Movement Disorders. January 2008.
Becky Levine: “Putting the Patient in Charge.” Duke University Medical School Office of
Publications. December 2006.
- 141 -
The Power of the Mind - Comprehension Questions
1. What is the general point in paragraph 1?
___________________________________________________________
2. Complete the following sentence according to paragraph 1 (ONE word in each
space).
Whereas before the "operation" the woman could _______________ walk, after
the “operation" she could walk ______________.
3. Paragraph 2
What example illustrates the idea that the placebo response is now treated
seriously?
_________________________________________________
4. What does the mind need in order to heal the body?
__________________________________________________
5. According to par. 3, in what two ways can our mental states affect our physical
health?
a._____________________
b. ____________________
6. According to a Canadian research, the effect of a caring doctor on a patient lasts for
no more than six months
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
_____________________________________________________________
7. Paragraph 4.
What strategies can everyone apply to achieve better health?
________________________________________________________
8. Sugar pills are mentioned
a. as something that improves the taste of coffee or tea.
b. as a powerful medicine which illustrates the placebo response.
c. as an illustration of the idea that the power lies in the pill, not in ourselves.
d. because sugar improves our health.
- 142 -
The Power of the Mind - Additional Questions
1. Paragraph 1:
Complete the following sentence using ONE word in each blank:
A female patient had participated in the research of cell ______________________.
Researchers gave her _______________________ and put _______________ in
her head.
2. The patient's miraculous recovery was caused by the successful surgery.
TRUE / FALSE
Justify your answer by quoting from the text.
____________________________________________________________________
3. Paragraph 2
Circle the correct word.
The placebo response is a/an real / imaginary emotion when people who are sick
with an imaginary illness feel better / worse.
4. What does the example about the kids with asthma illustrate?
_____________________________________________________________________
5. What is the purpose of the scientific study of the placebo's power?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Paragraphs 2-3.
How does the placebo response function?
Put a check (v) next to the two (2) correct answers.
___ It gives the patient hope.
___ It is an imaginary illness.
___ It has a vanilla smell.
___ By using sugar pills
- 143 -
7. Paragraph 3
List the messages that can cause a person to feel better. (Don't give examples)
a._________________________________
b. _________________________________
8. How can one get better results out of a visit to the doctor?
By having a better _________________________________
(THREE WORDS).
9. Paragraph 4
Who were “those in charge”?
______________________________________________________________________
10. What is the author's purpose in writing this article?
a. to say that the strategies are good for everyone.
b. to teach patients how to be in charge.
c. to show that the power to heal is often found within ourselves.
d. to learn how to be more assertive with placebos.
- 144 -
Good Luck and Bad Luck Superstitions
1.
Napoleon feared black cats; Socrates feared the evil eye; Julius Caesar feared
dreams. Henry VIII claimed witchcraft trapped him into a marriage with Anne Boleyn.
Peter the Great was terrified of crossing bridges. Bad luck superstitions still keep
many people in different countries from walking under a ladder, opening an umbrella
indoors, or planning activities for Friday the 13th.
2.
Because of their irrational nature, superstitious beliefs should have disappeared
with the development of education and the progress of science. Yet, even today,
most people would admit to cherishing one or two superstitions such as seeing a
symbol of good luck, a wishbone, or a symbol of bad luck, a broken mirror.
Nowadays, there seems to be no logical reason for these superstitions.
www.associatedcontent.com
- 145 -
3.
The origins of superstitions lie in earlier man's need to understand his world.
Primitive man was seeking explanations for natural phenomena such as lightning,
thunder, eclipses, birth and death. At the same time, he lacked knowledge of the
laws of nature so he developed a belief in spirits. He was sure that there is a miracle
of a tree sprouting from a seed, or a frog developing from a tadpole, that pointed to
the influence of these spirits. Primitive man's daily existence was full of hardships
and evil. As a result, he assumed that these spirits were more often cruel than kind.
4.
Our ancestors (forefathers) believed in miracles, in signs and wonders, eclipses
and comets, in the virtues of bones, and in the powers attributed to evil spirits. The
world was supposed to be full of magic; the spirits were sleight-of-hand performers -magicians. There were no natural causes for events. A devil wished, and it
happened. Natural causes were not believed in. Delusion and illusion, the monstrous
and miraculous, ruled the world. While our ancestors filled the darkness with evil
spirits or enemies of mankind, they also believed in the existence of good spirits.
These good spirits protected the faithful from the temptations and snares of the
Satan.
5.
Now we are convinced of what is called the "uniformity of nature." We believe
that all things act and are acted upon in accordance with their character. We believe
that the results will always be to a large extent the same if the conditions are the
same.. A person who can analyze, think, investigate and evaluate evidence cannot
believe in signs. No person can believe in lucky days or unlucky days, in lucky
numbers or unlucky numbers. He knows that Fridays and Thursdays are the same;
that the number 13 is no more deadly than the number 12.
6.
Colonel Robert Green Ingersoll * once said: “Man should think; he should use all
his senses; he should examine; he should reason. The man who cannot think is less
than man; the man who will not think is traitor to himself; the man who fears to think
is superstition's slave.”
[*Colonel Robert Green Ingersoll (August 11, 1833 – July 21, 1899) was a Civil War veteran,
American political leader, and orator during the Golden Age of Freethought, is noted for his
broad range of culture and his defense of agnosticism.]
Bibliography/Works Cited: Wikipedia on Robert G. Ingersoll. Josh Sens, "Some Don't
Count on lucky", Via Magazine, January 2004.
- 146 -
Good Luck Superstitions – Comprehension Questions
1. At the beginning of the article the author mentions five great people.
a. Who are they?
1. ______________________
2. ______________________
3. ______________________
4. ______________________
5. ______________________
b. What do they have in common?
They believed in __________________ (ONE – THREE words)
2. a. How many superstitions are mentioned in paragraphs 1-2? ______
b. Give TWO examples
__________________________
__________________________
. 3. Scientific and educational progress put an end to the belief in bad luck.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
4. What is the general point of paragraph 3?
____________________________________________________________
5. What was the conclusion based on a primitive man’s daily life?
_______________________________________________________
6. Complete the following sentences with ONE or TWO words in each space.
Since the primitive man needed to _______________ his world, he was looking
for possible _______________ of _________________. He didn’t have the
__________ of laws of nature. As a result he believed in _________________.
- 147 -
7. What is the main idea of paragraph 4?
a. A devil ruled the ancient world.
b. There were no events that didn’t have natural causes.
c. Spirits both protected and harmed our ancestors.
d. Good spirits ruled the ancient world.
8. Give the definition of the “uniformity of nature”.
______________________________________________________
9. What kind of man is NOT superstitions’ slave?
Choose ONE option from the list below.
a. if he believes only in evil spirits
b. if he believes only in good spirits
c. if the world rules him
d. if he follows his common sense
e. if he finds natural causes behind events
- 148 -
Reading Hands
(Adapted) The Hand Reveals - Download Version
A Complete Guide To Cheiromancy, The Western Tradition of Handreading
by Dylan Warren-Davis
1.
Palmistry, the reading of hands, is the ancient practice of telling a person's
character from the lines, size, shape and texture of the hand. Even though palm
readers still flourish in the Orient as well as in the western world, scientists and other
scientifically minded people have not supported the art of palmistry enthusiastically.
Despite acknowledging the importance of the development of the hand to our human
evolution, science has generally viewed palmistry with great doubts. Are the crease
marks in the skin connected to the mechanical folding of the hand or are they linked to
the consciousness of the person? If linked, do they relate to specific events and
experiences in the person’s life? Scientists have regarded such an idea as nonsense.
2.
Palmists assume that the lines develop on the fetal palm between the seventh and
tenth weeks of embryological development, whereas only by the twelfth week are the
muscles sufficiently developed to begin the first primitive movements of the hand.Thus,
the lines are clearly present on the palm two weeks before hand movement is possible.
3.
Supporters contend that it isn't mysticism but that there are logical principles
to the marks on the palms. First of all, they claim that our skin often shows emotions
and state of mind because of the connection between the brain, the nervous system
and the skin. Furthermore, in the same way that specific brain cells control different
cognitive and emotional processes in our character, the lines and the shape of the
palm reflect them.
4.
In palmistry, the fleshy parts of the palm are called mounts and the wrinkles are
called lines. The main lines include the lines of the heart, the head, life, fate, and
health. The length, color and distinction of a line show to what degree the person
possesses that quality. For instance, a strongly marked line of the head is supposed to
show superior intelligence. Contrary to the popular misconception that the life line
shows how long a person is going to live, the life line actually reflects his attitude
towards life and what life has to offer.
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5.
In order to read someone's hands accurately, both hands must be carefully
examined, because only together do they create a complete picture. One hand,
whether it is the right hand or the left, is the dominant hand, which reflects the
conscious mind. The non-dominant hand is the "blueprint" of the subconscious mind.
In other words, the non-dominant hand shows the potential qualities and talents
we're born with, while the dominant hand reflects what we've actually done with
these assets.
6.
Finally, professional palmists stress that every conclusion they reach must be
based on at least three features in the hands that repeat the same quality. Novice
palmists tend to jump to conclusions based on one feature alone, irresponsibly
creating high hopes or needless fears in their client.
7.
"Cheiro," the public name of Count Louis Hamon who lived from 1866 until 1936
raised the popularity of palmistry to a new height, especially in the English-speaking
world. Then it was used by royalty and distinguished individuals of his time. He wrote a
number of books on palmistry. These were frequently reprinted in both England and the
- 150 -
United States. and generations of palmists were taught and inspired by his writings.
Modern palmistry is largely an outgrowth of his efforts.
8. Today, people are feeling alienated in an increasingly technological environment. As
more and more rediscover the cultural importance of hand reading it provides inner
meaning to their lives. At a time when science is increasingly investigating the
interrelationship of consciousness with matter, the study of hand reading could
significantly enrich scientific investigation.
Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/palmistry
- 151 -
Reading Hands- Comprehension Questions
1. Complete the following sentence.
Palm readers tell a person's character by examining _______________________
_____________________________________.
2. The last sentence of paragraph 1 says, "Scientists have regarded such an idea
as nonsense". What is the idea?
The marks on our palms:
a. are connected to the mechanical folding of a hand.
b. give information about us.
c. show the development of the hand.
d. reflect our health problems
3. Paragraph 2
What do we call people who read hands?
________________________________ (ONE WORD)
4. Circle the correct words.
Palmists believe / know that the lines on the fetal palm appear before / after the
hand is able to move.
5. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?
a. contrast
b. addition
c. cause and effect.
d. idea and examples
6. Complete the following sentence.
Paragraph 3 discusses the ________________________(TWO BWORDS) of
palmistry.
7. Paragraph 4
How many main lines does our palm have? _____
- 152 -
8.
The life line shows how long a person is going to live
True / False
Prove your answer by quoting from the test.
________________________________________________________
9.
What does the dominant hand show?
a. our inborn characteristics.
b. how we use our natural qualities.
c. the connection between conscious and unconscious mind.
d. potential qualities and talents we are born with
10.
The right hand is always the dominant one.
True/ False.
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
_____________________________________________________________
11.
How do professional palmists differ from the novice ones?
Complete the following sentence.
While for novice palmists _________________ in the hand is enough to
reach their conclusions, professional palmists need __________________.
12. a. What made Count Louis Haman a famous palmist?
____________________________________________________
b. How did his writings become known abroad?
His___________________________________________________
13. a. What is the purpose of the article?
i. To teach people read hands.
ii. To prove that palmistry is illogical.
iii. To show how popular palmistry is.
iv. To arouse scientific interest in palmistry.
b. Quote from the text to support your answer.
_____________________________________________________________
- 153 -
Identity Theft Is Becoming More Common
1.
Identity theft is when someone uses, without your permission, your personal
information in order to commit a fraud or crimes. Identity theft is a felony that is
becoming more and more common. Because some of us do not guard personal
information carefully, we make it easier for others to steal our identity. We should
always be careful with information like our Identification number (ID), credit card
number, birth date, employment information, driver's license number, etc., because if
such numbers get into the wrong hands, the consequences can be very serious. People
that have been victims of identity theft have spent months trying to repair what others
have damaged, and in the meantime they have been unable to get a bank loan or they
have lost a job opportunity or, sometimes, they have gotten arrested for something they
did not do.
2. If you have the slightest suspicion that someone has gained access to your personal
information, acting quickly is a must. First of all, you should call the fraud department of
the bank where you have your accounts and request them to initiate a credit alert on
your accounts. This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any
actions regarding your accounts. At the same time, you should close the accounts you
believe are corrupted. The second step would be filing a police report and keeping a
copy of it so to have a proof of the crime.
3. It is difficult to deal with an identity theft and it is very difficult to repair what others
have messed up for you. We cannot completely prevent identity theft, but we can take
some simple precautions to minimize the risks. The most important thing to do is to pay
attention to your bank statements: they should arrive on time and you should check
them very carefully. Your bank statement should always arrive almost at the same date
each month. If you don't get your statement one month, this could mean that someone
has changed your billing address to prevent you from discovering any unauthorized
activity in your account. Also, you must check every statement as you get it and be sure
that you have made all the purchases recorded on it.
- 154 -
4.
Another simple precaution for preventing identity theft is to be careful with your
personal papers. Never carry all of them with you, as this is not safe. If you don't need
your ID card, birth certificate or passport, leave it at home in a secured place. Carry
personal papers with you only when you need them for a specific reason. Also, you
should be careful with your mail as it often contains personal information. Either put a
lock on your mailbox or have your mail delivered to a post office box.
5.
Nowadays, purchases made over the Internet are very common and some thieves
have turned their attention to this domain. The way to protect your personal information
when shopping online is to never release it unless you are using a secure browser. If
you don't have a secured browser or the website you're visiting is not secured, place
your order by phone or email. Also, for the websites that require a password or a
personal identification number (PIN) don't use common names or dates as anyone can
guess them, but create your own password or PIN made of numbers and letters.
6.
These precautions do not really guarantee that you'll not be an identity theft victim
but they will surely minimize the chances that you'll become one. Being careful with
your personal information should not be a hustle but a routine. This way you can be
sure you'll not spend months or years and lots of money to restore your credit record
and your name after thieves have messed it up. Precaution is the name of the game.
Bibliography/Works Cited: United States Department of Justice: <
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html> LynnG3: “How to Prevent
Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft.” < http://www.ehow.com/> Jon Arnold: “Steps You
Can Take To Avoid Becoming An Identity Theft Victim” <
www.idtheftprotectiontips.com>
- 155 -
Identity Theft - Comprehension Questions
1. a. What can be the direct result of our carelessness?
______________________________ (TWO words)
b. How can it be prevented?
________________________________________________________
2. List the consequences of identity theft.
a. People __________________________________________
b. They____________________________________________
c. They____________________________________________
d. They____________________________________________
3. Paragraph 2
“This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any
actions regarding your accounts” (Lines 4-5)
Which way does the author refer to?
___________________________________________________________
4. According to paragraph 3, if your bank statements keep on arriving
regularly after the identity theft, you have nothing to worry about.(Refer to
the whole paragraph)
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text
____________________________________________________________
5. How many general precautions are mentioned in paragraphs 2-4? ____
6. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2-4 and paragraph 5?
a. Cause and effect.
b. Additional information
c. Main idea and examples
d. Contrasting ideas
- 156 -
7. How can we protect our personal information while shopping online?
Mark with a check (V) the TWO correct answers
___ Use a phone to order items
___ Use your name as a password
___ Use a reliable browser
___ Use random numerals and numbers in your PIN
8. The author concludes the article by saying that __________(ONE WORD)
can help us avoid unnecessary problems.
9. Find synonyms for the following words
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
data
-
results
Paragraph 3
illegal
-
-
shopping
-
work
-
avoid
-
chance
-
safe
-
crime
-
space
-
begin
-
assure
-
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 6
safety measure-
compulsory -
- 157 -
Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean Diet Fight Heart Disease
Adapted from Science Daily
1.
July 2010
Everyone knows olive oil and a Mediterranean diet -- the diet of Greece, Crete,
southern France, and parts of Italy that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains,
olive oil (not butter), grilled or steamed chicken , seafood (not red meat) and a glass or
two of red wine -- are associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. This is a
disease of the heart or blood vessels.
2.
Atherosclerosis, (ath-er-o-skler-o-sis) comes from the Greek words athero --
meaning paste -- and sclerosis meaning hardness. It is a disease that eventually
blocks blood flow in arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
When this occurs in the heart, it leads to a heart attack. Although a heart attack can be
quick, the events that lead up to this acute event begin very early in life. Early artery
changes are seen in young adults and even infants. Hardening of the arteries is the
most common cause of heart disease.
3.
Precisely what causes atherosclerosis remains unknown. However, research
suggests that it is a slow and complex disease that may start in childhood. As people
age, it develops faster. As a rule, it does not cause symptoms until an artery becomes
narrowed or blocked. Once this happens, symptoms of the disease may include angina
(chest pain or shortness of breath) and cramping leg pain when the flow of oxygen to
different parts of the body is reduced. Serious consequences, including heart attack,
stroke, or even death can result.
4.
A new research report published in July 2010 gives a surprising explanation:
these foods change the function of the genes associated with atherosclerosis. "Knowing
which genes can be affected by healthy eating can help people select proper diets,"
said Maria Isabel Covas, D.Pharm., Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work of the
research group in Barcelona, Spain. "It is also a first step for future nutritional therapies
with selected foods."
- 158 -
5.
Scientists worked with three groups of healthy volunteers. The first group was
given a traditional Mediterranean diet with virgin olive oil rich in polyphenols.
Polyphenols are a group of chemicals found in many fruits, vegetables, and other
plants, such as berries, walnuts, olives, tea leaves and grapes. They remove the
chemicals that have the potential to cause damage to cells and tissues in the body.
Polyphenols have a variety of potential health benefits, including cancer prevention and
reducing the risk of getting heart disease. Some studies have found that these
substances lower cholesterol levels in the body. The second group consumed a
traditional Mediterranean diet with an olive oil low in polyphenols. The third group
followed a habitual diet that included both kinds of olive oil without specific polyphenols.
The olive oil types had a concentration of polyphenols ranging from 2.7 mg/kg of olive
oil (low-type) to 366 mg/kg (high) in the olive oils.
6.
After three months, the first group had fewer atherosclerosis-related genes.
Additionally, the olive oil polyphenols made a significant impact on the genetic changes,
influencing heart disease. "This study is ground breaking because it shows that olive oil
and a Mediterranean diet affect our bodies in a far more significant way than previously
believed," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D. "Not only does this research offer more
support for encouraging people to change their eating habits, it is an important first step
toward identifying drug targets that affect how our genes express themselves."
7.
In another research, results also showed that the consumption of virgin olive oil in
conjunction with a Mediterranean diet can cure infection, influence the process of
normal cells being transformed into cancer cells and put and end to a tumor.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from
materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology,
viaEurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630111035.htm
- 159 -
Virgin Olive Oil and a Mediterranean Diet Fight Heart Disease
Comprehension Questions
1. a. Name the specific places where a Mediterranean diet is kept to.
________________
________________
________________
________________
b. What does this diet consist of?
______________
________________
______________
________________
______________
________________
______________
________________
c. Which “disease of the heart vessels” (Para. 1 L 4-5) does the author refer to?
_____________________________ (TWO WORDS)
2. What does blocking blood flow in arteries result in?
______________________________________________________
3. What characterizes a heart attack?
Circle the correct words in the following sentences.
Its causes are deep-rooted / unknown. Besides it lasts long / can last a few
minutes.
4. The causes of atherosclerosis are not clear yet.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
_______________________________________________________
5. What does “angina” indicate?
Complete the following sentence
It’s a symptom of atherosclerosis showing that __________________________.
- 160 -
6. What makes the 2010 research significant?
Complete the following sentence. (ONE WORD IN EACH SPACE)
It proves that people can select healthy diets that affect their ______________
positively. In addition, selected foods can be used for ________________.
7. What is the goal of Paragraph 5?
Complete the sentence.
To describe how___________________________________________________.
8. What are the practical benefits of polyphenols?
a._____________________________________
b._____________________________________
c._____________________________________
9. What is the importance of the experiment?
_____________________________________________________________
10. What is the relationship between Paragraphs 6 and 7?
a. Contrast
b. Cause and Effect
c. Addition
d. General and Specific
11. What is the main purpose of the article?
a. to advertize the Mediterranean area.
b. to reveal the possible causes of atherosclerosis.
c. to present the benefits of virgin olive oil and a Mediterranean diet
d. to describe the process leading to a heart attack.
- 161 -
Vocabulary
Study the following words as they appear in each paragraph:
Paragraph 1
disease
Paragraph 5
benefit
consume
Paragraph 2
infant
common
Paragraph 6
Additionally
Paragraph 3
complex
reduce
Paragraph 7
consumption
in conjunction with
cure
Match the words in Column A with their synonyms in Column B
1. benefit
___
a. moreover
2. additionally
___
b. together
3. in conjunction with ___
c. advantage
Match the words in Column A with their antonyms in Column B
1. complex
___
a. adult
2. reduce
___
b. simple
3 . common
___
c. increase
3. infant
___
d. rare
Complete the following sentences with the words below.
consume,
consumption,
cure
People, who _____________ a lot of junk food, are fat.
The _______________ of health food can ______________ serious diseases.
- 162 -
The Pace of Life
Adapted from "The Pace of Life in 31 countries" by Robert V. Levine
It can be measured in simple ways, such as noting the accuracy of public clocks
and the speed of postal clerks
1. When I was teaching in Brazil some years ago, I noticed that students there were
more casual about arriving late for class than those in the United States. I was puzzled
by their tardiness, since their classroom work revealed that they were serious students
who wanted to learn. I soon found, however, that they were likely to be late not only in
arriving for class but also in leaving it afterwards. Whatever the reason for the students'
lateness, they were not trying to minimize their time in the classroom.
2. In my classes in the U.S., I do not need to wear a watch to know when class is over.
My students gather their books at two minutes before the hour and show signs of anxiety
if I do not dismiss them on time. At the end of a class in Brazil, on the other hand, some
students would slowly drift out, others would stay for a while to ask questions, and some
would stay and chat for a very long time. As I observed the students during the year, I
came to realize that this casual approach to punctuality was a sign of differences
between American and Brazilian attitudes toward the pace of life.
3. My experience in Brazil inspired an ongoing research. Its aim was to develop ways
of measuring the pace of a culture and to assess peoples’ attitudes towards time.
Every traveler has observed the pace of life in different parts of the world, and even
from place to place within a single country differs. We collected data from six countries,
focusing in each country on the largest city and a medium-size city.
4. We examined three indicators of speed in each city. First, we measured the
accuracy of outdoor bank clocks in the main downtown area. Second, we measured
the average walking speed of randomly chosen pedestrians over a distance of 100
feet. The measurements were made on clear summer days during business hours.
Third, as an indicator of working pace, we measured the speed of service provided by
postal clerks.
- 163 -
5. Our results revealed a number of significant differences between the six countries.
The Japanese cities rated the highest on all three measures: they had the most
accurate bank clocks, the pedestrians there walked the fastest, and their postal clerks
provided the quickest service. In contrast, the Indonesian cities had the least accurate
public clocks and the slowest pedestrians. The slowest postal clerks were found in the
Italian cities, where buying a stamp took nearly twice as long as it did in Japan.
6. What impressed us most about these findings was the high correlation between the
three pace-of-life measures for each city. The accuracy of the bank clocks strongly
correlated with walking speed. There is also a strong correlation between clock
accuracy and the speed of the postal clerks. The high correlation between these
measures supports the notion that a city has a distinct pace, which can also be seen in
the behavior of its inhabitants.
7. These measures not only show us differences between cultures, but they may also
explain relations between the pace of life of a city and the psychological and physical
health of its residents. One interesting finding was the association between fast pace
of life and a high incidence of heart disease. One possible explanation for this
association is that a stressful, time-pressured environment leads to unhealthy
behaviors, such as cigarette smoking and poor eating habits, which in turn increase
the risk of heart disease
8. However, this connection does not work for everybody. For some individuals time
pressure is not always stressful; it may also be challenging and energizing. The
optimal pressure seems to depend on the characteristics of the task and the
personality of the individual. Given that, heart disease remains the largest cause of
death. The most important personal goal is to fit yourself to the type of environment
that is beneficial for you.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Robert V. Levine and Ara Norenzayan: "The Pace of Life in 31
Countries" Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 30, No. 2, 178-205 (1999)
- 164 -
The Pace of Life - Comprehension Questions
1. What can we infer from paragraph 1 about American students’
punctuality?
Generally, they are / are not late for classes.
2. How does the author characterize Brazilian students?
_____________________________________________________
3. Brazilian students “were not trying to minimize their time in the
classroom”?
What did they do? (refer to paragraph 2)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. The purpose of paragraphs 1 and 2 is to
a. show how late Brazilian students are in contrast to American
ones.
b. give examples that illustrate the idea of different approaches
to time.
c. emphasize the punctuality of American students as opposed
to Brazilians.
d. Introduce the idea that people treat time casually.
5. List the goals of the research.
a. _________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________
6. Although the pace of life is not the same throughout the world, it is not
really different within a certain country.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
________________________________________________________________
- 165 -
7. The research material was collected in
a. American cities of various sizes.
b. six different capitals.
c. cities of various sizes in various countries.
d. the largest cities in six different countries.
8. List three indicators of speed in each city.
a._________________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________________
c._________________________________________________________
9. Japanese, Indonesian and Italian cities are mentioned in Paragraph 5 to
illustrate _______________________ in their pace of life (TWO WORDS).
10. State the conclusion of the research.
___________________________________________
11. Paragraph 7
Which measures is the author referring to?
___________________________________________________________
12. Which connection is not universal?
___________________________________________________________
13. What is the author’s advice in relation to the pace of life and the increasing
threat of heart disease?
___________________________________________________________
- 166 -
The Pace of Life - Find the References of:
“It” -
_______________
Line 1
“there” -
_______________
Line 2
“those” –
_______________
Line 5
“it” -
_______________
“this” -
_______________
“its” –
_______________
“there” -
_______________
1.
Title
2.
Paragraph1
3.
Paragraph 2
Line 6
4.
Paragraph 3
Line 1
5.
Paragraph 5
Line 3 Line 6 “it” -:
6.
Paragraph 7
Line 3
7.
_______________
“its”
_______________
Paragraph 8
Line 1 “this”
_______________
Line 2
” it” –
_______________
Line 4
“that”:
_______________
- 167 -
Were you Born to Rebel?
1.
One of the most famous scientists of the 19th century, Charles Darwin proposed
the Theory of Evolution and many people applauded this revolutionary concept. But not
all were pleased. There were many other groups of people who were shocked because
this theory contradicted traditional religious beliefs. The question arises: "Why do some
people come up with untraditional ideas while the ideas of others remain conventional?"
Or, in other words, ‘What makes one person a rebel and another a reactionary?' The
answer, according to Frank Sulloway, a science historian at The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), is simple: "family structure" or birth order.
2.
But in the same family, there are individuals who are often no more similar in
personality than people from different families. Why, within the same family, do some
children do the accepted thing, whereas others rebel? The family, it turns out, is not a
"shared environment" but rather a set of niches that provide siblings with different
outlooks.
3.
Sulloway spent two decades gathering data on thousands of people who caused
social change. He concluded that these rebels had one thing in common: their place in
the family. In his book, Born to Rebel, he suggests that the oldest son or daughter is the
one who will be traditional in attitudes and behavior (similar to the family’s attitudes)
while the younger siblings will be the revolutionaries. Darwin was among the youngest
in his family, and that was what encouraged him to explore new ideas.
4.
Sulloway, who himself is a younger member of his family, claims the key to social
behavior is the amount of support the child gets from his parents. The oldest child
traditionally holds a special place in the family. In some societies, only the firstborn
inherits property. There is also the simple fact that the first child receives 100% of his or
her parents' attention before other siblings arrive. He or she is brought up as an only
child for a significant period of his/her life.
- 168 -
5.
These differences in upbringing create children with different attitudes: the eldest
tends to support his/her parents' views because they had special treatment. The
youngest in the family, on the other hand, become experts at adaptation. These are the
children who have probably had to get used to a variety of caretakers, including older
siblings and
babysitters who all had their own attitudes. Since other people often
surround them, Sulloway claims, these children are more outgoing. They have the
added advantage of learning from the mistakes of the older child who must often be the
pioneer at school, in the army, work and marriage.
6.
Sulloway's findings offer conclusive evidence that the family, with its powerful
interpersonal dynamics, resembles a boiling kettle, a cauldron, for great revolutionary
advances that result in historical changes. In addition to psychological research,
Sulloway studied examples from history. He compiled biographies on over 6,500
famous people to determine whether or not their "openness to experience" was
influenced by their place in the family. Sulloway reports that the primary engine driving
history is located within families. He claims that he found a clear pattern reflecting his
theories.
7.
This landmark work researches crucial influence that family niches have on
personality. It also documents the profound consequences of sibling competition not
only on individual development within the family, but also on society. Born to Rebel's
insights promise to revolutionize the nature of psychological, sociological, and historical
inquiry. His claims may be bold and oversimplified. They are not popular with social
scientists. However, they do offer food for thought.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and
Creative Lives, by Frank J. Sulloway. http://www.sulloway.org/Birth_Order(SalmonOxford-2007).pdf
- 169 -
Were You Born to Rebel? - Comprehension Questions
1.
Complete the following sentences using one word in each blank.
The article presents a contradiction between people who are ____________ (ONE
word) and others who are ______________ (ONE word). The reason for the
differences between the two is __________________ (TWO words).
2.
Paragraphs 2-3
a. How does Salloway define the family?
It is _________________________________________________________
b. What point of view does “Born to Rebel” develop?
____________________________________________________________
3. The fact that Darwin was a younger sibling in his family is related to his being a rebel.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________________
4. According to Sulloway, what determines a person's social behavior?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Which “differences in upbringing” (Para. 5 Line 1) is the author referring to?
a.____________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________
c.____________________________________________________________
6.
Paragraph 5
The eldest and the youngest siblings are not similar.
Put a check (v) next to the TWO correct sentences.
___a. Older siblings are usually more outgoing than younger siblings.
___b. Parents' full attention to the eldest make these children support their parents'
views.
___c. Older children are usually exposed to a greater variety of caretakers than their
younger siblings.
___d. The youngest siblings have more adaptation problems than the older ones.
___e. Younger siblings benefit from the experience that their older siblings have.
- 170 -
7. Circle the correct choice.
Sulloway's findings show that the achievements of famous people were / were not
affected by their place in the family. He found / didn't find a connection between the
place in the family and revolutionary developments.
8. Social scientists do not accept Sulloway's theory because
a. It presents the family as a set of niches.
b. it offers food for thought.
c. It is both progressive and too simple.
d. it shows the effects of sibling competition.
9. The purpose of the article is to show that
a. Darwin was a revolutionary because he was one of the youngest in his family.
b. The child’s place in the family is connected to being a rebel or reactionary.
c. Sulloway wrote his revolutionary book because he was a younger member of his
family.
d. The oldest sibling tends to be revolutionary while younger siblings tend to be
traditional
- 171 -
Were You Born to Rebel?
Find the words which mean the same as:
Paragraph 1
a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)
offered a suggestion – `
creative idea
–
to deny, to refute –
accepted –
a person who refuses to accepta person opposing social progress –
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph2.
brothers and sisters –
______________
Paragraph 3.
a) a period of 10 years –
b) information c) gave hope-
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph 4.
a) receive property –
b) important –
________________
________________
Paragraph 5
.
a) to be likely to –
b) opinions –
c) friendly and pleasant –
d) the first person to begin something -
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph 6.
a)
b)
c)
d)
to be like –
collect and arrange( in a book) –
first in importance –
a way in which something happens -
- 172 -
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Older People Eating Enough Fruit and Vegetables Might Cause Serious Problems
for Rural England
Science Daily
May 20, 2009
Eating more healthily might be better for us as individuals, but would it be bad
news for farmers?
1. Older people -- people aged 50 and over in the UK today – may need to change how
they eat if they want to stay healthy. Dr. Katherine Appleton from the School of
Psychology at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland recently said: "Fruit
and vegetables are vital for psychological as well as physical health. In our research,
we found that fruit and vegetable consumption became lower with aging and that the
least amount was eaten by men and among people living in poor areas.
2. "Older people in Northern Ireland are eating on average four portions of fruit and
vegetables per day. This is higher than levels in the rest of Britain, but remains
below current government recommendations. Our research reveals that often older
people are not familiar with these recommendations.
3. "Twenty-two per cent of the participants of the research were not aware of the
current government guidelines on eating five portions of fruit and vegetables
every day In fact, some of them who were eating only two portions a day
thought they were eating enough.
4. "Older people should eat more fruit and vegetables. They are more likely to do this if
they are aware of the five-a-day recommendations and associated health benefits.
We recommend that more should be done to raise older people’s awareness of
these issues and increase their exposure to products and recipes that contain fruit
and vegetables.
5. "The research recommends improving awareness of the health benefits, and of
adequate products or dishes. It also recommends that specific strategies may be
used to increase older people’s motivation and willingness to change eating
behaviors."
- 173 -
6. However, fixing the problems of the older people who are not eating enough fruit and
vegetables may lead to another problem for the British nation. A different research
project found that if the British people all followed government advice to eat five
portions of fruit and vegetables a day, this could have serious implications for the
farmers in Britain. An interdisciplinary team examined several inter-related
questions: How could the UK produce healthy foods that consumers wish to buy at
prices they are willing to pay? What would be the impact on land use, the rural
environment and the rural economy if older people change their eating habits?
7. Much of the current demand for fruit and vegetables is met by imported food. The
research shows that if the percentage of imports remains constant, much more land
in Britain would be needed in order to produce the quantity of fruit and vegetables for
the recommended healthy diet.
8. At the same time, if eating habits change, the demand for meat production would
change. Regions of Britain such as Wales and South West, which are most suitable
to raising animals rather than growing crops, would suffer a severe decline in such
production. For example, in Wales, cattle numbers would fall by some 400,000 head
and only half of sheep numbers will remain. In addition, in the north of England,
both sheep and cattle numbers would fall by 200,000 head each.
9. Britain can increase fruit and vegetable crops but increased production of fruit and
vegetables in the east and south east of England would be unlikely to bring more
employment. Rather, there will be more use of machinery for many of the required
garden operations and farmers would probably rely on temporary foreign workers
where labor is required. In addition, pressure would increase on water supplies
because of the need to water crops.
10. Professor Bruce Trail said: “Undoubtedly the UK Government has a duty to promote
the health of the population. Therefore, within this research project we have
been looking at the most effective ways of doing that, whether by economic
measures or by trying to improve the nutritional qualities of the foods that
people eat.
There is a potential in all of these approaches, if they are
targeted effectively.
- 174 -
11. “However, we also have to consider the potential unintended consequences
of the new nutritional policies. For rural communities, such as the dairying
industry of south west England and upland areas of the UK, these could be
far-reaching and need to be taken into account: smaller farms would
disappear and be absorbed into larger land holdings. This will result in
unemployment and migration from these areas”
Adapted from materials provided by University of Reading and Institute of Governance,
Queen’s University
Web address:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/
090519075845.htm
Older People Eating Enough Fruit and Vegetables Might Cause Serious Problems for
Rural England
- 175 -
I.
1.
Comprehension Questions
According to Dr. Appleton, why is eating fruit and vegetables important?
___________________________________________________________
2.
What were the findings of Dr. Appleton’s research?
Circle the correct words in the following sentences:
Dr. Appleton’s research showed that aged people eat more / less fruit and
vegetables than the young. It also indicated the highest / the lowest
consumption of fruit and vegetables among men and poor people.
3.
What do the statistics in paragraph 3 illustrate?
___________________________________________________________
4.
What should be done to encourage older people to eat more fruit and
vegetables?
a. _____________________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________________
5.
Paragraph 6
a. “fixing the problems of the older people who are not eating enough fruit
and vegetables may lead to another problem for the British nation.”
(LL 1-2)
What is the problem?
___________________________________________________________
b. Which three aspects of local agriculture might be affected if older people
change their eating habits?
i.
____________________________________________________
ii.
____________________________________________________
iii.
____________________________________________________
- 176 -
6.
What is the relationship between paragraphs 4-5 and paragraph 6?
7.
a.
contrast
b.
addition
c.
main idea and example
d.
comparison
Paragraphs 7-8
What might happen if eating habits of older people change?
Put a check (v) next to the TWO correct answers.
____ The percentage of imported fruit and vegetables will increase.
____ Additional land for growing fruit and vegetables will be required.
____ The production of meat will decrease.
____ In some regions, growing crops will be easier than raising animals.
8. Paragraph 8:
What will be the consequence of the change in eating habits?
There will be a decrease in ________________ because the land will be used for
___________________.
9.
Paragraph 9
Increased production of fruit and vegetables will provide more
workplaces.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
10
According to paragraph 9, what will be the consequences of increased
production of fruit and vegetables?
Circle the correct word and complete the sentence.
(ONE –TWO WORDS in each space)
Increased production of fruit and vegetables will have positive / negative
consequences for both __________________ and __________________.
- 177 -
11.
List the ways by which the British Government can promote the health of the
population.
12.
a.
_____________________________________________________
b.
_____________________________________________________
Paragraph 11
What are the “potential unintended consequences of the new nutritional
policies”? Give ONE example.
_______________________________________________________
13.
What is the main idea of the article?
a.
Older people are not eating enough fruit and vegetables and are unaware
of the consequences.
b.
Some regions in South West England are not suitable for growing fruit and
vegetables.
c.
If older people eat more fruit and vegetables, it might be healthy but cause
severe problems for farmers in England.
d.
II.
Eating more fruit and vegetables will solve health problems of older people
Reference Questions
What do the following words refer to in the text?
a. par. 8, line 3 “such” refers to __________________________________
b. par. 10, line 3 “that” refers to __________________________________
c. par. 10, line 5 “they” refers to __________________________________
d. par. 11, line 3 “these” refers to _________________________________
e. par. 11, line 5 “this” refers to __________________________________
f. par. 11, line 6 “these” refers to ________________________________
- 178 -
III.
Vocabulary
Underline the following words in the text and study their meanings in context:
Paragraph 1
vital
Paragraph 7
demand
constant
Paragraph 2
remain
Paragraph 8
suitable
rather than
decline
Paragraph 3
participants
aware (of)
Paragraph 9
increase
require
temporary
Paragraph 4
health benefits
recommend
contain
Paragraph 10
promote
approaches
Paragraph 5
awareness
Paragraph 6
implications
produce
Paragraph 11
consequences
take into account
disappear
Exercise 1
Match the words in column A with their synonyms in column B:
1.
aware of
____
a)
instead of
2.
implication
____
b)
consider
3.
demand
____
c)
know
4.
rather than
____
d)
consequence
5.
take into account ____
e)
require
Exercise 2
Match the words in column A with their antonyms in column B:
1.
constant
____
a)
disappear
2.
decline
____
b)
lack of knowledge
3.
remain
____
c)
increase
4.
vital
____
d)
temporary
5.
awareness
____
e)
unimportant
- 179 -
Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the words below. (Note: there are 2 extra
words)
approach
health benefits
produce
recommend
contain
participants
promote
suitable
1.
All the _______________________ in the competition arrived at the stadium
early in the morning.
2.
Doctors _______________________ older people to eat a number of portions
of fruit and vegetables daily.
3.
Current research shows that climate on Mars is not __________________ for
humans.
4.
The food company started a new campaign. Its purpose is to
________________________ their new product.
5.
If you wish to stay healthy for many years, you should change your
________________________ and start exercising daily.
6.
Some people are not aware of the _________________________ of fruit and
vegetables, and therefore do not eat enough of them.
- 180 -
Surfing the Net
1.
For many computer owners, searching for information on the Internet -
commonly known as "surfing the Net" - has become a daily routine. "Surfers" of the
Net can be divided into three groups. The first group consists of those who know
exactly where they are planning to go. The next group is the surfers who are in it
for the sport. They don't really care where they end up or how they get there, as
long as they have fun on the way. They begin at any given point and move from one
site to another. The third is surfers who are looking for specific information, but don't
know where to find it.
2.
The truth -- everything from motorcycles to dating-on-line, from homework
helpers to job listings -- is online, just waiting to be retrieved with the click of a
mouse. For those in the third group of surfers, how does this novice surfer make
sense of what seems to be a hopeless web of random information? The first
"friend" you must make on the Net is called "search engine", one of the datalocating programs. How do search engines work? An engine will sift through tens of
thousands of sites and millions of documents to find just the ones you are
looking for. It does this by using keywords. Most of the popular search engines ask
you to type in one or more keywords. For advanced or refined searching,
remember to read the instructions carefully.
3.
But why do I need a search engine? You need a search engine for the
same reason you need a card catalogue in a library. There is a lot of great and
useful information in a library, but it's physically impossible to examine all the
books personally. Similarly, not even the most tireless web-surfer could hyperlink to
all the documents on the Web .It has millions of pages. And every minute of the day,
folks are posting more
- 181 -
4.
It's important to give some thought to your search strategy. Are you just
beginning to amass knowledge on a fairly broad subject? Or do you have a specific
objective in mind? Using your "friend" on the Net -- your search engine -- when you are
planning a vacation to a dinosaur park, you can look for information on a dinosaur
theme park. If you type in "theme park" as your keyword, you will get hundreds of items
containing that keyword, but most of the sites will not pertain to what you are
looking for. So narrow the search engine's scope by searching for links for the exact
place, and information you need on "Dinosaur Theme Park" will appear.
5.
Let's take a less obvious example. Suppose you're a fan of murder mysteries
and you want to search the Web for the home pages of all your favorite authors in
that genre. If you simply enter the words "mystery" and "writer," most search
engines will return hyperlinks to all Web documents that contain the word "mystery" or
the word, "writer." This will
probably include hundreds-or even thousands-of
URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), most of which will have no relevance to your
search. If you enter the words as a phrase, however, you stand a better chance of
getting some good hits.
6.
In addition to narrowing the search keyword, you can increase the number of
sites displayed as a result of your search. For example, if you are searching for
sites of song lyrics, you can leave the default settings as they are and 20 sites for
song lyrics will be displayed. But if you want to find as many sites as you can for
lyrics, you can ask to increase the number displayed to 50, 100 or even 1,000!
Consequently, it is important to keep keywords as specific as possible and to read the
instructions.
7.
Most sites offer two different types of searches-"basic" and "refined" (also called
"advanced"). In a "basic" search, you just enter a keyword without sifting through any
pull down menus of additional options. Depending on the engine, though, "basic"
searches can be quite complex.
- 182 -
8.
“Advanced” search options differ from one search engine to another. However,
some of the possibilities include the ability to search on more than one word, to give
more weight to one search term than you give to another, and to exclude words that
might be likely to muddy the results. You might also be able to search on proper names,
on phrases, and on words that are found within a certain proximity to other search
terms. These techniques will help narrow down the search so you can find exact
information quickly and easily. In conclusion, if you understand how search engines
organize information and find it, you can maximize your chances of getting hits on
appropriate URLs.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Internet and personality by Y. Amichai-Hamburger* Department of
Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, IsraelComputers in Human Behavior (18)
2002
http://www.cybeing.net/articles/internet2002.pdf
- 183 -
Surfing the Net - Comprehension Questions
1.
Complete the sentence.
"Surfing the net" is _________________________________________
2.
Paragraph 2: "For those in the third group of surfers…" (Lines 2-3)
Who are these surfers? Those ____________________________________
___________________________________.
3.
Complete the following sentences.
When searching for specific information, you should use a data-locating
program, also known as a _________________________ (TWO
WORDS) . First of all, you should type in a ________________ (ONE
WORD) and the program will look through numerous _______________
(ONE WORD) and ________________ (ONE WORD) to find the
information you are looking for.
4.
Complete the following sentences according to paragraph 3.
Paragraph 3 compares a search engine to a ____________________
(TWO WORDS).
5.
What idea is illustrated by the example of a "Dinosaur Theme Park"?
a. You should limit the search scope by choosing the keywords correctly.
b. Turn to your friend on the Net when you are planning a vacation.
c. "Theme park" are the only necessary keywords while searching for a dinosaur
theme park.
d. You might get hundreds of items when searching for a dinosaur theme park.
6.
Complete the sentence according to paragraphs 4 and 5.
The example of searching information about a dinosaur theme park is
__________________________(TWO words) than the example of
searching information about mystery murder writers.
- 184 -
7.
True / False
The keywords “mystery” and “writer” are sufficient to search for your favorite
authors of murder mysteries.
Quote from the text to support your answer.
_________________________________________________________
8.
The purpose of paragraph 6 is
a. to show readers how to search for song lyrics on the net.
b. to show readers how to get to many song lyrics sites on the net.
c. to teach readers how to use the search engine according to their specific
needs.
d. to teach readers how to download information from the sites.
9.
a.
List FOUR of the techniques offered by the "advanced" search options.
i_____________________________________________________________
ii.__________________________________________________
iii.__________________________________________________
iv. _________________________________________________
b.
What makes these techniques useful?
________________________________________________
10.
What can generally improve your chances of finding information?
___________________________________________________________
11.
The main idea of the article is:
a.
Various types of Net surfers and search engines.
b.
How to surf the Net effectively.
c.
Planning a vacation with the help of the Net.
d.
How to make friends on the Net.
- 185 -
Adaptation: The Key to Survival
from Open Content Curriculum
1.
A traveler who gets off a plane at La Paz, Bolivia, is going to have a worrying
experience: breathing the rarefied air of this highest big city in the world. Although his
first few breaths may leave him cheerful, talkative and happily giddy, the pleasant
feeling does not last. Suddenly he may become nauseated and develop a violent
headache and a strange inability to climb even a few stairs. If he reacts as some people
do, he will soon move with difficulty, and his feet will turn icy. He may become irritable
and even irrational, and his mood may swing from one extreme to another. Whatever
his symptoms may be— and they are usually unpleasant — their only cure is time: it
may take several weeks for his body to adapt to the high altitude.
2.
La Paz is 11,900 feet above sea level; at this height, the air is so thin that people
from lowland areas inhale only half as much oxygen as they normally do at lower
elevations. Since they are not breathing more quickly, their tissues feel the need of
oxygen. In addition, because the brain is very sensitive to oxygen deficiency, symptoms
of mental confusion are among the first reactions to appear. Fortunately, the visitor
finally gets used to the new environment : he begins to breathe more deeply and his
body begins to increase its production of red cells so that there are more of them to pick
up the oxygen that is available. At this point, he is able to function almost normally,
though his mental and emotional processes are still a little disturbed.
3.
People who were born and raised at high altitudes suffer no such difficulties. The
Indians of Morococha, a Peruvian mining town - 14,900 feet up in the Andes - regularly
put in long, hard days of physical labor in the mines, and in their spare time play a great
deal of soccer. Comparative studies showed they could run much longer on a treadmill
in their sky-high town than could a group of Peruvian sailors who were tested in the
nation's capital, Lima, at sea level. The Indians ran an average of 59 minutes before,
feeling exhausted while the sailors could run for only 34 minutes.
- 186 -
4.
This impressive difference must be related to the mechanisms of physiological
adaptation that the Indians have developed: they have a larger number of red blood
cells to carry oxygen to the tissue, and they breathe more quickly and more deeply. As
a result, 20 percent more air reaches their lungs than in the case of those people who
live at sea level.
5.
It is clear from these examples that every man is a creature of his environment,
and his physical responses are powerfully influenced by the world he lives in. When he
shifts to a new environment, his body makes a violent effort to adapt to it. In this
respect, a child born at high altitudes and a visitor who has lived in a lower area face the
same problem. Yet, natural selection must also play a role: it encourages the
reproduction of people well fitted genetically to adapt to high altitudes. People born at
low altitudes have smaller rib cages than the Andean Indians. In addition, it has been
frequently noted that people from the lowlands become much less fertile when they
move to high altitudes, while native Indians reproduce normally.
6.
One of the most interesting kinds of genetic adaptations is body shape. In hot, dry
climates there is a big number of tall, thin people, whose body shape doesn’t keep heat
In cold areas, on the other hand, people may tend towards a rounder shape, which
conserves heat.
7.
Skin color provides another example of genetic adaptation. In areas with strong
sunshine and clear skies, dark-skinned people have an advantage: dark pigment helps
to filter out some of the more harmful solar rays. People who live in forests need less
protection from the sun. They have lighter skins. And the lightest skins of all may be
found among people who live in cool and cloudy climates of Northern Europe.
8.
While genetic adaptation becomes obvious after many generations, physiological
adaptation develops quite soon after the individual is exposed to a new environment.
Fishermen, whose hands are frequently exposed to cold water, develop better blood
circulation in their hands. As a result, their local resistance to low temperatures is
greater
- 187 -
9.
A more common example of short-term adaptation has been experienced by most
of the people living in Northern Europe. In midwinter the temperature of 12 degrees
centigrade feels quite warm if it comes immediately after freezing days. In summer,
though it seems very cold. In conclusion, all organisms need to adapt in order to
survive.
- 188 -
Adaptation: The Key to Survival
I. Comprehension questions
1. Why is the experience of “breathing the rarefied air of the largest city in
the world” (L 2) worrying for a traveler?
Complete the following sentence.
First he may feel _____________________________________.
Soon after that, however, he will _________________________
___________________________________________________.
2. Paragraphs 1 – 2
Put a check (V) next to the FOUR symptoms of pre-adaptation to the high
altitude.
-- very strong headaches
-- perfect brain functioning
-- being in a chatting mood
-- pleasant emotions
-- hardly going upstairs
-- extreme changes in the mood
-- not thinking clearly
3. Since the brain is sensitive to the lack of oxygen, symptoms of mental
disorder may appear during the first days in La Paz.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
_______________________________________________________
- 189 -
4. Paragraph 3 reports the results of “comparative studies” (L4).
Fill in the missing parts of the chart below.
Country
1.Peru
City
Professional Physical
Duration of
(Town)
Occupation
Activity
Its
of the
Altitude
Participants
Activity
Morococha
running a
14.900 feet
treadmill
2.
34 minutes
sailors
5. Why do Indian miners breathe 20 percent more air?
General reason, NOT specific
Because of their ________________________ (TWO WORDS)
6. Paragraph 5
a. Which “same problem” (L5) does the author refer to?
___________________________________________________
b. Why is natural selection important in physiological adaptation?
____________________________________________________
c. How does moving to highlands affect fertilization?
Circle the correct word in the following sentences.
The reproduction of people born in highlands is normal / lower as
compared to people from lowlands with normal / low reproduction
after moving to high altitudes.
7. Paragraphs 6 and 7 discuss the possible ______________ (ONE WORD)
of genetic adaptation.
8. What causes fishermen’s greater local resistance to low temperatures?
They___________________________________________________
(NO MORE THAN SIX WORDS)
- 190 -
9. What is the main purpose of the article?
a. to give examples of long and short-term adaptations.
b. to describe highland and lowland areas across the globe..
c. to stress the importance of physiological and genetic adjustment.
d to compare between physiological and genetic adaptations
II.
Vocabulary
Study the following words as they appear in each paragraph:
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 5
Inability
creature
Irritable
shift
Irrational
violent
Paragraph 2
face
deficiency
fit
confusion
Paragraph 6
available
tend
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 8
raise
obvious
exhausted
individual
a great deal
expose
Paragraph 4
resistance
impressive
Paragraph 9
survive
Exercise 1
Match the words in Column A with their synonyms or definitions in Column B
Column A
Column B
1. deficiency
a. bring up
2. raise
b. person
3. individual
d. evident
4. exhausted
e. open
5. obvious
h. lack of something
6. expose
g. extremely tired
- 191 -
Exercise 2
Match the words in Column A with their antonyms in Column B
Column A
Column B
1. irrational
a ability to be unaffected
by something
2. resistance
b. a little
3. shift
c. capacity
4. inability
d reasonable, logical
5. great deal
e leave in the same position
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the words from the word bank.
face survive violent available tend irritable
1. The hall is _____________________ on Saturday night.
2. Plants ________________ to die in hot weather.
3. She was in an ____________________________ mood.
4. He didn't _____________________ long after the accident.
5. I'm sure, he is responsible enough to __________________ the reality.
6. There was a _____________________sea storm.
- 192 -
Secondhand Smoke Linked to Hyperactivity and Bad Behavior in Children so
What about Third Hand Smoke?
Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
09 Dec 2010
1. Breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke -- smoke from cigarettes as inhaled by
people who are not smoking -- may have mental health consequences for a child, as
well as physical ones. According to a report by the United States Surgeon General,
secondhand smoke affects children. Children exposed to it can suffer middle ear
infections, impaired lung function and are more susceptible to sudden death.
2.
British researchers reveal an association between secondhand smoke and more
psychological
distress
among
children.
Children
who
are
regularly
inhaling
environmental tobacco smoke have a higher risk of developing hyperactivity, "conduct
disorder" (bad behavior), and some other mental health problems. There has been
growing evidence over the last few years that parents and guardians should make every
effort to make sure children are not exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.
3
Mark Hamer, PhD, from University College London gathered data on the physical
and mental health of 901 children aged 4 to 8 years, all of them non-smokers. Exposure
to secondhand smoke (SHS) was determined from salivary cotinine level, a by-product
of tobacco smoke. Their saliva was tested for cotinine in order to measure the levels of
secondhand smoke exposure. The participants were also asked to report on how
frequently they were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.
4
The children's parents were asked to complete a “Strengths and Difficulties”
Questionnaire in order to assess psychological distress, i.e., the questionnaire helped
the researchers determine what emotional, behavioral or social problems the children
might have. The questionnaire had a top score of 40 -- the higher the score meant the
more problems the child had.
- 193 -
5
Forty percent of the sample demonstrated high SHS exposure (cotinine level
>0.70 ng/mL). Children with higher cotinine levels were more likely to live in areas of
greater socioeconomic needs; with chronically sick parents or in single-parent families.
The difference in the results was quite evident. The investigators found that the
presence and severity of mental health problems was closely linked to whether a child
breathed in secondhand smoke, as well as how regularly. The two main problems were
hyperactivity and conduct disorder. Hyperactive children and those with conduct
disorders had high salivary cotinine levels.
6
When environmental smoke was breathed in, it was most likely to occur in the
child's home. Objectively assessed SHS exposure was associated with poorer mental
health among children. However, nobody knows what the link between secondhand
smoke and mental problems may be due to. Genetics may play a factor, or perhaps
chemicals in tobacco smoke may influence brain chemicals, such as dopamine.
7.
If you’re in a room where people are smoking, you are breathing in secondhand
smoke. The next question: What are the dangers of third hand smoke? If you’ve ever
owned a car that was previously owned by a smoker, you’re familiar with the smell.
That’s third hand smoke. If you’ve ever shared an elevator with someone who has just
smoked a cigarette, you are being exposed to third hand smoke.
8.
Dr. Carl Werntz, WVU Community Medicine stated recently, "There are people
doing research, looking at the risks of third hand smoke and how it might be affecting
people who are exposed. We know there are health risks from smoking, and health
risks from secondhand smoke, and there are also concerns that third hand smoke is
dangerous."
9.
Whether by choice or by law, smokers now take their cigarette outside the room,
classroom, school, office, department store, thus sparing the people inside from
secondhand smoke. But even after the cigarette has been stubbed out, smokers carry
toxic chemicals on their hair and clothing. "People will sometimes say 'I don’t expose my
children to smoking because I do that outside', Werntz added. “The problem is their
clothes and their hair are still going to have the smoke on it when they come inside
where they expose their children to third hand smoke. Third hand smoke stays in any
- 194 -
soft surfaces in the home like in a carpet. That means children are especially at risk to
third hand smoke exposure, since they frequently crawl or sit on the floor.
Although it is known that toxins from cigarette smoke remain in carpets and
10.
furniture, it is not known exactly how harmful third hand smoke is. That remains to be
seen. Research looking into the effects of third hand smoke is new and ongoing.
SOURCE: Secondhand Smoke: "Objectively Measured Secondhand Smoke Exposure
and Mental Health in Children - Evidence From the Scottish Health Survey"
Mark Hamer, PhD; Tamsin Ford, PhD; Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD; Samantha
Dockray, PhD; G. David Batty, PhD
Arch
Pediatr
Adolesc
Med.
Published
online
December
6,
2010.
doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.243
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/210948.php
SOURCE: Third-Hand Smoke: Copyright 2010 West Virginia Media
- 195 -
Secondhand Smoke, Hyperactivity, Bad Behavior. What about Third Hand
Smoke?
I. Comprehension Questions
1. Circle the correct answer.
The examples at the end of paragraph 1 illustrate mental / physical health
problems that children suffer from secondhand smoke.
2. What are the names for smoke from cigarettes inhaled by people who are
not smoking.
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
3. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?
a. Cause and effect
b. Exemplification
c. Addition
d. Contrast
4. Put a check (√) next to the THREE research methods Mark Hamer did NOT
use?
___ Children aged 4 – 8 filled out a questionnaire
___ Both smokers and non-smokers were studied
___ Reviewing both mental and physical health of children
___ Taking samples of saliva from children aged 4 – 8
___ Creating a rating scale 0 – 40, with 40 meaning lowest problems
5. Children with higher exposure to SHS came from wealthier families
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text:
_______________________________________________________
- 196 -
6. Paragraph 6
Complete the following sentence:
Although some children who breathed in secondhand smoke had mental health
problems, ________________________________________________
7. How does the usual behavior of children increase their exposure to third hand
smoke?
______________________________________________________________
8. Circle the correct answer.
Contrary to the dangers of secondhand smoke, the dangers of third hand smoke
are / are not understood.
9. In the last paragraph the writer says, “That remains to be seen”.
What might be the potential topic for future research/study/investigation?
__________________________________________________________
10. What is the main idea of the article?
a. Secondhand and third hand smoke have equally dangerous physical and
emotional effects.
b. Effects of secondhand smoke are known while the effects of third hand smoke
need to be studied.
c. Driving a car previously owned by a smoker may have dangerous effect on your
health.
d. Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of third hand smoke.
- 197 -
II. Vocabulary
Exercise
Which words in the article mean the same as the words below:
Para. 1 results, effects, outcomes
Para. 1 with the body
Para. 2 proof, data
Para. 3 contact, interaction
Para. 3 people doing the activity
Para. 5 with the mind
Para. 5 Researchers acting like
detectives
Para. 6 reason, element
Para. 7 before, earlier
Para. 8 a group in society
Para10 a study
___________________________________
- 198 -
Multitasking Can Make You Lose Focus
The New York Times
October 24, 2008
By Alina Tugend
1.
While you are reading this article, are you listening to music on the radio? Yelling
at your children? If you are looking at this article online, are you e-mailing or instantmessaging at the same time?
2.
Since the 1990s, we've accepted multitasking as a natural part of daily life.
Multitasking is shifting focus from one task or responsibility to another in quick
succession. It gives the illusion that we're simultaneously "tasking" – actively taking care
of important things -- but we're really not. In fact, all of us spend part or most of our day
either switching from one task to another or doing two or more things at the same time.
While multitasking may seem to be saving time, psychologists, neuroscientists and
others are finding that it can put us under a great deal of stress and actually make us
less efficient.
3.
On the one hand, reading an article while listening to music, then switching to
check e-mail messages and talking on the phone can be a way of making tasks more
fun and energizing. On the other hand, “you have to keep in mind that you sacrifice
focus when you do this," said the psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell.
4.
Of course, this depends on what you're doing. For some people, listening to music
while working actually makes them more creative because they are using different
cognitive functions. However, you cannot simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone. I
think we're all familiar with what Dr. Hallowell calls "e-mail voice," when someone you're
talking to on the phone suddenly sounds distracted.
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5.
We all know that initially computers, then the smart phone and the cell phone have
created a world very different from that of several decades ago. Then a desk worker
had a typewriter, a phone and an occasional colleague who dropped into the office to
chat. In the days before the cordless phone, talking on the telephone meant sitting
down, putting your feet up and chatting — not doing laundry, cooking dinner, sweeping
the floor and answering the door.
6.
Nowadays researchers are trying to figure out how the brain shifts attention from
one subject to another. According to Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “human brains have a very large prefrontal
cortex. This part contains the "executive control" process, which helps us switch and
control tasks. We can do a couple of things at the same time if they are monotonous,
but if they demand more cognitive process, the brain has "a severe bottleneck," he said.
7.
Although the time it takes for our brains to switch tasks may be only a few
seconds, the seconds add up. When doing two jobs that can require real concentration,
such as text-messaging and driving, this can be fatal.
8.
The RAC (Risk Assessment Council) Foundation, a British nonprofit
organization that focuses on driving issues, asked drivers, aged 17 to 24, to use a
driving simulator to see how texting affected driving. Their reaction time between a
stimulus and the response to it was around 35 percent slower when writing a text
message — slower than driving drunk or stoned.
9.
Thus, there are definitely times we should not try to multitask. In fact, we may
think it's nice to say that we should focus on one thing at a time, but the real world
doesn't work that way. We are constantly interrupted. A 2005 study found that
people in an office were interrupted and moved from one project to another about
every 11 minutes. In addition, each time it took about 25 minutes to return to the
original project.
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10.
A later study "The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress," found that
"people actually worked faster under conditions where they were interrupted, but they
produced less. Besides, people were as likely to self-interrupt as to be interrupted by
someone else. Further research needs to be done to know why people work in these
patterns, but our increasingly shorter attention spans probably have something to do
with it. During the experiment, after only 20 minutes of interrupted performance, people
reported significantly higher stress, frustration and pressure.
11.
Dr. Hallowell has termed this effort to multitask "attention deficit trait." He wrote:
“Unlike attention deficit disorder, which has a neurological basis, attention deficit trait
comes entirely from the environment. As our minds fill with noise, the brain gradually
loses its capacity to attend fully to anything, desperately trying to keep up with a
multitude of jobs; we constantly feel panic and guilt."
12.
Dr. Hallowell suggests we should reconstruct boundaries; training ourselves not
to look at a iPhone every 20 seconds, or turning off a cell phone, and banning such
devices at meetings. He adds that sleeping less to do more is a bad strategy, since we
are efficient only when we sleep enough, eat right and exercise.
13.
So the next time the phone rings and a good friend is on the line, try this trick:
Sit on the couch. Focus on the conversation. Don't jump up, no matter how much you
feel the need to clean the kitchen. It seems weird, but go for it. You, too, can learn the
art of single-tasking.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/business/yourmoney/25shortcuts.html?_r=1
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Multitasking
I.
Comprehension Questions
1. Paragraphs 1 – 2
a. Give one example of multitasking as a “natural part of daily life” (Para. 2 L 1).
__________________________________________________________
b. According to psychologists and neuroscientists, what can lower our
efficiency?
_________________ (ONE WORD)
2. What is contradictory about multitasking?
Complete the following sentence.
While it can be _____________, in fact, you _____________________________
3. According to Paragraph 4, what raises creativity?
______________________________________________________________
4. List the differences between talking on the phone in the past and at present.
In the past people would be
At present talking on the phone allows
_______________________
________________________________
________________________
________________________________
________________________
________________________________
________________________________
5. Paragraph 6
The brain switches attention and controls all our multitasking activities in the
same way.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
_____________________________________________________________
6. Paragraphs 7 – 8
Why does the author mention the results of the experiment carried out by RAC?
Complete the sentence. (ONE WORD in each space).
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They prove how dangerous it is to do ________________ and ______________.
7. Paragraph 9
a. Which way “doesn’t the real world work?
We don’t ___________________________________
b. Which way does it work? (Be general, not specific)
_________________________________________________
8. a..What are the findings of the study ”The Cost of Interrupted Work”?
1.___________________________________________________
2.___________________________________________________
b. What is a possible reason for these findings?
_____________________________________________________
9. According to Dr. Hallowell, what is the difference between “attention deficit trait”
and “attention deficit disorder”?
Circle the correct words in the following sentence.
While the former is biological / social, the latter is biological / social.
10. What does the author recommend in order to stay focused on a telephone
conversation?
Put a check (V) next to the TWO correct answers.
____ Having a meal.
____ Sitting comfortably
____ Sitting motionlessly
____ Running on a treadmill (‫)הליכון כושר‬
11. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this article?
a. to teach us how to make multitasking fun and energizing
b. to teach us simultaneous text - messaging and driving
c. to warn of the negative aspects of multitasking
d. to explain multitasking from a scientific point of view
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I. Vocabulary
Study the following words as they appear in each paragraph:
Paragraph 2
succession
efficient
Paragraph 9
constantly
interrupt
Paragraph 4
cognitive
distract
Paragraph 10
frustration
Paragraph 11
entirely
capacity
Paragraph 5
initially
create
occasional
Paragraph 12
ban
reconstruct
Paragraph 6
figure out
Exercise 1
Match the words in Column A with their synonyms or definitions in Column B
1. succession ___
a. ability
2. efficient
___
b. understand
3. cognitive
___
c.
4. capacity
___
d. thinking
5 figure out
___
one thing after another
e. effective
Exercise 2
Match the words in Column A with their antonyms or definitions to Column B
1. distract
___
a. allow
2. occasional
___
b. finally
3. ban
___
c. constant
4. initially
___
d. destroy
5. create
___
e. attract
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Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the words from the word bank.
interrupt
constantly
entirely
reconstruct
frustration
1. The Cohen brothers are ______________ different both in appearance and in
character.
2. Nobody likes people who are ______________ complaining.
3. All our efforts to solve the problem ended in ______________.
4. Wars _______________ trade and communication between countries.
5. The ____________ed Habima theatre looks terrific!
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Teen Dating Violence
By Jane Powers and Erica Kerman
February 2006
Cornell University
Family Life Development Center
1. In the past several decades, dating violence has developed as a significant
social and public health problem. Much of the dating violence research,
however, has focused on adult couples or college students. Only recently has
attention been paid to dating violence among teens who are high school
students. Teen dating violence is a significant problem not only because of its
alarming frequency and physical and mental health consequences, but also
because it occurs at a life stage when romantic relationships are beginning
and communication patterns are learned that may carry over into adulthood.
2. Teen dating violence ranges from emotional and verbal abuse to rape and murder.
Adolescents often have difficulty recognizing physical and sexual abuse as actual
abuse and may perceive controlling and jealous behaviors as signs of love. Perhaps
due to their need for independence and greater belief in their peers, teens involved
in dating violence seldom report the violence to a parent or adult; if it is reported,
most tell a friend and the incident never reaches an adult who could help.
Frequency Rates
3. A large amount of research has been conducted to measure frequency of dating
violence. A recent national survey found that approximately 12% of high school
students reported experiencing physical violence in a dating relationship (Center for
Disease Control, 2000). The wide range in frequency rates may be due to several
factors. There appears to be no standard definition of dating violence. Whereas
some researchers include psychological and emotional abuse in their definition of
dating violence (e.g., intimidation, verbal abuse, and monitoring a partner’s
whereabouts), others use a more restrictive definition that includes only physically
violent acts such as slapping, pushing, hitting, kicking, choking, etc. Complicating
the matter is that sexual violence is often excluded in the definition of dating
violence.
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4. Another reason for the difference in frequency rates is that many studies consider
violence in a single or recent relationship and others consider violence occurring in
multiple relationships. Confusion regarding rates of violence also arises because any
exposure to dating violence either as a perpetrator or as a victim is merely added
together.
5. Some researchers have noted that rates of violence may be inaccurate. For
example, since most dating violence research relies on self-report, males may tend
to underreport and deny or minimize their own aggression whereas females may
over report to accept blame. Despite the problems in estimating frequency rates, it is
not unlikely that physical aggression occurs in one of three adolescent dating
relationships. Among high-risk youth who are youth in disadvantaged urban
communities, dating violence may be even more commonplace. One study found
that among a sample of 14 to 16 year old girls from poor families, over half had
experienced sexual and physical violence at the hands of a dating partner. Another
study found that 68% of males and 33% of females attending in high school for atrisk youth reported being violent against a current or recent dating partner.
Mutual Aggression
6. Studies consistently indicate that non-sexual violence in teen dating
relationships involves the give-and-take use of violence by both partners.
Several studies have found that girls inflict more physical violence than boys.
When sexual violence is examined, however, dramatic gender differences
emerge with females suffering significantly more sexual violence than males.
7. Comparing or measuring suffering is a problem. Most obvious is the greater
physical harm that can be inflicted by male violence due to males’ oftengreater size and strength. Compared to boys, girls are more likely to sustain
injuries and require medical treatment as a result of the violence. Another
problem when comparing suffering is the need to understand meaning,
context, or consequences of the violence. For example, much of the dating
violence research overlooks whether female use of violence was in selfdefense or in response to male physical or sexual violence. Another study
found that males and females perceive being the victim of dating violence
- 207 -
very differently. One study found that adolescent boys were less likely than
girls to perceive incidents of dating violence as physically or psychologically
threatening
or
damaging.
Females
report
more
negative
emotional
consequences of the violence including experiencing greater fear for their
safety. Whereas female victims indicate “emotionally hurt” and “fear” as the
two primary effects for them, males indicate “thought it was funny” and
“anger.”
8. Gender also appears to influence motives for violence. One researcher reported that
whereas both males and females cited anger as the most frequently mentioned
motive, self-defense was the second most frequently cited motive for girls, but for
boys it was the desire to get control over their partner.
Prevention Programs
9. The current research does provide enough information to guide professionals
to design prevention programs and target high-risk individuals. The research
points to several key factors that should be targeted to prevent dating
violence. Changing customs associated with dating violence, including
throwing out myths that underline the acceptance and justification of violence,
should be a priority. If teens have friends in violent dating relationships, they
will expect and allow their own relationships to use violence. Violence must
not be condoned, justified, or glamorized. A primary prevention program
should include education regarding the different forms of relationship
violence, early warning signs, understanding the dynamics of intimidation,
power, and control that underlie relationship violence, and teaching skills for
building healthy relationships such as communication and conflict resolution.
Importantly, given the possible effects of community violence on intimate
dating violence, programs that focus on reducing community violence will
likely reduce violence in adolescent dating relationships.
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Teen Dating Violence - Comprehension Questions
1. Why is teen dating violence a problem?
a._________________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________________
c._________________________________________________________
2. Paragraph 2
Put a check (V) next to the THREE reasons why teenagers “seldom report the
violence to a parent or an adult”
___ It is difficult for them to recognize jealousy as love.
___ Teenagers want to be independent.
___ Teenagers seldom tell their friends about dating violence.
___ Teenagers believe their boyfriends and girlfriends.
___They have difficulty identifying physical abuse.
3. Paragraphs 3-4:
Why is it difficult to measure the frequency of dating violence?
a.___________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________________
4. What is the difference between males and females in reporting the cases of
violence?.
Unlike males, females tend to underreport their own aggression.
TRUE / FALSE
Support your answer by quoting from the text
__________________________________________________________
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5. Paragraph 6
What is the difference between non-sexual and sexual violence in teen dating
relationships?
In non-sexual teen dating relationships, violence is inflicted by ____________,
while in sexual relationships it is inflicted mostly by ____________________.
6. a. What is the main idea of paragraph 7?
It discusses several reasons why _____________________________
b. List these reasons:
i.___________________________________________________________
ii.___________________________________________________________
iii.___________________________________________________________
7. How does gender affect perceiving the incidents of dating violence?
Circle your choice.
The attitude of males and females to being a victim of dating violence is
similar / different. Males tend to express more fear / anger. Females report
more fear / anger.
8. What are the motives for violence stated in paragraph 8?
a.______________________________
b.______________________________
c.______________________________
9. Paragraph 9
The author points “several key factors that should be targeted to prevent
dating violence”. (L3)
Which one does he consider the most important?
___________________________________________________
10. What important skills for building healthy relationships should be taught?
a.________________________________________________
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b.________________________________________________
11. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this article?
a. to measure the frequency of dating violence among high school students.
b. to explain why teenagers are more violent than college students and
adults.
c. to draw professionals’ attention to the problem of teen dating violence
d. to prove that prevention programs cannot solve the problem of teen dating
violence.
II. Vocabulary
Find and underline the following words in the text. Study their
meaning in context:
Paragraph 1
significant
to focus
Paragraph 2
seldom
Paragraph 3
rate
whereas
abuse
Paragraph 6
to indicate
Paragraph 7
perceive
negative
to include
effects
Paragraph 9
to reduce
Paragraph 5
inaccurate
Exercise 1
Match the words in column A with their synonyms in Column B:
1. to focus
___
a. important
2. seldom
___
b. scale
3. significant ___
c. while
4. whereas
___
d. to emphasize
5. rate
___
e. rarely
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Exercise 2
Match the words in column A with their antonyms in Column B:
1. to reduce
___
a. to exclude
2. inaccurate
___
b. causes
3. negative
___
c. to increase
4. effects
___
d. exact
5. to include
___
e. positive
Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the words below:
significant
abuse
inaccurate
indicates
perceive
1. Parents should be able to ______________that something is wrong with their
children.
2. The prince’s wedding is a ______________event in the history of the country.
3. ________________data may lead to wrong conclusions.
4. Both physical and emotional _______________should be included in the
definition of dating violence.
5. High body temperature _________________ a serious illness.
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It's War on Supermarket Waste: Supermarkets Forced To End Needless Packaging
By Sean Poulter
www.dailymail.co.uk
September 2010
Sainsbury’s, the third largest chain of supermarkets in Britain, the United
Kingdom, is in court over beef that is packed in plastic shrink-wrap inside a
plastic tray with a plastic lid and a cardboard cover.
There is pressure on Britain’s supermarkets to end wasteful food packaging.
1.
Sainsbury’s, the third largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, is
being taken to court for using excessive wrapping. The store is the first supermarket to
face official action over wasteful packaging. Lincolnshire Trading Standards launched
the case against Sainsbury’s following a complaint from a resident earlier this year. The
executive of trading standards, Peter Heafield, said he had ‘a duty to enforce
regulations’.
2.
Grocery giants have cleverly avoided charges over wasteful packaging for years
because this is an area of law full of loopholes. But trading standards officers who work
with consumers' problems have acted authoritatively over a Sainsbury's beef product
called Taste the Difference Beef. It not only comes in a plastic shrink-wrap, but also is
placed inside a plastic tray with a transparent plastic lid and surrounded with a
cardboard cover. The meat is a typical example of supermarkets’ excess packaging as
well as the resulting waste that campaigners against excessive packaging say is turning
the country into the ‘dustbin of Europe’. Chairman of the Local Government
Association's Environment Board, Paul Bettison, said: “For decades people have got
used to being able to throw away their waste and rubbish without worrying about the
consequences. Those days are now over.”
3.
Sainsbury’s said it was ‘surprised’ by the legal action and is in the process of
changing packaging. But it will be hard to appease campaigners who point out that
more rubbish goes to landfill in Britain than in any other European country. Other
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examples of such packaging excesses include shrink-wrapped coconuts, single
bananas sold in plastic trays and biscuits and cakes wrapped in many layers of trays
and boxes. In addition, campaigners claim that shoppers are routinely charged extra for
buying fruit and vegetables that are wrapped in plastic rather than sold loose.
4.
As the consumer increases his sensitivity to the impact of waste, the producer
and manufacturer will have to respond with more environmentally friendly packaging.
Around 5% of the average shopping basket is packaging. Shockingly, the UK produces
9.3 million tons of waste packaging a year – the equivalent weight of 245 jumbo jets
every week.
5.
The law on excess packaging was introduced in 1999 and appears to offer a
simple route to outlawing waste. However, the rules banning wasteful packaging have
too many loopholes to be effective and the maximum fine of only £5,000 (30,000 NIS)
does not pose any real deterrent for large companies. “The law which is supposed to
ban excessive packaging is a toothless tiger. The fact that there have only been four
successful prosecutions in the UK demonstrates the law simply isn't working. Until this
current court case against Sainsbury’s, the most recent prosecution for excess
packaging was in May 2006 when a Cambridgeshire biscuit firm was given a fine for
filling its cookie boxes only two-thirds full.
6.
The Local Government Association and the Local Authorities Coordinators of
Regulatory Services (LACORS), which advise and support council trading standards
services, have been calling for much tougher regulations to make sure that shops and
manufacturers cannot justify excess packaging on the basis of 'consumer acceptance'
and marketing purposes. They say packaging should be limited to ‘the minimum
adequate amount’ to ensure safety and hygiene.
7.
Councils argue that small print loop-hole clauses make it so difficult to prosecute
offenders that no one has tried to take a store or manufacturer to court since 2006.
They have called for the law to be tightened up and backed up by an increase in the
maximum fine to £50,000 (300,000 NIS).
- 214 -
8.
The Sainsbury’s company said it has been working on reducing packaging on
products across the store. This includes a new way to wrap and present its Taste the
Difference Beef, which, it claims, reduces the total amount of packaging by 53%. A
spokesman said the store was hopeful the council would drop the case because of the
changes. Some of the old packaging was still in stores yesterday, but the firm said this
should be replaced by the new version immediately.
9.
Margaret Eaton, of the Local Government Association, said, “Families are fed up
with having to carry so much packaging home from the supermarket. Stores need to
take more responsibility so it’s easier for people to share in keeping the environment
clean.” Friends of the Earth welcomed the prosecution, saying, “There is far too much
packaging on our food and I hope this prosecution will encourage other supermarkets to
solve their own problems.” Councils are listening to local residents and taking action
over their concerns about protecting the environment and ensuring practical, good value
rubbish bin services.
10.
People are working hard to increase recycling but are deeply concerned about
needlessly over-packaged products. People power is now needed to put pressure on
producers to cut down wasteful packaging. Manufacturers have a vital role to play in
cutting unnecessary packaging and making sure all essential packaging is made from
recycled and recyclable material. The vast majority is moving in the right direction, with
more recyclable materials being used than ever before. But there is still a minority of
suppliers who are undermining the best efforts of councils, consumers and producers.
The law must allow councils to take action against these businesses in the best
interests of consumers and the environment.
11.
Stating their concerns, the British Retail Consortium said stores are making great
efforts to reduce packaging and waste because excess wrapping is a ‘pointless cost’.
Sainsbury’s added that packaging is essential to keep food fresh and therefore prevent
food waste.
SOURCE
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1312599/Sainsburys-landmark-case-forcesupermarkets-end-needless-packaging.html#ixzz17pZEDA4C
- 215 -
It's War on Supermarket Waste: Supermarkets Forced To End Needless Packaging
I. Comprehension Questions
1. Why is Sainsbury’s chain of supermarkets being sued for excessive wrapping?
a. Because it is being taken to court.
b. Since all stores using excessive wrapping are eventually sued for it.
c. Due to the fact that it is facing official action for breaking regulations.
d. Because a customer complained there wasn’t enough packaging on the
beef.
8 pts
2. Paragraph 2
How many wrappings does the excessive packaging of the beef have?
_____
5 pts)
3. What are the plastic shrink-wrap and the cardboard box examples of?
a. ______________________(TWO WORDS)
b. ______________________(TWO WORDS)
6 pts
4. Why do the laws concerning wasteful packaging fail to keep Britain from
“turning into a dustbin”?
Circle the correct words:
Because the laws concerning too much / too little wrapping can be easily
evaded as they have too few / too many loopholes. This situation
results in / is caused by Britain becoming the “Dustbin of Europe.”
9 pts
5. Paragraph 2
“Those days are now over.” Which days does the writer refer to?
To the days when we were _______________________________________
8 pts
- 216 -
6. One banana sold in a plastic tray is an example of ____________________.
(TWO WORDS)
6 pts
7. List the examples of items sold in excessive packaging besides beef and
bananas.
a. _____________________________
b. _____________________________
c. _____________________________
6 pts
8. Fruit and vegetables sold in plastic packaging cost less than those without wrappings.
True / False
Quote a sentence justifying your answer
_____________________________________________________________
2+6=8 pts
9. What point is illustrated by the statistics in paragraph 4?
(NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS IN EACH ANSWER)
As a result of the growing awareness of ______________________________,
manufacturers and producers will have to use _________________________.
8 pts
10. Why are the rules for outlawing waste ineffective?
a. _________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________
6 pts
11. Paragraph 6
How much packaging should be accepted for marketing purposes?
____________________________________________________________
8 pts
- 217 -
12. Why hasn’t anyone prosecuted a store since 2006?
___________________________________________________________
8 pts
13. Paragraph 10
The packaging material used in the wrapping of products should be both
_______________ and_________________. (ONE WORD in each space)
6 pts
14.
What is the main idea of this article?
a. Manufacturers have decided to end an era of excess packaging by listening to
the complaints of the customers.
b. Customers are becoming the leading force in making decisions concerning
environmental issues, mainly excessive packaging
c. Sainbury’s and other supermarkets are taking suppliers to court for causing
harm to the environment.
d. Excessive packaging is turning Britain into Europe’s garbage bin, which
upsets the campaigners.
8 pts
Vocabulary
Find and underline the following words in the text. Study their meanings in
context:
Paragraph 1
regulations
excessive
Paragraph 2
consumer
packaged
Paragraph 3
wrapped
Paragraph 5
ban
Paragraph 8
reduce
Paragraph 9
solve
Paragraph 10
essential
needless
vital
Paragraph 11
fresh
pointless
- 218 -
Exercise 1
Match the words in column A with their synonyms in Column B.
(There is ONE extra synonym)
1. pointless
___
a. rules
2. buyer
___
b. improve
3. lessen
___
c.. reduce
4. solve
___
d. find the answer to
5. regulations ___
e. needless
f. consumer
Exercise 2
Match the words in column A with their antonyms in Column B.
(There is ONE extra antonym)
1.unwrapped
___
a. packaged
2. allow
___
b. vital
3. spoiled
___
c. fresh
4. inessential ___
d. not important
5. too little
e. ban
___
f. excessive
Exercise 3
Complete the sentences using the words from exercises 1and 2.
1. Israeli consumers are unaware of the dangers that _____________packaging
presents to the environment. To _______________the situation, Israelis should be
educated how to________________ the damage to nature and our surroundings.
2. It is not unusual to witness passers-by throw paper on the ground after a pack of
cigarettes or a snack has been_________________. There are clear laws and
__________________ against littering, but they are not enforced.
3. It is________________ to solve this problem of waste by ________________ the
amount of plastic and paper used in packaging so that there will not be so much to
throw away.
4. _______________ are being offered an unlimited number of plastic bags with every
item they purchase. In my opinion, there should be a ________________on plastic
bags which would be a positive step towards helping to ________________ this
problem of excessive packaging.
- 219 -
Web Plagiarism is Easy, but is also Easier to Detect
Katie Hamer - New York Times Service, Jury 2001
1.
A student at Spring Lake Park High School outside Minneapolis said he had a
formatting problem: The margins on the research paper he was trying to print out for an
English class this spring were not aligning correctly. But when he complained to Jane
Prestebak, a librarian whose duties include running the school's computer lab, she
immediately suspected the actual cause. Ms. Prestebak took the first five words of the text
and put them in a search engine. Up came the Web site from which the student had
taken the paper in its entirety, margin formatting and all. "Maybe a teacher who wasn't as
computer literate as I am wouldn't have known to be suspicious," Ms. Prestebak said.
She alerted the student's teacher, who decided to turn the incident into a lesson in ethics.
2.
At a time when degrees of Internet literacy seem to be in inverse proportion to age, a
new generation of students is faced with an old temptation made easier than ever - taking
others' work and passing it off as original. In this era of cut and paste, hundreds of sites
offer essays and research papers on a wide variety of topics - some at no charge. E-mail
has made it simpler for students to borrow from one another's work.
3.
Donald McCabe, a management professor at Rutgers University who conducts
periodic surveys on cheating at college campuses, recently surveyed 4,500 high
school students at 25 schools around the country. When it comes to plagiarizing from
the Web, he found high schools seem to present a far larger problem. More than half
the high school students surveyed admitted either downloading a paper from a Web
site or copying a few sentences from a Web site without bothering to cite the source.
4.
On the college level, Mr. McCabe said, just 10 to 20 percent of those surveyed
acknowledged such practices. .Often, certain clues make teachers suspicious. "If a
student hasn't done a lick of work, or produced anything during the stages of a
research paper, then suddenly this beautifully typed-up paper materialized, that's a
sign," said Cathy Aubrecht, an English teacher at Hononegah High School in Rockton,
Illinois.
- 220 -
5. At other times, the problem presents itself in a more subtle fashion. "I have kids
every year who have a hard time understanding that ideas can be plagiarized as
well," she said. 'If you get a good idea from some place, or a concept is related to
you via a book or Internet site, it needs to be recognized. But they assume that everything
is public domain." Mr. McCabe said he was deeply concerned about the cavalier -arrogant attitude toward plagiarism among students coming up through high school and
beginning to enter college. "Many students say, "We're way ahead of our teachers when
it comes to the Internet," Mr. McCabe said. "And they say, 'Everybody's doing it."'
6. In high school, however, the consequences are not as grave as in college. High school
students caught cheating are usually given a stern lecture or, at worst, a failing grade. On
rare occasions, seniors will not be allowed to graduate. College students caught
plagiarizing, especially at institutions with strict honor codes, are often suspended and
may even be expelled, Mr. McCabe said.
7. The Web, in addition to providing opportunities for plagiarism, has made it much
easier to detect plagiarism. A growing number of educators now routinely use Web-based
services to detect unoriginal work. Turnitin.com, one popular service, offers a simple
method that allows both teachers and students to submit papers to electronic
scrutiny. The service compares the paper against millions of Web sites, as well
as a database of previous submission. It also compares the paper against those
offered by the so-called term-paper mills. Turnitin.com then
sends a report with the results to the teacher. High schools using this service pay around
$1,000 a year for an unlimited number of submissions. Colleges pay roughly $2,000. John
Barrie, a founder of Turnitin.com, estimated that of all the work submitted to the site,
nearly one-third is copied in whole or in part from another source.
8.
"When it comes to cheating, at the top of the list is plagiarism, and at the top of that
list are students cutting and pasting, mostly from the Internet," Mr. Barrie said. He said
about 1,000 institutions subscribe to the service. Roughly 60 percent are high schools and
the rest are colleges. Such services are surprisingly effective, especially as a deterrent
Steven Hardinger, a chemistry lecturer at the University of California at Los Angeles, said
he had students submit their own papers to Turnitin.com with the results sent to him. "The
use of Tumitin.com as a deterrent is perhaps much more valuable than as a way to ferret
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out plagiarism," Mr. Hardinger said. "We really hate to see plagiarists and hate to punish
them, but we want them to know we're watching." ssid Jamie McKenzie, editor of From
Now On – The Educational Technology Journal, an online publication at www.fno.org.
9.
He went on to say he saw a more disquieting problem associated with youthful
plagiarists - what he calls "mental softness." Students are caught up in a cut-and-paste
mentality that relates to an old belief that longer is better. They're confusing the size of their
pile, of what they've accumulated, with wisdom. Instead of finding the right stuff, they're just
finding lots of stuff. "They don't think of it as cheating," McKenzie added. "They are simply
collecting information and don't understand the whole concept of intellectual property."
10.
Even when caught, many high school students are relatively blasé about their
transgression. Peter Mehas, superintendent of schools in Fresno County, California,
blames parents, at least in part. Each spring, he receives about 200 calls from parents,
asking why someone's little darling isn't graduating. Mr. Mehas said, "In the cases where
the child has been caught plagiarizing, what I hear is, 'Well, it's really not cheating, he just
didn't cite all the sources.' Mr. Mehas stands firm on his decision to deny graduation to
plagiarists. "It blows your mind when you see within some of the high schools four or five
term papers that are exactly the same," he said.
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Web Plagiarism - Comprehension Questions
1. According to the title, the web has an advantage as well as a disadvantage regarding
plagiarism.
a. What is the advantage? __________________________________
b. What is the disadvantage?_________________________________
2.
Paragraph 1
a. What was the student’s formatting problem?
_______________________________________________________
b. As soon as the librarian heard the student’s ______________, she
________________something wrong. She entered ____________into
the search and got to the _______________________ the paper had
been taken from.
c. How did the student work on his research paper?
i. He had partially taken it from the Internet.
ii. He was pressing “Cut” and “Paste” buttons on his computer.
iii. He only borrowed ideas from the web site.
iv. He took the Internet research paper unchanged.
d. Who treated the incident as an ethical problem?
________________________________ (THREE words)
3. Paragraph 2
a. Circle the correct word in the following sentence:
“The degree of Internet literacy seems to be in inverse proportion to age”
means: the older people are, the more / less they know about the web.
b. The author calls plagiarism _______________________ and defines it
as ___________________________________________ .
c. Plagiarizing is always free of charge.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________
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4. Paragraphs 3-4
a. Complete the following sentence (ONE - TWO words in each space)
The research shows that the problem is _____________ serious in
colleges than in ____________________.
b. Give evidence from the text.
______________________________________________________
c. Which two signs made teachers suspect plagiarism?
i.____________________________________________________
ii.____________________________________________________
5.
List the forms of plagiarism. (Paragraphs 3 and 5)
a.___________________________________________________
b.___________________________________________________
c.___________________________________________________
6. Paragraph 5
a. If an idea is “public domain”
i. you may use it as it is, since it expresses public opinion.
ii. you may use it freely without citing where it came from.
iii. you must cite its source.
iv. you cannot use it because it does not belong to you.
b.
What “cavalier attitude” is the author referring to?
__________________________________________________
7.. What can cheating at college result in?
_______________________________________________________________
8. How is paragraph 7 related to paragraph 6?
a. It repeats what was said in paragraph 6.
b. It questions what was said in paragraph 6.
c. It expands on paragraph 6.
d. Paragraphs 7 and 6 present contrasting ideas.
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9. Paragraph 7 raises the issue of ________________________________________.
10. How does “Turnitin.com.” work?
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
11. According To Jamie McKenzie, plagiarism is associated with “mental softness”.
Complete the following sentence according to paragraph 9.
(No more than FOUR words in each space)
“Mentally soft” students look for ___________________________ instead of
____________________ and are sure it is __________________ .
12. Students’ and parents’ attitude to plagiarism is the same / different.
Support your answer by quoting students’ and parents’ opinions.
(Paragraphs 5 and 10)
Students: “________________________________________________”
Parents: “_________________________________________________”
13. The article ends with a very strong recommendation concerning students who copy.
It is _____________________________.
(No more than FIVE words)
14. The main idea of the article is:
a. More developed web services are needed to detect plagiarism.
b. Web plagiarism is a serious problem only in colleges.
c. The Web can also be used to catch the plagiarists.
d. There are no students who do not plagiarize.
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Vocabulary
Find the words which mean the same as:
Para 1
arrange in straight line
- ______________
real
- ______________
able to read , do , work on - ______________
Para 2
Para 3
Para 5
warn
- ______________
rules of behaviour
- ______________
reversed order
- ______________
do a report
- ______________
meet
- ______________
at no price
- ______________
do a report
- ______________
mention
- ______________
by way of
- ______________
worried
- ______________
area of knowledge that belongs to everybody - _____________
Para 6
Para 7
serious
- ______________
ban a person from being a member
- ______________
send a person away for doing wrong
- ______________
give
- ______________
find out
- ______________
put forward for a mark ( opinion )
Para 8
Para 9
- ______________
detailed examination
- ______________
calculate
- ______________
pay regularly for
- ______________
find by searching
- ______________
material
- ______________
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Psychologically Speaking: Feeling SAD
Dr. Batya L. Ludman
Jan. 1, 2009
The Jerusalem Post
1.
Each year, the weather seems to have changed quickly, and as the warm, sunny
days of summer become a distant memory and the long, cold, dark, winter days seem
to be slowly descending on us, many people wait in dread. These people are afflicted
with a mood disorder known as Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD -- also known as
winter depression or winter blues. SAD is a mood disorder in which people, who have
normal mental health throughout most of the year, experience depressive symptoms in
the winter. Some know they have this mood condition and others just know that they
feel "blah" and "devoid of energy" and then "absolutely awful" the further they get into
the winter months, but often they can't seem to pinpoint the reason for their moods.
2.
Symptoms tend to start around September each year and continue until April, but
are at their worst in the darkest months. Symptoms include:

Sleep problems -- oversleeping but not feeling refreshed; cannot get out of
bed; need a nap in the afternoon

Overeating -- craving carbohydrates that leads to weight gain

Depression, despair, misery, guilt, anxiety – resulting in normal tasks
become frustratingly difficult

Family / social problems – causing one to avoid spending time with groups;
irritability, loss of libido, loss of feeling

Lethargy -- too tired to cope; doing anything and everything is an effort

Physical symptoms – suffering from joint pain or stomach problems; having
a lowered resistance to infection

Behavioral problems – observed especially in young people

A sense of hopelessness and helplessness that may lead to a serious risk
of suicide
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3.
What makes SAD different from clinical depression is the cyclical or seasonal
nature of the disorder. If one were able to look for a pattern, SAD rears its ugly head -becomes obvious after lying hidden -- about the same time each year, and thankfully
begins to improve as the weather starts to improve. Like other forms of depression,
females are about four times more likely than males to develop SAD. To make a
diagnosis of SAD, the condition must be of a repeated duration of at least two years.
Recent studies suggest that SAD is more common in northern countries, where the
winter day is shorter. Deprivation from natural sources of light is also of particular
concern for shift workers and urban dwellers, who may experience reduced levels of
exposure to daylight in their work environments.
4.
SAD may affect some children and teenagers, but it tends to begin in people over
the age of 20. The risk of SAD decreases with age. This can seriously affect almost
every aspect of the sufferer's daily life, resulting in an inability to attend work or go to
school and lowering the desire to be with other people.
5.
While the actual cause of the disease is unknown, it does seem to be related to a
lack of bright light in the winter, which has an impact on natural circadian rhythms and
results in a disruption in the sleep-wake cycle. As one might expect, SAD is more
common the further one gets away from the equator, and in northern countries, places
where there is less daylight, the nights are long, and interestingly, where there is less
snow. A decrease in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is found in the brain and is
related to depression, has also been connected with the disease. In addition, melatonin,
a naturally occurring hormone associated with sleep, is considered a factor.
6.
When the fall season fades into winter, if you or a loved one start to feel depressed
for seemingly no apparent reason, and remember that last year at the same time you
weren't feeling well either, you may want to check out whether you are suffering from
SAD. The good news is that there are many things you can do on your own to keep help
yourself and actually feel better. So, if you have had thoughts of hibernating, try and
resist the temptation and instead get into a routine where you get up every morning,
even when it may seem extremely difficult.
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7.
Find a partner and take yourself outside as often as you can, especially in the
morning hours, and create an exercise routine that works for you. When you are at
home, keep your shutters open during the day to let in as much natural sunlight as
possible, and work to maintain a balanced and healthy diet devoid of sugary and high
carbohydrate foods, which may leave you feeling sluggish and unwell. Be aware of what
some of your stressors are and see what you can do to reduce them.
8.
If you still feel depressed after a few days and can't seem to overcome this feeling,
speak to someone familiar with depression to get professional help. Treatment might
include bright light therapy, melatonin hormone supplements, cognitive behavior
therapy, relaxation, breathing and imagery techniques, and psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. Light therapy is a way to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder,
depression and certain other conditions by exposure to bright artificial light. During light
therapy, you sit or work near a device called a light therapy box. The light therapy box
gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light. Exposure to bright light from a
light therapy box is thought to alter your circadian rhythms and suppress your body's
natural release of melatonin. Together, these cause biochemical changes in your brain
that help reduce or control symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and other
conditions. Light therapy is also known as bright light therapy or phototherapy.
9. Although Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually is present in the fall and winter,
there are those people who suffer from this condition during the summer instead of, or
in addition to, during the fall or winter. Researchers are continuing to investigate what
leads to SAD, as well as why some people are more likely than others to experience it.
As is seen in clinical depression, SAD can put tremendous strain on your relationships
and on your family life. Depression in any form can be serious. If you think you have
symptoms of any type of depression, talk to someone who can help you get treatment;
your family or partner may want to be included in treatment as well.
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Psychologically Speaking: Feeling SAD
I.
Comprehension Questions
1. What is the Seasonal Affective Disorder?
_____________________________________________________
2. Some SAD patients do not know why they feel "blah" and devoid of energy.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text (UP TO TEN WORDS)
______________________________________________________
3. Paragraph 2
Put a check next to the symptom which is not mentioned as one of the
symptoms of SAD.
___ Craving for bread and sugar
___ Feeling miserable and annoyed.
___ Finding it difficult to fall asleep.
___ Being at risk of committing suicide.
___ Feeling frustrated by everyday tasks.
4. What issue is raised in paragraph 3?
Complete the sentence
It discusses the ____________________________ of the disorder. (UP TO
FOUR WORDS)
5. When can SAD be diagnosed for certain?
Only in cases of ______________________________________
6. Paragraph 4
Who is more likely to suffer from SAD?
a. Teenagers.
b. Small children.
c. Young adults.
d. Both a and b.
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7. Circle the correct words.
Some possible ramifications of SAD are seeking / rejecting the company of
others and avoiding / not avoiding work or school.
8. Which factors are related to SAD?
a. _____________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________
c. _____________________________________________
9. Paragraph 7 suggests the ways of resisting SAD.
Which of them increase your exposure to light?
a. ___________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________
10. When is professional help needed?
______________________________________________________
11. Paragraph 8
What causes biochemical changes in the brain, which help reduce or control the
symptoms of SAD?
a. ___________________________________________________
b. ___________________________________________________
12. What is the main idea of the article?
a. To inform the readers about the symptoms and causes of SAD and to
suggest the ways to resist and treat it.
b. To inform psychotherapists about the symptoms of SAD and new therapy
methods.
c. To inform the readers that SAD can put a tremendous strain on their
relationships and family life.
d. To inform the readers that weather changes can be the cause of our mental
illness and mood disorders..
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II.
Vocabulary
Study the following words as they appear in each paragraph
Paragraph 1
distant
disorder
dread
Paragraph 2
craving
Paragraph 3
pattern
duration
deprivation
(more / less) likely
Paragraph 5
disease
lack
decrease
related to
Paragraph 6
fades into (fades away)
hibernating
Paragraph 7
sugary
carbohydrates
reduce
Paragraph 8
familiar
Exercise 1
Match the words in Column A with their synonyms in Column B
(There is ONE extra synonym)
1. disease ____
a. disappear
2. lack of ____
b. winter sleeping
3. related to ____
c. sickness
4. fade away ____
d. associated with
5. hibernating ____
e. need.
f. model
Exercise 2
Match the words in Column A with their antonyms in Column B
(There is ONE extra antonym)
1. distant ___
a. unknown
2. dread ___
b. increase
3. familiar ___
c. trust
4. likely ___
d. near
5. reduce ___
e. improbable
f. exposure
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Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the words below
There are more words in the word bank than needed
distant
craving
pattern
duration
disorder
dread
deprivation
disease
lack
1. Mary has a ____________ for carbohydrates. She eats many sugary foods during
the day.
2. SAD can be diagnosed more easily if the symptoms repeat themselves for a
____________ of at least two years.
3. SAD stands for Seasonal Affective ____________.
4. SAD is characterized by a ______________ of Serotonin in the brain.
5. A ____________ is something which repeats itself. The fact that SAD attacks people
mainly in winter is a good example.
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In a Digital Future, Will Textbooks Disappear?
By Tamar Levin
1.
At Empire High School in Vail, Ariz., students use computers that are provided by
the school to get their lessons, do their homework and hear pod casts of their
teachers’ science lectures. At Cienega High School, students who own laptops
can register for “digital discussion groups.” A Beyond Textbooks Initiative
encourages teachers to create and share lessons that incorporate their own
PowerPoint presentations, along with videos and research materials that they
find on reliable Internet sites.
Kids are wired differently these days
2.
Textbooks have not gone the way of the ancient parchment scroll yet, but many
educators say that it will not be long before such books are replaced by digital
versions or by lessons from free courseware, educational games, videos and
projects on the Web. “Because kids are wired differently these days,” said Sheryl
R. Abshire, chief technology officer for the Parish school system in Lake Charles,
La. teachers need digital resources to find those documents, those blogs, those
wikis that get them beyond the boring curriculum in the textbooks.” She adds,
“Kids multi-task, transpose, extrapolate and think of knowledge as infinite. They
don’t engage with textbooks that are finite, linear and rote”
The California Initiative
3.
In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced an initiative
that would replace some high school science and math texts with free, “open
source” digital versions. With California in dire financial straits, the governor
hopes free textbooks could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year. In
addition, since students already get so much information from the Internet, Pods
and Twitter feeds, digital texts could replace “antiquated, heavy, expensive
textbooks.”
4.
“In five years, I think the majority of students will be using digital textbooks, which
can be better than traditional textbooks,” said William M. Habermehl,
superintendent of the 500,000-student Orange County schools. Schools that do
not make the switch, Mr. Habermehl said, could lose their constituency. “We’re
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still in a brick-and-mortar, 30-students-to-1-teacher paradigm,” Mr. Habermehl
said, “but we need to get out of that framework. The new paradigm will be 200 or
300 kids taking courses online, at night, 24/7. The threat to schools in Orange
County,” he added, is the digital world. There someone will offer brilliant $200
courses in French or in geometry by the best teachers in the world and students
will opt to study digitally and not in the classroom.”
There is still a large digital divide
5.
But the digital future is not quite on the horizon in most classrooms. For one
thing, there is still a large “digital divide.” This means there is a gap between
people with access to digital and information technology and those with very
limited or no access. Not every student has access to a computer, an electronic
reader device or a smartphone, and few school districts are wealthy enough to
provide them. So digital textbooks could widen the gap between rich and poor.
For example, in California’s 24,000-student Chaffey Joint Union High School
District, where almost half the students are from low-income families, a large
portion of the kids don’t have computers at home, and it would be too costly to
print out the digital textbooks.
6.
At the same time, elsewhere in California, education authorities are reviewing 20
open-source high school math and science texts. They will announce the ones
that meet state standards so teachers can begin to use them now. Digital
textbooks, let students and teachers use the best lessons taught by the most
dynamic teachers,” according to John A. Roach, superintendent of the Carlsbad,
Calif., schools who assures us, nonetheless, that they’re not going to replace
paper texts right away.”
7.
Many educators expect that the number of digital textbooks and online courses
will start small. Perhaps only those who want to study a subject they cannot fit
into their school schedule or those who need a few more credits to graduate will
take advantage of this option.
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A Threat to Traditional Textbook Publishers
8.
Whenever it comes, the online attack —the competition from open-source
materials — poses a real threat to traditional textbook publishers. To cope with
this, Pearson, the nation’s largest textbook publisher, has four texts already
available online. California can use them as free supplements to their texts,
according to the publisher. Pearson believes the world is going digital, so they
provide digital and print, and see what our customers want.
9.
CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit group that develops free “flex books” that can
be customized to meet state standards, and added to by teachers. “The good
part of our flex books is that they can be anything you want,” said Neeru Khosla,
a founder of the group. “You can use them online, you can download them onto a
disk, you can print them, you can customize them, you can embed video. When
people stop demanding textbooks as the only legitimate teaching tool, they’ll see
that there’s no reason to pay $100 for a textbook when you can have the content
you want free.” Most of the digital texts submitted for review in California came
from this nonprofit group.
10.
The move to open-source materials is well under way in higher education.
President Obama has proposed creating free online courses as part of his push
to improve community colleges. Around the world, hundreds of universities,
including M.I.T. and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi
Arabia, now use and share open-source courses.
11.
Vail’s Beyond Textbooks effort in Colorado has moved in that direction. In an
Empire High School history class on elections, for example, students created
their own political parties, campaign Web sites and videos. “Students learn the
same concepts, but in a different way,” said Matt Donaldson, Empire’s principal.
Our teachers have identified whatever resources they feel best covers their
courses, such as a project they created themselves or an interesting site on the
Internet but they generally do not take chapters from textbooks.”
- 236 -
12.
For all the attention to the California initiative, digital textbooks are only the start
of the revolution in educational technology. “We should be bracing ourselves for
many more interactive, many more engaging videos, activities and games,” said
Marina Leight of the Center for Digital Education, which promotes digital
education through surveys, publications and meetings. But given the economy,
many educators and technology experts agree that the K-12 digital revolution
may be further off. But it is really going to happen.
Published in the Education section on August 9, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20090826wednesday.html
- 237 -
In a Digital Future, Will Textbooks Disappear? - Comprehension Questions
1. What is the purpose of the examples in paragraph 1?
a. To show how students do their homework using digital technology.
b. To illustrate the various ways in which computers are used in schools.
c. To encourage teachers to use textbooks instead of Power Point presentation.
d. To claim that computers are used instead of books in science lectures only
2. Complete the following sentence (no more than SIX WORDS)
Teachers need digital resources to extend the boring curriculum in the
textbooks, since_________________________________________
3. Paragraph 3
What are the reasons for replacing textbooks with digital versions?
a._____________________________________________
b._____________________________________________
4. Paragraph 5
The use of digital textbooks is already widespread in schools.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer
__________________________________________________________
5. Complete the following sentence:
The author mentions California's Joint Union High School to illustrate the idea that
_________________________________________________________________
6. Paragraph 7
How many categories of students will take online courses? _______
7. Paragraph 8
a. What does Pearson have to cope with?
___________________________________________________
b. How does he cope with this?
He_________________________________________________
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8. List 3 advantages of flex books?
a._________________________________________________________
b._________________________________________________________
c._________________________________________________________
9. a. Circle the correct word :
President Obama encourages / discourages digital education.
b. Quote from the text to support your choice.
________________________________________________________
10. Paragraph 11
What “direction" (L1) does the author refer to?
___________________________________________________________________
11.
What is the writer's purpose in writing this article?
a. To prove that digital technology will widen the gap between poor and rich
students.
b.
To report on the CK Foundation efforts to develop free flex books.
c.
To show that digital textbooks will eventually dominate the educational system.
d.
To publicize Governor A. Schwarzenegger's democratic initiative.
- 239 -
Five Ways Women Can Save the World
Posted by Sharon Cummings
Source: ttp://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-ways-women-can-save-the-world.html
Apr 26, 2010
It is up to women to make the wisest decisions about how to feed our families as well as
how to nurture our homes, our souls and our bodies. By following the advice of experts,
women can save the world.
Decide wisely and protest disappointing products
1. The duty of deciding what happens in the kitchen is often women’s primary
responsibility in a family. Women have the opportunity to choose healthy foods
and make nutritional decisions. Although many supermarkets deliberately offer
tempting choices, the choice of products a woman brings home shouldn’t be
based only on the convenience factor or what the label promises. By paying
attention to the route that food took to get to the grocery store from the factory
that produced it and the animals that have been harmed in making it, the woman
can judge the company’s values and its environmental effect. Then she can
choose wisely. This choice also reflects the best decision for the health of the
family and the planet.
2. Although we have many choices in our food products, we should focus on
buying foods that are clean, choosing local and organic fruits and vegetables,
and judging how much meat and how many dairy products are necessary and
healthy. If you think a product does not meet high standards, do not be afraid to
protest. In fact, encourage friends to do so, too. Many successful boycotts and
protests have been initiated by women, such as environmentalist Rachel
Carson’s call-to-action in the book Silent Spring; or, more recently, Stacy
Malkan leading the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
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Spend time with Nature
3. When a woman observes the beauty that surrounds her, she sees how other
living organisms breathe, wake up, grow and even sing, so she becomes more
grateful for her own and her family's existence on this green planet Earth. As we
become more aware of the cycles of nature — such as daily solar patterns, or
monthly lunar cycles, or bird migrations — we become more aware of our own
human cycles and how they relate to our natural world and especially to women.
4. Women should appreciate nature on a daily basis. In just a few moments
outdoors, we can listen to the birds singing, breathe in fresh air, watch
neighborhood wildlife grow, or appreciate the playful dog in the park. Our
modern routine of commuting to work by car, staring at a computer throughout
the day, and returning home only to switch on the TV, make us less sensitive to
our real home — Mother Nature.
Support women’s education worldwide
5. With the world population reaching 9 billion by 2050, we can’t break the cycle of
overpopulation without encouraging women’s education. Population control is
getting worldwide attention. Mother Jones magazine [May/June 2010] stresses
the need for population control since "overpopulation together with overconsumption is leading to a major crisis with our world’s bio-capacity."
Biocapacity is the ability of an area to provide resources and absorb wastes. We
are using our resources faster than we can possibly restore them. Fertility rates
in developing countries are straining local resources.
6. If young women had access to birth control, and the education necessary to
understand their own fertility rights, the population crisis might diminish.
Understanding one's own fertility rights is often challenging in cultures of the
world where religious fanaticism becomes a reality. Some girls have no choice
but to get married early and give birth to as many babies as their husbands
demand. In underdeveloped countries, this forces families into poverty,
starvation and death and decreases women's educational opportunities.
- 241 -
7. Ending violence and injustice against women has become the work of specific
organizations and this is a necessity for all women. Educated girls and women
throughout the world can receive small loans that will help them start local
businesses, and move them closer to independence. But this can become a
reality only if they have been able to gain an education during their lifetime. Only
independent women can protest against violence.
Protect our precious waterways
8. Women need to get active with ocean preservation and demand clean drinking
water for our communities. This is essential for our health in our own lifetimes.
We are 70 percent water; the Earth’s surface is similarly 75 percent water, yet
most of our population has not noticed this dynamic correlation. It is known that
besides the rapid pollution of our oceans, we can’t keep the sources of our
drinking water protected. This lack of protection leads to enormous suffering in
both highly populated and developing areas of the world when diseases are
spread through drinking polluted water and living near polluted waterways.
9. We are also threatening most of the world’s fish population and destroying
creatures’ amazing habitats through our careless behavior with water. Recent
incidents of oil spilling on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and in the Gulf of
Mexico illustrate the human negative influence on our oceans and on the fish in
the seas.
10. Furthermore, the lack of water is and will continue to be a household topic in
many nations. We must respond not only with urgency, but also with an
understanding and compassion. We have no choice but to save water in our
daily lives and learn what we can about protecting surrounding waterways.
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Women must teach their children well
11. Human relationships are evolving as the Earth turns. While our human
population explodes, we are finding ways to make our world smaller -we connect across the globe through new technologies. Children today
know this better than anyone, with many students using cell phones and
interacting on Facebook and Twitter daily. The people of the world must
use these technologies to connect to each other and organize protests
and demonstrations, rather than divide and isolate.
12. Women, teach your children compassion for all people and animals, so
these privileges are used in our interactions with the world. Imagine
worldwide online communities of children discussing issues that matter to
them — such as healthier schools, foods, religious freedom, human
rights; and at the same time, demonstrating global support and
commitment to mutual action. This generation of children will grow up
making radical global change, using these connections to create real
movement that does not see race, borders, or difference in background,
but uses them to make the world a better place to live in. It’s already
happening!
13. It is women's shared responsibility to guide children in understanding our
natural world. Activities that women start when children are very young
are likely to last a lifetime. These can include biking to school, hiking
through the woods, growing your own food, sprouting a seed, or planting
a tree. Our family is our foundation — creating roots for the rest of our
lives. Then in the future online communities, children will share these
experiences and use them in their own backyard and community.
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Five Ways Women Can Save the World
I.
1.
Comprehension Questions
List the five ways in which women can save the world.
a. ________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________
e. ________________________________________________________
2.
According to paragraph 1, which two factors should a woman take into account
when evaluating a company?
3.
a.
_____________________________________________________
b.
_____________________________________________________
Women are advised to rise against products which are of a low standard.
True / False
Support your answer by quoting from the text.
___________________________________________________________
4.
According to paragraph 3, what is the relationship between humans and nature?
Complete the following sentence. (FOUR EORDS in each space)
Our awareness of ____________________________________________
leads to the awareness of _____________________________________ .
5.
According to Mother Jones magazine, why is population control crucial?
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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6.
What can diminish the population crisis?
Complete the following sentence.
(ONE – TWO WORDS in each space)
In order to diminish the population crisis, it is necessary that women use
_______________________ and get ______________________ .
7.
How can injustice and violence against women be stopped?
Circle the correct words.
Women who are educated / independent can open their own businesses and
thereby become educated / independent. As a result, violence against them will
increase / decrease.
8.
Paragraphs 8-10
Put a check (v) next to the FOUR reasons why women need to protect the
waterways.
____ Clean drinking water is necessary for our well-being.
____ Clean drinking water for the community will come from the ocean.
____ Both our bodies and the Earth’s surface consist of nearly the same
proportion of water.
____ Polluted drinking water causes the spread of diseases.
____ The fish in the seas and oceans have negative influence on humans.
____ The world's fish population is being destroyed as a result of human
carelessness.
____ Women have to involve their families into the issue of protecting the
waterways.
9.
Paragraph 11
"Children today know this better than anyone" (line 4). What do children know
better?
___________________________________________________________
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10.
Why does the writer mention healthier foods, religious freedom, and human
rights?
These are the issues _________________________________________ .
11.
Biking,
hiking,
growing
food
are
examples
of
__________________
______________________________________________ (no more than NINE
words).
12.
Paragraph 13
What is the consequence of "creating roots for the rest of our lives"? (L6)
__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
13.
What is the main purpose of the article?
a.
to tell women how important it is to raise children properly
b.
to inform the world about the importance of nature's protection
c.
to remind women that saving the world is in their hands
d.
to teach us about women's education worldwide
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II.
Vocabulary
Find and underline the following words in the text. Study their meaning in
context:
Paragraph 1
disappointing
primary
nutritional
Paragraph 8
essential
rapid
correlation
Paragraph 2
meet high standards
encourage
initiate
Paragraph 10
lack
compassion
Paragraph 11
evolve
protest
Paragraph 5
overpopulation
Paragraph 6
diminish
decrease
Paragraph 12
commitment
Exercise 1
Match the words in column A with their synonyms in column B:
1.
primary
____ a.
become less
2.
diminish
____ b.
begin
3.
initiate
____ c.
sympathy
4.
evolve
____ d.
main
5.
compassion
____ e.
develop
Exercise 2
Match the words in column A with their antonyms in column B:
1.
decrease
____ a.
unimportant
2.
commitment
____ b.
slow
3.
essential
____ c.
increase
4.
rapid
____ d.
indifference
5.
disappointing
____ e.
satisfactory
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Exercise 3
Complete the following sentences with the words below.
There are 2 extra words
correlation
meet (the) high
overpopulation
nutritional
standards
lack
protest
encourage
1.
Hundreds of people _____________________ against violation of human rights.
2.
If you want to be healthy you should make correct ___________________
decisions about the food you eat.
3.
It is commonly agreed that the main cause of _______________________ is the
absence of basic education among women.
4.
There is a ______________________ between smoking and lung cancer.
5.
Young teachers are trained to ___________________________ of contemporary
schools.
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Additional Reading
Coping with Anger
1. Anger is undoubtedly the most apparent; most talked about, and most poorly
handled emotion in modern society. Because many people are uncertain about the
proper time, place and way to express anger, they only find themselves in trouble, not
only if they do express their feelings, but also if they do not.
2. Clearly, different people deal with anger differently. These differences have their
roots in childhood; they arise from the child’s personality, the parents’ responses to the
child’s anger, and how the parents deal with their own anger.
3.
While there is no one correct way to handle anger, some approaches are obviously
more constructive than others. The experts all seem to agree that uncontrolled
expressions of anger achieve little. Shouting and screaming nearly always result from a
failure to deal with the anger properly; on the other hand, when anger is repressed, it
may be unrecognized and therefore nothing can be done about it.
4.
First of all, it is essential to recognize that it is anger that you are feeling in order to
deal effectively with this emotion. It is also important to identify the true cause of your
anger. You may scream at a slow driver, yell at a child who forgot to take out the
garbage, or shout at your mother when she asks you why you haven’t telephoned, but
in fact none of these people may be the real cause of your anger. You may actually be
angry at a boss who criticized you, a friend who disappointed you, or yourself for trying
to do too much at once. It is quite natural to transfer anger to a less threatening target
that is not likely to act against you or force you to face unpleasant truths.
5.
A more useful technique than shouting is to decide if your anger is appropriate. This
may mean stopping for a moment to decide whether the provocation was really directed
at you. You should not necessarily take it personally when, for example, a driver cuts in
front of you, a salesperson ignores you, or someone pushes ahead of you. Before you
express your anger, count to ten slowly. If by then you decide the matter is really worth
being angry about, you may be in a more rational mood to discuss it constructively.
Expressing your anger while you feel angry nearly always increases the anger.
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6. Contrary to what many people think, silent sulking is a very clear expression of
anger. Sulking is a way of talking to yourself that can do nothing to reduce your anger. It
is also a way of indirectly showing your anger to others. And a childish one, at that.
7.
Humor, however, can be an appropriate response to many of the minor things that
might otherwise provoke your anger: the elevator that doesn’t come, for example, or the
incompetent bank clerk.
8.
Finally, reinterpreting the situation can help you control your anger. For example,
when someone is unnecessarily angry with you, you might say to yourself, “Maybe she
is having a bad day”, or “He must be very unhappy or else he wouldn’t act like that.”
9.
By correctly analyzing your feelings, identifying their causes, and choosing
appropriate responses, you should be able to resolve your anger in a positive and
constructive way.
Bibliography/Works Cited: American Psychological Association: “Controlling Anger -Before It Controls You”
< http://www.apa.org/topics/controlanger.html> Melissa Dittmann: “Anger across the
gender divide -- Researchers strive to understand how men and women experience and
express anger.” Monitor. March 2003. Dr. John Schinnerer: “Ten Tips to Keep a Lid on
Anger.” Guide to Self, Life Coaching Company.< http://gtslive.com/>
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Legalization of Drugs
by J. Ross Eshleman
1.
Debates still range about the best way to win the war on drugs. The most
controversial policy, which has not been enacted in the United States, is legalization
of drugs (also referred to as “decriminalization” or narcotics –by - regulation”. There
are arguments for or against this idea.
The Argument for Legalization
2. According to supporters of legalization, drug prohibition causes more harm than
good. Treating drug use as a crime rather than a health issue has created
problems that cannot be solved through enforcement. These problems include the
inability to control the flow of illegal drugs, violent drug wars, drug-related crime, and
the creation of highly dangerous drugs.
3. Supporters of legalization claim that the high prices resulting from drug prohibition
make it impossible to stop or control drug traffic. The sale of illegal drugs generates
over $20 billion annually. To maintain their share of the profits, drug traffickers engage
in violent gang wars. The casualties of these wars include not only drug dealers and
users but innocent bystanders also. In addition, addicts often commit crimes such as
prostitution, mugging, and burglary in order to support their expensive drug habits.
Supporters of legalization feel that the lower price and accessibility of drugs that would
come with decriminalization would eliminate drug related crimes.
4. The enormous profit from the sale of illegal drugs has led to the creation of more
dangerous drugs, such as crack cocaine. Drug dealers are interested in selling
whatever is easiest to smuggle and whatever produces the highest profit. Crack, a
kind of cocaine, is inexpensive to produce, easy to transport, highly addictive, and
thus very profitable. The profit motive also leads dealers to change all drugs by adding
other ingredients - often harmful - in order to stretch the amount they can sell.
Therefore, users have no assurance of what they get when they buy drugs on the
street. Supporters of legalization believe that if drugs were legal and controlled by the
government, they would be less dangerous.
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5. There are other reasons for legalization. Most important, the money spent on law
enforcement reduces the amount that could be spent on anti-drug education and
treatment. Legalization would permit the entire drug-war budget, plus the money
from government taxes on the drugs, to be used for powerful anti-drug education
and treatment programs. This would deter drug use more effectively than prohibition.
6.
Finally, supporters of legalization say that the ineffectual enforcement of drug
laws encourage disrespect for the Iaw. Thus, it also decreases the effectiveness of
anti-drug education. The supporters of legalization compare the use of drugs to the
use of alcohol and tobacco. They claim that alcohol and tobacco are legal but kill
more people than illegal drugs do. However, because these substances are legal and
controllable, they do not lead to the violence and crime that illegal drugs do, and their
use is declining.
The Argument Against Legalization
7. While it is true that drug prohibition has not yet ended the drug problem,
opponents of legalization note that prohibition works to some extent. Studies
by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) found that drug use has declined
in recent years. Thus, say opponents of legalization, this is precisely not the
time to surrender to legalization. The fact that the drug problem still exists
means that prohibition strategies must be strengthened not eliminated.
Prohibition of drugs will work if given a chance.
8. Surveys indicate that the greatest deterrents to drug use are fear of getting
caught, fear of punishment, and fear of harm. Opponents of legalization argue that
decriminalizing drugs would decrease this fear by sending the message that drug
use has the approval of society and of the government. Therefore, it would
decrease the effectiveness of any educational efforts. Accordingly, the
number of drug users - and addicts - would increase.
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9. Opponents of legalization maintain that the increased drug use that
would come with legalization would increase crime, not decrease it. Studies
show that cocaine-related crimes are committed while the user is in the
drugged state. Furthermore, opponents insist that the legalization would not
eliminate the crime associated with underworld drug dealers. Another black
market for new, exotic, more powerful - possibly more addicting and dangerous –
drugs would be created.
10. Opponents of legalization claim that besides the increase in crime, the death and
illness caused by drug abuse would also increase. Opponents claim that the higher
rate of destruction caused by alcohol and tobacco; when compared to illegal drugs,
clearly demonstrates that dangerous substances are abused more if they are legal.
The fact that alcohol and tobacco are dangerous, yet legal should not be used as an
argument in support of drug legalization. It is a good reason not to add to the number
of dangerous substances legally available.
11. The debate over legalization is likely to continue for some time. It is important,
therefore, that you become familiar with the arguments for and against legalization
Bibliography/Works Cited: Drug legalization: time for a real debate by Paul B. Stares;
Brookings Review, Vol. 14, Spring 1996
The Washington Post: It’s Time to Legalize Drugs, by Peter Moskos and Stanford "Neill"
Franklin, Monday, August 17, 2009
- 253 -
Appendix
Reading Comprehension - Important Terms and Words
1. paragraph -
___________
2. passage -
____________
3. text -
____________
4. line -
____________
5. sentence -
____________
6. page -
____________
7. fill in -
____________
8. match (v) -
____________
9. similar meaning -
____________
10. opposite meaning - ____________
11. mean (v) -
_____________
12. the main idea -
_____________
13. proof (n) -
_____________
14. prove (v) -
_____________
15. refer (v) -
_____________
What does “this” (line 4) refer to?
16. list (n,v) -
____________
17. True -
____________
18. False -
____________
Quote a sentence from the text to support your answer.
19. mark (v) -
____________
20. underline -
____________
21. circle -
____________
22. frame -
____________
23. noun -
____________
24. verb -
____________
25. adjective -
____________
- 254 -
26. adverb -
____________
27. subject -
____________
28. predicate -
____________
29. object-
____________
30. connective -
____________
31. example -
____________
32. comparison -
____________
33. contrast -
____________
34. addition -
____________
35. cause -
____________
36. result -
____________
37. the following -
____________
38. according to -
____________
39. describe -
____________
40. statement -
____________
43. definition -
____________
44. The examples of …………. show that __________________________
45. What general point is illustrated by the examples in paragraph 2?
____________________________________________________
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Reading Comprehension Questions - Frequent Words and Expressions
Nouns
meaning
proof
reference
comparison
addition
Verbs
mean
prove
refer
list
cause
contrast
description
point
purpose
goal
aim
definition
reason
advantage
disadvantage
conclusion
difference
cause
effect
result
statement
discussion
choice
support
solution
factor
fact
characteristic
means
author / writer
article
bring about
lead to
result in
describe
stress
introduce
state
define
illustrate
demonstrate
show
conclude
affect
discuss
compare
mention
choose
support
solve
name
explain
characterize
summarize
claim
increase
decrease
improve
reduce
worsen
Adjectives
different
similar
following
- 256 -
Expressions
according to
the main idea
the general point
in order to
to draw the
conclusion
rather than