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jueves, 14 de mayo de 2015
Getting ready for the PAU test
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Get rid of the song stuck in your head with chewing gum
The next time you have a song stuck in your head, reach for the chewing gum. The very act of grinding it around your mouth might be enough to kick that annoying earworm out of your brain, scientists have claimed.
Songs are less likely to re-appear
in your head if you're chewing, according to a study at the University of
Reading. People chewing gum are less likely to think about "sticky"
songs, and less likely to hear them after they've stopped, the researchers
found. The findings could even show that chewing gum could also be used to keep
annoying or recurrent thoughts from popping into people's heads.
At least 90 per cent of people
experience earworms, which comes from the German word "ohrwurm", and
15 per cent of people would call them disturbing, according to research.
"The majority of us experience
them for only short periods - perhaps just a few minutes - but others can
experience them for two or three days which can be extremely frustrating and
debilitating," said Phil Beaman, from the university's school of
psychology and clinical language sciences, who led the study. "We wanted
to explore whether a simple act like chewing gum could help."
Participants in the study were
played Play Hard by David Guetta and Payphone by Maroon 5. They were then told
not to think about the songs, and hit a key whenever they did. The people who
were doing so chewing gum hit the key a lot less than those that were told to
do nothing or tap their finger, the research found.
"Interfering with our own
'inner speech' through a more sophisticated version of the gum-chewing approach
may work more widely.," Beaman said. The study is the first to examine the
effects of chewing gum on earworms, and it suggests it could also be used to
stop other unwanted or intrusive thoughts. "However more research is
needed to see whether this will help counter symptoms of obsessive-compulsive
and similar disorders," Beaman said. In a previous study by University of
Reading in 2009, it was found that almost any song can become an earworm.
Question
1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and
write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a. People will definitely stop hearing the earworm
after chewing gum.
b. Everyone who has been affected by earworms has said
that they are a negative thing.
c. People who didn’t chew gum in the study were not
allowed to move after they had heard the two songs.
d. This is the first time that the effect of chewing
gum on earworms has been researched.
Question
2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. How long do people experience earworms?
b. How did the University of Reading test the effect
of chewing gum on earworms?
Question
3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to
the words and definitions given.
a. remove
(par.1) b. investigators
(par. 2) c. annoying
(par.4)
d. every time
(par.5) e. fight against (par.6)
Question
4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. Chewing gum
can help you get rid of earworms.
If …………………………………………………………………………………………………..
b. The
majority of people only experience earworms for short periods.
Earworms
……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………..
c. “More
research is needed to see whether this will help counter symptoms of
disorders”, said Beaman.
According to Beaman,
……………………………………………………………………....
Question
5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
“Music is a very important part of our lives and it
can be used in lots of different ways.”
Do you agree?
Parents told: use iPads to get reluctant boys to read
Parents
are being told to turn to iPads and Kindles to get boys interested in reading
amid fears that large numbers of children are shunning books at a young age. A
report from the National Literacy Trust found that children aged three to five
often read for longer and had a better grasp of vocabulary when accessing
touch-screen technology.
The
study found that tablet computers had a particular impact on groups that are
traditionally most resistant to reading, particularly boys and infants from
poor families. Researchers found that boys were more likely than girls to use
technology for educational activities and to read for a relatively prolonged
period.
The
study also found that more nine-in-10 three-to five-year-old now had access to
e-readers in the home and the number of nurseries and childminders using the
devices had almost doubled in the last 12 months from 22 to 41 per cent.
Touch-screen
technology “could be a vital new weapon to combat low literacy in key target
groups”, the study said. But the recommendations are likely to renew concerns
that exposure to screen-based entertainment at a young age risks damaging
children’s development.
An
essay by Aric Sigman, an independent lecturer in child health education, quoted
research that found over-exposure to video games had a similar effect on the
brain to cocaine and alcohol addiction, with extreme users showing signs of
depression, anxiety and social phobia. But Jonathan Douglas, the trust’s
director, said it was crucial “that we recognise the opportunities that
technology brings for engaging boys and poorer children in reading”.
Traditional books were still the
favoured reading method for all children to read but researchers suggested that
boys and infants from poor homes were increasingly shifting to technology such
as the iPad, Kindle, Samsung Galaxy and Microsoft Surface. In all, 29.5 per
cent of children from the poorest families admitted to reading stories using
touchscreen technology more than books, compared with only 17.4 per cent of
those from wealthy households. Some 43.2 per cent of poorer children used them
“more for educational activities than for entertainment”, it emerged.
In a
key conclusion, the study also linked screen use with vocabulary, adding:
“Children aged three to five have a wider vocabulary if they read stories in
both print form and on a touch-screen compared to those who don’t use
technology.” But in his essay, Dr Sigman said that “raising parental awareness
of the both excessive screen time and problematic, dependent screen use is
vital”.
Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true
or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a. According to the study,
tablets were especially motivating for kids who are not interested in reading.
b. Nearly half of nurseries and
childminders used these devices 12 months ago.
c. Reading books is still the
most popular way of reading.
d. Young people from well-off
families use tablets more than those from families with less money.
Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. What, according to Aric
Sigman, are the effects of over-exposure to video games?
b. How do most young children do
their reading these days?
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that
correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. to keep away from (par.
1) b. extended (par.2) c. worries (par.4)
d. to interest (par.5) e. understanding
(par.7)
Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without
changing the meaning.
a. Parents
are being told to turn to iPads and Kindles to get boys interested in reading.
If parents want …... they should ……
b. Aric Sigman said that over-exposure to video
games had a similar effect on the brain to cocaine and alcohol addiction and
that extreme users showed signs of depression.
Aric Sigman said: “……………………………and ……………………………….. “.
c. Traditional
books were still the favoured reading method for all children to read but boys
and infants from poor homes were increasingly shifting to technology.
Although …………………………………………………………………,
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the
following topic:
Why reading is important.
Metric measurements to be used on road signs for first time
New road signs using both imperial and metric
measurements are to be introduced under Government plans. In a move which will
anger traditionalists, signs showing height and width restrictions will start
to carry measurements in both feet and inches and metres and centimetres. The
new-style signs will be introduced as old ones are replaced as part of plans to
modernise the road network. But motoring organisations have warned they could
lead to confusion. Critics have also expressed concern it could lead to
kilometres per hour being introduced on speed signs.
Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said:
"Motorists and hauliers have got used to seeing signs in feet and inches.
In fast moving traffic if they glance up and read the metric metres first,
there could be a problem."
The plans follow consultation by the Government on its
Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD), which it says is out
of date and in need of an overhaul
In a report, the Department of Transport states: "In
order to improve road safety and compliance, ministers have decided that the
revised TSRGD will no longer prescribe imperial-only height and width limit
signs. "Imperial only signs can remain in place only until such time that
they become life-expired, or replaced during routine maintenance, at which time
the dual-unit equivalent must be used."
A Department for Transport spokesman said:
"Displaying dual measures of height and width restrictions make it easier
for drivers and are designed to help improve safety on our roads. There are no
plans to duplicate any other type of traffic sign.”
Question 1 (2
points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write
down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a. Everybody will welcome the new metric measurements on the
road.
b. Some people fear that in the
future these measurements will be used for speed limit.
c. The Government plans to replace
all the old signs now.
d. The purpose of the dual signs is
to help drivers to be safe on the road.
Question 2 (2
points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. Which signs will
become dual?
b. What reactions
has the move provoked?
Question 3 (1.5
points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the
words and definitions given.
a. Rage (par.1)
b. Worry ( par.1)
c. Old-fashioned (par.3)
d. order the use (par.4) e. Show ( par.5)
Question 4 (1.5
points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. The Department of Transport will replace some road signs because they are out-of-date.
If ………………………………………………………………
b. "Motorists and hauliers have got used to seeing
signs in feet and inches. In fast moving
traffic if they glance up and read the metric metres first, there will
be a problem."
Luke
Bosdet said that …………………………………..
c. We will keep
imperial only signs until they become life-expired.
Imperial …………………………………………………….
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay
(120-150 words) on the following topic:
Do you think cars should be banned from city
centres? Explain your answer.
Why happiness is infectious: you can actually smell joy
Utrecht University in the Netherlands found that odours produced by our bodies
can communicate happiness to others
It is said that happiness is contagious
and now scientists believe they may know why. For the first time researchers have
found that humans can pick up whether a person is feeling joyful through their smell.
They found that the odours produced by our bodies can communicate our happiness
to others - a phenomenon known as chemosignalling. Chemosignals act as a medium
through which people can become 'emotionally synchronised', outside of their conscious
awareness.
Although chemosignalling had previously
been shown to convey fear and disgust, little was known about how it related to
positive emotions, the researchers from Utrecht University in the Netherlands said.
For their study, they collected the sweat of 'sender' participants in happy,
fearful and neutral states using pads placed under their armpits while they watched
different film clips. These pads were cut up, put into jars, and presented to a
group of 'receivers' to sniff, in a random order.
While they sniffed, they were hooked
up to an electromyograph, which measured subtle differences in the activity of
their facial muscles as a function of the emotion they were experiencing,
induced by the sweat. “Exposure to sweat from happy senders elicited a happier
facial expression than did sweat from fearful or neutral senders," the researchers
wrote in the journal Psychological Science. “Our findings suggest that not only
a negative state, but also a positive state (happiness) can be transferred by means
of odours."
The researchers said: “Happiness benefits
the individual on multiple levels, as it restores the damaging impact of
negative emotions on the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and immune systems,
and broadens attention to inspire creative ideas. Humans are a social species with
the capacity to share these positive effects, using not only modalities such as
vision, hearing, and touch, but also - as this exploratory study indicates –
the sense of smell.”
Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the
following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text
justifies your answer.
a. Nothing was known about chemosignals in
the past.
b. Scientists only used sweat from happy
people in the experiment.
c. Smells can communicate different emotions.
d. Happy people can be more imaginative than
sad people.
Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following
questions in your own words.
a. What have the researchers discovered?
b. How is happiness beneficial for a person?
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases
in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. glad, cheerful
(par.2)
b. transmit
(par.3)
c. faint,delicate (par.4)
d. heal
(par.5) e. expand (par.5)
Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the
following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) “Our findings suggest that not only a negative state, but also a
positive state (happiness) can be transferred by means of odours."
b) The researchers said
that …………………………………
c) It is said that happiness is contagious.
d)
Happiness
………………………………………………...
e) The “receivers were hooked up to an electromyograph so the scientists could
measure the activity in their facial muscles.
f) If the “receivers”
………………………………
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay
(120-150 words) on the following topic:
Teenagers are some of
the happiest people in the world. Do you agree?
Rephrasing Revision 2
Rewrite the following sentences so that they have the
same meaning as the original.
1. Has all that been understood by
all of you?
Have you all...
2. Someone will have to pick up this
broken glass or we mustn't allow the children to come anywhere near this room.
This broken glass...
3. Unless you stepped on my feet, I
would dance with you.
If…
4. The radio said last night that a
volcano is erupting on the island.
A volcano...
5. You bought a new one, which
wasn't necessary. I could have lent you mine.
You...
6. A new stretch of motorway is
going to be built between Graz and Lund.
They...
7. ‘Be careful. There are lots of
wasps here,’ he said.
He warned…
8. I'm sure someone stole his watch
while he was asleep.
Someone...
9. In a few years’ time, it will be
possible for a man to destroy the whole solar system.
In a few years time,
a man will...
10. If only I had a good ear for
music.
I wish…
11. It’s half an hour now since they
started shouting.
They have…
12. ‘You didn’t pay attention to me
when I was a child,’ I said to my father.
I accused my father…
13. ‘I’ll help you to do your
homework as soon as I can,’ he told his son.
He promised…
14. The architect has made the plans
for our house.
We…
15. ‘I won’t go to that hotel again,’
she said.
She refused…
16. You cannot go into that
restaurant without a jacket and tie.
Unless...
17. It was the longest sentence I’d
ever read. It was one page long.
I had…
18. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t send you the
letter,’ she said to me.
She apologised…
19. Wash it in boiling water and it
will shrink.
If ...
20. Lisa wants to become a lawyer, so she’s studying hard.
If …
21. John cheated on his exam and they expelled him from the university.
If ... ,
he...
22. She never calls. She does it when it’s important.
Unless …
23. They gave John another opportunity.
John …
24. People believe that the event will be a success.
The event …
25. They are going to revise the club's rules.
The club’s …
Key
- Have you all understood all that?
- This broken glass will have to be picked up or we mustn’t allow the children to come anywhere near this room.
- If didn’t step on my feet, I would dance with you.
- A volcano is said to be erupting on the island.
- You didn’t have to buy a new one. I could lend you mine.
- They are going to build a new stretch of motorway between Graz and Lund.
- He warned us about the wasps there.
- Someone must have stolen his watch while he was asleep.
- In a few years time, a man will be able to destroy the whole solar system.
- I wish I had a good ear for music.
- They have been shouting for half an hour.
- I accused my father of not paying attention to me when I was a child.
- He promised to help his son to do his homework as soon as he could.
- We have had the plans for our house made.
- She refused to go to that hotel again.
- Unless you wear a jacket and tie, you cannot go into that restaurant.
- I had never read such a long sentence. It was on page long.
- She apologised for not having sent me the letter.
- If you wash it in boiling water, it will shrink / it shrinks.
- If wants to become a lawyer, she has to study hard.
- If John hadn’t cheated on his exams, he wouldn’t have been expelled from the university.
- Unless it is important, she never calls.
- John was given another opportunity.
- The event is believed to be a success.
- The club’s rules are going to be revised.
Get rid of the song stuck in your head with chewing gum
KEY
Question 1
a) FALSE “People [...] and less likely to hear them after they've
stopped, the researchers found”
b) FALSE “90
per cent of people experience earworms,……, and 15 per cent of people would call
them disturbing”
c) FALSE “those that were told to do
nothing or tap their finger”
d) TRUE “The study is the first to
examine the effects of chewing gum on earworms”
Question 2
a) For most people, earworms are
only in their head for a brief time, maybe moments, although in other cases, this may continue for 48 or 72
hours.
b) The people tested heard two songs. Some people were then given chewing gum while
others were not. Both groups were instructed to avoid focusing
on the tracks. If the music came into
their heads, individuals pressed a
button.
Question 3
a) (to) kick out
b) researchers
c) frustrating
d)
whenever
e)
(to) counter
Question 4
a) If you want to get rid of earworms, chewing gum can help (you).
b) Earworms are only
experienced by the majority of people for short periods.
c) According to Beaman, more
research was needed to see whether this would help counter symptoms of
disorders.
Parents told: use iPads to get reluctant boys to read
KEY
Question 1
a) TRUE. The
study found that tablet computers had a particular impact on groups that are traditionally most resistant to
reading, particularly boys and infants from poor families.
b) FALSE. The number of nurseries and childminders using the devices had almost doubled in the last 12 months from 22 to 41
per cent.
c) TRUE: Traditional
books were still the favoured reading method for all children to read
d) FALSE: 29.5 per cent of children from
the poorest families admitted to reading stories
using touchscreen technology more than books, compared with only 17.4 per cent of those from wealthy households.
Question
2
a)
Playing video games for too much time had similar consequences to cocaine and
alcohol dependence and that people who were especially dependent had problems
were unhappy, worried and afraid of being out in public.
b) Boys use tablets more than girls to read and
children spend more time reading when they do this using technology. This is especially true for boys from
families with little money. But reading
books is still the most popular form of reading. Children who read in whatever way have a
wider knowledge of words.
Question
3
a) shunning/(to)
shun
b) prolonged
c) concerns
d) engaging
e) awareness
Question
4
a) If parents want
to get boys interested in reading, they should turn to Ipads and Kindles.
b) Aric Sigman said: “Over-exposure
to video games has a similar effect on the brain to cocaine and alcohol
addiction and extreme users show signs of depression “.
c) Although traditional books
were still the favoured reading method for all children to read, boys and
infants from poor homes were increasingly shifting to technology.
Metric measurements to be used on road signs for first time
KEY
Question1
a. False. “In a move which will anger traditionalists” But motoring organisations have
warned they could lead to confusion.”
b. True. “Critics have also
expressed concern it could lead to kilometres per hour being introduced on
speed signs.”
c. False. “"Imperial only
signs can remain in place only until such time that they become life-expired,
or replaced during routine maintenance, at which time the dual-unit equivalent
must be used."
d. True. "Displaying dual measures of height and width
restrictions make it easier for drivers and are designed to help improve safety
on our roads.”
Question 2
a. They are going to change the signs that show height and
width limitations and not all of them but only the ones that have turned
old-fashioned.
b. People who like traditions will not like them at all.
Some drivers’ organizations say the new signs will make people confused. Some
critics are worried that the new measurements will also appear in speed limit
signs.
Question
3
a. Anger
b. Concern
c. Out-of-date
d. To prescribe / prescribe
e. To display /showing
Question 4
a. If some of the road signs were not out-of-date, the
Department of Transport would not replace them.
b. Luke Bodset said that motorists and hauliers had got used
to seeing signs in feet and inches. In fast moving traffic if they glanced up
and read the metric metres first, there would be a problem.
c. Imperial only signs
will be kept until they become
life-expired.
Why happiness is infectious: you can actually smell joy
KEY
Question 1
a. False. “Although chemosignalling had previously been shown
to convey fear and disgust, little was known about how it related to positive
emotions.”
b. False. “For their study, they collected the sweat of
'sender' participants in happy, fearful and neutral states.”
c. True. “Our findings suggest that not only a negative state,
but also a positive state (happiness) can be transferred by means of
odours."
d. True. “Happiness …………………..broadens attention to
inspire creative ideas.”
Question
2
a. They have discovered that the smell our body produces
when we are happy can pass this feeling on to other people.
b. Happiness has a positive effect to our body systems;
it neutralizes the harm caused by negative feelings and it also improves our attention
and creativity.
Question
3
a. Joyful
b. Convey
/ to convey
c. Subtle
d. Restores
/ to restore
e. Broadens
/ to broaden
Question
4
a. The researchers said that their findings suggested that
not only a negative state, but also a positive state (happiness) could be
transferred by means of odours.
b. Happiness is said to be contagious.
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