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Chuyên đề Reading bồi dưỡng đội tuyển HSG dự thi Quốc Gia THPT
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UNIT ONE READING
Read the article and answer the questions (1-13) based on it.
Young people - coping with an unpredictable future
Young people here in Asia and indeed in every continent are facing new challenges at an
unparalleled pace as they enter the global economy seeking work. But are the young in all parts of the
globe fully equipped to deal with the unforeseen hazards of the twenty-first century?
With the globalization not just of commerce, but all knowledge itself, young graduates in India,
Pakistan, or China are just as prepared for the future as their counterparts in any other nation. Except for
one thing, that is. Young people wherever they are still lack something of paramount importance. There
was a time when those companies or nations with the most knowledge had the edge on their competitors. That is now almost gone.
In future, the success of al nations and companies, and indeed the success of young workers, will
depend not on analytical thinking as has been the case until now, but on creativity and flexible thinking.
This will have huge implications on the way companies and people function.
Knowledge has now become like the light from the light bulb. It is now available to all of us, East
and West, North and South. We can now 'switch it on' in India, China, or Korea as easily as in, say, France or
Australia. Knowledge is also packaged into systems that allow professionals of any kind and level to move
around the world in the employ of multinational companies much more easily than in the past. So it
matters less and less where people are from, where they are working, or where they move to. The same rules and systems apply to all.
With this knowledge-based industry now firmly established, mainly as a result of the Internet,
economies and people have to move on to another level of competition. What will make or break the
economies of the future in Asia and the West is not workforces equipped with narrow life skills, but the
more creative thinkers who can deal with the unknown. But the world is still churning out young workers
to cater for knowledge rather than creativity-based economies. Edward de Bono has long championed
lateral thinking and his work has found its way into many companies and conservative institutions.
More recently, Daniel Pink in A Whole New Mind (2005), a book about the mindset needed for the
coming century, has predicted that success in the future will depend on creative thinking, not analytical
thinking - more use of the right side of the brain as opposed to the left.
Knowledge-based professions which control the world like banking, management, etc. Pink argues,
will wane as more and more jobs are replaced by computers, a prospect governments must wake up to or
they will have hordes of young people trained for a redundant world system. The analytical brain types that
have dominated job interviews in recent years have had their day. Those who see the bigger picture at the
same time, i.e. those who use the right side of their brain as well or more than the left or can switch
between the two at will, are about to come into their own.
The most prized individuals will be those who think outside the analytical boxes. If governments
are sleep-walking into this situation, young people need not do so, but can prepare themselves for this
dramatic evolution. Broadly speaking, young people are much more flexible and prepared to adapt to new
situations than their older counterparts. Their very familiarity with ever-changing technology and the
processes that go with it equips them to be proactive, and to develop their skills beyond the purely
analytical. Take the gigantic leaps that have been made in the economies of South-East Asia in recent years.
Advanced transport infrastructures and systems for knowledge transfer are more evolved than in many so-
called advanced western countries which are lagging behind their eastern counterparts.
Businesses, rather than universities, can provide opportunities that introduce elements of
unpredictability and creativity into aspects of training or work experience to teach employees to cope
with the shifting sands of the future. The young will be encouraged to do what they do best, breaking out
of existing systems and restructuring the way things are done. Older people will need to side with them
in their readiness to remould the world if they are to survive in the future workplace. We may be in for a
bumpy ride, but whatever else it may be, the future does not look dull.
Questions 1-7. Complete the summary below using the list of words, (A-K) from the box below.
Young people everywhere are having to overcome new (1).....as they look for work. The ubiquity
of knowledge means that companies and young workers need something else to stay ahead of their
(2) ………. Workers, no matter where they are from, can plug into systems. This has huge (3)
………. . With the end of knowledge-based industries, Daniel Pink has forecast that success in the
future will depend on (4) ……… , not analytical. The power of professions like banking,
management, etc. will, it is argued, take on a (5) ………….. as more jobs are carried out by
computers. Young people who use the right side of their brain as well as their left are about to
assume a (6)…………., so more work-based training involving the (7)………… of uncertainty is in order. A spread G goals В greater role H creative minds С obstacles I results D consequences J value E lesser role К rivals F management
Questions 8-10. Which THREE of the following predictions are made by the writer of the
text? Tick them (✓). A
The role of creative thinkers will become more important. B
South-East Asia will develop more advanced systems for knowledge transfer. C
The use of technology will reduce people's creative abilities. D
Older people will find it hard to adapt to future workplace needs. E
Businesses will spend increasing amounts of money on training. F
Fewer people will enter knowledge-based professions.
Questions 11-13. Choose the correct letter, А, В, С or D.
11. According to the writer, some systems are more advanced in South-East Asia than in the West because
A managers are more highly qualified.
В the business environment is more developed.
С the workforce is more prepared to adapt.
D the government has more resources.
12. According to the writer, training for the developments that he describes wil be provided by
A governments. В universities. С schools. D businesses.
13. The writer concludes that
A older people will have to be more ready to change.
В businesses will have to pay young people more.
С young people will not need work-based training.
D university lecturers will not have to adapt their courses. LISTENING
Complete the table. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. (Note: X
means information not given.) Reading Essays Lectures Seminars Lisa too interesting handwriting
word (4)______________ (6)______________ limit Sasha
(1)______________ (3)______________ (5)______________ (7)______________ Olaf
(2)______________ Plagiarism X (8)______________
Choose the correct letter A, B, С or D. 9
Who are Lisa, Olaf and Sasha?
A Lisa is a lecturer. Olaf and Sasha are students
В they are all first year foreign students
С Olaf and Sasha are foreign students. Lisa is their tutor
D Lisa is a local student. Olaf and Sasha are foreign students 10
What does Lisa think of Sasha's last seminar paper? A it was like a lecture В it was professional
С it was rather boring
D she couldn't believe it 3
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Why Can't Our Children Read?
The new national reading programme for beginners, aimed at reversing the decline in literacy,
emphasizes rules and sounds of individual words. Traditionalists will no doubt heave a …(1)… of
relief at what they will regard as a turn to the good old …(2)… . Their opponents argue, however,
that the texts used for this purpose years ago …(3)… no relationship to real life and …(4)… short
of the basic requirement for any learning materials: they should …(5)… interest in what is being
taught. Educators must not lose …(6)… of the fact that teaching rules without taking this into
account will not solve the problem. 1 A groan B sob C sigh D breath 2 A period B days C times D years 3 A bore B carried C held D kept 4 A dropped B fell C ran D failed 5 A arise B arouse C raise D rise 6 A grasp B regard C vision D sight
2. Underline the correct word to complete each sentence.
1.All applications must include the names and addresses of two academic referees / arbitrators / evaluators.
2.The overseer / supervisor / administrator of your thesis will advise you on what kind of content is
appropriate for your introduction.
3.As a travelling / visiting / touring professor in sociology he spends much of his time abroad.
4.If you think your work has been graded unfairly, file a complaint with the head / chief / leader of the department.
5.Students’ performance will be judged by external prefects / graders / assessors to ensure objectivity.
6.Your careers director / analyst / adviser is there to help you make the best choice for your future.
7.As an office trainee / learner / novice, she was expected to follow the lead of the more experienced secretaries.
8.The successful entrant / applicant / finalist will serve a three-month trial period before being offered a permanent position.
3. Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits into the space. Illiteracy (1) INCREASE
While the number of adults who remain illiterate are fewer than ever,
it is becoming …(1)… clear that they are more …(2)… than such (2) CONVENIENT
people were in the past. Nowadays the written word is so important (3) ACCESS
that without it much information that is vital for the running of our
everyday lives becomes …(3)… . Ashamed to admit it, illiterate (4) CUSTOM
adults often become …(4)… to concealing their ignorance, and …(5) (5) SEEM
… many do so with remarkable success. This may be one of the
reasons why Bristol’s ‘Literacy for You’ scheme has been received (6) ENTHUSIASM
rather less than …(6)… . Not surprisingly, adults have some …(7)… (7) RESERVE
about coming forward and openly admitting that they find …(8)… a
page of print that a child of seven could read without effort. (8) COMPREHEND
Programmes for teaching basic literacy skills to adults need to be (9) COMPLEX
sensitively assembled so as not to discourage or humiliate the learner,
who is probably already experiencing high levels of frustration on a (10) SIMPLE
day to day basis. Reading materials need to be graded carefully in
terms of …(9)… and some authentic texts may require considerable
…(10)… before the learner is able to handle them. 4 UNIT TWO READING
You are going to read an article about verbal skil s. Seven paragraphs have been removed
from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which best fits each gap (1-7).
There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.
It began with grunts and very soon it may end with them. Excess hours in front of the television
together with parents who work long hours are robbing our children of humanity's most precious
evolutionary at ribute: language - 'the dress of thought', as Samuel Johnson described our capacity for intel igent speech. 1 5
In other words, we face a world in which intel igible communication is likely to become a rarity. A logical
conclusion, perhaps, but it must be borne in mind that the death of language has been predicted many
times in the past by such respected figures as George Bernard Shaw. Nevertheless, most parents would
find it hard not to agree with Wel s's basic message. 2
It is a worrying trend, not just for those who lose an ability to use language, he says, but for the fate of
the planet as a whole. Robbed of an ability to fol ow and sustain complex arguments, more and more
humans wil simply give up trying to understand or influence the world around them, including the key
international chal enges we face like global warming and cloning. 3
Indeed, it is a particularly alarming prospect for a species that is distinguished by its communication skil s.
Language has been found in every one of the thousands of societies documented by scientists and is used by
every neurological y normal member of humanity. As Steve Parker, director of the Centre of Cognitive
Neuroscience at Massachuset s Institute of Technology, says: 'Language is so tightly woven into human
experiences that it is scarcely possible to imagine life without it.' 4
The observation suggests that the root of human language is social, not intel ectual, and that its
usefulness in communicating complex notions came relatively late in our evolutionary history. For
most of our time on Earth, language has had the equivalent role of grooming among monkeys,
strengthening social bonds between individuals and cementing tribes together. 5
Only relatively late in the story of Homo Sapiens has language emerged in its current mature version. Recent work
by Simon Fisher at the Welcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford and Svante Paabo, at the Max Planck
Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, has dated key mutations in genes involved in neurone
activity to about 200,000 years ago. These, they say, may have been crucial to our acquisition of sophisticated speech. 6
It is precisely at this time, of course, that modern Homo Sapiens evolved in an area of sub-Saharan
Africa. Armed with a new linguistic sophistication, they poured out of Africa and by 40,000 years ago
had reached the edge of Europe, then the stronghold of massive, cold-adapted Neanderthals, who
nevertheless succumbed to these African interlopers, even though the continent was then in the grip of
the last Ice Age. Above al , it was our ability to exchange complex data that gave us an advantage in those harsh days. 7
In short, language has been a mixed blessing for humanity. But it is what defines us as a species
and it is hard to imagine us losing our prowess in the long term. In any case, just because our kids
grunt at us, it doesn't mean to say they cannot communicate,' says Dunbar. 'It probably just means
they don't want to talk to adults. 6
A It is a worrying vision, summed up by
one senior education expert - Alan
F 'Essentially, more and more people will
Wells, director of the government's Basic
give up thinking and following these issues
Skills Agency - who warned that youngsters
and leave them in the hands of eloquent
now communicate in monosyllables,
experts, who will take on the roles of
mainly because parents have lost the art of
shamans. That is hardly a healthy
talking and playing with their children. 'At development,' said Dunbar.
the age when they come into school, many
children have very few language skills at all
G 'We have studied a gene called
and that clearly has an impact on their
FOXP2, which is known to have a role in
learning,' he told an education conference.
brain development,' says Fisher. It is found
in mammals from mice to chimpanzees
В 'I have got to admit that I feel more than
with hardly any variation between any
a twinge of sympathy,' said linguistic expert,
two species except for humans. Our version
Professor Robin Dunbar of Liverpool
has several key alterations and, by studying
University. 'Judging from my own kitchen
their frequency among different tribes, we
table, intelligent speech does sometimes
have shown that these mutations appeared
seem to be at a premium among youngsters
about 200,000 years ago. Most probably, these days.'
these changes would have enhanced
early humans' ability to control the
С Intriguingly, recent research suggests
muscles of their mouth and face, crucial
that language may have developed in in the development of speech.'
combination with the use of music and
singing. 'Our work suggests early humans
H The importance of speech in our lives is
engaged in a lot of chanting and choral
revealed by the fact that a person may utter
singing,' he says. 'It is the equivalent of
as many as 40,000 words in a day. However,
tribal singing on football terraces or Welsh
the intriguing point, as uncovered by
community singing - that sort of thing. It
Dunbar, is that most of these are about
was a way of identifying ourselves.'
trivial issues. By monitoring common-room
chat, Dunbar discovered that 86 per cent of
D As well-meaning parents, we try to
our daily conversations are about personal
compensate for this lack of communication.
relationships and experiences, TV
Every now and then, we attempt to engage
programmes and jokes. We may be able to
our children in friendly dialogue, only to be
outline the theory of relativity or the ideas
met with baleful stares or goggle-eyed
of Freud, but we rarely bother to do so.
incomprehension, and something along the
Most of the time, we use language to gossip. lines of 'er, neugh, ugh.'
'It is what makes the world go round,' Dunbar says
E After that, humanity slowly conquered
all the nooks and crannies of the planet,
from the tip of South America to the islands
of Polynesia. To every one of these
outposts, we brought language. Then
around 10,000 years ago, agriculture was
invented and in its wake the ability to
write down words, which were needed to
record the corn, wheat and oxen we began
to trade in. At the same time, social ranks,
possessions and war also appeared. As
Aldous Huxley said: 'Thanks to words, we
have been able to rise above the brutes - and
thanks to words, we have often sunk to the level of the demons.’ 7
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Circle the two suitable words in italics which best complete each sentence correctly.
1. When she saw the spider, she let out a piercing scream / yelp / shout / shriek.
2. When reading, you have more time to appreciate the shadows / subtleties / nuances / tones of
meaning than when you’re listening.
3. It is sometimes difficult to absorb / interest / capture / comprehend all the necessary
information if someone is talking too fast.
4. Some people like the straightforward / shortcut / modest / minimalist style of Internet conversations.
5. I like her novel, although her verbose / long-winded /elongated / stretched-out style bored me at times.
6. She mumbled / muttered / stuttered /spluttered something under her breath about being bored
and walked out of the lecture hall.
7. His tendency / pitch / expression / tone was sarcastic; he obviously thought very little of his colleagues.
8. I have read through his work and I haven’t found any clear / clean / hard / striking examples of
a text which is hard to understand.
2. Fill in each gap with one suitable word. Communication
Throughout our lives, right from the moment when as infants we cry to express hunger, we are
engaging in social interaction of one form or …(1)… . Each and …(2)… time we encounter
fellow human beings, some kind of social interaction will take place, …(3)… it’s getting on a bus
and paying the fare for the journey, or socializing with friends. It goes without …(4)… ,
therefore, that we need the ability to communicate. Without some method of transmitting
intentions, we would be …(5)… a complete loss when it …(6)… to interacting socially.
Communication involves the exchange of information, which can be …(7)… from a gesture to a
friend signaling boredom to the presentation of a university thesis which may …(8)… ever be
read by a handful of others, or it could be something in …(9)… the two.
Our highly developed languages set us …(10)… from animals. …(11)… for these languages, we
could not communicate sophisticated or abstract ideas. …(12)… could we talk or write about
people or objects …(13)… immediately present. …(14)… we restricted to discussing objects
already present, we would be …(15)… to make abstract generalization about the world.
3. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. The death of languages
The death of languages has been repeated many times in history. Localised disasters such as great
floods of warfare have …(1)… a part, but in the modern era the increased international movement
of people has greatly …(2)… the destruction. Local languages may be overpowered by a
metropolitan language, thus increasing the pressure to neglect ancestral tongues in …(3)… of the
new one, which is seen as the key to prospering in the …(4)… culture. Children may be forbidden
to use their mother tongue in the classroom, as has occurred to many groups, including the Welsh
and Aboriginal Australians. The death of a language is not only a tragedy for those directly
affected, but also an …(5)… cultural loss for the world. Through language, each culture expresses a
unique worldview. Thus, any effort to …(6)… linguistic variety implies a deep respect for the
positive values of other cultures. 1 A done B made C adopted D played 2 A speeded B accelerated C urged D hurried 3 A favour B preference C support D choice 4 A foremost B major C leading D dominant 5 A invaluable B irretrievable C inimitable D irrepressible 6 A champion B hold C preserve D collaborate 8 UNIT THREE READING
Read the article and answer the questions (1-13) based on it.
Views of intelligence across cultures
A In recent years, researchers have found that people in non-Western cultures often have ideas about
intelligence that are considerably different from those that have shaped Western intelligence tests. This
cultural bias may therefore work against certain groups of people. Researchers in cultural differences in
intelligence, however, face a major dilemma, namely: how can the need to compare people according to a
standard measure be balanced with the need to assess them in the light of their own values and concepts?
В For example, Richard Nesbitt of the University of Michigan concludes that East Asian and Western
cultures have developed cognitive styles that differ in fundamental ways, including how intelligence is
understood. People in Western cultures tend to view intelligence as a means for individuals to devise
categories and engage in rational debate, whereas Eastern cultures see it as a way for members of a
community to recognize contradiction and complexity and to play their social roles successful y This view is
backed up by Sternberg and Shih-Ying, from the University of Taiwan, whose research shows that Chinese
conceptions of intelligence emphasize understanding and relating to others, and knowing when to show or not show one's intelligence.
С The distinction between East Asia and the West is just one of many distinctions that separate different
ways of thinking about intelligence. Robert Serpell spent a number of years studying concepts of intelligence
in rural African communities. He found that people in many African communities, especially in those where
Western-style schooling is still uncommon, tend to blur the distinction between intelligence and social
competence. In rural Zambia, for instance, the concept of nzelu includes both cleverness and responsibility.
Likewise, among the Luo people in rural Kenya, it has been found that ideas about intelligence consist of four
broad concepts. These are named paro or practical thinking, luoro, which includes social qualities like respect
and responsibility, winjo or comprehension, and rieko. Only the fourth corresponds more or less to the Western idea of intelligence.
D In another study in the same community, Sternberg and Grogorenko have found that children who score
highly on a test of knowledge about medicinal herbs, a test of practical intelligence, often score poorly on
tests of academic intelligence. This suggests that practical and academic intelligence can develop
independently of each other, and the values of a culture may shape the direction in which a child's intel igence develops.
It also tends to support a number of other studies which suggest that people who are unable to solve complex
problems in the abstract can often solve them when they are presented in a familiar context. Ashley Maynard,
for instance, now professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii, conducted studies of cognitive
development among children in a Mayan village in Mexico using toy looms, spools of thread, and other
materials drawn from the local environment. The research suggested that the children's development could be
validly compared to the progression described by Western theories of development, but only by using
materials and experimental designs based on their own culture.
E The original hope of many cognitive psychologists was that a test could be developed that was absent of
cultural bias. However, there seems to be an increasing weight of evidence to suggest that this is unlikely.
Raven's Progressive Matrices, for example, were originally advertised as 'culture free' but are now recognized
as culturally loaded. Such non-verbal intelligence tests are based on cultural constructs which may not appear
in a particular culture. It is doubtful whether cultural comparisons of concepts of intelligence will ever enable
us to move towards creating a test which encompasses all aspects of intelligence as understood by all cultures.
It seems even less likely that such a test could be totally free of cultural imbalance somewhere.
The solution to the dilemma seems to lie more in accepting that cultural neutrality is unattainable and that
administering any valid intelligence test requires a deep familiarity with the relevant culture's values and practices. 9
Questions 1-4. The reading Passage has five sections, A-E. Choose the correct heading for
sections B-E from the list of headings below.
1 Research into African community life
2 Views about intelligence in African societies
3 The limitations of Western intelligence tests
4 The Chinese concept of intelligence
5 The importance of cultural context in test design
6 The disadvantages of non-verbal intelligence tests
7 A comparison between Eastern and Western understanding of intelligence
8 Words for "intelligence" in African languages
9 The impossibility of a universal intelligence test B C D E
Questions 5-9. Look at the researchers in 5-9 and the list of findings below. Match each
researcher with the correct finding. 5 Ashley Maynard 6 Richard Nesbitt 7 Sternberg and Grogorenko 8 Sternberg and Shih-Ying 9 Robert Serpell List of findings
A There is a clear relationship between intelligence and relationships with others in Chinese culture.
В Children frequently scoring wel in academic tests score better in practical tests.
С The difference between intelligence and social competence is not distinct in many African communities.
D Children frequently scoring wel in practical tests score less well in academic tests.
E In experiments to measure cognitive development, there is a link between the materials used and the test results.
F The connection between intelligence and social competence in many African communities is not clear.
G The way cognition is viewed in East Asian cultures differs fundamentally from those in Western cultures.
H Chinese culture sees revelations about one's intelligence as part of intel igence.
Question 10-12. Which THREE of the following statements about non-verbal intelligence
tests are mentioned by the writer of the passage? Tick them (✓). A
Raven's Progressive Matrices are widely considered to be cultural y free. B
Cultural comparisons will allow the development of culturally neutral tests. C
The development of culturally neutral tests is unlikely. D
Raven's Progressive Matrices are culturally specific. E
The creation of culturally-free tests is sometimes possible. F
Many cognitive psychologists originally hoped tests could be developed free of cultural bias.
Question 13. Choose the correct letter, А, В, С or D.
Which of the following is the main argument of the article?
A Intelligence tests should include tests of social skills and responsibility.
В Test takers from any culture can learn the cognitive style required by Western intelligence tests.
С Intelligence tests cannot be free of cultural bias.
D More research is needed to develop an intelligence test which is valid for al cultures. 10
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE 1.
Fill in each gap with one suitable word.
Getting Away From The Land
By the start of the twenty-first century, Britain had become a highly urbanized country, with only a smal
proportion of the population in touch …(1)… the working life of the countryside. But this has by …(2)… means
always been the case. At the end of the nineteenth century, in excess …(3)… a mil ion people were employed in
agriculture, five …(4)… today’s figure.
Even …(5)… , however, the total was significantly below that in most European countries, high factory wages
having already tempted people to leave the countryside in favour of the industrial cities. In …(6)… to this, the
English custom of primogeniture, by …(7)… land is inherited only by the eldest son, served …(8)… further accelerate the rural exodus.
During the war years of the 1940s, at a time …(9)… food was short, people seized whatever opportunities …
(10)… were to improve their diet …(11)… growing their own vegetables. However, this practice soon lost …(12)
… appeal once the war was over, as …(13)… other temporary expediencies, such as keeping chicken in town
gardens. …(14)… is more, mixed arable and livestock farming, once the norm, became rare, so that even …(15)…
people than ever were involved in agriculture.
2. Select the best answer (A, B, C or D) which is appropriate for al three gaps in each of the
fol owing sets of sentences.
1. This medication can affect your … , so you must only take it before you go to bed.
Success is motivating your staff requires striking a delicate … between asserting your authority and giving praise.
She could not explain the deficit in her bank … .
A. decision B. balance C. statement D. ability
2. Karen and Brad got married last week, in a …ceremony in London.
She never real y got along with her cousin, but they had always managed to be … to each other.
He objected to the company’s no-smoking rule, claiming that it was an encroachment on his … liberties.
A. personal B. dignified C. civil D. formal
3. Developments took a new … on Tuesday, with the stock market tumbling by 5.4%.
Mark admit ed that he had spoken out of … .
The … of the century found Europe in a state of turmoil.
A. place B. end C. shape D. turn
4. There is a(n) … invitation for the trade unions to take part in the negotiations, but they have chosen to ignore it.
Most universities have … days in May, so that prospective students and their families can visit and find out more about the institution.
Never leave children under 14 alone in a room with a(n) … fire.
A. exposed B. extended C. common D. open
5. Under pressure from the opposition, the government decided to cal a … election.
Not only keeping fit help you control your weight, but it wil also give you a … sense of wel -being.
Latest figures confirm a … increase in unemployment despite recent government measures.
A. general B. major C. round D. ful
3. Complete the text using the words from the box.
AVERAGE CHALLENGE EQUITABLE EXACERBATING INTEGRATION
PERSISTENCE REDISTRIBUTE UNDERPINNING UNLEASH VULNERABILITY
Winners and Losers of Globalisation
Technological change and increased flows of trade and investment …(1)… globalization are making the
world richer – but more unequal. …(2)… global incomes are rising, but while East Asia has increased its
share in global wealth, income per person has hardly changed in Africa. This failure to …(3)…
international income has contributed to the …(4)… of poverty, and today there are more than 1.2 billion
poor people in the world. Unfortunately, globalization is …(5)… national inequalities as well. …(6)…
into the global market creates opportunities for those with skills, assets and access to markets. For those
without – the illiterate poor farmers and unskilled workers – greater openness increases …(7)… .
Seventy years ago, the first wave of glabalisation mutated into the Great Depression, fascism and war as
markets …(8)…ed forces that governments could not contain. The …(9)… is to develop institutions
capable of managing markets to produce a more humane, …(10)… and stable economic order. The cost of failure is unthinkable. 11 ■ UNIT FOUR READING
You are going to read an essay on the subject of intellectual property. For questions 1-
7 choose the answer (А, В, С or D) which you think fits best according to the text. The Sound of Silence 12
Twenty people — specialists, experts, thinkers
people. Who, then, do they belong to? And the
— sit around a seminar table. They might be
danger of legally based approaches is that they will make
discussing education, the stock market or one of a us more guarded, not less so.
whole range of issues. Although people are
On the face of it, the argument that we are
speaking, no one is saying anything. At least half of
becoming intellectual misers flies in the face of
the participants have an original idea at the front of current developments. Isn't the Internet
their mind. But they do not share it because it is too
democratising knowledge? And what about the free
valuable. They are afraid that one of the others will
software at the heart of cyberspace? Far from living in
steal the idea and use it, publish it or sell it before
monastic silence. aren't we being bombarded with ideas
they do. Their intellectual property is at risk. and information?
Images of the so-called ‘new economy’, that
Well, yes. But most of the information we receive
much talked about product of the 'age of
is of limited value. How many people who have a
information' are of complexity and hubbub. You
truly innovative idea will broadcast it on the web?
get the sense that it is a noisy place. In fact,
Some, but not many. With so much guff all over the
however, such is the fear of being intellectually
place, the value of an original idea is all the more worth
gazumped that people who you might think of as guarding.
being in the driving seat of that new economy are
All this means that intellectual generosity is
becoming rather cagey, and as a result, it echoes
becoming rarer and much more precious. It also elevates
to the sound of silence as received wisdoms are
the role of trust. If my colleague gives me an idea, and I recycled.
pass that idea on, either in print or through
There has always been a reluctance to share new
conversation, it's critical that I 'tag' it as hers, rather
ideas in professions linked to the media, but it's a
than succumbing to the temptation to pass it off as my
phenomenon that seems to be spreading, especially
own. Such a system of tagging would mean that my
into the world of policy. It is finding its way into
colleague continues to reap the rewards of her
government departments and the 'think tanks', those
intellectual labour, making her more willing to share her
groups of intellectuals and academics whose job
ideas with others in the future, and it would also mean that
it is to inform and inspire government policy.
our conversations would be free of the fear of theft. In
On an individual level, hoarding and hiding make
short, she will trust me, and vice versa, thus ensuring a
good sense, but col ectively it impoverishes free flow of information.
conversation — potentially to the detriment of
There are issues for employers here, too. good policymaking.
When someone's ability to add value rests on their
This new intellectual coyness highlights the
skill at coming up with ideas, how do managers ensure
peculiar quality of information and ideas in a
that they are working as hard as they should be? Maybe
market economy. The essential problem is this: you
they are storing up the best stuff for the online
cannot know the value of a piece of information, still
consultancy they run from home. In most cases, the
less an original idea, unless you know what it is. But
desire of workers to be recognised as talented, to win
once gleaned, it cannot be returned to its
promotion and gain greater financial rewards is
originator intact. In other words, you cannot feel
sufficient incentive, but managers need to ensure that
the quality of an idea before deciding whether to
good ideas are credited properly through tagging, to
buy it or not. This means that ideas make bad keep the best minds on board.
commodities. Pricing, in the usual economic sense, is
So if we want to encourage intellectual generosity,
impossible because t he value of the product is not
as well as fostering an atmosphere of co-operation
physically captured — at least, not immediately.
rather than distrust, we need to tag ideas to the person
This is why intellectual property lawyers are
they originally came from. So how about it? As John
licking their lips, and why one academic has just
Knell puts it: do you dare to share?
taken out the first-ever patent on an idea. But
legal and contractual approaches to the problem
are of limited use. Many of the best ideas come out of a conversation between two 13 14
1 According to the writer, the people in the meeting described in the first paragraph are A
lacking in original ideas to share. В
unnecessarily distrustful of their col eagues. С
overvaluing ideas which they regard as their own. D
too cautious for any worthwhile discussion to take place.
2 Which phrase, used later in the essay, refers to the behaviour of the people in the meeting? A
'complexity and hubbub' (paragraph 2) В
'intellectually gazumped' (paragraph 2) С
'received wisdoms' (paragraph 2) D
'hoarding and hiding' (paragraph 3)
3 In the third paragraph, the writer makes the point that A
good policies arise out of open discussion. В
government departments need to co-operate with each other. С
government policies need to be discussed in the media. D
economic principles should apply to policymaking.
4 Which reason does the writer give for not favouring a legal approach to the problem of intel ectual property? A
It would exacerbate existing trends. В
It would be expensive for academics. С
It would tend to stifle intellectual endeavour. D
It would hinder the democratisation of knowledge.
5 What does the phrase 'so much guff (paragraph 7) refer to? A
an over-supply of imaginative ideas В
the wide availability of copious information С
the various ways of accessing ideas on the Internet D
an atmosphere of distrust between academics
6 What main advantage does the writer see in the system of ‘tagging' he proposes? A
It will make people more productive in terms of ideas. В
It will foster a cooperative approach among thinkers. С
It will force employers to be more honest with their staff. D
It wil ensure that unscrupulous academics are exposed.
7 Towards the end of the passage, what does the writer suggest is a concern for employers? A
employees who steal the ideas of others in order to gain advantage В
how to reward those who work hard but fail to produce ideas С
how to implement tagging in the business context D
employees who choose to withhold good ideas 15 ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Use the words given in capitals to form a word which fits in the blank space.
The image of science
The image that we have of science has …(1)… radical change in the last (1) GO
hundred years. An enormous …(2)… explosion, together with a number (2)TECHNOLOGY
of very real …(3)… about the environment and all the moral and
political ramifications of economic growth have …(4)… put science at (3) ANXIOUS the centre of public debate. (4) QUESTION
The twentieth century began with a challenge to the …(5)… that human
knowledge was approaching completion. It will come, perhaps, as (5) ASSUME
something of a surprise to all of us to realize that the emergence of this (6) DESTROY
highly …(6)… process came both from within and outside science.
New scientific theories …(7)… reveal the limitations of the old (7) OVERWHELM
perspective. We had thought that the world, understood through the (8) BE
medium of rational …(8)… , was, indeed, the real world. Now we know
that this was no more than a simplification that just happened to work. (9) PESSIMISM
Once we realize this, though, we can move in a number of opposing (10) PERFECTION
directions. We can re-evaluate all knowledge …(9)… and decide that it
is eternally fragmentary and full of a vast number of …(10)… , or we (11) HIGH
can be more positive and view these vast explosions of scientific
awareness as new challenges still to come and as celebrations of the …
(11)… that the human imagination has so far scaled.
2. Complete the text using the words from the box.
concepts consciousness creativity grounding humanities implications
Autonomy and …(1)… are two key …(2)… in the humanities which are often thought to be not part
of scientific thinking. However, recent projects in the sciences suggest this is not true. For example,
the attempts to load the components of human …(3)… into a computer is a fundamentally creative
activity which has profound …(4)… for our understanding of what human being is. Such science may
make us change our way of thinking about moral and philosophical questions and may make it
possible for those in the …(5)… to find a new …(6)… for their own work.
3. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
Qualitative research
There are now numerous books which attempt to give guidance to researchers about
qualitative research. While much has been written about the collection of data, the books are
often …(1)… about the processes and procedures associated with data analysis. Indeed, much
mystery surrounds the way researchers analyse their data. …(2)… , we invited a range of
social scientists who have …(3)… in qualitative projects to discuss the …(4)… that they used.
The idea was to share insight and understanding of the process of qualitative data analysis
rather than to produce a guidebook for the intending researcher. Such a task involves a process
of demystification, of …(5)… implicit procedures more explicit. While this may sound
straightforward, we have found it far from simple. We have therefore given our contributors
the opportunity to …(6)… their work in a range of styles, which include autobiographical
narratives and more impersonal forms. 1 A silent B dark C blank D dumb 2 A However B Accordingly C Even so D In essence 3 A employed B engaged C exploited D entered 4 A accounts B manners C approaches D modes 5 A turning B making C putting D getting 6 A propose B render C extend D present 16 UNIT FIVE READING
Read the following article and answer the questions based on it. Individualism or society?
The human trait known as individualism can be understood in two distinct ways. The first implies
an individual's aspiration to self-reliance or independence, and the need to exist as individual human
beings. The second, by contrast, is understood as a social theory which prioritises freedom of action by
individuals over the authority of an all-powerful state. As far as the second conception is concerned,
individualism as a discrete construct of Western thought really came to the fore with the onset of
capitalism in the late seventeenth century. The two most influential English political philosophers of that
period - and since - Hobbes and Locke, outlined ideal models of government of a distinctly individualist
hue. In their view, the state's function was to protect a citizen's individual liberties and interfere with any
citizen's actions only when those actions violated another individual's right to act freely. For both, society
is nothing more than an agglomeration of individuals; it has no reality independent of the individuals that make it up.
In practice, in the context of late twentieth and early twenty-first century developed societies, the
term 'individualism' is generally congruent with a world view whose adherents wage a metaphorical low-
level war against what they perceive to be the incessant and incremental growth in the power of the state.
True individualists would undoubtedly argue that society's attempts to regulate the individualist's two most
closely guarded spheres of personal liberty - economic and civil - will always represent individualism's
most keenly fought over battlegrounds. This strongly individualistic view of the role of society is often
referred to as 'libertarianism'.
An intriguing characteristic of those professing to be libertarians is that they can happily disagree,
equally vehemently, with a government policy on, say, education, from either a distinctly 'left' or a
distinctly 'right' libertarian perspective. Indeed, commentators and opinion formers in the mass media
readily admit that one of the most fascinating aspects of these manifestations of modern individualism of
either kind is just how frequently both claim to be the authentic standard bearers of libertarianism. Thus
anarchists arguing for their particular vision of libertarianism would never be seen dead breaking bread
with right wing neo-liberal libertarians — or vice versa.
In the 1980s, champions of 'deregulation' announced their mission to 'set the people free' from the
suffocating yoke of 'big government' or the 'stranglehold of regulation'. So it was that in Britain
enterprises once state-owned were privatized and public utilities such as telecoms, gas, electricity, and water
were rapidly sold off. Moreover, unified transport systems took on multiple identities when the networks of
trains and buses, most of which had previously been owned by the state, were put up for sale and then
snapped up by a host of individual private companies.
It is fair to say that notwithstanding the social and political manifestations of individualism,
which are still pillars of orthodoxy in many developed western countries — such as the USA and
Britain - probably the most striking evidence of the enduring strength of individualism, and just
how deeply this view of society has permeated all fields and forms of the contemporary arts, is
the celebrity culture that surrounds us nowadays. Being famous, or better, being famous for just
being famous, has become almost an article of faith for wannabes everywhere. The seemingly
insatiable public appetite for reality TV and tabloid newspapers, in addition to the all-pervasive
celebrity photo journalism that fills a plethora of ubiquitous glossy magazines, are living
testimony to Andy Warhol's dictum that anyone 'can be famous for fifteen minutes' these days.
But the cult of celebrity alone does not convey the enduring power of individualism. Pause
to reflect for a moment, and try to think of one truly great film, play, or popular song that could
ever have achieved such universal acclaim without an individual voice at its narrative core. Surely
this is why Frank Sinatra timelessly strikes a chord with the individualist in all of us when he sings 'I did it my way'. 17
Questions 1-6. Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in the Reading Passage? Write YES
if the statement agrees with the views of the writer. NO
if the statement contradicts the views of the writer NOT GIVEN
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this. 1
There are two discrete interpretations of the term individualism. 2
The rise of individualism caused disquiet among governments in Europe. 3
The prominence of individualism as a concept coincided with the rise of capitalism. 4
Hobbes and Locke had little impact in the late 1700s. 5
Hobbes and Locke's ideas about the state were not pro-individualist. 6
Individual liberties must be preserved because they guarantee protection against the state.
Questions 7-11. Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the
passage for each answer. 7
According to individualists, which two areas of personal freedom must be protected from
state regulation?_________________________________ 8
What name is given to the view that society should not limit individuals rights to do as they
wish? ______________________________________ 9
Before the 1980s, who owned most of the transport networks in Britain
____________________________________________
10 According to the writer, what is the clearest evidence of the continuing importance of
individualism in society? _________________________________________
11 According to the writer, what feature must a film or song have to make it popular?
__________________________________________________________________
Questions 12 and 13. Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) to answer the questions.
12. What strange trait does the writer mention about individualists?
A They can hold completely opposite political positions.
В They do not often disagree with government policy.
С Their opinions are shaped by the mass media.
D They have different views on the role of the government in education.
13 Which of the following statements best summarizes the writer's view of individualism?
A Individualism has become less important since its conception in the late seventeenth century.
В The adherents of individualism disagree over how much the government should regulate personal liberty.
С The strength of individualism is reflected in many aspects of contemporary politics and culture.
D Individualism is the cause of most conflicts in society today. 18
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Fill in each gap with one suitable word. Loneliness
All around us …(1)… the grids of communication – mobile phones, e-mail and Internet. And all
…(2)… us are the merry images of belonging: all those TV soaps based …(3)… communities of
work or neighbourhood. These programmes all emphasize the group culture, …(4)… if it is only
in a group that we can find our identity. Who do you meet at the gym? Who do you go home to,
and plan with and cook with …(5)… quarrel with?
We don’t talk …(6)… loneliness. It seems …(7)… have become the last taboo: the thing we fear,
the failure we can’t own up …(8)… . There is …(9)… good vocabulary for solitude in a society
of compulsive relating, and people who are or want to be …(10)…are pathologised.
…(11)… are degrees of loneliness. …(12)… many of us the extreme loneliness of some people is
unimaginable. We all need to learn …(13)…to be alone – to withdraw from the crowd, to be …
(14)… peace with the self – but this kind of loneliness has …(15)… to do with the solitary
anguish that is the fate of so many. It is …(16)… talking about the virtues of eating a little bit …
(17)… when people are starving.
2. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. The devil you know
Whenever the gossip columns feature the …(1)… of some famous couple marriage, they are
likely to add that one who has been …(2)… is seeking consolation in a former relationship.
According to marriage …(3)… experts, women are more likely than men to take this way out
of a broken heart situation, but it makes good …(4)… . Your friends may begin to yawn as
you …(5)… out your tales of woe but your ex may be curious to know what went wrong this
time. The relationship may not last, but if you long for security, it may be wise to put your … (6) in the devil you know. 1 A break-off B break-up C cut-off D cut-up 2 A disgusted B discharged C discarded D disengaged 3 A assistance B direction C guidance D management 4 A judgement B logic C understanding D sense 5 A give B pour C send D throw 6 A confidence B hope C belief D trust
3. Complete the following text with the adjectives from the box.
Adept discerning heart-rending inevitable life-preserving perverting Lying
Is it best to come clean and tell the truth or lie through your teeth when you are in the
public eye? In order to answer this question, it might be useful to look at the worlds of politics
and business, where lies are not in short supply.
There are three basic reasons why politicians and company directors, both of whom are …
(1)… at lying, choose not to spill the bean. Firstly, they know the truth will not always come
out and any potential damage is therefore not …(2)… . Secondly, they are also well aware that
far from being deeply moved by a …(3)… confession of wrongdoing, a …(4)… public is likely
to be as unforgiving as a spurned lover. Thirdly, they have realized that the public has a limited
attention span, which means that stories go away relatively quickly.
The bottom line for these professionals is that even …(5)… the course of justice is
acceptable if it means saving one’s neck. After all, evasion is a …(6)… instinct. 19 UNIT SIX READING
Answer the questions about the text. Choose the correct option, A, В, С or D. Making the best of a good job
Today's applicants need to run the gauntlet of modern interview techniques. Peter Baker reports.
If your last job interview took place five or more years ago, you could be in for some big surprises when you
re-enter the employment market. Interviews are now much less likely to take the form of a cosy fireside chat. Neither,
at the other extreme, should you expect an intimidating interrogation supposedly designed to test your ability to
cope with stress. These traditional approaches have gone the way of tea-trolleys and two-hour lunch-breaks.
As lean modern companies have learned the costs of making bad appointments, interviews have become part of
a multi-layered quasi-scientific selection process, and are increasingly likely to be conducted by managers trained
in complex psychological techniques. They are also becoming high-tech: before too long, candidates can expect
many interview panels to include at least one member who participates by means of videoconferencing
technology from another site or even overseas.
One thing has not changed. It is still unusual to get a job without a face-to-face encounter with your boss-to-be.
Interviews are used by 75 per cent of companies for every category of staff they employ, according to an Industrial
Relations Services (IRS) survey published in September. The same proportion of firms believe that, of al the selection
tools available, interviews have the most influence on their appointment decisions.
But these days you cannot rely just on your skills as an interviewee to get the job you want. There is a good
chance that you will have to start proving yourself well before you reach the interview room.
A recent analysis of recruitment methods by the Institute of Personnel and Development found that 61 per
cent of firms also used aptitude tests, 43 per cent sent out personality questionnaires and 30 per cent evaluated
potential staff at assessment centres. Professional and managerial staff are especially likely to be put through a
wide range of selection techniques before they reach the final interview with the employer.
'By the time you've reached this stage, you are 90 per cent there in terms of an acceptance by the employer that
you can do the job,' says Bil Robbins, director of the senior executive centre at Drake Beam Morin.
'Although you may be tested further on the skills and experience the company thinks are especially
important, the interview is likely to focus more on your motivation for the job and how well you will fit into the organisation and its culture.'
Selection panels are now putting increasing effort into probing candidates' inner values to see whether they
match those of the company. Your values could even be assessed by psychological tests conducted during the interview itself.
A test devised by occupational psychology consultancy Criterion Partnership requires candidates to select,
rank and then discuss cards containing value-reflecting headings or statements such as 'money and status',
'opportunity to make independent decisions' and 'I need approval in work'.
Criterion has also developed an interview exercise that assesses candidates by asking them to discuss what
they believe to have been the causes of positive or negative past work experiences. Someone who is inclined to
blame themselves for negative events may be judged not to have sufficient emotional stamina to take on a job
dealing with customer complaints, for example.
In today's job marketplace, you can expect the interview to be a 'structured' event - each candidate will be
asked the same predetermined questions - rather than a process guided by whatever questions happen to float into the
minds of the panel. (This standardisation aims to provide a better basis for comparing candidates and reducing
bias on the grounds of race or gender.) The IRS survey found that nine out of ten interviews are now structured,
compared with seven out of ten two years ago.
An increasing number of interviews are also 'situational'. This means that candidates are asked questions such as
'What would you do if. .?', an approach that lets them provide practical examples of how they would tackle particular
situations, whether or not they have had any direct experience of them.
Despite their increasing rigor, interviews are generally becoming a lot less formal. Candidates and interviewers
are now much more likely to sit on sofas than face each other across a large mahogany table. Fran Minogue of
recruitment company Norman Broadbent believes that selection panels 'aim to relax people so they can open up and
do as much talking as possible.' This new informality also reflects the decreasing importance attached to hierarchy within organisations.
The biggest change in the style of interviews will be noticed by senior staff with skills currently in short
supply in the labour market. 'At this level, interviews are increasingly a conversation between equals,' suggests Bill
Robbins. 'That's a big change.'
Yet despite al efforts to bring the interview process up-to-date, employers frequently make the wrong choice.
Although the interview remains the centrepiece of organisations' selection procedures, it is in fact a highly
unreliable predictor of a candidate's suitability. When Oxford Psychologists Press examined all the evidence,
they found that interviewing came third from bottom in a list of eight methods of selection. Only astrology and
graphology scored worse.But you would be best advised not to point this out to a potential employer - at least not
until you have definitely been offered the job. 20
1. What did interviews tend to be like more than five years ago? A friendly conversations
В either very relaxed or deliberately stressful
С accompanied by a cup of tea or lunch D a police interrogation
2. How do modern companies want to save money?
A by not inviting so many people to interview
В by interviewing people from a distance
С by not choosing unsuitable employees
D by using scientific interview techniques
3. Which part of the selection process now has most influence on who gets a job? A interview В aptitude test С personality questionnaire
D evaluation at assessment centre
4. What is the main aim of interviews these days?
A To check that you have the necessary skills for the job.
В То discover whether your past experience is relevant for the job.
С То determine whether you really want the job.
D To establish that your values match those of the company.
5. What is special about a structured interview?
A It includes psychological tests.
В All candidates are asked the same questions.
С Questions vary to match individual candidates.
D It asks candidates what they would do in specific situations.
6. Why are interviews in some ways more relaxed now than they used to be?
A Candidates talk more when they are relaxed.
В Offices have simpler furniture these days.
С Work hierarchies have no importance now.
D The interview is seen as a meeting of equals.
7. How successful are modern interviews in helping employers to choose the right candidate? A very successful В quite successful С not very successful D of no use at all
8. This article was probably published in A a magazine for employers. В a psychology journal.
С a general interest newspaper. D a magazine for students. 21
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Match words from two columns to make collocations. Use them to complete the sentences. cheap pension state labour minimum benefit project package remuneration leader unemployment wage
1. Most people nowadays supplement their …(1)… with a private one.
2. Workers under 18 used to earn very little, but now all workers are entitled to the …(2)… of £3.70 per hour.
3. In some countries, you don’t qualify for …(3)… if you own your house.
4. The post comes with an attractive …(4)… , as well as a company car.
5. Attracted by the promises of …(5)…, large companies are moving their factories to other countries.
6. You’ll join a team working on the design of our new toys and you’ll report to the …(6)… twice a week.
2. Fill in each gap with the correct preposition. Dropping out of the fast lane
The advertising industry is suffering …(1)… a brain drain, because an increasing number of
senior executives find the strains of the job incompatible …(2)… family life, a survey shows. Stress
counselors say more mature staff are voting …(3)… their feet. Rather than pursue a place …(4)…
the board, many choose less lucrative jobs, as varied as furniture-making and alternative medicine,
which enable them to spend more time …(5)… their children.
Experts …(6)… the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising say there are concerns …(7)… a lack
of experience …(8)… senior positions. There was a danger that unless companies made greater
efforts to retain experienced staff, they might lose touch …(9)… the ‘grey market’ as the population grew older.
Hamish Pringle, the Institute’s Director General, says: “It bothers me that, …(10)… definition,
this means the industry has very few people with any significant business experience. There are
people advising clients …(11)… multi-million-pound decisions who are really very wet …(12)… the
ears. You’ve got to ask yourself whether that is really good …(13)… the business.
He says increasing numbers of men and women tired out by the dual demands …(14)… desk work
and essential socializing in the London-dominated industry, are leaving at the age of 40 to achieve a
healthier balance …(15)… work and home life.
3. Circle the two suitable words in italics to complete each sentence correctly.
1. George is not happy in his present job because he finds the work rather laborious/diligent/menial/ industrious.
2. You should think carefully before leaving such a lucrative/rewarding/prosperous/wealthy job.
3. The company is planning to receive/launch/appoint/recruit 500 new staff.
4. Although sales representatives receive a fairly low basic salary, they also get
perks/wages/profits/commission.
5. The workers threatened to work to rule/vacate/work out/strike if their demands were not met.
6. Success in this post could lead to a(n) executive/supervisor/board/professional appointment.
4. Read this short text and complete it with words from the box.
BLENDING CROSS-FERTILISATION INTER-DISCIPLINARY DISCIPLINE
FRONTIERS LIBERAL PRECONCEPTIONS
Academics have traditionally taken the view that their …(1)… is intellectually independent from all
others. However, …(2)… degrees are becoming more and more common, suggesting that …(3)…
about what and how one should study may be somewhat misplaced. A more …(4)… view of
education would advocate greater freedom to explore the links between different fields of learning,
thus pushing the . .(5)… of knowledge in new and exciting directions. Many academics now feel that
the future lies in this …(6)… of ideas and the …(7)… of thought which emerges from it. 22 UNIT SEVEN READING
Read the following article. Seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose from the
paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). WORK
Theodore Zeldin looks at how our working life could change.
Are you respected and appreciated as you deserve? Success in a career is no longer enough. Every profession
is complaining that it is not properly valued or understood, and even among individuals who have won
eminence, there is often bitterness behind the fame. Loving your work, until recently, was enough to
make you a member of an envied minority. But now you have to ask yourself what your job is
doing to you as a person, to your mind, character and relationships. 1
To counter this, I am trying to discover how work could have the fulfillment of these aspirations as its first
priority – instead of treating us as clay to be moulded to suit industrial purposes – and how it could be
reconceived to suit us all, both men and women. It would have to be not just a way of creating wealth, but a
worthwhile style of life, a path to a fuller existence, to the discovery of unsuspected talents and to a wider variety of human contacts. 2
Even the middle-class professions, however, no longer have the liberating appeal they once had. Doctors are
often more stressed than their patients and complain about the failure of clinical medicine. Accountants,
despite unprecedented influence, are troubled by doubts about their profession’s ethics. Most architects never
get the chance to exercise their imaginations freely. Administrators are paralysed by their own bureaucracy.
The middle managers, who once gloried in their status, are, as a European study reveals, losing their conviction. 3
I have embarked on an investigation of a wide range of occupations, one by one, to see how each shapes and
sometimes destroys those in it. I have studied how the notion of what humans are capable of has been
expanded in different civilizations, and how courage can be manufactured. I have applied my
method to the major preoccupations of our time – happiness, love, friendship and respect. 4
How many of us can say that we are fully alive at work? How many of us are really part-time slaves
– theoretically having the right to escape from our drudgery, but in reality virtual prisoners of our
qualifications and careers, used as instruments by others, working not so that we might become
better people, but because we can see no other option? Take hotel workers as an example, since 10
per cent of the working population is now in the ‘hospitality industry’. The amount of unused
potential is unbelievable. Many highly intelligent and lively people put up with low prestige, low salaries and long hours. 5
A large proportion of hotel staff are foreigners too, keen to learn a new language and discover a new
civilization, but they have the most superficial relations with their guests. Hotels could be cultural centers,
active intermediaries between the guest and the city, genuine hosts bringing together people who have not
met. Hoteliers could use the knowledge of the many students they employ, instead of giving them only menial tasks. 6
The time has come to rethink what this term denotes – from a human, not just a financial angle – and to
move on from traditional categorizations. For me, work is a relationship. Now that many people are not
content with relations based on obedience, and regard work as an assertion of independence or
temperament, they must be given a chance to design their own jobs, and choose their own
colleagues, even their customers, within the limits of practicality and profitability. 7 23
This is a more intimate encounter, which creates a bond of respect between the participants, and is valued as
a way of getting inside another person’s skin, with the likelihood that one will be changed by the experience.
It is more than a relaxation, because it is the most effective means of establishing equality. Every time you
have a conversation which achieves that, the world is changed by a minute amount.
A This means that they have to know how to converse across the boundaries of professional jargon, with
minds that may at first seem quite alien. Everybody is clear about the importance of communication, but it is
a very different thing from conversation, and traditional conversation is very different from the new kind of
conversation which people feel the lack of today.
B However, this remodeling would not mean abolishing unemployment. This is too simple a goal, because
the more people are educated, the more they demand jobs that are life-enhancing, interesting and useful. A
lifetime of work has to be seen as a work of art, with the fulfilled individual at its centre.
C If they paid closer attention to their staff’s deepest ambitions, they would realize that there were many
other services that hotels could provide. But they are restrained by the accountants, who say that firms, in
order to maximize their profits, should concentrate on our core activity.
D This is because there has been no serious rethinking of what a hotel is since the days of the Ritz, with its
nineteenth-century idea of luxury. A hotel is not just a place where travelers sleep, but a United Nation in
miniature. People from all over the world meet at hotels, though they usually pass each other in silence.
E Having looked at those areas, I am now focusing on the search for more satisfying ways of earning a
living. There is no shortage of experts devoting themselves to prolonging the life and increasing the income
of corporations and institutions. But auditing our finances is not enough: we need to make an audit of
ourselves as human beings too, and discover with what sort of people we want to spend our lives.
F Meanwhile, the business corporations and public institutions in which these people work are slimming.
The panaceas of decentralised decision-making, increasing skills and performance-related rewards have not
succeeded in winning commitment from employees. In Britain, only 8 per cent of employees ‘are strongly of
the view that their values and those of their organizations are very similar’.
G This question is crucial. For however brilliant your skills, if they make you a bore, unable to converse
with those outside your speciality, if you are so busy with detail that you have no time to acquire wisdom or
exercise your imagination or humour, then no amount of status or financial reward will compensate for your inadequacy as a human being.
H Hotels know so little about their guests – and often about their staff – even though they spend vast sums
on sophisticated IT systems to store the rather unsophisticated data they collect. Managers cling to notions of
customer service based on far too simple a view of what produces ‘guest satisfaction’. 24
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE 1.
Read the text and fill the gaps with the words from the box.
ATTRIBUTE DEDICATION FORESEE FRAME OF MIND IMBUE INTELLIGENCE
INTROSPECTION PROWESS SEIZE STALLS
Business is becoming more and more a matter of intellectual …(1)… . Business success is based ever more
directly and speedily on the abilities of the people in the business world to change, …(2)… trends,
take acceptable risks, be more in tune with tomorrow’s needs of today’s customers and to set their …
(3)… out for the myriad economic and social changes that are occurring. To …(4)… advantage in
these ways is not a matter of brute force, but one of finely honed …(5)…, coupled with genuine
qualities of character and a continuous …(6)… to staying ahead in the race. Just as athletics
demonstrates continuously that not only does an athlete have to be in good shape but also in the right
…(7)… to win, so it is with business. The difficulty is that, while few will contradict these
statements, few also follow the logic of their beliefs through to a coherent and consistent philosophy
which …(8)…s their company from top to bottom. Nor will you find these issues the subject of
endless board debate and …(9)… . Even companies which have a clearly expressed and understood
company style, to which they …(10)… their company advantage, have come across it more by accident than by planning. 2.
Fill each of the numbered blanks with one suitable word.
As you can imagine, my first day in my first full-time job was somewhat less than idyllic. …(1) … all the preparatory
mental work I have done, I arrived at the office virtually speechless. I had …(2)… a mind to turn round and walk out
on the spot. By lunchtime I was absolutely shaking with nerves, but I stubbornly refused to …(3)… in the towel. I had
studied hard for this career; I just couldn’t bring myself to …(4)… up quite yet, …(5)… unlikely my prospects of
survival appeared. On the other hand, I didn’t …(6)… out the possibility of my manager asking me to go away and …
(7)… my future some careful consideration. Anyway, I refused point …(8)… to …(9)… defeat. It was clear my new
colleagues were …(10)… allowances for me and giving me the benefit of the …(11)… . They probably thought I was
on the way out in any case. Looking back after twenty-seven years I’m glad I …(12)… it out, …(13)… put and didn’t
buckle …(14)… . I’m pleased and proud to hold the position of Director General in this multi-national company, …
(15)… only the third biggest in the world.
3.Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
The Scientific Approach to Recruitment
When it comes to selecting candidates through interview, more often than not the decision is made
within the first five minutes of a meeting. Yet employers like to …(1)… themselves that they are being
exceptionally thorough in their selection processes. In today’s competitive market place, the …(2)… of
staff in many organizations is fundamental to the company’s success and, as a result, recruiters use all
means at their disposal to …(3)… the best in the field.
One method in particular that has …(4)… in popularity is testing, either psychometric testing, which
attempts to define psychological characteristics, or ability/aptitude testing. The idea is that testing …(5)…
an organization with an extra way of establishing a candidate’s suitability for a role. It …(6)… companies
to add value by identifying key elements of a position and then testing candidates to ascertain their ability
against those identified elements.
The employment of psychometric or ability testing as one …(7)… of the recruitment process may
have some merit, but in reality there is no real …(8)… scientific or otherwise, of the potential future
performance of any individual. 1 A suggest B convince C advise D believe 2 A worth B credit C quality D distinction 3 A secure B realize C attain D achieve 4 A lifted B enlarged C expanded D risen 5 A provides B offers C contributes D gives 6 A lets B enables C agrees D admits 7 A portion B member C share D component 8 A extent B size C amount D measure 25 UNIT EIGHT READING
Read the following text and choose the best option (A-J) to fill each gap (1-10).
How To Move Up The Corporate Ladder – The No Scheming Way Up
Many expect to read short cuts when they search for tips on how to move up the corporate
ladder. The fact is clear, there are no short cuts no matter …(1)… . It is all too easy to think that
the way up the corporate ladder is through connections and networking.
There is no denying there are the lucky few who know how to move up the corporate ladder
via short cuts. Maybe they know someone important. But fact remains to sustain being in that
position, …(2)… . Not to mention the respect and trust one would have to earn in order to
command the authority to lead and manage.
How to move up the corporate ladder? There are a few tried and tested tips – if you like to
call them – that may even sound cliché but they have worked for ages. 1. Be a Leader
This may sound counter-intuitive considering that you are a newbie at work. How does one
become a leader when one is at the bottom of the hierarchy? Be a leader means to take a
leadership stance. Which means to inspire and motivate. You know how to move up the corporate
ladder if you know how to develop cooperation amongst colleagues. Learn to keep morale high regardless of …(3)… .
The thing to remember here is not to issue instruction. You are not the boss yet. Even when
you are the boss, you need not issue instruction, even though a boss’s request is often times seen
as instruction. You need to take charge. Taking charge here means to take responsibility for what
your role and responsibilities are. Do not sit by the sidelines waiting for instructions. Take
initiatives and get people … (4)… . 2. Generate Ideas
Ideas are currency in the corporate world. No, it doesn’t mean you come to your boss with
one new idea after another. That will drive him/her nuts! Come up with ideas to improve the
system in the office whether it is productivity in your department … (5)… as how to keep staff motivation high.
Of course, if it has got to do with directly increasing the bottom line, all the better. Ideas can
come from anyone. Even though you are a junior in the office, it doesn’t mean you cannot come
up with a good idea. Maybe your ideas can be crafted and moulded better in the hands of someone
with more experience. In that case, do not be afraid to share credit. Learning …(6)… something
you need to learn if you want to know how to move up the corporate ladder.
3. Be Willing To Work Hard
You knew this was coming didn’t you? Be willing to work hard is probably the toughest to
swallow for many newbies at work. If you want to know how to move up the corporate ladder,
you need to ask yourself how badly do you want it? Do you want it bad enough that you are
willing to work hard for it? Work really hard for it? To climb the corporate ladder takes lots of
personal sacrifices. Is it something you are willing to do?
There are no special formulas for how to move up the corporate ladder. Wherever you start,
you need to work hard. We hear of people getting that promotion based on connection all the time.
Sure it happens. But rest assured any managers worth working for would rather give the 26
promotion to someone with a winning attitude rather than connections. Besides, chances are
people who know how to move up the corporate ladder …(7)…. And they hold it with a ghost in
their heart knowing they did not earn it. 4. Do Not Scheme
Which brings me to my next advice on how to move up the corporate ladder. Do not
scheme. Please, whatever you do and however tempting – do not scheme. The amount of time …
(8)… plan your strategy is better used for generating ideas, working hard and improving yourself.
Doing all these positive things has more long-term benefits than you know.
Now that is not to say you should not have a career plan. Yes, plan your career path. What
you need to learn, skills to improve, maybe even places to be transferred to …(9)… to reach your
goals. What I am referring to here is scheming when to do what, who to see, what important
meeting to impress whom and plotting it all the way. When you plan to outsmart, impress and
compare, you will run out of stamina. Such behavior is not sustainable without it …(10)… . When
you scheme people will notice, higher ups will notice too. They will find it hard to trust someone
like that at the top. Think about it. Is it worth it playing games?
When you do the right thing and do things right, the answer of how to move up the corporate
ladder will come naturally. Work hard and deliver the results beyond the expected and you will soon be moving upwards. A to give their best
B that way cannot sustain their position
C how much one wants to believe in it
D taking a toll on real performance E or even as simple
F good or bad times in the office
G should be carried out in order
H it takes skills and knowledge
I you take to plot your moves and
J how to share credit is
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE 1.
Match the colours to the nouns given (one colour is used twice). Use the expressions in the sentences. Blue goods Golden ink Green chips Red knight White hello shoots 1.
In spite of substantial investment, the company is still bleeding _________________________ and
drastic action is likely before the year end. 2.
Although we cannot report much that is positive, some encouraging_________________________
are starting to appear, particularly in certain export markets. 3.
Even the ________ ICI and Guinness are beginning to suffer reverses of fortune, as recession bites. 4.
Sales volumes of _____________________such as dishwashers and freezers are virtually static. 27 5.
It is thought that top executive James Eagleton received a _________________ of around $2
million on joining the corporation. 6.
Rumours that a __________________ was about to step in proved unfounded and the company
was taken over within a matter of weeks. 2.
Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Title Race
Tea boy? Do you mind, I’m a mobile lukewarm beverage resource facilitator.
Human nature provides the most divine of comedies. …(1)… a recent study which has informed the
nation that job titles are a prime cause of envy and unrest at work. A survey by a leading firm of
recruitment consultants found that 90% of employers and 70% of employees admit that titles create … (2)… among colleagues.
Most shockingly, the survey found that 70% of office workers would be willing to …(3)… a pay
rise in favor of a more ‘motivational’ or ‘professional’ job title. If our vanity is …(4)… such proportions
that even basic greed is being overwhelmed, we are indeed in dire straits.
The truth is that these brave new days of the early twenty-first century, nobody is content to be …
(5)… subordinate. The titles under discussion …(6)… the emphasis on ability (specialist, coordinator)
but are, in fact, little more than euphemisms. 1 A Corroborate B Testify C Confirm D Witness 2 A compartments B demarcations C divisions D partitions 3 A forgo B revoke C forbear D resign 4 A attaining B reaching C touching D finding 5 A defined B marked C labeled D identified 6 A place B set C fix D allocate 3.
Fill each of the numbered blanks with one suitable word. 28
Successful ambitious companies …(1)… clear visions need
suggest improvements, including the vision and its
successful ambitious people who can ‘live the vision’ for
fulfillment, will have higher performance and …(10)…
both business and themselves and who see that the two go satisfied, better-motivated people, than one in which
hand …(2)… hand. Successful operations result …(3)… they are confined …(11)… obeying orders from on
from working harder but from working more effectively, high.
which in turn is the result not of individual efforts, but …(4) The philosophy hinges on releasing the initiative and
… the system in which the individuals work. Group success
ability of companies, teams and individuals to perform
won by raising the performance of the system automatically
…(12)…, and to go on raising their game – in short, to
increases the success of group members.
make progress, a word conveying the essence of true
The analogy …(5)… a sports team is self-evident. Buying success …(13)… the power of true vision. Not everyone
an expensive star won’t …(6)… a bad football team good,
can come first, but anyone can advance closer to
but a good side, with a shared vision of excellent
important goals, and …(14)… reached them can pitch
performance and ways to achieve it, turns mediocre players
their vision higher still. For companies, teams and
…(7)… star performers. The importance of group vision individuals, success is never total, for progress can
doesn’t diminish the individual role but enhances …(8)… . always be …(15)… .
A system in which individuals …(9)…correct defects and 29 UNIT NINE READING
You are going to read an extract from a magazine. Seven paragraphs have been
removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits
each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Give Pennies a Chance
They’re derided as worthless, thrown into landfill sites and left to fester behind sofas.
Is it time to rehabilitate copper pennies? 4.
A few years ago, when a convention of
Yet if you're not one of the people who
American lawyers was held in London, the
spends it as you go, and you want to avoid
organisers issued delegates with advice about
the host country. It was full of all the
either philanthropy or saving it for years
predictable tourist stuff about tipping, strange
then counting for days and being ultimately
food and so on. When it came to dealing
disappointed, the solution to your
with the currency, the delegates were
burdensome stash may have arrived in the
naturally told all about British banknotes and
form of a new machine just over from the
silver coinage, but advised in an aside to US, the Coin Star.
'throw away the lowest denomination coins,
those made of the brown metal, copper. They 5. are worthless.'
Those responsible for the innovation argue 1.
Copper coins are irritating when they
that it helps the economy by releasing this
weigh your pockets or purse down, but
small denomination of buried treasure from
they do have monetary value, and I felt
its captivity in the nation's piggy banks,
that I was putting them to their best
jam jars and bottom-of-handbag recesses.
possible use. One day, I would have enough
Apparently the amount of small change
to buy something tangible and long lasting
waiting to be liberated and do its bit by
— I had a painting in mind — as a
permanent memorial to my thrift.
being spent on consumer goods staggers the imagination. 2. 6.
Keen to make the acquisition sooner rather
Other equally mind-boggling stories
than later, I even started raiding my wife's
abound and it is claimed that after four
purse for pennies, ostensibly as a service
years in operation, Coin Star is bringing into
— 'You don't want to be lugging all that
circulation more than the US Mint issues in
about' — but really to add to my penny
a year. And the Coin Star company's market
mountain. In idle moments at work, I would
research also uncovered some interesting
attitudes to small change. For example, it's
attempt to calculate how much I had. It had
not as simple as throwing it in the bin, but if
to be £300, I concluded one July day about
someone finds a penny while sweeping up,
five years after beginning the collection. It
they won't bother to bend down and pick it
was time for the big count. It took most of
up. It goes out with the rubbish; the number
the morning. I ended up with blackened,
of copper coins in landfill sites is frightening.
smelly hands and a grand total of £78 7. 3.
But I can see how the rich, and more so,
The conundrum remains, however, of what
the famous, might not see things in quite the
people should do with the 8,459 million 1 p
same light. If you were well known and
and 5,102 million 2p coins which,
were observed going to great lengths to
according to the Royal Mint, the body
count out 37 pence, the seven in 1p pieces,
which controls Britain's currency, are out
someone would be bound to say, 'Oh, I saw
there somewhere, festering in jars and boxes
so-and-so in a shop fiddling with his
or weighing down the darkest depths of our
change.' And so in a way you can't win. pockets and handbags.
A With deft precision, it sorts out your change, tots it up and spits out a shopping voucher in
exchange, less a 6.9 per cent handling charge. Leading supermarkets in the UK have been testing
it in a few branches and it's been a considerable hit with change-rich, pocket-heavy shoppers who
invariably have more in their jars of coins than they think.
В Ultimately though, isn't there an alternative to heaving bags of brown coins into the
supermarket? One journalist says the answer is never to allow your change to accumulate. “I try to
use them as I go along by giving shopkeepers the correct money — that's what pennies are for.
It's polite and sensible; throwing them away is vulgar and wasteful.”
С Even with such a miserable yield, it still took half an hour and an extremely good-natured counter
clerk to deal with it. As you can imagine, my small change fixation was now fixed. My belief
in that silly saying 'penny wise, pound rich' had evaporated, and brown coins regained their rightful
status as a nuisance, ending up down the backs of sofas.
D Having said that I try to spend coppers as I get them; I'm not that set against a pocket full of
change. I can remember when my father's friends used to come round and they'd stand and talk in
the garden, all jingling their change in a way that I came to regard as rather grown up.
E Research estimates that 66 per cent of the UK population hoards coins, and that there's about
£10.5 billion worth of hoarded change, from pennies to £2 coins, in people's homes across the UK.
In the US, where there are now machines in 7,500 supermarkets, one man lugged in a suitcase of change containing $8,000.
F The tale was reported with amusement on national radio, but it caused me, and I suspect a lot of
other people on the quiet, some concern. For the previous year, I had been assiduously collecting one
and two penny pieces in a box in my office.
G Putting the most minuscule of small change in charity collecting boxes is one way out, but it
does seem a bit cheap, and there's always the worry (for a penny collector at least) that the box is
a fake, and that the person responsible is secretly hoarding coppers to pay for exotic holidays, albeit cheap ones.
H Hence I began to display the signs of a minor obsessive: it was a moment of rare satisfaction
when the collection became too hefty to lift without real effort; I realised that I was actually
pleased when a shop assistant decided to palm me off with a pile of brown fiscal shrapnel for change instead of silver
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
1. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D)
best fits each gap. Enough Small Change?
There where two main problems attending the …(1)… of the euro in 2002. One was to decide how
many coins would be needed. The other was concerned with distribution. While the new notes posed
a much greater security …(2)… and various features had to be …(3)… into the design to prevent
forgery, providing the right amount of hard …(4)… was a greater worry.
The distribution problem …(5)… from the fact that people would obtain notes from banks but coins
would usually be handed over as change by retailers. Apart from that, no one had any idea how
many coins were in …(6)… because of the number lying around people’s homes that suddenly needed to be exchanged. 1 A injection B insertion C innovation D introduction 2 A risk B danger C hazard D chance 3 A included B incorporated C joined D united 4 A cash B coin C money D metal 5 A branched B departed C led D stemmed 6 A dissemination B circulation C publication D communication
2. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.
aggregate • constant • continuous • discrete • incidence • magnitude • tally • variables
1. In the experiment we varied the amount of water in the beaker but kept the amount of salt added
________________________________.
2. Write down the numbers in order of ___________________________, beginning with the smallest.
3. In investigating living standards you must take key ___________________ such as social
provision and cost of living into account.
4. The average mark achieved in the exam is calculated by taking the ____________________ of all
the marks and dividing it by the number of exam entries.
5. My figures do not seem to __________________________ with yours.
6. The ____________________________ of twins in the population is growing.
7. A bag of apples can be considered as consisting of ________________________ items whereas
apple sauce could be considered as ____________________________.
3. Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Too much choice
Society is becoming ‘overchoiced’. There are too many things to do, too many options, too many
opportunities. In the new economy, the desire for the new product, service or next big thing is an
addiction, and technology simply accelerates the …(1)… of change: the noise, the …(2)… of new goods
and services, offering more and more choice. No sooner has the new product emerged off this virtual
production line than the next one is about to be …(3)… . The head spins, the brain races, the fatigue …(4)
… ; the disconnection from life begins.
Choice is the mantra of the new economy, but more choice means more stress, less time and more
complexity. Hence a new trend is …(5)… . The search is on for ‘simplexity – the simple things that give
meaning in an increasingly complex world. But simplifying your life is not easy in an age of economic
excess. There are more basic brands of detergent and breakfast cereals than we can ever need or want, 1 A motion B step C pace D movement 2 A proliferation B escalation C extension D augmentation 3 A initiated B embarked C instituted D launched 4 A sets in B gives in C sets up D gives up 5 A aground B afoot C abreast D afire 6 A track B sight C trace D hold 32
more software upgrades, features and calling plans than we can keep …(6)… of. UNIT TEN READING
You are going to read a newspaper article about happiness. Seven paragraphs have been
removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (1-
7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Happy as your genes allow 33
The true key to happiness, says researcher David
Lykken, lies in our genes. To many of us, this In his own life, Lykken concentrates on
notion might seem absurd. Humans seem to be completing small tasks that give him a great deal of
on an emotional roller coaster, the ups and satisfaction. ‘I've just spent the morning writing,
downs of which often appear to be determined by which is something I like and that I'm pretty good
fate. We feel good when we win an award or at,’ he says. ‘This afternoon, I'll bake some
make a new friend; bad when we have to face one loaves of bread, because I need that for my of life's inevitable setbacks.
morning toast. I just discovered that the American
Psychological Association wants to give me an 1
award, and that makes me feel good, but maybe
not as good as that daily baking.’
Likken's interest in happiness was sparked by his
earlier research into its possible determinants. 5
Scientists have tried for years to identify a link
between contentment and marital status, The demeanour of those we live with is another vital
socioeconomic position, professional success and factor. Teenagers with happy parents tend to be
other factors. Yet they invariably come up empty happy themselves. It's not until they leave home
handed. ‘I was intrigued by the way that things like that they find their own set point. Likewise, a
beauty, wealth and status never seemed to make husband or wife's inner contentment has a large
much difference,’ says Lykken, a semi-retired bearing on that of their spouse. Marrying an upbeat
professor at the university of Minnesota.
person is probably the best mood enhancer around. 2 6
As part of the comprehensive research on the
siblings, Lykken had asked his subjects a range of In the science fiction work Brave New World, for
questions about how happy they felt. He decided to example, people who took ‘happy pills' were
revisit those studies to see if he could establish a incapable of seeing life as it truly was. Fans of
genetic connection. The results, says Lykken, were Woody Allen, the perpetually depressed actor and
surprising. He found a very high correlation film maker, wil remember the scene in the film
between happiness and genes as revealed by the Annie Hall in which he asks a strolling couple why
similarities in the twins' responses to questions, they are so happy. 'Because we are so shallow
irrespective of whether they had been raised and mindless,’ they reply. together or apart. 7 3
Lykken is sceptical. 'Even if you can speak their
language, they might not have the same
Nine years on, therefore, he decided to ask the psychological vocabulary for expressing how they
same subjects the same questions. The evidence feel at any given moment,’ he says. Lykken
Lykken found suggested that their contentment was refuses to believe that there is any correlation
90 per cent genetic. Both a twin's previous responses between the state of a society's technical or
and those made almost a decade later enabled the intel ectual development and personal happiness. In
answers of the other twin to be predicted with a fact, he argues that good humour is probably
high level of accuracy. Lykken's first reaction favoured by evolution. The gloomiest probably
was to label the pursuit of happiness as a futile don't do very well in the romance stakes,’ he exercise.
theorises. 'So, as a human race, we're probably
getting slightly happier over time. 4 34
A ‘Then I began to ask myself whether those findings may have been influenced by how people
were feeling on a certain day — if they had just cut themselves, for example, or had trouble finding a parking space,’ he says.
В Lykken also advocates control of anger as another regular way of boosting happiness quotients.
'People would rather feel anger than feel scared,’ he says. 'When we are angry we feel strong, but in
the long run, I believe it's more harmful to happiness than anything else.’
С The surest way to do this, Lykken believes, is to lose sight of our purpose in life. He described the
case of a Californian firefighter — the patient of a friend — who recently retired from the service and
quickly became depressed. His mood picked up quickly when he discovered that many widows in the
neighbourhood needed to have things fixed round the house.
D Some philosophers question whether humans should actually be seeking such happiness inducing
arrangements in the first place. Joy is sometimes associated with ignorance, they argue, causing happy
people to 'see the world through rose-tinted glasses'.
E According to Lykken, however, each person possesses a 'happiness set point' — the level of contentment
to which we return after the impact of such specific events is absorbed. While humans teeter wildly
around that point during their lives, experiencing moments of extreme elation or depression, in the long
run they gravitate back to their pre-set happiness level.
F ‘I said at the time that trying to be happier might be the same as trying to be taller,’ he recalls, but
he no longer views his research in that light. While the individual's sense of well-being might be 90
per cent predetermined, people still have substantial leeway to control their emotions. Lykken believes
humans can — and should — aim to achieve happiness slightly above their pre-set level.
G In the late 1990s, the psychologist realised that he might be able to shed some further light on the
subject. ‘That was a happy moment,’ he jokes. Over a long period of time, Lykken had been following
the progress of 300 pairs of identical twins. Identical twins help scientists differentiate between the
effects of the environment and heredity. Because twins' genetic make-up is the same, small differences
between them argue in favour of heredity. Large divergencies point to the environment as the greater determining factor.
H Some people would rule out even this possibility, insisting that happiness is inconsistent with modern
times. Contemporary lives are so stressful, they say, that joy becomes elusive. Primitive tribes are
better off. We should all feel nostalgic for 'simpler' times when we felt content with so much less. 35
ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE 1.
Read the text and fill the gaps with the words from the box.
ADVERSITY ANTICIPATED CONTEND EMPATHY ORDEAL
PROVINCE TRANQUIL TRIBULATIONS VICIOUS WEATHER The Hidden Side of Happiness
A rich, rewarding life often requires a messy battle with adversity.
Hurricanes, house fires, cancer, white-water rafting accidents, plane crashes,…(1)… attacks in dark alleyways.
To their surprise, many people find that enduring such a harrowing …(2)… ultimately changes them for the better.
We love to hear the stories of people who have been transformed by their …(3)…, perhaps because they testify
psychological truth: there is a built-in human capacity to flourish under the most difficult circumstances.
Positive reactions to profoundly disturbing experiences are not limited to the toughest or the bravest. In fact,
roughly half the people who struggle with …(4)… say that their lives have in some ways improved.
This and other promising findings about the life-changing effects of crises are the …(5)… of the new science
of post-traumatic growth. This fledgling field has already proved the truth of what once passed as bromide: what
doesn't kill you can actually make you stronger.
Those who …(6)… adversity well are living proof of one of the paradoxes of happiness: we need more than
pleasure to live the best possible life. It turns out that the people who have suffered the most, who have been
forced to …(7)… with shocks they never …(8)… and to rethink the meaning of their lives, may have the most to
tell us about that profound and intensely fulfilling journey that philosophers used to call the search for "the good
life."This broader definition of good living blends deep satisfaction and a profound connection to others through …
(9)…. It is dominated by happy feelings but seasoned also with nostalgia and regret. Compassion, wisdom,
altruism, insight, creativity—sometimes only the trials of adversity can foster these qualities, because sometimes
only drastic situations can force us to take on the painful process of change. To live a full human life, a …(10)…,
carefree existence is not enough. We also need to grow—and sometimes growing hurts.
2. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Fashion
Fashion may be said to encompass any of four forms. First, there is a conscious manipulation of dress that …(1)
… for effect, a ‘fashion statement’ or ‘fad’. Second, fashion may designate innovations in dress that are more …
(2)… than simple fads. Some of these changes occur abruptly, whether due to economic fluctuations, or even the
sudden …(3)… of certain materials; other innovations may develop more deliberately. Third is the phenomenon
…(4)… styles in particular area of dress change swiftly and repeatedly, with the new ones replacing the old in …
(5)… succession. Finally, fashion may refer specifically to the use of such adornments as cosmetics, fragrance
and jewellery, whose primary purpose is to enhance a wearer’s …(6)… features. 1 A attempts B strives C endeavours D seeks 2 A eternal B perpetual C enduring D continuing 3 A abundance B overload C excess D crop 4 A whereas B whereupon C whereabouts D whereby 5 A prompt B rapid C fast D brisk 6 A naked B raw C commonplace D natural 3.
Use the words given in capitals to form a word which fits in the blank space. The Desire To Know
Curiosity goes back to the dawn of human …(1)… . This irrepressible desire to know is not EXIST
a …(2)… of inanimate objects. Nor does it seem to be attributable to some forms of living CHARACTER
organism which, for that very reason, we can scarcely bring ourselves to consider alive. A RECOGNISE
tree, for example, does not display …(3)… curiosity, nor does a sponge or even an oyster. If CEREMONIOUS
chance events bring them poison, predators or parasites, they die as …(4)… as they lived. DEPEND
Early in the scheme of life, …(5)… motion was developed by some organisms. ORDINARY
It meant an …(6)… advance in their control of the environment. A moving organism no RIGID
longer waited in stolid …(7)… for food to come its way, but went out after it. The ZEAL
individual that hesitated in the …(8)… search for food, or that was overly …(9)… in its investigation, starved. CONSERVE
As organisms grew more complex, more messages of greater variety were received from and ROUND
about the …(10)… environment. At the same time, the nervous system, the living INCREASE
instrument that interprets and stores the data collected by the sense organs, became …(11)… 36 complex. 37 READING
Read the text and answer the questions. Barter
In the days before the use of coins, how much would it have cost to purchase a pig? Two sheep?
A barrel of ale? Twenty hens? How is it possible to establish a value for the pig from a
comparison of such wildly differing commodities? The answer lies ultimately in what the pig's
owner and the pig's purchaser consider to be a fair offer of exchange and their respective abilities to haggle.
Barter is a system of exchange that is terribly inefficient and highly inflexible. Our pig farmer,
for instance, must first find someone who wants the pig and can offer something desirable in
exchange. Once such an individual has been found, it is still uncertain whether a mutually
agreeable value can be found for the exchange of the pig. For these reasons, many economic
historians argue that even the simplest of traditional societies used some form of money. Money
removes the constraints of barter. The pig farmer could set a price for the pig and, having sold it
to a willing buyer, he could then set about purchasing other things even though the sellers of
those other products might have no desire whatsoever for a pig. Given the obvious advantages
and convenience that money affords, it is clear that if barter occurs today, it does so out of
necessity rather than choice. So, when barter does appear in an economy, we know the market is
failing to function as it should.
1. The successful use of barter depends mostly on a. supply and demand. b. compromise. c. cost analysis. d. price fixing.
2. According to the text,
a. the use of barter is limited.
b. a free market economy is a relatively new concept.
c. societies cannot exist without money.
d. farmers were good at haggling.
Questions 3-6. Complete the summary using the words from the box.
Barter being a sign of a …(3)… market isn’t …(4)… with an efficient economy. Not only is it …
(5)… to …(6)… the value of bartered goods but also to effect any transaction without money.
a. auspicious b. expedite c. ascertain d. innocuous e. tenuous
f. incapacitate g. arduous h. commensurate i. preposterous j. opportune (5 marks per answer) SCORE:_______ 38
Document Outline
- Dropping out of the fast lane
- READING
- Young people - coping with an unpredictable future
- LISTENING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- Why Can't Our Children Read?
- UNIT TWO
- READING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- The death of languages
- UNIT THREE
- READING
- Views of intelligence across cultures
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- READING
- UNIT FOUR
- READING
- The Sound of Silence
- 1. Use the words given in capitals to form a word which fits in the blank space.
- The image of science
- Qualitative research
- READING
- Individualism or society?
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- The devil you know
- Lying
- READING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- UNIT SEVEN
- READING
- WORK
- A This means that they have to know how to converse across the boundaries of professional jargon, with minds that may at first seem quite alien. Everybody is clear about the importance of communication, but it is a very different thing from conversation, and traditional conversation is very different from the new kind of conversation which people feel the lack of today.
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- Business is becoming more and more a matter of intellectual …(1)… . Business success is based ever more directly and speedily on the abilities of the people in the business world to change, …(2)… trends, take acceptable risks, be more in tune with tomorrow’s needs of today’s customers and to set their …(3)… out for the myriad economic and social changes that are occurring. To …(4)… advantage in these ways is not a matter of brute force, but one of finely honed …(5)…, coupled with genuine qualities of character and a continuous …(6)… to staying ahead in the race. Just as athletics demonstrates continuously that not only does an athlete have to be in good shape but also in the right …(7)… to win, so it is with business. The difficulty is that, while few will contradict these statements, few also follow the logic of their beliefs through to a coherent and consistent philosophy which …(8)…s their company from top to bottom. Nor will you find these issues the subject of endless board debate and …(9)… . Even companies which have a clearly expressed and understood company style, to which they …(10)… their company advantage, have come across it more by accident than by planning.
- READING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- READING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- 1. Read the following text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
- Enough Small Change?
- The distribution problem …(5)… from the fact that people would obtain notes from banks but coins would usually be handed over as change by retailers. Apart from that, no one had any idea how many coins were in …(6)… because of the number lying around people’s homes that suddenly needed to be exchanged.
- 3. Read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
- Too much choice
- READING
- ACADEMIC VOCABULARY IN USE
- 3. Use the words given in capitals to form a word which fits in the blank space.
- READING