Join the beginnings and ends, putting in if.
Beginnings
1. anybody asks you what you are doing,
2. how can you make decisions
3. I buy three kilos,
4. I don’t get up till nine,
5. I can’t fix the video
6. I’ll go with you
7. the shops are easy to get to
8. we don’t have to go out
9. you’re ready before eight
10. you have to practice
Ends
a) I’ll take it back to the shop
b) you’re not feeling up to it
c) say you’re with me
d) that’ll do for a few weeks
e) I never get anything done
f) we can catch the early train
g) you want to learn a musical instrument
h) you don’t know what’s going on?
i) you like
j) you park near the station
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense to form either a first or a second conditional clause.
1. If it __________ (rain) this weekend, we ____________ (not be able) to play tennis.
2. Give me Peter’s letter. If I _____________ (see) him, I __________ (give) it to him.
3. I have to work about 80 hours a week, so I’m very busy. But if I _________ (have) any spare time, I __________ (take up) a sport like golf.
4. If I __________ (be) taller, I _________(can) be a policeman, but I’m too short.
5. Please start your meal. If you ____________ (not have) your soup now, it __________ (go) cold.
6. What noisy neighbours you’ve got! If my neighbours _________ (be) as bad as yours, I __________ (go) crazy.
7. If you _________ (have) any problems, let me know and I _________(come) and help you straight away.
sábado, 10 de noviembre de 2007
miércoles, 17 de octubre de 2007
CONECTORES
A continuación se presentan una lista de los conectores más frecuentes clasificados de acuerdo con su función
ENUMERACIÓN/SECUENCIA/CRONOLOGÍA
To begin with, then, next, later, finally, in the first place, after, before, first(ly), second(ly), etc.
ADICIÓN
and, also, besides, as well as
DESCRIPCIÓN/DEFINICIÓN/EXPLICACIÓN/EJEMPLIFICACIÓN
for example, such as, e.g., for instance, i.e., that is, in other words, like
CAUSA/CONSECUENCIA/CONDICIÓN/PROBLEMA/SOLUCIÓN
because, since, if, so, consequently, as a consequence, thus, therefore, hence, as a result
COMPARACIÓN/CONTRASTE
but, yet, however, nevertheless, despite, in spite of, though, although, even though, on the other hand, rather than, like, similarly
ALTERNATIVA
or, either... or, neither... nor, whether...or
RESUMEN/CONCLUSIÓN/SÍNTESIS
in short, to sum up, to conclude, in conclusion, consequently, thus, so, as a result
EJERCICIO
Utiliza algunos conectores para unir los siguientes enunciados
a) Mexico is a very rich country in natural resources,/
it does not have the financial resources to exploit them
b) social status and income are important factors in determining worker’s political attitude,/
these are not the only ones.
c) Pesticides damage more than they help,/
Farmers keep on using them
d) the family is the smallest unit in modern society. It is also the oldest, the most personal and the most basic unit. Its form may vary from one society to another,/
its functions are usually the same
e) deer population in North America is growing/
their habitat is shrinking and the animals have become a problem in some areas
f) the cell were exposed to air/
water would evaporate
g) the true alchemists usually worked clandestinely/
the activity was considered illegal
h) 20 years ago it was thought cocaine was a non-addictive drug/
users do not have the severe physical withdrawal symptoms of heroin
i) you take cocaine,/
you run a 10% chance of addiction
j) there is no way to tell who will become addicted,/
one thing is certain, no one who is an addict had the intention to become one
k) all the talk about putting children first/
our society is becoming increasingly hostile to its young
l) how different schools and homes would be/
parents and educators would defend youngsters’ right to a childhood
m) I see kids literally shaking and crying/
They don’t want to go into testing
n) what is the purpose of the best academic education/
it fails to prepare young people for the “real” world
o)American pupils sit through an average of 12000 hours of compulsory academic instruction/
there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds
ENUMERACIÓN/SECUENCIA/CRONOLOGÍA
To begin with, then, next, later, finally, in the first place, after, before, first(ly), second(ly), etc.
ADICIÓN
and, also, besides, as well as
DESCRIPCIÓN/DEFINICIÓN/EXPLICACIÓN/EJEMPLIFICACIÓN
for example, such as, e.g., for instance, i.e., that is, in other words, like
CAUSA/CONSECUENCIA/CONDICIÓN/PROBLEMA/SOLUCIÓN
because, since, if, so, consequently, as a consequence, thus, therefore, hence, as a result
COMPARACIÓN/CONTRASTE
but, yet, however, nevertheless, despite, in spite of, though, although, even though, on the other hand, rather than, like, similarly
ALTERNATIVA
or, either... or, neither... nor, whether...or
RESUMEN/CONCLUSIÓN/SÍNTESIS
in short, to sum up, to conclude, in conclusion, consequently, thus, so, as a result
EJERCICIO
Utiliza algunos conectores para unir los siguientes enunciados
a) Mexico is a very rich country in natural resources,/
it does not have the financial resources to exploit them
b) social status and income are important factors in determining worker’s political attitude,/
these are not the only ones.
c) Pesticides damage more than they help,/
Farmers keep on using them
d) the family is the smallest unit in modern society. It is also the oldest, the most personal and the most basic unit. Its form may vary from one society to another,/
its functions are usually the same
e) deer population in North America is growing/
their habitat is shrinking and the animals have become a problem in some areas
f) the cell were exposed to air/
water would evaporate
g) the true alchemists usually worked clandestinely/
the activity was considered illegal
h) 20 years ago it was thought cocaine was a non-addictive drug/
users do not have the severe physical withdrawal symptoms of heroin
i) you take cocaine,/
you run a 10% chance of addiction
j) there is no way to tell who will become addicted,/
one thing is certain, no one who is an addict had the intention to become one
k) all the talk about putting children first/
our society is becoming increasingly hostile to its young
l) how different schools and homes would be/
parents and educators would defend youngsters’ right to a childhood
m) I see kids literally shaking and crying/
They don’t want to go into testing
n) what is the purpose of the best academic education/
it fails to prepare young people for the “real” world
o)American pupils sit through an average of 12000 hours of compulsory academic instruction/
there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds
CHILDHOOD IS FOR CHILDREN
DESPITE ALL THE TALK about putting children first, our society is becoming increasingly hostile to its young. How different schools and homes would be if parents and educators would defend youngsters' right to a childhood, instead of fixating on their progress and success.
The pressure to excel is undermining childhood as never before. Naturally, parents have always wanted their offspring to "do well," both academically and socially. No one wants his or her kid to be the slowest in the class or the last to be chosen in a pick-up game. Yet, what is it about the culture we live in that has made that natural worry into such an obsessive fear, and what is it doing to our children? Why are we so keen to mold them into successful adults, instead of treasuring their carefree innocence?
Jonathan Kozol, a best-selling author and children's advocate, puts it bluntly: "Up to the age of 11 or maybe 12, the gentleness and honesty of children is so apparent. Our society has missed an opportunity to seize that moment. It's almost as though we view those qualities as useless, as though we don't value children for their gentleness, but only as future economic units, as future workers, as future assets and deficits."
Of all the ways in which we push kids to meet adult expectations, the trend toward high-pressure academics may be the most widespread, and the worst, I say "worst" because of the age at which we begin to subject them to it and the fact that, for some of them, school quickly becomes a place they dread and a source of misery they cannot escape for months at a time.
In my book, Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World, I quote Melinda, a veteran preschool teacher in California: "We have parents asking whether their two-and-a-half-year-olds are learning to read yet, and grumbling if they can't. I see kids literally shaking and crying because they don't want to go in to testing. I’ve even seen parents dragging their child into the room."
Childhood itself has come to be viewed as a suspect phase. Children of all ages and means are being squelched on the playground and in class, not because they are unmanageable or unruly, but simply because they are behaving as youngsters should. Diagnosed with "problems" that used to be recognized as normal childhood traits—impulsiveness and exuberance, spontaneity and daring—thousands of kids are being diagnosed as hyperactive and drugged into submission.
I am referring, of course, to the widespread use of Ritalin and to the public's fascination with medicine as the answer to any and every problem. Given the fivefold increase in Ritalin prescriptions in the last decade, one has to wonder if it isn't being misused to rein in lively children who may not even have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. After all, much of what is designated as ADHD is nothing more than a defense against overstructuring— a natural reflex that used to be called letting off steam or, alternately, a symptom of various unmet emotional needs.
More and more, it seems that we have lost sight of the "child" in childhood and turned it into a joyless training camp for the adult world. We have abandoned the idea of education as growth and decided to see it only as a ticket to the job market. Guided by charts and graphs, and cheered on by experts, we have turned our backs on the value of uniqueness and creativity and fallen instead for the lie that the only way to measure progress is a standardized test.
Children ought to be stretched and intellectually stimulated. They should be taught to articulate their feelings, to write, read, develop and defend an idea, and think critically. However, what is the purpose of the best academic education if it fails to prepare young people for the "real" world beyond the confines of the classroom? What about those life skills that can never be taught by putting kids on a bus and sending them to school?
As for the things that schools are supposed to teach, even they are not always passed on. Writer John Taylor Gatto points out that, even though American pupils sit through an average of 12,000 hours of compulsory academic instruction, there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds who still can't read a book or calculate a batting average—let alone repair a faucet or change a flat.
It is not just schools that are pressuring kids into growing up too fast. The practice of rushing them into adulthood is so widely accepted and so thoroughly ingrained that people often go blank when you voice concern about the matter. Take, for example, the number of parents who tie up their children's afterschool hours in extracurricular activities. On the surface, the explosion of opportunities for "growth" in areas like music and sports looks like the perfect answer to the boredom faced by millions of latchkey kids, but the reality is not always so pretty.
It is one thing when a child picks up a hobby, a sport, or an instrument on his or her own steam, but quite another when the driving force is a parent with an overly com-petitive edge. In one family I know, their daughter showed a genuine talent for the piano in the second grade, but by the time she was in the sixth, she wouldn't touch a keyboard for any amount of coaxing. She was tired of the attention, sick of lessons (her father was always reminding her what a privilege they were), and virtually traumatized by the strain of having been pushed through one competition after another. The pattem is all too familiar: ambitious expectations are followed by the pressure to meet them, and what was once a perfectly happy part of a youngster's life becomes a burden that is impossible to bear.
As an author, I became aware, after completing my first book, of something I had never noticed previously—the importance of white space. I am referring to the room between the lines of type, the margins, extra space at the beginning of a chapter, and/or a page left blank at the beginning of a book. It allows the type to "breathe" and gives the eye a place to rest. White space is not something you are conscious of when you read a book. It is what isn't there.
Just as books require white space, so do children. That is, they need room to grow. Nevertheless, too many children aren't getting that. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu reminds us that "it is not the clay the potter throws that gives the jar its usefulness, but the space within."
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with giving kids chores and requiring them to carry out the tasks on a daily basis. However, the way many parents overbook their children, emotionally and time-wise, robs them of the space and flexibility they need to develop at their own pace. They need stimulation and guidance. but also need time to themselves. Hours spent alone in daydreams or quiet, unstructured activities instill a sense of security and independence and provide a necessary lull in the rhythm of the day.
It is a beautiful thing to see kids absorbed in play. In fact, it is hard to think of a purer, more spiritual activity. Play brings joy, contentment, and detachment from the troubles of the day. Especially nowadays, in our hectic, time- and money-driven culture, the importance of play cannot be emphasized enough. Educator Friedrich Froebel, the father of the modern kindergarten, goes so far as to say that "a child who plays thoroughly and perseveringly, until physical fatigue forbids, will be a determined adult, capable of self-sacrifice both for his own welfare and that of others." In an age when fears of playground injuries and the misguided idea that play interferes with "real" learning has led approximately 40% of the school districts across the country to do away with recess, one can only hope that the wisdom of these words will not go unheeded.
Allowing youngsters the room to grow at their own pace does not mean ignoring them. Clearly, the bedrock of their security from day to day is the knowledge that we who care for them are
always at hand, ready to help them, talk with them, give them what they need, and simply be there for them. How often, though, are we swayed instead by our own ideas of what they want or need?
Isn't the parental desire to have superstar or genius offspring in the first place just another sign of our distorted vision—a reflection of the way we tend to view children as little adults, no matter how loudly we may protest such a "Victorian" idea? The answer, of course, is to drop our adult expectations entirely, to get down on the same level as our children and look them in the eye. Only when we lay aside our ambitions for them will we begin to hear what they are saying, find out what they are thinkin, and see the goals we have set for them from their point of view.
Obviously, every child is different. Some seem to get all the lucky breaks, while others have a rough time simply coping with life. One child consistently brings home perfect scores, while another is always at the bottom of the class. One is gifted and popular, while still another. no matter how hard he or she tries, is always in trouble and often gets for-gotten. As parents, we must refrain from comparing our offspring with others. Above all, we must refrain from pushing them to become something that their unique personal makeup may never allow them to be.
Raising a "good" child is a dubious goal in '"the first place. Getting into trouble can be a vital part of building character. As the Polish pediatrician Janusz Korczak pointed out. "The good child cries very little, he sleeps through the night, he is confident and good-natured. He is well-behaved, convenient, obedient, and good. Yet no consideration is given to the fact that he may grow up to be indolent and stagnant."
It is often hard for parents to see the benefits of having raised a difficult child, even when the outcome is positive. Strange as it may sound, I believe that the more challenging the youngster, the more grateful the parents should be. If anything, the parents of difficult children really ought to be envied, because it is they, more than any others, who are forced to learn the most wonderful secret of parenthood: the true meaning of unconditional love. It is a secret that remains hidden from those whose love is never tested.
When we welcome the prospect of raising a problematic child with these things in mind, we will begin to see our frustrations as moments that can awaken our best qualities. Instead of envying the ease with which our neighbors seem to raise perfect offspring, we will remember that rule-breakers and children who show their horns often make more selfreliant and independent adults than those whose limits are never tried. By helping us to discover the limitations of "goodness" and the boredom of conformity, they can teach us the necessity of genuineness, the wisdom of humility, and the reality that nothing good is won without struggle.
"Unlearning" our adult mindsets is never easy, especially at the end of a long day, when children sometimes seem more of a bother than a gift. When there are kids around, things just don't always go as planned. Furniture gets scratched, flowerbeds trampled, new clothes torn or muddied, and toys lost and broken. Children want to have fun, to run in the aisles. They need space to be rambunc-tious, silly, and noisy. After all, they are not china dolls or little adults, but unpredictable rascals with sticky fingers and runny noses who sometimes cry at night. If we truly love them, we will welcome them as they are. *
Johann Christoph Arnold is a children 's advocate, family counselor, father of eight, and author of Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World.
[Publicado en la revista USA TODAY * JULY 2001]
CUESTIONARIO
ELIGE OCHO PREGUNTAS DE LAS SIGUIENTES Y CONTÉSTALAS DE ACUERDO CON LO QUE SE MENCIONA EN ESTE TEXTO
1. ¿Qué suposición se menciona en el primer párrafo?
2. según Kozol ¿qué son los niños para los adultos?
3. ¿De qué problema se habla en el párrafo IV?
4. Según los párrafos VI y VII ¿cuál es el comportamiento normal de los niños y qué hacen los adultos ante ello?
5. ¿Cuáles son las sugerencias que da el autor?
6. ¿Qué situación señala John Taylor Gatto?
7. ¿Qué ejemplo se menciona de la presión que ejercen los adultos sobre los niños? (párrafo XI)
8. ¿Qué es el espacio en blanco (white space) y cómo se relaciona con el tema de la niñez?
9. Escribe en español la cita de Lao Tzu.
10. Según Froebel ¿cómo beneficia el juego a los niños?
11. ¿A qué se refiere el 40% que aparece en el párrafo XVI?
12. Escribe en español la idea principal del párrafo XVIII?
13. Según el párrafo XXI ¿cuál es “el más maravilloso secreto de la paternidad”?
The pressure to excel is undermining childhood as never before. Naturally, parents have always wanted their offspring to "do well," both academically and socially. No one wants his or her kid to be the slowest in the class or the last to be chosen in a pick-up game. Yet, what is it about the culture we live in that has made that natural worry into such an obsessive fear, and what is it doing to our children? Why are we so keen to mold them into successful adults, instead of treasuring their carefree innocence?
Jonathan Kozol, a best-selling author and children's advocate, puts it bluntly: "Up to the age of 11 or maybe 12, the gentleness and honesty of children is so apparent. Our society has missed an opportunity to seize that moment. It's almost as though we view those qualities as useless, as though we don't value children for their gentleness, but only as future economic units, as future workers, as future assets and deficits."
Of all the ways in which we push kids to meet adult expectations, the trend toward high-pressure academics may be the most widespread, and the worst, I say "worst" because of the age at which we begin to subject them to it and the fact that, for some of them, school quickly becomes a place they dread and a source of misery they cannot escape for months at a time.
In my book, Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World, I quote Melinda, a veteran preschool teacher in California: "We have parents asking whether their two-and-a-half-year-olds are learning to read yet, and grumbling if they can't. I see kids literally shaking and crying because they don't want to go in to testing. I’ve even seen parents dragging their child into the room."
Childhood itself has come to be viewed as a suspect phase. Children of all ages and means are being squelched on the playground and in class, not because they are unmanageable or unruly, but simply because they are behaving as youngsters should. Diagnosed with "problems" that used to be recognized as normal childhood traits—impulsiveness and exuberance, spontaneity and daring—thousands of kids are being diagnosed as hyperactive and drugged into submission.
I am referring, of course, to the widespread use of Ritalin and to the public's fascination with medicine as the answer to any and every problem. Given the fivefold increase in Ritalin prescriptions in the last decade, one has to wonder if it isn't being misused to rein in lively children who may not even have attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. After all, much of what is designated as ADHD is nothing more than a defense against overstructuring— a natural reflex that used to be called letting off steam or, alternately, a symptom of various unmet emotional needs.
More and more, it seems that we have lost sight of the "child" in childhood and turned it into a joyless training camp for the adult world. We have abandoned the idea of education as growth and decided to see it only as a ticket to the job market. Guided by charts and graphs, and cheered on by experts, we have turned our backs on the value of uniqueness and creativity and fallen instead for the lie that the only way to measure progress is a standardized test.
Children ought to be stretched and intellectually stimulated. They should be taught to articulate their feelings, to write, read, develop and defend an idea, and think critically. However, what is the purpose of the best academic education if it fails to prepare young people for the "real" world beyond the confines of the classroom? What about those life skills that can never be taught by putting kids on a bus and sending them to school?
As for the things that schools are supposed to teach, even they are not always passed on. Writer John Taylor Gatto points out that, even though American pupils sit through an average of 12,000 hours of compulsory academic instruction, there are plenty who leave the system as 18-year-olds who still can't read a book or calculate a batting average—let alone repair a faucet or change a flat.
It is not just schools that are pressuring kids into growing up too fast. The practice of rushing them into adulthood is so widely accepted and so thoroughly ingrained that people often go blank when you voice concern about the matter. Take, for example, the number of parents who tie up their children's afterschool hours in extracurricular activities. On the surface, the explosion of opportunities for "growth" in areas like music and sports looks like the perfect answer to the boredom faced by millions of latchkey kids, but the reality is not always so pretty.
It is one thing when a child picks up a hobby, a sport, or an instrument on his or her own steam, but quite another when the driving force is a parent with an overly com-petitive edge. In one family I know, their daughter showed a genuine talent for the piano in the second grade, but by the time she was in the sixth, she wouldn't touch a keyboard for any amount of coaxing. She was tired of the attention, sick of lessons (her father was always reminding her what a privilege they were), and virtually traumatized by the strain of having been pushed through one competition after another. The pattem is all too familiar: ambitious expectations are followed by the pressure to meet them, and what was once a perfectly happy part of a youngster's life becomes a burden that is impossible to bear.
As an author, I became aware, after completing my first book, of something I had never noticed previously—the importance of white space. I am referring to the room between the lines of type, the margins, extra space at the beginning of a chapter, and/or a page left blank at the beginning of a book. It allows the type to "breathe" and gives the eye a place to rest. White space is not something you are conscious of when you read a book. It is what isn't there.
Just as books require white space, so do children. That is, they need room to grow. Nevertheless, too many children aren't getting that. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu reminds us that "it is not the clay the potter throws that gives the jar its usefulness, but the space within."
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with giving kids chores and requiring them to carry out the tasks on a daily basis. However, the way many parents overbook their children, emotionally and time-wise, robs them of the space and flexibility they need to develop at their own pace. They need stimulation and guidance. but also need time to themselves. Hours spent alone in daydreams or quiet, unstructured activities instill a sense of security and independence and provide a necessary lull in the rhythm of the day.
It is a beautiful thing to see kids absorbed in play. In fact, it is hard to think of a purer, more spiritual activity. Play brings joy, contentment, and detachment from the troubles of the day. Especially nowadays, in our hectic, time- and money-driven culture, the importance of play cannot be emphasized enough. Educator Friedrich Froebel, the father of the modern kindergarten, goes so far as to say that "a child who plays thoroughly and perseveringly, until physical fatigue forbids, will be a determined adult, capable of self-sacrifice both for his own welfare and that of others." In an age when fears of playground injuries and the misguided idea that play interferes with "real" learning has led approximately 40% of the school districts across the country to do away with recess, one can only hope that the wisdom of these words will not go unheeded.
Allowing youngsters the room to grow at their own pace does not mean ignoring them. Clearly, the bedrock of their security from day to day is the knowledge that we who care for them are
always at hand, ready to help them, talk with them, give them what they need, and simply be there for them. How often, though, are we swayed instead by our own ideas of what they want or need?
Isn't the parental desire to have superstar or genius offspring in the first place just another sign of our distorted vision—a reflection of the way we tend to view children as little adults, no matter how loudly we may protest such a "Victorian" idea? The answer, of course, is to drop our adult expectations entirely, to get down on the same level as our children and look them in the eye. Only when we lay aside our ambitions for them will we begin to hear what they are saying, find out what they are thinkin, and see the goals we have set for them from their point of view.
Obviously, every child is different. Some seem to get all the lucky breaks, while others have a rough time simply coping with life. One child consistently brings home perfect scores, while another is always at the bottom of the class. One is gifted and popular, while still another. no matter how hard he or she tries, is always in trouble and often gets for-gotten. As parents, we must refrain from comparing our offspring with others. Above all, we must refrain from pushing them to become something that their unique personal makeup may never allow them to be.
Raising a "good" child is a dubious goal in '"the first place. Getting into trouble can be a vital part of building character. As the Polish pediatrician Janusz Korczak pointed out. "The good child cries very little, he sleeps through the night, he is confident and good-natured. He is well-behaved, convenient, obedient, and good. Yet no consideration is given to the fact that he may grow up to be indolent and stagnant."
It is often hard for parents to see the benefits of having raised a difficult child, even when the outcome is positive. Strange as it may sound, I believe that the more challenging the youngster, the more grateful the parents should be. If anything, the parents of difficult children really ought to be envied, because it is they, more than any others, who are forced to learn the most wonderful secret of parenthood: the true meaning of unconditional love. It is a secret that remains hidden from those whose love is never tested.
When we welcome the prospect of raising a problematic child with these things in mind, we will begin to see our frustrations as moments that can awaken our best qualities. Instead of envying the ease with which our neighbors seem to raise perfect offspring, we will remember that rule-breakers and children who show their horns often make more selfreliant and independent adults than those whose limits are never tried. By helping us to discover the limitations of "goodness" and the boredom of conformity, they can teach us the necessity of genuineness, the wisdom of humility, and the reality that nothing good is won without struggle.
"Unlearning" our adult mindsets is never easy, especially at the end of a long day, when children sometimes seem more of a bother than a gift. When there are kids around, things just don't always go as planned. Furniture gets scratched, flowerbeds trampled, new clothes torn or muddied, and toys lost and broken. Children want to have fun, to run in the aisles. They need space to be rambunc-tious, silly, and noisy. After all, they are not china dolls or little adults, but unpredictable rascals with sticky fingers and runny noses who sometimes cry at night. If we truly love them, we will welcome them as they are. *
Johann Christoph Arnold is a children 's advocate, family counselor, father of eight, and author of Endangered: Your Child in a Hostile World.
[Publicado en la revista USA TODAY * JULY 2001]
CUESTIONARIO
ELIGE OCHO PREGUNTAS DE LAS SIGUIENTES Y CONTÉSTALAS DE ACUERDO CON LO QUE SE MENCIONA EN ESTE TEXTO
1. ¿Qué suposición se menciona en el primer párrafo?
2. según Kozol ¿qué son los niños para los adultos?
3. ¿De qué problema se habla en el párrafo IV?
4. Según los párrafos VI y VII ¿cuál es el comportamiento normal de los niños y qué hacen los adultos ante ello?
5. ¿Cuáles son las sugerencias que da el autor?
6. ¿Qué situación señala John Taylor Gatto?
7. ¿Qué ejemplo se menciona de la presión que ejercen los adultos sobre los niños? (párrafo XI)
8. ¿Qué es el espacio en blanco (white space) y cómo se relaciona con el tema de la niñez?
9. Escribe en español la cita de Lao Tzu.
10. Según Froebel ¿cómo beneficia el juego a los niños?
11. ¿A qué se refiere el 40% que aparece en el párrafo XVI?
12. Escribe en español la idea principal del párrafo XVIII?
13. Según el párrafo XXI ¿cuál es “el más maravilloso secreto de la paternidad”?
lunes, 8 de octubre de 2007
IDENTIFICACIÓN DE LA IDEA PRINCIPAL
What is a Main Idea?
The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all inclusive statement of the author's message. In classroom discussions, all of the following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of the main idea:
thesis
main point
central focus
gist
controlling idea
central thought
Recognize General and Specific Words
The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a short list of keywords. Pretend also that within the list is a general term that expresses an overall subject for the keywords. The general term encompasses or categorizes the key ideas and is considered the topic of the list.
Exercise 1
Circle the general term or subject for each of the following related groups of ideas.
a) satin/wool/fabric/silk
b) chimpanzees/orangutans/apes/gorillas
c) cirrus/clouds/cumulus/stratus
d) oats/wheat/corn/grain
e) Alps/Appalachians/mountains/Rockies
f) shrimp/crustacean/crab/lobster
Exercise 2
Circle the phrase that could be the topic for each list.
a) totaling yearly income
substracting for dependents
filing an income tax return
mailing a 1040 form
b) paying fees
buying books
starting college
going to class
c) picking up seashells
vacationing at the beach
walking in the surf
riding the waves
d) pushing papers under sticks
piling the logs
building a fire
striking a match
Exercise 3
Circle the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences.
Group 1
1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperature should not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.
2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.
3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog, and protect the vines from fungus disease.
Protecting Grapes from Disease
Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes Appropriate Climates for Growing Grapes
Group 2
1. For example, faced with fewer expansion opportunities within the United States, Wal-Mart opened new stores abroad and foreign sales reached $7.5 billion in three years.
2. As more and more companies engage in international business, the world is becoming a single, interdependent global economy.
3. In a plan to become a transglobal giant, Chrysler, one of America's apple pie auto companies, merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler.
International Auto Mergers
A Global Economy
Wal-Mart Expansion
Group 3
1. After accidents, suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.
2. In a national survey, 42 percent of the 8th through 10th grade girls reported contemplating suicide sometime in their lives.
3. In the last forty years, the suicide rate among young men 15 to 19 years of age has quadrupled.
Prevention of Suicides
Increase in Adolescent Suicides
Reasons for Teen Suicides
Group 4
1. Some scientists believe that the vestigial diving response offers proof that humans evolved from aquatic animals.
2. If you submerge your face in water, your pulse rate is likely to drop and your metabolic rate decreases.
3. This slowdown suggests a vestigial diving response that would allow humans to remain submerged longer.
Human Science
Vestigial Linkage to Aquatics
Lowering the Metabolic Rate
Group 5
1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.
2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more by extracting water from body tissue.
3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes because it is absorbed faster.
Salt Tablets versus Water
Value in Plain Water
Preventing Dehydration
Exercise 4
Read the following groups of three sentences and then write a phrase that best states the subject or general topic for the sentences.
Group 1
1. The albatross is one of the few birds that is designed to live at sea and it seldom visits land.
2. Because it has special glands that excrete salt, it can drink seawater and eat salty fish.
3. The albatross's unusually long wings provide the lift for it to glide almost endlessly in high winds over rough seas.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 2
1. Once children begin to speak and understand words, their progress is remarkably fast.
2. Most children begin speaking at 1 year of age and speak only 2 to 3 words.
3. By age 2, they speak about 50 words and understand 200 to 300 words.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 3
1. Dr. Sylvia Castillo of Stanford University founded the National Network of Hispanic Women.
2. This organization publishes a national newsletter that focuses on the successes of Hispanic women in academia and business.
3. The organization has become an important voice for Hispanic issues relating to gender.
General topic? ________________________________________________
[tomado del libro Breaking Through.College Reading de Brenda D. Smith, Longman Publishers]
The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all inclusive statement of the author's message. In classroom discussions, all of the following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of the main idea:
thesis
main point
central focus
gist
controlling idea
central thought
Recognize General and Specific Words
The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced to a short list of keywords. Pretend also that within the list is a general term that expresses an overall subject for the keywords. The general term encompasses or categorizes the key ideas and is considered the topic of the list.
Exercise 1
Circle the general term or subject for each of the following related groups of ideas.
a) satin/wool/fabric/silk
b) chimpanzees/orangutans/apes/gorillas
c) cirrus/clouds/cumulus/stratus
d) oats/wheat/corn/grain
e) Alps/Appalachians/mountains/Rockies
f) shrimp/crustacean/crab/lobster
Exercise 2
Circle the phrase that could be the topic for each list.
a) totaling yearly income
substracting for dependents
filing an income tax return
mailing a 1040 form
b) paying fees
buying books
starting college
going to class
c) picking up seashells
vacationing at the beach
walking in the surf
riding the waves
d) pushing papers under sticks
piling the logs
building a fire
striking a match
Exercise 3
Circle the phrase that best describes the topic or subject for each group of sentences.
Group 1
1. To provide a favorable climate for growing grapes, the winter temperature should not go below 15° F, and the summers should be long.
2. During the growing season, rainfall should be light.
3. A gentle movement of air is required to dry the vines after rains, dispel fog, and protect the vines from fungus disease.
Protecting Grapes from Disease
Appropriate Temperatures for Growing Grapes Appropriate Climates for Growing Grapes
Group 2
1. For example, faced with fewer expansion opportunities within the United States, Wal-Mart opened new stores abroad and foreign sales reached $7.5 billion in three years.
2. As more and more companies engage in international business, the world is becoming a single, interdependent global economy.
3. In a plan to become a transglobal giant, Chrysler, one of America's apple pie auto companies, merged with Germany's Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler.
International Auto Mergers
A Global Economy
Wal-Mart Expansion
Group 3
1. After accidents, suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.
2. In a national survey, 42 percent of the 8th through 10th grade girls reported contemplating suicide sometime in their lives.
3. In the last forty years, the suicide rate among young men 15 to 19 years of age has quadrupled.
Prevention of Suicides
Increase in Adolescent Suicides
Reasons for Teen Suicides
Group 4
1. Some scientists believe that the vestigial diving response offers proof that humans evolved from aquatic animals.
2. If you submerge your face in water, your pulse rate is likely to drop and your metabolic rate decreases.
3. This slowdown suggests a vestigial diving response that would allow humans to remain submerged longer.
Human Science
Vestigial Linkage to Aquatics
Lowering the Metabolic Rate
Group 5
1. Simply drinking water is the best way to prevent dehydration from sweating.
2. Taking salt tablets before drinking water can dehydrate the body even more by extracting water from body tissue.
3. Plain water is better than beverages containing sugar or electrolytes because it is absorbed faster.
Salt Tablets versus Water
Value in Plain Water
Preventing Dehydration
Exercise 4
Read the following groups of three sentences and then write a phrase that best states the subject or general topic for the sentences.
Group 1
1. The albatross is one of the few birds that is designed to live at sea and it seldom visits land.
2. Because it has special glands that excrete salt, it can drink seawater and eat salty fish.
3. The albatross's unusually long wings provide the lift for it to glide almost endlessly in high winds over rough seas.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 2
1. Once children begin to speak and understand words, their progress is remarkably fast.
2. Most children begin speaking at 1 year of age and speak only 2 to 3 words.
3. By age 2, they speak about 50 words and understand 200 to 300 words.
General topic? _______________________________________________
Group 3
1. Dr. Sylvia Castillo of Stanford University founded the National Network of Hispanic Women.
2. This organization publishes a national newsletter that focuses on the successes of Hispanic women in academia and business.
3. The organization has become an important voice for Hispanic issues relating to gender.
General topic? ________________________________________________
[tomado del libro Breaking Through.College Reading de Brenda D. Smith, Longman Publishers]
domingo, 23 de septiembre de 2007
EJERCICIOS SOBRE USO DE DICCIONARIO BILINGÜE
Revisa tu diccionario y escribe las secciones en el orden en que se presentan
a) ______________
b) ______________
c) ______________
d) ______________
e) ______________
Consulta la sección de abreviaturas y escribe las que se te piden a continuación
a) Adverbio ____________
b) Arquitectura __________
c) Sustantivo ____________
d) Verbo _____________
e) Adjetivo ____________
f) Medicina ___________
g) Conjunción __________
Localiza las siguientes palabras y escribe los significados que tienen dependiendo de la función gramatical
a) clear
b) ground
c) land
d) remain
e) root
f) light
g) look
Escribe en español los siguientes enunciados. Pon especial atención a lo que aparece en cursivas.
a) Don’t give away the ending of the story, it’ll spoil it. _____________________________________________________________
b) I think I´ll give this old furniture away, it’s worthless. _____________________________________________________________
c) The politician gave away his best chance to win the election when he foolishly said the wrong thing. _____________________________________________________________
d) Boiling water gives off steam. ______________________________________
e) Give out the question papers ten minutes before the examination. ______________________________________________________________
f) The doctor told Jim to give up sweets to lose weight. ______________________________________________________________
g) After hiding in the woods for weeks, the criminal gave himself up. ______________________________________________________________
h) When can you give back the money that you owe? ______________________________________________________________
i) She is reading a book by Stephen King. ________________________________
j) I’m in her good books at the moment because I cleared up the kitchen. ______________________________________________________________
k) I’d like to book a table for two for eight o’clock tonight. ______________________________________________________________
l) A large diamond glittered on her ring finger. _____________________________
m) She had dark rings around her eyes from lack of sleep. ______________________________________________________________
n) Someone was ringing the doorbell. ____________________________________
a) ______________
b) ______________
c) ______________
d) ______________
e) ______________
Consulta la sección de abreviaturas y escribe las que se te piden a continuación
a) Adverbio ____________
b) Arquitectura __________
c) Sustantivo ____________
d) Verbo _____________
e) Adjetivo ____________
f) Medicina ___________
g) Conjunción __________
Localiza las siguientes palabras y escribe los significados que tienen dependiendo de la función gramatical
a) clear
b) ground
c) land
d) remain
e) root
f) light
g) look
Escribe en español los siguientes enunciados. Pon especial atención a lo que aparece en cursivas.
a) Don’t give away the ending of the story, it’ll spoil it. _____________________________________________________________
b) I think I´ll give this old furniture away, it’s worthless. _____________________________________________________________
c) The politician gave away his best chance to win the election when he foolishly said the wrong thing. _____________________________________________________________
d) Boiling water gives off steam. ______________________________________
e) Give out the question papers ten minutes before the examination. ______________________________________________________________
f) The doctor told Jim to give up sweets to lose weight. ______________________________________________________________
g) After hiding in the woods for weeks, the criminal gave himself up. ______________________________________________________________
h) When can you give back the money that you owe? ______________________________________________________________
i) She is reading a book by Stephen King. ________________________________
j) I’m in her good books at the moment because I cleared up the kitchen. ______________________________________________________________
k) I’d like to book a table for two for eight o’clock tonight. ______________________________________________________________
l) A large diamond glittered on her ring finger. _____________________________
m) She had dark rings around her eyes from lack of sleep. ______________________________________________________________
n) Someone was ringing the doorbell. ____________________________________
CANCIONES
Escucha las canciones y completa la letra con la lista de verbos que aparece al final de cada una.
Save me (Queen)
It __________ off so well
They __________ we _________ a perfect pair
I ___________ myself in your glory
and your love
How I __________ you
how I __________
The years of care and loyalty
__________ nothing but a sham it seems
the years belie we __________ the lie
“I’ll love you till I die”
Save me, save me, save me,
I can’t face this life alone
save me, save me, save me
I’m __________ and I’m far from home.
The slate will soon be clean
I’ll erase the memories
to start again with somebody new
__________ it all _________
all that love?
I hang my head and I advertise
a soul for sale or rent
I have no heart
I’m cold inside
I have no real intent
Each night I cry
I still believe the lie
“I’ll love you till I die”
Save me, save me save me
________________________________
Clothed
Cried
Lived
Loved
Made
Naked
Said
Started
Wasted
Were, was
_______________________________
A continuación escucha la canción
I’m a believer (The Monkeeys)
I________ love ________ only true in fairy tales
________ for someone else but not for me
love ________ out to get me
that’s the way it ________
disappointment ________ all my dreams
then I ________ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love, I’m a believer
I ________ leave her if I’d ________
I________ love was more or less a given thing
seems the more I ________ the less I ________
what’s the use in trying?
all you get is pain
when I ________ sunshine I ________ rain
then I ________ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love I’m a believer
I ________ leave her if I’d ________
love ________ out to get me
that’s the way it _______
disappointment ________ all my dreams
then I _______ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love, I’m a believer
I _______ leave her if I’d ________
___________________________________
couldn’t
gave
got
haunted
meant
needed
saw
seemed
thought
tried
Escucha la canción
Save me (Queen)
It __________ off so well
They __________ we _________ a perfect pair
I ___________ myself in your glory
and your love
How I __________ you
how I __________
The years of care and loyalty
__________ nothing but a sham it seems
the years belie we __________ the lie
“I’ll love you till I die”
Save me, save me, save me,
I can’t face this life alone
save me, save me, save me
I’m __________ and I’m far from home.
The slate will soon be clean
I’ll erase the memories
to start again with somebody new
__________ it all _________
all that love?
I hang my head and I advertise
a soul for sale or rent
I have no heart
I’m cold inside
I have no real intent
Each night I cry
I still believe the lie
“I’ll love you till I die”
Save me, save me save me
________________________________
Clothed
Cried
Lived
Loved
Made
Naked
Said
Started
Wasted
Were, was
_______________________________
A continuación escucha la canción
I’m a believer (The Monkeeys)
I________ love ________ only true in fairy tales
________ for someone else but not for me
love ________ out to get me
that’s the way it ________
disappointment ________ all my dreams
then I ________ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love, I’m a believer
I ________ leave her if I’d ________
I________ love was more or less a given thing
seems the more I ________ the less I ________
what’s the use in trying?
all you get is pain
when I ________ sunshine I ________ rain
then I ________ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love I’m a believer
I ________ leave her if I’d ________
love ________ out to get me
that’s the way it _______
disappointment ________ all my dreams
then I _______ her face, now I’m a believer
not a trace of doubt in my mind
I’m in love, I’m a believer
I _______ leave her if I’d ________
___________________________________
couldn’t
gave
got
haunted
meant
needed
saw
seemed
thought
tried
Escucha la canción
domingo, 9 de septiembre de 2007
THE BRAIN
By Jeff BrunoIf I only had a brain
Few of us can forget the dancing scarecrow[1] from the Wizard of Oz, clicking his heels[2] together as he leapt[3] into the air and sang, “If I only had a brain”. As you may remember, he traveled for days along the Yellow Brick[4] Road in search of one, hoping for a better life.
Now more than ever, surgeons[5] and research scientists have begun to discuss the posibilities of a brain transplant. While medical technology is not sophisticated enough to transfer a brain from one body to another at the moment, it may soon be a reality.
A successful brain transplant would be a monumental task[6]. To transplant a heart alone takes a team of more than ten doctors, while a brain transfer would require an army[7] of physicians[8]. Surgeons would have to cut open the top of the skull[9], transfer the fragile organ from donor[10] to patient and reconnect hundreds of blood vessels[11] just to keep the brain alive. In addition, all 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal[12] nerves would need to be reconnected so that the brain could direct its new body.
But there are other considerations as well[13]. If we transplant a human brain from one body to another, it will have lived the life of the body from which it came, not that of the recipient. The patient would wake up after surgery to the face of a stranger in the mirror, yet have the same identity. This is because the brain is more than just a biological organ.
The heart is a simple pump[14] and the kidneys[15] filter the blood, but the brain is the only organ that is actually[16] aware[17] of itself. The heart never asks why it beats and the kidneys never wonder how they clean the blood, but the brain thinks about how it thinks. We recognize this “self-awareness” as consciousness, and it would be transferred in the process.
Few of us can forget the dancing scarecrow[1] from the Wizard of Oz, clicking his heels[2] together as he leapt[3] into the air and sang, “If I only had a brain”. As you may remember, he traveled for days along the Yellow Brick[4] Road in search of one, hoping for a better life.
Now more than ever, surgeons[5] and research scientists have begun to discuss the posibilities of a brain transplant. While medical technology is not sophisticated enough to transfer a brain from one body to another at the moment, it may soon be a reality.
A successful brain transplant would be a monumental task[6]. To transplant a heart alone takes a team of more than ten doctors, while a brain transfer would require an army[7] of physicians[8]. Surgeons would have to cut open the top of the skull[9], transfer the fragile organ from donor[10] to patient and reconnect hundreds of blood vessels[11] just to keep the brain alive. In addition, all 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal[12] nerves would need to be reconnected so that the brain could direct its new body.
But there are other considerations as well[13]. If we transplant a human brain from one body to another, it will have lived the life of the body from which it came, not that of the recipient. The patient would wake up after surgery to the face of a stranger in the mirror, yet have the same identity. This is because the brain is more than just a biological organ.
The heart is a simple pump[14] and the kidneys[15] filter the blood, but the brain is the only organ that is actually[16] aware[17] of itself. The heart never asks why it beats and the kidneys never wonder how they clean the blood, but the brain thinks about how it thinks. We recognize this “self-awareness” as consciousness, and it would be transferred in the process.
Purple haze
The brain contains a record of our memories and thoughts. The bond
Perhaps sometime in the future the technology will exist to finally make the Scarecrow’s dream come true. Imagine all the different brains from which he could choose. If the Scarecrow received Bill Clinton’s brain, for instance, he would think and behave like the President. He would be a Democrat, a loving father and, stuffed[23] with straw[24], more careful where he lit his cigar!
No man is rich enough to buy back his past. Oscar Wilde
Famous Brains
My brain? It’s my second favorite organ. Woody Allen (b. 1935)
England has only had one republican Head of State, Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector. He died of natural causes in 1658. Just before he was buried[25] his brain was weighed (for some reason). It turned out to weigh 82.25 ounces, compared to the average[26] adult male brain which weighs around 49 ounces (1350 g.). So Cromwell’s brain weighed around the same weight (2.3 kg) as the heaviest brain ever recorded, discovered in 1992 by Dr Mandybur of Cincinnati University. Anyway, getting back to the main story, they put Cromwell’s brain back in his head and buried the complete body.
Two years later the body (plus brain) was dug up[27] by the newly restored king, Charles II and formally hanged[28]. The Royalists then beheaded[29] the (very dead) body and placed the head (plus bain on a pole[30] at Westminster Abbey. Twenty-five years later the head was blown off[31] by the wind and a captain of the guard took it home and hid it up a chimney. It then passed between several owners, being at one time on display[32] at a freak show[33]! Finally, in 1960 it was given to Sydney Sussex College where it was buried secretly.
The fate[34] of the most famous brain of all time wasn’t much better. Albert Einstein is a byword[35] of intelligence but that didn’t stop his brain being ignominiously treated after his death. An American pathologist Thomas Harvey, stole Einstein’s brain and drove across America with the great organ in a cookie jar[36]. He showed his prize[37] off[38] to many enthusiasts he met in his journey and even gave shavings[39] as souvenirs to a lucky few[40].
Horrible Ronnie Kray was luckier than brilliant Albert Einstein. The gangster who had terrorised London in the 1960s[41] died in 1995. The Home Office had his brain removed[42] and sent to specialists at Oxford University who were studying the criminal mind.Unfortunately for the scientists, Ronnie’s wife found out[43] and kicked up such a fuss[44] that they had to give it back. Early in 2000 there was a huge scandal in Britain when it was revealed that surgeons regularly took the brains out of corpses[45] for research and teaching.
Strange Brains
Ø The lightest normal brain ever was owned by a man called Daniel Lyon. It weighed just 680 g. (just over half the adult male average).
Ø In 1935 a boy was born in New York with no brain. He lived for 27 days.
Ø Even stranger is the case of a Bengali boy who was born in 1783 with two brains. He died, aged four, after a snake bit him.
Afterthought
Just a final thought. In the 1990s a patient was admitted to a New York hospital for brain surgery. He was lucky to have the operation performed by the hospital’s chief of neurosurgery as his surgeon. Unfortunately, the eminent doctor didn’t look at the patient’s medical notes properly and started to operate on the healthy side of the brain. The surgeon was sacked[46] after an enquiry[47].
[1] scarecrow –figure of a man which is placed in a field to frighten birds
[2] to click your heels – make a noise by hitting the backs of your shoes together
[3] to leap - jump
[4] brick – artificial stone which forms parto f a pavement
[5] surgeon – medical doctor who performs surgery
[6] task – job, achievement
[7] army – multitude, large number
[8] physician – medical doctor
[9] skull - cranium
[10] donor – person who gives an organ. In the context of the brain, it is difficult to decide who is the donor and who is the recipient
[11] blood vessels – veins and arteries
[12] spinal – vertebral, relating to the spinal column/backbone
[13] as well – too, also
[14] pump – machine that forces a liquid from one place to another
[15] kidney – renal organ
[16] actually – (emphatic) really
[17] to be aware – be conscious
[18] haze – cloud, mist, smoke
[19] lately - recently
[20] bond – link, connection
[21] current - present
[22] to store – keep, put away, deposit
[23] stuffed with – filled with, full of
[24] straw – dried plants which are used as a bed for animals in a stable
[25] to bury – put a cadáver underground
[26] average – normal, regular, standard
[27] to dig up – unearth, uncover, take out of the ground
[28] to hang (hang - hanged – hanged)
[29] to behead – decapitate
[30] pole – stick, post, mast
[31] to be blown off – fall because of the force of the wind
[32] on display – exhibited
[33] freak show – exhibition of strange, exotic and frightening things
[34] fate – destiny, end, misfortune
[35] byword – a perfect or proverbial example of
[36] cookie jar – large glass container for biscuits
[37] prize – souvenir, trophy
[38] to show sth. off – display, exhibit
[39] shaving – small flat piece cut from a larger object
[40] For more about this sad episode read “Driving Mr Albert: A Trip Across America With Einstein’s Brain”, The Dial Press
[41] The Kray twins are famous in the UK and there was even a movie made about them (The Krays) in 1990
[42] to remove – extract, take out
[43] to find out – discover (what is/was happening)
[44] to kick up a fuss – complain loudly, make a lot of problems
[45] corpse – dead body, cadaver
[46] to sack – dismiss, fire, make unemployed
[47] inquiry – investigation
ADOLESCENCE
1 DEFINING ADOLESCENCE
The period of development that we call adolescence is an exciting one. It is filled with discovery, turmoil, growth toward independence, and the beginning of lifelong commitments. It is clearly a period of transition – from the dependence of childhood to the independence of adulthood. It is very difficult, however, to specify exactly when adolescence begins or when it ends.
We may choose to define adolescence in biological terms. In that case, adolescence begins with the onset of puberty (with sexual maturity and a rediness to reproduce) and ends with the end of physical growth. Or we may adopt a more psychological perspective and emphasize the development of the cognitions, feelings, and behaviors that characterize adolescence. This approach views adolescence “as a psychological process occuring within the individual” (Forisha-Koviach, 1983). Additionally, it is also possible to think about adolescence from a social perspective by examining the role of adolescents in society. Such views generally define adolescence in terms of being in-between – not yet an adult, but no longer a child. In this context, the period usually lasts from the early teen years through one’s highest levels of education, when the individual is thought to enter the adult world.
Actually, whether we accept a biological, psychological, or social approach to defining adolescence, we usually are talking about people between the ages of approximately 12 and 20. Some psychologists consider this period in terms of growth and positive change, others view adolescence as a period of great turmoil, stress, rebellion, and negativism (Conger and Peterson, 1984). Adolescence may very well be filled with conflict, storm, and stress, but it is also a period of adjustment that most of us manage to survive quite well. In fact, the picture of the troubled, rebellious, difficult, uncooperative adolescent is probably more of a social stereotype than a reality (Garbarino, 1985; Manning, 1983).
2 PHYSICAL CHANGE IN ADOLESCENCE
The onset of adolescence is generally marked by two biological or physical changes. First, there is a marked increase in height and weight, known as a growth spurt[1], and second, there is sexual maturation.
The growth spurt of early adolescence usually occurs in girls at an earlier age than it does in boys. Girls begin their growth spurt as early as 9 or 10 years of age and then slow down at about age 15. Boys generally show their increased rate of growth between the ages of 12 and 17 years. Indeed, males usually don’t reach their adult height until their early 20s, whereas girls generally attain their maximum height by their late teens (Tanner, 1981).
At least some of the potential psychological turmoil of early adolescence may be a direct result of the growth spurt. It is not uncommon to find increases in weight and height occuring so rapidly that boys in particular have a hard time coordinating their larger hands and feet and may appear awkward and clumsy. Boys also have the problem of voice change. As their vocal cords grow and lengthen, the pitch of the voice is lowered. Much to the embarrasment of many a teenage boy, this transition is seldom smooth, and the boy may suffer through weeks or months of a squeaking, crackling, change of pitch right in the middle of a serious conversation (Adams and Gullota, 1983).
Many girls and boys reach puberty before or after most of their peers, or age mates, and are referred to as early or late bloomers. Reaching puberty well before or well after others of one’s age does have some psychological effects, although few are long-lasting. An early blooming girl will probably be taller, stronger, faster, and more athletic than other girls (and many of the boys). She is likely to start dating earlier and to marry at a younger age than her peers. Because of the premium put on the physical activity in boys, the early-maturing boy is at a great advantage. He will have more early dating experiences, which will raise his status with his peers.
For young teenagers of both sexes, being a late bloomer is more negative in its impact than being an early bloomer (Gross and Duke, 1980). There is some evidence that late maturing boys carry a sense of inadequacy and poor self-esteem into adulthood. Some late-maturing girls, however, feel – at least in retrospect – that being a late bloomer was an advantage because it offered them the opportunity to develop some broadening interests, rather than becoming “boy-crazy” like so many of their peers in early adolescence (Tobin-Richards et al., 1984). Although generalizations are dangerous, we may suggest that (1) early maturity is more advantageous than later maturity, at least at the time of one’s adolescence, and (2) boys profit from early maturity more than girls and may suffer more than girls from later maturity.
With all the physical and psychological changes that occur in early adolescence, it is easy to see why G. Stanley Hall, in the first textbook written about adolescence, was moved to describe the period as one of “second birth” (Hall, 1905).
3 COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence is a developmental period in which, according to Piaget, one is now able to think abstractly and to image, to think about what is and to ponder what might be. This new, higher level of mental operations often gets turned toward self-analysis, toward a contemplation of one’s self in a social context (Keating, 1980). In this section, we’ll examine three issues related to cognitive and social processes in adolescent development: identity formation, adolescent egocentrism, and the influence of farnily.
IDENTITY FORMATION
Adolescents give the impression of being great experimenters. They experiment with hair styles, music, religions. drugs, sexual outlets, fad diets, part-time jobs, part-time relationships, and part-time philosophies of life. In fact, it often seems that teenagers' commitments are made on a part-time basis. They are busily trying things out, doing things their way, off on a grand search for Truth.
This perception of adolescents as experimenters is not without foundation. It is consistent with the view that one of the major tasks of adolescence is the resolution of an identity crisis - the struggle to define and integrate the sense of who one is, what one is to do in life, and what one's attitudes, beliefs, and values should be. During adolescence, we come to grips with many questions: "Who am I?" "What am 1 going to do with my life?" "What is the point of it all?" Needless to say, these are not trivial questions. A person's search for his or her identity may lead to conflicts. Some of these conflicts may be resolved very easily, some continue into adulthood.
The concept of identity formation is associated with the personality theorist Erik Erikson. For Erikson, the search for identity is the fifth of eight stages of psychosocial development. It is the stage that occurs during the adolescent years. For some youngsters, adolescence brings very little confusion or conflict at all in terms of attitudes, beliefs or values. Many teenagers are quite able and willing to accept without question the values and sense of seIf that they began to develop in childhood.
For many teenagers, however, the conflict of identity is quite real. They have a sense of giving up the values of parents and teachers in favor of new ones - their own. On the other hand, physical growth, physiological changes, increased sexuality, and perceived societal pressures to decide what they want to be when they “grow up” may lead to what Erikson calls role confusion. Wanting to be independent. to be one's self, often does not fit in with the values of the past, of childhood. Hence, the teenager tries to experiment with different possibilities in an attempt to see what works out best, occasionally to the dissatisfaction of bewildered parents.
ADOLESCENT EGOCENTRISM
Egocentrism - a focusing on one's self and an inability to take the point of view of others - was used by Piaget to describe part of the cognitive functioning of young children (between the ages of 2 and 6). David Elkind (1981, 1984) uses the term egocentrism in a slightly different way. In adolescent egocentrism, not only do individuals engage in self-centered thinking, but they also come to believe that virtually everyone else is thinking about them, too. Because they can now think abstractly, adolescents begin to think about the thoughts of others and have a tendency to believe that they are usually the focus of attention. Needless to say, adolescent egocentrism often leads to a heightened sense of self-consciousness.
Elkind proposes two particular manifestations of adolescent egocentrism. For one thing, teenagers often feel that they are constantly "on stage," performing. They become quite convinced that when they enter a room, everyone is watching them and making judgments about everything - from what they are wearing to how their hair is styled. Now, in truth, it may be that no one is watching, but the youngster believes that they are. Elkind calls this the construction of an imaginary audience. Coming to think that everyone is watching and analyzing you is explanation enough for the extreme self-consciousness of many young teens, argues Elkind (Elkind and Bowen, 1979).
Adolescents often tend to overemphasize their own importance. They are, after all, the focus of their own attention, and given their imaginary audience, they feel they are the focus of everyone else's attention as well. As a result, they tend to develop some rather unrealistic cognitions about themselves, which Elkind calls personal fables. These are essentially stories about themselves that teenagers generate, often on the basis of irrational beliefs. They come to believe (egocentrically) that no harm can come to them. They won't become addicted after trying a drug at a party. Their driving won't be affected by alcohol consumption. They won't get pregnant. Those sorts of things happen to others. These sorts of beliefs (cognitions) can be dangerous, of course, and they can be the source of considerable parental aggravation.
THE INFLUENCE OF FAMILY
No matter what label we give it, one of the major processes involved in adolescence is separating in some real way from one's family. With the emergence of one's own identity comes independence and autonomy. The resulting conflict for teenagers is often very real. On the one hand, they want to become autonomous and strike out on their own. At the same time, they sense a sadness and even fear over giving up the security of home and family.
How adolescents resolve conflicts they have with their parents often hinges significantly on what is termed parental style. Psychologists have identified three major approaches used by parents in dealing with their adolescent children. (It should be pointed out quickly that few parents adopt and use one and only one style). The authoritarian style of parenting decrees that, "You should do so, because I say so!" As often as not, the adolescent isn't even allowed to express his or her beliefs. The teenager is seen as a member of low standing in family affairs. Not surprisingly, this style of parenting behavior often leads to rebellion, alienation, and more conflict. On the other hand, the authoritarian style can lead to submissiveness and conformity, which, for the emerging teenager, is maladaptive. The style of parenting called permissive is in many ways at the other extreme from the authoritarian style. Here, the teenager has an almost free rein. Parents are supportive, but set few limits. The style most recommended is usually called democratic. Here, parents act as experts, give advice, and do set limits, but they also consult with the teenager, allow some independence of choice, and involve the teenager in decision making.
Most teenagers feel that their parents use a democratic style, and they ,value that style (Kelly and Godwin, 1983). Reports of family difficulties with adolescents can often be traced to either an overly authoritarian or overly permissive style (Baumrind, 1978; Collins, 1982).
[1] Growth spurt: a marked increase in height and weight, typically occuring in adolescence.
sábado, 1 de septiembre de 2007
THE INFLUENCE OF MIND OVER BODY
1 WHAT IS STRESS?
The term stress has been defined in several different ways. Sometimes the term is applied to stimuli or events in our environment that make physical and emotional demands on us, and sometimes it is applied to our emotional and physical reactions to such stimu1i. In this discussion, we will refer to the environmental stimuli or events as stressors and to emotional and physical reactions as stress.
Many sorts of events can be stressors, including disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes, major life events such as divorce or the loss of a job, and daily hassles such as having to wait in line at the supermarket when you need to be somewhere else in ten minutes. What all these events have in common is that they interfere with or threaten our accustomed way of life. When we encounter such stressors, we must pull together our mental and physical resources in order to deal with the challenge. How well we succeed in doing so will determine how serious a toll the stress will take on our mental and physical well-being.
REACTING TO STRESSORS
The Canadian physiologist Hans Seyle has been the most inf1uential researcher and writer on stress. Seyle has proposed that both humans and other animals react to any stressor in three stages, collectively known as the general adaptation syndrome. The first stage, when the person or animal first becomes aware of the stressor, is the alarm reaction. In this stage. the organism becomes highly alert and aroused, energized by a burst of epinephrine. After the alarm reaction comes the stage of resistance, as the organism tries to adapt to the stressful stimulus or to scape from it. If these efforts are succesful, the state of the organism returns to normal. If the organism cannot adapt to continuing stress, however, it enters a stage of exhaustion or collapse.
Seyle developed his model of the general adaptation syndrome as a result of research with rats and other animals. In rats, certain stressors, such as painful tail-pulling, consistently lead to the same sorts of stress reactions. In humans, however, it is harder to predict what will be stressful to a particular person at a particular time. Whether a particular stimulus will be stressful depends on the person’s subjective appraisal of that stimulus. How threatening is it? How well have I handled this sort of thing in the past? How well will I be able to handle it this time? For one person, being called upon to give a talk in front of a class is a highly stressful stimulus that will immediately produce such elements of an alarm reaction as a pounding heart and a dry mouth. For another person, being called on to give a talk is not threatening at all, but facing a deadline to complete a term paper is extremely stressful. In humans, moreover, the specific stress reaction is likely to vary widely; some stressful situations give rise predominantly to emotions of fear, some to anger, some to helplessness and depression.
2 STRESS AND ILLNESS
In many stressful situations, the body's responses can improve our performance - we become more energetic more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. As will be seen later in this unit, the continual speeding up of bodily reactions and the production of stress-related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease-fighting effectiveness of the body's immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Other diseases that can result at least in part from stress include arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, and ulcers. Workers who experience the greatest degree of job pressures have been found to be especially likely to suffer from a large number of illnesses (House, 1981) . Moreover, many studies have shown that people who have experienced major changes in their lives are at unusually high risk for a variety of illnesses.
As an example of stress-induced illness, take the case of stomach ulcers, small lesions in the stomach wall that afflict one out of twenty people at some point in their lives. Ulcers are a common disorder among people who work in occupations that make heavy psychoiogical demands, from assembly-line workers to air-traffic controllers. In many cases, stress is the culprit. Stress leads to increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid normally helps to break down foods during digestion, but in excess amounts it can eat away at the stomach lining, producing ulcers.
Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways, by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties, smoke or drink more, or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may, in tum, be harmful to their health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations, such as aches and pains, when they are under stress and to decide that they are "sick." If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel "well." Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a "sick person" is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress (Cohen, 1979). Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these peopIe fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptable in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one cannot cope with the stresses of life.
(Fuente: Seal, Bernard. Academic Encounters. Reading, study skills, and writing. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Pag. 5,6 y 11)
The term stress has been defined in several different ways. Sometimes the term is applied to stimuli or events in our environment that make physical and emotional demands on us, and sometimes it is applied to our emotional and physical reactions to such stimu1i. In this discussion, we will refer to the environmental stimuli or events as stressors and to emotional and physical reactions as stress.
Many sorts of events can be stressors, including disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes, major life events such as divorce or the loss of a job, and daily hassles such as having to wait in line at the supermarket when you need to be somewhere else in ten minutes. What all these events have in common is that they interfere with or threaten our accustomed way of life. When we encounter such stressors, we must pull together our mental and physical resources in order to deal with the challenge. How well we succeed in doing so will determine how serious a toll the stress will take on our mental and physical well-being.
REACTING TO STRESSORS
The Canadian physiologist Hans Seyle has been the most inf1uential researcher and writer on stress. Seyle has proposed that both humans and other animals react to any stressor in three stages, collectively known as the general adaptation syndrome. The first stage, when the person or animal first becomes aware of the stressor, is the alarm reaction. In this stage. the organism becomes highly alert and aroused, energized by a burst of epinephrine. After the alarm reaction comes the stage of resistance, as the organism tries to adapt to the stressful stimulus or to scape from it. If these efforts are succesful, the state of the organism returns to normal. If the organism cannot adapt to continuing stress, however, it enters a stage of exhaustion or collapse.
Seyle developed his model of the general adaptation syndrome as a result of research with rats and other animals. In rats, certain stressors, such as painful tail-pulling, consistently lead to the same sorts of stress reactions. In humans, however, it is harder to predict what will be stressful to a particular person at a particular time. Whether a particular stimulus will be stressful depends on the person’s subjective appraisal of that stimulus. How threatening is it? How well have I handled this sort of thing in the past? How well will I be able to handle it this time? For one person, being called upon to give a talk in front of a class is a highly stressful stimulus that will immediately produce such elements of an alarm reaction as a pounding heart and a dry mouth. For another person, being called on to give a talk is not threatening at all, but facing a deadline to complete a term paper is extremely stressful. In humans, moreover, the specific stress reaction is likely to vary widely; some stressful situations give rise predominantly to emotions of fear, some to anger, some to helplessness and depression.
2 STRESS AND ILLNESS
In many stressful situations, the body's responses can improve our performance - we become more energetic more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body's reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. As will be seen later in this unit, the continual speeding up of bodily reactions and the production of stress-related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease-fighting effectiveness of the body's immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Other diseases that can result at least in part from stress include arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, and ulcers. Workers who experience the greatest degree of job pressures have been found to be especially likely to suffer from a large number of illnesses (House, 1981) . Moreover, many studies have shown that people who have experienced major changes in their lives are at unusually high risk for a variety of illnesses.
As an example of stress-induced illness, take the case of stomach ulcers, small lesions in the stomach wall that afflict one out of twenty people at some point in their lives. Ulcers are a common disorder among people who work in occupations that make heavy psychoiogical demands, from assembly-line workers to air-traffic controllers. In many cases, stress is the culprit. Stress leads to increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid normally helps to break down foods during digestion, but in excess amounts it can eat away at the stomach lining, producing ulcers.
Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways, by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties, smoke or drink more, or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may, in tum, be harmful to their health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations, such as aches and pains, when they are under stress and to decide that they are "sick." If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel "well." Some researchers have suggested that assuming the role of a "sick person" is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress (Cohen, 1979). Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these peopIe fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptable in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one cannot cope with the stresses of life.
(Fuente: Seal, Bernard. Academic Encounters. Reading, study skills, and writing. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Pag. 5,6 y 11)
THE SIX TYPES OF LOVE
EROS: BEAUTY AND SENSUALITY
Erotic love focuses on beauty and physical attractiveness, sometimes to the exclusion of qualities you might consider more important and more lasting. The erotic lover has an idealized image of beauty that is unattainable in reality. Consequently, the erotic lover often feels unfulfilled. In defense of eros, however, it should be noted that both male and female eros lovers have the highest levels of reward and satisfaction when compared with all other types of lovers (Morrow, Clark, & Brock 1995).
LUDUS: ENTERTAINMENT AND EXCITEMENT
Ludus love is seen as fun, a game to be played. To the ludic lover, love is not to be taken too seriously; emotions are to be held in check lest they get out of hand and make trouble. Passions never rise to the point at which they get out of control. A ludic lover is self- controlled and consciously aware of the need to manage love rather than to allow it to control him or her. The ludic lover is manipulative and the extent of one’s ludic tendencies has been found to correlate with the use of verbal sexual coercion (Sarwer, Kalichman, Johnson, Early, et al. 1993). Ludic-oriented sexually coercive men also experience less hapiness, frienship, and trust in their relationships than do noncoercive men (Kalichman, Sarwer, Johnson, & Ali 1993). Ludic lover tendencies in women are likewise related to a dissatisfaction with life. (Yancey & Berglass 1991).
STORGE LOVE: PEACEFUL AND SLOW
Like ludus love, storge love lacks passion and intensity. Storgic lovers do not set out to find lovers but to establish a companion-like relationship with someone they know and with whom they can share interests and activities. Storgic love develops over a period of time rather than in one mad burst of passion. Sex in storgic relationships comes late, and when it comes it assumes no great importance. Storgic love is sometimes difficult to separate from friendship; it is often characterized by the same qualities that characterize friendship: mutual caring, compassion, respect, and concern for the other person.
PRAGMA: PRACTICAL AND TRADITIONAL
The pragma lover is practical and wants compatibility and a relationship in which important needs and desires will be satisfied. In its extreme, pragma may be seen in the person who writes down the qualities wanted in a mate and actively goes about seeking someone who matches up. The pragma lover is concerned with the social qualifications of a potential mate even more than personal qualities; family and background are extremely important to the pragma lover, who relies not so much on feelings as on logic. The pragma lover views love as a necessity–--or as a useful relationship---that makes the rest of life easier. The pragma lover therefore asks such questions about a potential mate as, “Will this person earn a good living?” “Can this person cook?” and “Will this person help me advance in my career?”
MANIC LOVE: ELATION AND DEPRESSION
The quality of mania that separates it from other types of love is the extremes of its highs and lows, its ups and downs. The manic lover loves intensely and at the same time worries intensely about and fears the loss of the love. With little provocation, for example, the manic lover may experience extreme jealousy. Manic love is obsessive; the manic lover has to possess the beloved completely---in all ways, at all times. In return, the manic lover wishes to be possessed, to be loved intensely. It seems almost as if the manic lover is driven to these extremes by some outside force or perhaps by some inner obsession that cannot be controlled.
AGAPE: COMPASSIONATE AND SELFLESS
Agape is a compassionate, egoless, self-giving love. Agape is nonrational and nondiscriminative. Agape creates value and virtue through love rather than bestowing love only on that which is valuable and virtuous. The agapic lover loves even people with whom he or she has no close ties. This lover loves the stranger on the road, and the fact that they will probably never meet again has nothing to do with it. Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi practiced and preached this unqualified love. Agape is a spiritual love, offered without concern for personal reward or gain. The agapic lover loves without expecting that the love will be returned or reciprocated. For women, agape is the only love style positively related to their own life satisfaction (Yancy & Berglass 1991).
Observa los afijos de las siguientes palabras y con base en ello escribe el significado de cada una.
1. lover(s)
2. reality
3. compatibility
4. necessity
5. sensuality
6. relationship
7. friendship
8. actively
9. intensely
10. seriously
11. consciously
12. selfless
13. egoless
14. atractiveness
15. hapiness
16. nonrational
17. nondiscriminative
18. noncoercive
19. unqualified
20. unattainable
21. unfulfilled
22. dissatisfaction
Relaciona la siguiente lista de palabras con su equivalente en español. Recuerda tomar en cuenta el contexto.
1. lasting (eros) _____
2. caring (storge) _____
3. seeking (pragma) _____
4. feelings (pragma) _____
5. living (pragma) _____
6. bestowing (agape) _____
7. compared (eros) _____
8. related (ludus) _____
9. beloved (manic) _____
10. possessed (manic) _____
11. preached (agape) _____
a) comparado
b) otorgar
c) el ser amado
d) predicado
e) duraderas
f) cuidado, preocupación
g) buscar
h) poseído
i) relacionado
j) sentimientos
k) ganarse la vida
Erotic love focuses on beauty and physical attractiveness, sometimes to the exclusion of qualities you might consider more important and more lasting. The erotic lover has an idealized image of beauty that is unattainable in reality. Consequently, the erotic lover often feels unfulfilled. In defense of eros, however, it should be noted that both male and female eros lovers have the highest levels of reward and satisfaction when compared with all other types of lovers (Morrow, Clark, & Brock 1995).
LUDUS: ENTERTAINMENT AND EXCITEMENT
Ludus love is seen as fun, a game to be played. To the ludic lover, love is not to be taken too seriously; emotions are to be held in check lest they get out of hand and make trouble. Passions never rise to the point at which they get out of control. A ludic lover is self- controlled and consciously aware of the need to manage love rather than to allow it to control him or her. The ludic lover is manipulative and the extent of one’s ludic tendencies has been found to correlate with the use of verbal sexual coercion (Sarwer, Kalichman, Johnson, Early, et al. 1993). Ludic-oriented sexually coercive men also experience less hapiness, frienship, and trust in their relationships than do noncoercive men (Kalichman, Sarwer, Johnson, & Ali 1993). Ludic lover tendencies in women are likewise related to a dissatisfaction with life. (Yancey & Berglass 1991).
STORGE LOVE: PEACEFUL AND SLOW
Like ludus love, storge love lacks passion and intensity. Storgic lovers do not set out to find lovers but to establish a companion-like relationship with someone they know and with whom they can share interests and activities. Storgic love develops over a period of time rather than in one mad burst of passion. Sex in storgic relationships comes late, and when it comes it assumes no great importance. Storgic love is sometimes difficult to separate from friendship; it is often characterized by the same qualities that characterize friendship: mutual caring, compassion, respect, and concern for the other person.
PRAGMA: PRACTICAL AND TRADITIONAL
The pragma lover is practical and wants compatibility and a relationship in which important needs and desires will be satisfied. In its extreme, pragma may be seen in the person who writes down the qualities wanted in a mate and actively goes about seeking someone who matches up. The pragma lover is concerned with the social qualifications of a potential mate even more than personal qualities; family and background are extremely important to the pragma lover, who relies not so much on feelings as on logic. The pragma lover views love as a necessity–--or as a useful relationship---that makes the rest of life easier. The pragma lover therefore asks such questions about a potential mate as, “Will this person earn a good living?” “Can this person cook?” and “Will this person help me advance in my career?”
MANIC LOVE: ELATION AND DEPRESSION
The quality of mania that separates it from other types of love is the extremes of its highs and lows, its ups and downs. The manic lover loves intensely and at the same time worries intensely about and fears the loss of the love. With little provocation, for example, the manic lover may experience extreme jealousy. Manic love is obsessive; the manic lover has to possess the beloved completely---in all ways, at all times. In return, the manic lover wishes to be possessed, to be loved intensely. It seems almost as if the manic lover is driven to these extremes by some outside force or perhaps by some inner obsession that cannot be controlled.
AGAPE: COMPASSIONATE AND SELFLESS
Agape is a compassionate, egoless, self-giving love. Agape is nonrational and nondiscriminative. Agape creates value and virtue through love rather than bestowing love only on that which is valuable and virtuous. The agapic lover loves even people with whom he or she has no close ties. This lover loves the stranger on the road, and the fact that they will probably never meet again has nothing to do with it. Jesus, Buddha, and Gandhi practiced and preached this unqualified love. Agape is a spiritual love, offered without concern for personal reward or gain. The agapic lover loves without expecting that the love will be returned or reciprocated. For women, agape is the only love style positively related to their own life satisfaction (Yancy & Berglass 1991).
Observa los afijos de las siguientes palabras y con base en ello escribe el significado de cada una.
1. lover(s)
2. reality
3. compatibility
4. necessity
5. sensuality
6. relationship
7. friendship
8. actively
9. intensely
10. seriously
11. consciously
12. selfless
13. egoless
14. atractiveness
15. hapiness
16. nonrational
17. nondiscriminative
18. noncoercive
19. unqualified
20. unattainable
21. unfulfilled
22. dissatisfaction
Relaciona la siguiente lista de palabras con su equivalente en español. Recuerda tomar en cuenta el contexto.
1. lasting (eros) _____
2. caring (storge) _____
3. seeking (pragma) _____
4. feelings (pragma) _____
5. living (pragma) _____
6. bestowing (agape) _____
7. compared (eros) _____
8. related (ludus) _____
9. beloved (manic) _____
10. possessed (manic) _____
11. preached (agape) _____
a) comparado
b) otorgar
c) el ser amado
d) predicado
e) duraderas
f) cuidado, preocupación
g) buscar
h) poseído
i) relacionado
j) sentimientos
k) ganarse la vida
viernes, 24 de agosto de 2007
Afijos
TEACHING VOCABULARY IN COLOUR
Colours have a tremendous influence on human health and psyche. Lack or overabundance of certain colours can cause physical or emotional disorders. Exposure to colour vibrations is used in the treatment of a number of diseases and mental problems. The colour of the classroom walls, curtains or even the teacher’s clothes can either soothe or irritate students. Colour is also an important tool in visual thinking. It separates ideas so they can be seen more clearly; it stimulates creativity and aids the memory. Colour captures and directs attention. Even conventionally outlined notes can benefit from colour coding; maps, cluster maps, mandalas, and most expressive drawings are considerably more effective in colour (Williams 1983: 107). It is not unimportant, however, which colours we use to stimulate students. To benefit from using them, we should know what possible power they have over our students. Then, we will not expose learners to calming vibrations if we expect them to be active, or to intellectual vibrations if we expect them to use their imagination. According to Muths (1994) and Mertz (1995), the most commonly used colours have the following properties:Green symbolizes balance and agreement with nature and other people. It soothes the nervous system. It gives hope and peace of mind. It is said to be favoured by quiet, patient, open-minded traditionalists. Too much green, however, evokes sadness and hidden fears.
Blue is a calming and cooling colour. It is relaxing for the eyes and cheering for the mind. It promotes intellectual processes, that is why people who favour it are clever and industrious, but not always creative. They are exceptionally just, dutiful and loyal.
Yellow, when bright and sunny, reinforces the nervous system and helps in analytical studies. It symbolizes wisdom, shrewdness, ambition and intellectualism of the left brain. People who like yellow are happy optimists, but also critical thinkers, who will eagerly defend their views. They often lack creativity and imagination. Pale shades of yellow, on the other hand, mean unfavourable emotions like envy or a tendency to plotting and intrigue.
Black is the colour of mystery and the unknown. It protects people’s individualism and makes them seem more unusual and interesting. People who like black are profound explorers and original thinkers.
Orange symbolizes vitality, good humour and creative fantasy. It inspires and invigorates people who otherwise are apathetic, uninterested or depressed. It is favoured by sociable extroverts and those who need cheering up.
Red is the most exhilarating colour, which stimulates vivid emotions of the right brain. It promotes health, energy and interest. In some people, however, it may evoke aggression.
White stands for youth, cleanliness and naivety. People who like white strive for perfection. They are submissive idealists, whose dreams are difficult to fulfill.
Pink, if not overused, has a calming effect. It is a symbol of daydreaming and optimism. It is favoured by delicate people longing for a feeling of security.
It is significant that as many as 24% of all optimists opted for blue, which is a cheering colour, and 25% of pessimists preferred green, which could make them even more sad. Students were also asked how important colours were for them and what colours they favoured in their learning environment. Most of them claimed that they disliked brown, they found dirty-yellow or greenish rooms depressing, and that they considered white chalk and black board formal and uninspiring.
FORUM Vol 36 No 3, July - September 1998 Page 12
Predicción de contenido
Music on the Brain
Experts still dont know how and why tunes tickle our fancy—but new research offers intriguing clues
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
I IT’S HARD TO EXAGGERATE THE EFFECT music can have on the human brain. A mere snippet of song from the past can trigger memories as vivid as anything Proust experienced from the aroma of his petite madeleine. A tune can induce emotions ranging from unabashed joy to deep sorrow and can drive listeners into states of patriotic fervor or religious frenzy—to say nothing of its legendary ability to soothe the savage breast.
II Yet in spite of music's remarkable influence on the human psyche, scientists have spent little time attempting to understand why it possesses such potency."We tend to think of music as an art or a cultural attribute," notes Robert Zatorre, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, "but it is a complex human behavior that is as worthy of scientific study as any other."
III That's why Zatorre helped organize a conference, "The Biological Foundations of Music," sponsored last week by the New York Academy of Sciences, at which experts in disciplines ranging from neuroscience and neurology to brain imaging and psychology met to exchange notes about what's known—and, more important, what remains to be learned—in this small but growing field.
IV What seems clear is that the ability to experience and react to music is deeply embedded in the biology of the nervous system. While music tends to be processed mostly in the right hemisphere of the brain, no single set of cells is devoted to the task. Different networks of neurons are activated, depending on whether a person is listening to music or playing an instrument, and whether or not the music involves lyrics.
V Specific brain disorders can affect the perception of music in very specific ways. Experiments done on epileptics decades ago showed that stimulating certain areas of the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain awakened "musical memories"— vivid recreations of melodies that the patients had heard years earlier. Lesions in the temporal lobe can result in so-called musicogenic epilepsy, an extremely rare form of the disorder in which seizures are triggered by the sound of music. Autism offers an even greater puzzle. People with this condition are mentally deficient, yet most are proficient musicians; some are "musical savants" possessed of extraordinary talent.
VI The opposite is true of the less than 1% of the population who suffer from amusia, or true tone deafness. They literally cannot recognize a melody, let alone tell two of them apart, and they are incapable of repeating a song (although they think they are doing it correctly). Even simple, familiar tunes such as Frére Jacques and Happy Birthday are mystifying to amusics, but when the lyrics are spoken rather than sung, amusics are able to recognize the song immediately.
VII "This goes way beyond an inability to carry a tune," observes psychologist Isabelle Peretz of the University of Montreal. "They can't dance, and they can't tell the difference between consonance [harmony] and dissonance either. They all appear to have been born without the wiring necessary to process music." Intriguingly, people with amusia show no overt signs of brain damage or short-term-memory impairment, and magnetic-resonance-imaging scans of their brains look normal.
VIII There is evidently no way to help these unfortunate folks (though, admittedly, they don't know what they're missing). But for instrumentalists, at least, music can evidently trigger physical changes in the brain's wiring. By measuring faint magnetic fields emitted by the brains of professional musicians, a team led by Christo Pantev of the University of Muenster's Institute of Experimental Audiology in Germany has shown that intensive practice of an instrument leads to discernible enlargement of parts of the cerebral cortex, the layer of gray matter most closely associated with higher brain function.
IX As for music's emotional impact, there is some indication that music can affect levels of various hormones, including cortisol (involved in arousal and stress), testosterone (aggression and arousal) and oxytocin (nurturing behavior) as well as trigger release of the natural opiates known as endorphins. Using pet scanners, Zatorre has shown that the parts of the brain involved in processing emotion seem to light up with activity when a subject hears music.
X As tantalizing as these bits of research are, they barely begin to address the mysteries of music and the brain, including the deepest question of all: Why do we appreciate music? Did our musical ancestors have an evolutionary edge over their tin-eared fellows? Or is music, as M.I.T. neuro-scientist Steven Pinker asserts, just "auditory cheesecake," with no biological value? Given music's central role in most of our lives, it's time that scientists found the answers.
II Yet in spite of music's remarkable influence on the human psyche, scientists have spent little time attempting to understand why it possesses such potency."We tend to think of music as an art or a cultural attribute," notes Robert Zatorre, a neuroscientist at McGill University in Montreal, "but it is a complex human behavior that is as worthy of scientific study as any other."
III That's why Zatorre helped organize a conference, "The Biological Foundations of Music," sponsored last week by the New York Academy of Sciences, at which experts in disciplines ranging from neuroscience and neurology to brain imaging and psychology met to exchange notes about what's known—and, more important, what remains to be learned—in this small but growing field.
IV What seems clear is that the ability to experience and react to music is deeply embedded in the biology of the nervous system. While music tends to be processed mostly in the right hemisphere of the brain, no single set of cells is devoted to the task. Different networks of neurons are activated, depending on whether a person is listening to music or playing an instrument, and whether or not the music involves lyrics.
V Specific brain disorders can affect the perception of music in very specific ways. Experiments done on epileptics decades ago showed that stimulating certain areas of the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain awakened "musical memories"— vivid recreations of melodies that the patients had heard years earlier. Lesions in the temporal lobe can result in so-called musicogenic epilepsy, an extremely rare form of the disorder in which seizures are triggered by the sound of music. Autism offers an even greater puzzle. People with this condition are mentally deficient, yet most are proficient musicians; some are "musical savants" possessed of extraordinary talent.
VI The opposite is true of the less than 1% of the population who suffer from amusia, or true tone deafness. They literally cannot recognize a melody, let alone tell two of them apart, and they are incapable of repeating a song (although they think they are doing it correctly). Even simple, familiar tunes such as Frére Jacques and Happy Birthday are mystifying to amusics, but when the lyrics are spoken rather than sung, amusics are able to recognize the song immediately.
VII "This goes way beyond an inability to carry a tune," observes psychologist Isabelle Peretz of the University of Montreal. "They can't dance, and they can't tell the difference between consonance [harmony] and dissonance either. They all appear to have been born without the wiring necessary to process music." Intriguingly, people with amusia show no overt signs of brain damage or short-term-memory impairment, and magnetic-resonance-imaging scans of their brains look normal.
VIII There is evidently no way to help these unfortunate folks (though, admittedly, they don't know what they're missing). But for instrumentalists, at least, music can evidently trigger physical changes in the brain's wiring. By measuring faint magnetic fields emitted by the brains of professional musicians, a team led by Christo Pantev of the University of Muenster's Institute of Experimental Audiology in Germany has shown that intensive practice of an instrument leads to discernible enlargement of parts of the cerebral cortex, the layer of gray matter most closely associated with higher brain function.
IX As for music's emotional impact, there is some indication that music can affect levels of various hormones, including cortisol (involved in arousal and stress), testosterone (aggression and arousal) and oxytocin (nurturing behavior) as well as trigger release of the natural opiates known as endorphins. Using pet scanners, Zatorre has shown that the parts of the brain involved in processing emotion seem to light up with activity when a subject hears music.
X As tantalizing as these bits of research are, they barely begin to address the mysteries of music and the brain, including the deepest question of all: Why do we appreciate music? Did our musical ancestors have an evolutionary edge over their tin-eared fellows? Or is music, as M.I.T. neuro-scientist Steven Pinker asserts, just "auditory cheesecake," with no biological value? Given music's central role in most of our lives, it's time that scientists found the answers.
Reported by Andrea Dorfman/New York
Illustration for TIME by Seymour Chwast
Ejercicios
Escribe sobre cada línea el número de párrafo en el que se encuentra la siguiente información
a) Descripción de la amusia ______
b) Descripción de la forma en que reacciona el sistema nervioso ______
c) Efectos que puede tener la música ______
d) Enfermedades del cerebro que afectan la forma en que se percibe la música______
e) Hormonas que afecta la música ______
f) Lo que Christo Pantev dice acerca de tocar un instrumento ______
g) Opinión de Isabelle Peretz acerca de la amusia ______
h) Opinión de Robert Zatorre acerca de la música ______
i) Se organiza una conferencia acerca de las bases biológicas de la música______
Contesta lo siguiente de acuerdo con el contenido del texto
¿Qué efectos puede tener la música? _____________________________________________________________________________
¿Cuál es la opinión de Robert Zatorre? _____________________________________________________________________________
¿Cuáles enfermedades se dice que afectan la forma en que se percibe la música? ____________________________________________________________________
¿Qué es la amusia? _____________________________________________________________________________
¿Qué dice Christo Pantev sobre tocar un instrumento? _____________________________________________________________________________
¿Qué hormonas afecta la música? _____________________________________________________________________________
Reflexión
¿Por qué es importante hacer predicciones sobre el contenido de un texto? _____________________________________________________________________________
Menciona tres ejemplos de cuándo se utiliza la predicción además de la lectura. _____________________________________________________________________________
domingo, 19 de agosto de 2007
The Present Simple
Use do, does, don't or doesn't to complete the jokes:
1 What type of car .......... your dad drive?
> I .......... know the name, but it starts with a "P".
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . you ever have problems making up your mind?
That's strange, our car starts with a key.
> Well, yes and no.
3 Dad, .......... a dishwasher wash dishes?
> Yes, Billy. That's right.
And .......... a bus driver drive buses?
> Yes.
And .......... a weightlifter lift weights?
> Yes. Why all the questions?
Well, .......... a shoplifter lift shops?
4 What .......... ants take when they are ill?
> I .......... know.
ANTibiotics!
5 What .......... your father do for a living?
> As little as possible!
6 What .......... you clean your top teeth with?
> A toothbrush, of course.
And what .......... you clean your bottom with?
> The same.
Really! I use paper!
7 .......... you love me?
> Of course, darling.
But .......... you love me with all your heart?
> With all my heart, with all my liver, all my kidneys ...
8 .......... this train go to York?
> That's right, sir. Change at Leeds.
What! I want my change here. I'm not waiting until Leeds.
9 Mrs Smith .......... have soft and lovely hands like you, mummy. Why is that?
> Because our servants do all the housework!
10 Mum, .......... God go to the bathroom?
> No, son, why .......... you ask?
Well, every morning dad goes to the bathroom, knocks on the door and shouts, "Oh God! Are you still in there?"
1 What type of car .......... your dad drive?
> I .......... know the name, but it starts with a "P".
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . you ever have problems making up your mind?
That's strange, our car starts with a key.
> Well, yes and no.
3 Dad, .......... a dishwasher wash dishes?
> Yes, Billy. That's right.
And .......... a bus driver drive buses?
> Yes.
And .......... a weightlifter lift weights?
> Yes. Why all the questions?
Well, .......... a shoplifter lift shops?
4 What .......... ants take when they are ill?
> I .......... know.
ANTibiotics!
5 What .......... your father do for a living?
> As little as possible!
6 What .......... you clean your top teeth with?
> A toothbrush, of course.
And what .......... you clean your bottom with?
> The same.
Really! I use paper!
7 .......... you love me?
> Of course, darling.
But .......... you love me with all your heart?
> With all my heart, with all my liver, all my kidneys ...
8 .......... this train go to York?
> That's right, sir. Change at Leeds.
What! I want my change here. I'm not waiting until Leeds.
9 Mrs Smith .......... have soft and lovely hands like you, mummy. Why is that?
> Because our servants do all the housework!
10 Mum, .......... God go to the bathroom?
> No, son, why .......... you ask?
Well, every morning dad goes to the bathroom, knocks on the door and shouts, "Oh God! Are you still in there?"
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