SESSION 6: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 6: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES:

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are True (T) or False (F):

a. The new drug Optimism cures over a dozen common illnesses.

b. Optimism helps people with poor vision see light better in tunnels.

c. Over-optimism may have been a factor in the 2008 financial crisis.

d. Optimists paid little or no regard to negative predictions.

e. A scientist asked volunteers to think about 80 happy experiences.

f. Volunteers accurately assessed the chances of bad things happening.

g. The scientist said people disregarded warnings on cigarette packs.

h. The scientists said optimism can be a good way to reduce stress.

1.2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. discovered ........... a. because
2. optimistic ............ b. manage
3. deal with ............. c. examined
4. analyzed .............. d. scenarios
5. predictions ........... e. likelihood
6. situations ............. f. found
7. chances ............... g. probable
8. likely .................. h. hopeful
9. as ...................... i. stress
10. anxiety .............. j. forecasts

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from this article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. people who are too optimistic ............ a. the minds of optimists
2. see light at the ............................... b. information
3. a cause of the 2008 global .................. c. of cancer are low
4. analyzed brain scans to ..................... d. about the future
5. negative predictions were ignored in .... e. unpleasant to disastrous
6. negative situations ranging from .......... f. financial crisis
7. the chances of these situations ........... g. measure the activity
8. influenced by negative ..................... h. well-being
9. people think their chances ................ i. end of the tunnel
10. good for our health and .................. j. happening to them


1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:


MEASURE - TUNNEL - CAUSE - DISCOVERED - IGNORED - RISKINESS - FAULTY - DEAL

Scientists have (1) ____________ that people who are too optimistic about the future may have (2) “____________” brains. Their study, in the journal Nature Neuroscience, concluded that the reason many people always see light at the end of the (3) ____________ may be because of an inability to sensibly (4) ____________ with risk. They even say this over-optimism could have been a (5) ____________ of the 2008 global financial crisis, with bankers failing to accept or see the (6) ____________ of their investments. Report author Dr Tali Sharot of London’s University College analyzed brain scans to (7) ____________ the activity taking place in patients who were asked to think about their future. He found that negative predictions were (8) ____________ in the minds of optimists.

RATHER - DEVELOPING - CHANCES - SITUATIONS - VOLUNTEERS - BEING - DISASTROUS - INFLUENCED

In the study, Dr Sharot gave (9) ____________ 80 different negative situations ranging from unpleasant to (10) ____________. These included getting divorced, having your car stolen and (11) ____________ cancer. Many of the volunteers underestimated the chances of these (12) ____________ happening to them. Dr Sharot said: "The more optimistic we are, the less likely we are to be (13) ____________ by negative information about the future." He added: “Smoking kills messages don't work as people think their (14) ____________ of cancer are low. The divorce rate is 50%, but people don't think it's the same for them." He also said: “Seeing the glass as half full (15) ____________ than half empty can be a positive thing. It can lower stress and anxiety and be good for our health and well-(16) ____________.”