I. WORDS WE USE ABOUT OURSELVES AND OTHERS. STEREOTYPES 1.

Rearrange the words in the suitable order and you will get the definition of the stereotype: The stereotype is, an oversimplification, behaviour, of some observed, or appearance, or imagined trait of, commonly held, a fixed, based on, notion or image, of a person or group 2. Complete the following sentences with your own stereotypes and explain your choice: a. b. c. d. e. f. The Italians are . The Americans are ... The Germans are ... The English are ... The Chinese are ... The Swedes are ...

3. What are you own views on the qualities and the defects of Romanians? Choose: Hospitable Friendly Hardworking Intelligent Polite Honest Tolerant Talkative Patriotic Generous Disciplined Independent Selfish Tractable Aggressive Dishonest Thieves Lazy Superficial Passive Jealous Cowardly Narrow-minded Gullible

4. Complete the text with the following words: tomboy, distort, conform, adventurous, diversity, confirm, landmarks, illusion, creativity, attitudes, propagate, convictions. Certain mechanisms help (1) _____________ stereotypes. Sometimes, people (2) ___________ the image of reality so that they do not have to change their own (3) ______________. For instance, if we see a little girl clambering up a tree we prefer to think she is a (4) ____________, an exception, and that in general girls are less (5) ______________ than boys. We (6) ______________ to stereotypes ourselves, we employ them like points of reference that guide our behaviour and (7) ______________. Following what the stereotypes dictate, we (8) ____________ them, which helps maintain the (9) _______________ that they are based on reality. Stereotypes act like (10) ______________ of our daily life, allowing us to structure our perception of the world. Despite this useful aspect, the fact is that stereotypes restrict our perception of human (11) _______________. What is more, since they rigidly prescribe what people are supposed to be like, they stunt our development and (12) ______________. 5. Rearrange the words in their correct order to form the sentences. a) Scholars, a projection, fears, stereotypes, are, on others, of an individuals, argue that b) Racism, do not, from having, but from refusing, and xenophobia, prejudices, stem, to reject them, and stereotypes c) Prejudices, towards, directed, strangers, only, are d) In the, is, and inevitable, of stereotypes, of cases, automatic, the activation, the majority

e) Stereotyping, by the media, showing, can also be created, an incorrect, of a culture, judgment, or place II. GENDER STEREOTYPES 1. The text is about the Catholic Churchs view of the nature of women in society. The Vatican lists 6 typical characteristics of women. Which 6 of these 10 characteristics do you think it chose? 1. listening 2. organizing 3. competing 4. welcoming 5. humility 6. strength 7. intelligence 8. faithfulness 9. aggression

2. Now look in the first paragraph of the text and check your answers. A womans talent is to listen, says the Vatican John Hooper and Jo Revill in Rome Gender war encouraged a perilous blurring of the distinctions. "To avoid the domination of one sex or the other, their differences tend to be denied, The Vatican has depicted what it claims are viewed as mere effects of historical and cultural womens characteristic traits: "Listening, conditioning." Such a view ignored qualities that welcoming, humility, faithfulness, praise and arose from a woman's unique ability to give birth. waiting." In its most important statement on the role This "allows her to acquire maturity very quickly, of women in almost a decade, the Roman Catholic and gives a sense of the seriousness of life and of Church said these virtues of the Virgin Mary were its responsibilities. A sense and a respect for what is ones women displayed "with particular intensity concrete develop in her, opposed to abstractions and naturalness". which are so often fatal for the existence of The 37-page statement was written by the individuals and society". The cardinal uses the Pope's leading theologian, Cardinal Joseph document to argue that, because they have Ratzinger. As a statement of official doctrine, it something unique to contribute, "women should be would have been read, and very likely amended, by present in the world of work and in the organisation the Pope himself before publication. of society". The document, which will prompt a fierce The comments drew a mixed reaction from debate about the attributes of women, added: feminists and women writers. Erin Pizzey, founder "Although a certain type of feminist rhetoric makes of the international women's refuge movement, demands 'for ourselves', women preserve the deep said: "I don't think the Catholic Church, whose intuition of the goodness in their lives of those priests and bishops cannot marry, is in a position to actions that elicit life, and contribute to the growth make such statements." and protection [of others]. This intuition is linked to But Catherine Pepinster, editor of the women's physical capacity to give life. Whether British Catholic journal The Tablet, said the lived out or remaining potential, this capacity is a comments would resonate with many women. reality that structures the female personality in a "For feminists to rubbish it is a knee-jerk response. profound way." It does make a distinction between the sexes, but it In his Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic also points out that women have a big role to play Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in in society. the Church and in the World, Cardinal Ratzinger The Guardian Weekly 20-06-0 takes aim at "currents of thought that are often at variance with the authentic advancement of women". Chief among these is a tendency to "emphasise strongly conditions of subordination in order to give rise to antagonism". It implied that "women, in order to be themselves, must make themselves the adversaries of men". Such confrontational thinking was "leading to harmful confusion . . . which has its most immediate and lethal effects in the structure of the family".

3. Choose the best answer: 1. What does the document regard as the main influence on the female personality? a. A deep intuition of goodness. b. The physical capacity to give life. c. Being the adversaries of men. 2. What does the document regard as the source of harmful confusion? a. The idea that women must make themselves the adversaries of men. b. Confrontational thinking. c. The structure of the family. 3. What, according to the document, allows women to become mature very quickly? a. Gender war. b. Their ability to give birth. c. A sense of the seriousness of life. 4. Why, according to the cardinal, should women be present in the world of work? a. Because they are good organisers. b. Because they have the ability to give birth. c. Because they have something unique to contribute. 5. Why does the founder of the international womens refuge movement disagree with the document? a. Because she doesnt think Catholic priests are in a position to make statements about women. b. Because it does not make a distinction between the sexes. c. Because her reaction is simply a knee-jerk response. 4. What would be an appropriate title for the article? 5. Find a word in the text that means. a) attribute, feature, quality ___________ b) dogma, principles _________________ c) at odds __________________________ d) promotion, progress ________________ e) inferiority ________________________ f) opposition, aggression ______________ g) opponent, rival ____________________ h) dangerous ________________________ i) automatic _________________________ j) to dismiss _________________________ 6. Read the statements and put a number in the second column, in accordance with your opinion on the matter. 1 agree strongly, 2 agree, 3 it depends, 4 disagree, 5 Your Opinion disagree strongly Men are better drivers than women Girls usually mature more quickly than boys Women are inefficient in the business world because they tend to be too emotional Men and women are born with identical natural abilities Nature has given women so much power that the law has wisely given them little Men find it difficult to express their emotions except when their football team scores a goal If more women were in positions of power, there would be fewer wars in the world It is more important for women to take care of their appearance than it is for men Men are from Mars and women are from Venus

III. RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS 1. What do you know? Which of the following words

from the text do you associate with the Muslim religion, which with the Christian religion and which with the Jewish religion? headscarves Yom Kippur crosses skullcaps Eid

2. Key Vocabulary. Fill the gaps using these key words from the text: secular commission 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. neutrality outlaw (vb) conspicuous headscarf ombudsman absurd

If something is ____________________ , it is very noticeable or easy to see. France is a ____________________ country. In other words, there is no official state religion. If you ____________________ something, you prohibit it or make it illegal. A ____________________ is a piece of cloth that a woman or girl wears on her head and ties under her chin. ____________________ is behaviour that does not show strong feelings or opinions and, for example, does not support either side in a war or a disagreement. If something is ____________________, it is completely stupid. A ____________________ is a group of people who are officially asked to investigate something. An ____________________ is a person whose job is to deal with complaints made by people about official organisations.

3. Read the text and insert the words below in the gaps. a. separation e. conspicuous b. neutrality f. headscarves c. secularism g. French d. ombudsman h. school holidays

Muslim headscarves and other religious symbols are almost certain to be banned from French schools and public buildings after a special commission told the government recently that legislation was needed to defend the secular nature of the state. The 20-member group, appointed by President Jacques Chirac and headed by the national (1) ____, Bernard Stasi, recommended that all "(2)______" signs of religious belief including Jewish skullcaps, oversized Christian crosses and Islamic headscarves be outlawed in state-approved schools. The report, compiled after six months of study, also recommended that the laws should include a clause requiring "the strict (3)______ of all public service employees". Some Muslim women had reportedly been insisting that their husbands accompany them at all times in hospital and would accept only female doctors. The report said the legislation must remind all health service users that "it is forbidden to reject a healthcare worker, and that the rules of hygiene must be respected". In a gesture of respect to "all spiritual options, the report said the Jewish and Muslim holy days of Yom Kippur and Eid should be made official (4)_____, and companies should consider ways of allowing their employees to take off the religious holiday of their choice. Mr Chirac said that he favoured a law protecting France's secular republic, "I will be guided by republican principles and the demands of national unity and the solidarity of the French people," he said. The question of whether a "secularism law" is desirable or necessaryparticularly to deal with the increasing number of Muslim girls wanting to wear (5)_____ at school - may seem abstract, or even absurd, to those used to British or US notions of multiculturalism .In France, where (6)_______ is a constitutional guarantee and everyone, in the eyes of the republic, is supposed to be equally (7)______ regardless of ethnic or religious differences, the issue has dominated media and political debate for several months. Mr Stasi said the proposed law aimed to preserve constitutional secularism and counter "forces trying to destabilise the republic", a clear reference to Islamic fundamentalism. But he stressed that the law was not directed at the mainly moderate Muslim community of 5 million. "Muslims must understand that secularism is a chance for Islam," Mr Stasi said. "Secularism is the (8)______ of church and state, but it is also the respect of differences." The main teachers' union, the SNES, said that the proposals did not go far enough to promote secularism in schools. Kamal Kabtane, the head of the Grand Mosque of Lyon said Muslims would respect a law on headscarves but he added, This will resolve nothing at all. It will only add to the confusion. The Guardian Weekly 20 - 12 - 03, page 4 Jon Henley in Paris 4. Reading Comprehension. Choose the best answer: 1. The Stasi commission has recommended that the wearing of headscarves in French schools be banned because... a. they are conspicuous. b. they represent forces trying to destabilise the republic. c. the commission wants to defend the secular nature of the French state. 2. The commission recommended a clause requiring the strict neutrality of all public service employees because... a. they wanted to remind people that it is forbidden to reject a healthcare worker. b. some people only accept female doctors.

c. it took six months to compile the report. 3. The commission recommended the introduction of new public holidays... a. in order to allow workers to choose their holidays. b. as a gesture of respect to all religions. c. in order to ensure the strict neutrality of all public service employees. 4. The constitutional guarantee of secularism under French law means... a. that people cannot wear headscarves to school. b. that everyone is regarded as equally French whatever their religion or ethnic background. c. that the issue has dominated media and political debate for several months. 5. The main teachers union criticized the proposals because... a. they were too radical. b. they were not radical enough. c. they promoted secularism in schools. 5. From the information you have garnered, what would be an appropriate title for the article?

6. Vocabulary: words with similar meaning. Decide which word of the following groups is significantly different from the others and justify your choice. e.g. tradition habit anomaly custom

anomaly = strange or unusual aspect of a situation 1. 2. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. to ban password secular conspicuous to promote to oppress ombudsman to outlaw logo worldly prominent to sponsor to stress judge to sanction symbol sectarian preeminent to develop to underscore barrister to forbid sign profane obvious to obstruct to point out solicitor

7. Use the most appropriate word from exercise 6 (in the correct form) in each of the following sentences. More than one option may be possible at times. 1. 2. 3. 4. Smoking __________________ inside the laboratory. The new military regime ________________ strikes in the country. Ive been smoking for 10 years and now its really hard to break the _____________. The ______________ language in James Joyces Ulysses really shocked the world in the 1920s. 5. This country is __________________ in the field of genetic research. 6. You were really __________________ by your absence yesterday. 7. Evil witches are always depicted in fairytales as having a _________________ nose.

8. After her return from Africa, Janet _______________ an interest in pottery. 9. We are hard at work ____________________ the Christmas concert. 10. I _________________ to him where I used to live. 11. The case was brought before the ____________ who decided in the favour of the plaintiff. 8. Discussion What are the arguments for and against the wearing of religious symbols in public? Do you think that girls should be free to wear headscarves to school? IV. THE SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY AND ITS FACES 1.Some of the lines below are correct. Other have a word that should not be there. Tick each correct line or write the extra word in the box. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 What is psychology? It is a field of enquiry that is sometimes defined as so the science of the mind, sometimes as the science of behavior. It is concerned with a how and why organisms do what they do, why moths fly into the flame and sons rebel against their fathers, why we are remember how to ride a bike 20 years after the last try, why humans speak and make peace or war. All these are behaviours and psychology is the science that studies them. The phenomena it studies are extremely numerous. Some one border on biology, others touch on social sciences, such as is anthropology and sociology. This enormous range covered by psychology makes it a science of many a faces. Dreams are a perfect illustration of how psychology approaches a single case. A dream is a kind of nocturnal drama which can only be accessed by the falling asleep. It is usually a series of scenes, sometimes common, sometimes bizarre and disjointed, in which the a dreamer is often a participant. The events in the dream are generally experienced as real, so real that a Chinese sage wrote 2000 years ago: Once I dreamt I was a butterfly, flying around as freely. Suddenly I woke up. Now I dont know whether I am a man to dreaming I was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming I am a man.

2. Choose a suitable word for the blank spaces:

a) In order to address the ______________ Is psychology a science? it is important to understand the definitions of _____________ psychology and science. b) A new _______________ of thought developed as an alternative ___________ psychoanalysis. c) Behaviourists realized they could produce ___________ any response by ___________ an individuals environment. d) The counselor creates a warm ________________ in which the patient feels comfortable and willing to ____________. e) Some people claim that when we move from describing a ___________ behavior to explaining it, we ______________ move from science to opinion. 3. Rephrase the following sentences: a) Was it necessary for her to be seen by a psychiatrist? Did ____________________________________________________________? b) I dont remember many things from my early childhood. I have ____________________________________________________________. c) Have you finished reading the essay on American functionalism? Are _____________________________________________________________? d) For how long has he been studying clinical psychology? When ___________________________________________________________? e) A psychotherapist organized the conference. The ______________________________________________________________. 4. Agree or disagree with the following statement: Any particular event can be understood by looking at the basic elements that make it up. The whole is but the sum of its parts.

V. DREAMS DREAMS are thoughts, emotions and the images shaped by them, which are encountered when asleep. One has dreams during the rapid eye movement sleep (a state of sleep characterized by increased neuronal activity of the forebrain and midbrain, dreaming and rapid eye movements). Slow-wave sleep, on the other hand, is a state of deep, usually dreamless sleep that occurs regularly during a normal period of sleep. Various theories on dream interpretations exist but the real purpose of dreams is still unknown. Dreams are closely associated with the human

psychology. Research shows that during an average lifespan, a human being spends about six years in dreaming which is around two hours every night. Dreams are not about what they are about Sigmund Freud proposed that dreams are the means of one's expressions of his/her unconscious wishes. He said that bad dreams allow the brain to gain control over the feelings that are a result of distressful experiences. Carl Jung suggested that dreams compensate for one-sided feelings borne in consciousness. According to Ferenczi, a Hungarian psychoanalyst, a dream bears something that cannot be expressed outright. Some theories say that dreams involve one's repressed emotions that are fantasized during the sleep. Anyway, dreams speak in a deeply symbolic language. The unconscious mind tries to compare your dream to something else, which is similar. We only dream of what we know Hartmann believes that dreams give a person an opportunity to organize his/her thoughts. Blechner's theory of Oneiric Darwinism, which attributes the generation of new ideas to dreams, is quite supportive of Hartmann's analysis. Griffin, through his recent research has proposed the expectation fulfillment theory of dreaming, according to which dreaming completes patterns of emotional expectations. People also tend to have common themes in dreams, which are situations relating to school, being chased, running slowly/in place, sexual experiences, falling, arriving too late, a person now alive being dead, teeth falling out, flying, failing an examination, or a car accident. Match the following sleep disorders with their definitions: 1) Insomnia a) Performing different activities in a state of low consciousness 2) Onset insomnia b) Ceasing to breathe while asleep, waking up panicked, grasping for air 3) Maintenance insomnia c) Severe sleep disorder arising from different reasons, mainly the physiological states of anxiety and tension 4) Sleep apnea d) Having difficulty to fall asleep 5) Sleepwalking e) Rare disease, suddenly falling asleep during the day 6) Bruxism f) Involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth during sleep 7) Narcolepsy g) Waking up frequently during the night True/False: 1) Everybody dreams. 2) We forget 90% of our dreams. 3) Hypnosis is a state of sleep. 4) A full 12% of sighted people dream exclusively in black and white. 5) Insomnia cannot be treated.

Translate the following text: - Adic s cotrobi prin mintea mea? S m faci s spun orice despre mine? O s m pui s fac lucruri nostime, pe care nu le-a face dac a fi treaz? - Nu, niciuna dintre toate astea. - Dar o s m adormi, nu-i aa? - Cu riscul s te dezamgesc, nici asta nu o s se ntmple. Vei rmne treaz i n deplin control al persoanei tale. - Adic dac nu mai vreau, pot s m rdic i s spun Stop!? - Bineneles. La fel ca i n cazul altor tehnici pe care le-am utilizat mpreun, totul se desfoar doar dac vrei i att timp ct vrei. - Dar am vzut la televizor c - Ceea ce ai vzut a fost un show. Noi vom face hipnoterapie. Sunt convins c exist n mintea ta o sumedenie de ntrebri legate de hipnoz. Fii linitit, nainte de a ncepe o s rspund la ele i o s-i dau toate explicaiile pe care le doreti. Despre hipnoterapie (Radu Albota) VI. MEMORY/MEMORIES 1.Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence: involved, storage, encoding, three, and, essential, are, processes, retrieval, in, memory. claim, forgetting, forgetting, aging, or, brain damage, theories, of, that, occurs, result, as, a, trace, memory, of, the, decay of. memory, context, memories, flashbulb, an, are, example, of. may, lead, concussions, amnesia, to, head, in, which, injuries, or, a, patient, memories, loss, suffers, a, of. Erasing Our Memories: Scientific Breakthrough or Social Nightmare? by Nicholas Carr - October 28th, 2008, The Guardian Slowly but surely, scientists are getting closer to developing a drug that will allow people to eliminate unpleasant memories. The new issue of Neuron features a report from a group of Chinese scientists who were able to use a chemical - the protein alpha-CaM kinase II - to successfully erase memories from the minds of mice. The memory losses, report the authors, are not caused by disrupting the retrieval access to the stored information but are, rather, due to the active erasure of the stored memories. The erasure, moreover, is highly restricted to the memory being retrieved while leaving other memories intact. Therefore, our study reveals a molecular genetic paradigm through which a given memory, such as new or old fear memory, can be rapidly and specifically erased in a controlled and inducible manner in the brain. Technology Review provides further details on the study:

Researchers first put the mice in a chamber where the animals heard a tone, then followed up the tone with a mild shock. The resulting associations: the chamber is a very bad place, and the tone foretells miserable things. Then, a month later - enough time to ensure that the mices long-term memory had been consolidated - the researchers placed the animals in a totally different chamber, overexpressed the protein, and played the tone. The mice showed no fear of the shock-associated sound. But these same mice, when placed in the original shock chamber, showed a classic fear response. The chemical had, in effect, erased one part of the memory (the one associated with the tone recall) while leaving the other intact. Fiddling with mice brains is one thing, of course, and fiddling with human brains is another. But the experiment points to the possibility of the eventual development of a precise and quick method for manipulating peoples memories: The study is quite interesting from a number of points of view, says Mark Mayford, who studies the molecular basis of memory at the Scripps Research Institute, in La Jolla, CA. He notes that current treatments for memory extinction consist of very long-term therapy, in which patients are asked to recall fearful memories in safe situations, with the hope that the connection between the fear and the memory will gradually weaken. But people are very interested in devising a way where you could come up with a drug to expedite a way to do that, he says. That kind of treatment could change a memory by scrambling things up just in the neurons that are active during the specific act of the specific recollection. That would be a very powerful thing, Mayford says. Indeed. One can think of a whole range of applications, from the therapeutic to the cosmetic to the political. 1) Provide a synonym for all the words underlined.

2)

How do scientists actually manage to erase memories?

3) Think of some advantages and of some disadvantages if this process were applied to large groups of people.

4)

Would you erase any of your memories? Bring arguments for your answer.

Translate the following fragment: This is a memoir, but please understand that (to any writer with a good imagination) all memoirs are false. A fiction writers memory is an especially imperfect provider of detail: we can always imagine a

better detail than the one we can remember. The correct detail is rarely, exactly, what happened. Half my life is an act of revision; more than half the act is performed with small changes. Being a writer is a strenuous marriage between careful observation and just as carefully imagining the truths you havent had he opportunity to see. The rest is the necessary, strict toiling with the language; for me this means writing and rewriting the sentences until they sound as spontaneous as good conversation. John Irving, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed, p. 9

VII. DISORDERS 1. Choose the word that best completes the sentence and write it in the blank space: Mathematician John Griffith has estimated that, by the time the 1) __________ person dies, he/she will have stored 500 times as 2) __________ information as can be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica. In our own encyclopedia of memories, we could 3) __________ the meanings of thousands of words. The impressive capacity of human memory reveals a complex mental system. An explanation of this system begins 4) ____________ a look at the kind of information it can handle. In 5) ____________ hand does the statue of Liberty hold the torch? When was the last time you spent cash for something? What part of speech is used to modify a noun? The answer to the first question is likely to be an 6) ______. To answer the second you must 7) ____________ a particular event in your life. The third concerns general knowledge 8) ___________ to be tied to a specific event. Some theorists argue that answering each of these questions involves a different type of memory. No one is sure how many types of memory exist, but most 9) ____________ suggest that there are at least three basic types. Each is named for the type of 10) ____________ it handles: episodic, semantic and procedural memory. Any memory of a specific event that happened when one was present is an episodic memory. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10 ) average many require from where image resort possible researchers emotion disabled much include at whose wrong recall unlikely social workers stress treated vital adapt with which emotion remind likely teachers information supposed important withhold since what thought redeem probably doctors quantity

2. Match the following mental illnesses and disorders with their definitions:

Category 1) Schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders 2) Anxiety disorders 3) Mood disorders 4) Developmental disorders 5) Sexual and gender identity disorders 6) Eating disorders 7) Sleep disorders 8) Impulse control disorders 9) Personality disorders 10) Factitious disorders

Definition of specific disorders Are characterized by loss of contact with reality (hallucinations or delusions), serious disturbances of thought and perception, and bizarre behaviour. Are different forms of abnormal and pathological fears and anxieties, often including panic attacks. Represent abnormal changes in mood, quickly going from extreme depression to elation. Include deviations of personality from what is expected by society. Include abnormal sexual practices or discomfort with ones gender. Are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviour. Involve problems in the amount, quality or timing of sleep. Involve the failure to resist an impulse, drive or temptation. Occur at some stage in the childs development and include language and learning disorders. Are conditions in which a person acts as if he or she has an illness by deliberately producing, feigning, or exaggerating symptoms.

3. In which of the above categories would you include the following disorders: anorexia nervosa, insomnia, kleptomania, narcissism, pedophilia, manic depression, schizophrenia, claustrophobia, Munchausen syndrome, or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)? 4. Read the text entitled Imagined Ugly Syndrome and answer the questions below: Last month, stunning actress Uma Thurman surprised her fans when she confessed that she thinks shes fat and ugly! Ever since I had my babies Ive had the Body Dysmorphic Disorder. I see myself as fat, she told an interviewer. She has in fact felt insecure about her looks since her school days. I didnt fit in. I was a foot too tall, had one eye on each side of my head, an extremely large nose and big, thick lips in the middle. The Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Uma refers to is the medical term for Imagined Ugly Syndrome. This syndrome causes people normally thought of as being attractive, to look in the mirror and see faults in their faces and figures that no one else can see. People suffering from it become obsessed with these imaginary physical defects and will do anything to hide or change them. So, the BDD shares certain characteristics with eating disorders such as anorexia (an anorexic is someone convinced she / he is fat and won't accept any view to the contrary). Constant pressure from the media for people to conform to a particular idea of the perfect body shape or look has only helped to aggravate this problem, and we are seeing more and more people (particularly girls) resorting to unnecessary methods (such as plastic surgery) at a far younger age. The only way to treat this condition is through addressing its root cause. Whether this involves therapy or any other form of psychoanalysis is obviously dependent on the individual case. What it doesn't require is going under the knife time and time again. a) Why is it so important for people to be good-looking?

b) Have you ever had any insecurity concerning your looks? c) Do you think image is over-rated these days? d) If you had the BDD would you see a therapist?

5. Translate into English: Pete fusese toat viaa un cronic. Dei nu intrase n spital dect dup mplinirea vrstei de 50 de ani, toat viaa lui fusese un bolnav mintal cronic. Capul lui are dou crestturi mari, pe tmple, acolo unde mamoul care o asistase pe mama lui la natere, i ciupise easta ncercnd sl trag afar. Pete aruncase mai nti o privire afar, zrind toate sculele din sala de natere care l ateptau, i a priceput cam n ce lume urma s se nasc, aa c s-a aucat zdravn de tot ce-i era la ndemn acolo nuntru ca s scape de natere. Doctorul l-a apucat cu un clete teit pentru ghea, l-a smuls afar i a crezut c toate-s n regul. Numai c scfrlia lui Pete era nc prea crud, moale ca lutul, iar cnd s-a mai ntrit a rmas cu cele dou urme de clete ntiprite. i asta l-a fcut cam boble la cap, de-i trebuia un mare efort de voin i concentrare ca s ndeplineasc treburi simple i pentru un copil de ase ani1. VIII. HAPPINESS 1. Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text: drift off cognitive distracted wellbeing focused reminisce consistently anticipate random engaging

a) If you are .., you are not able to concentrate on something. b) If something happens , it happens regularly and in the same way. c) A persons . is the satisfactory state they should be in, especially as regards their health and security. d) If you are ..., you are concentrating on a particular aim and not wasting time or energy on other things. e) When you think and talk about enjoyable experiences in the past it is said you .. f) If a task is , it is interesting and keeps your attention. g) If you .. something, you think that it will probably happen. h) Something is . when it is chosen or it happens without any particular method, pattern or purpose.
1

Ken Kesey, Zbor deasupra unui cuib de cuci, Editura Univers, 1983

i) If you ., you either stop concentrating on something or you fall asleep. j) processes are those that are connected with recognizing and understanding things. 2. Decide whether the statements below are true (T) or false (F). Then check your answers by reading the text. a) People spend more than half their time thinking about something other than what they are actually doing. b) If your mind wanders, this will make you less happy. c) Being distracted is the cause of happiness. d) People are happiest when they are doing sports or are in a conversation. e) People are in a content state of mind when using a home computer. 3. Put the following phrases in the text: a) and what made them most happy; b) what they are actually doing; c) to reflect on the past and learn from it; d) made them less happy; e) to support the advice; f) failed to hold peoples attention; g) cognitive achievement; h) at random times; I) the lead author of the study; j) the cause of unhappiness. Living in the moment really does make people happier By Ian Sample, 11 November, 2010, adapted from The Guardian Psychologists have found that people are distracted from the task at hand nearly half of the time, and this daydreaming consistently makes them less happy. Happiness is found by living in the now, according to a major study into mental wellbeing. But the study also found that people spend nearly half their time (46, 7%) thinking about something other than (1) . The benefits of seizing the day are extolled by many philosophic and religious traditions, but until now there has been scant scientific evidence (2) Psychologists at Harvard University collected information on the daily activities, thoughts and feelings of 2,250 volunteers to find out how often they were focused on what they were doing, (3) . They found that people were happiest among other things when exercising or conversing, and least happy when working, resting or using a home computer. And although subjects minds were wandering nearly half of the time, this consistently (4) The team concluded that reminiscing, thinking ahead and daydreaming tend to make people more miserable, even when they are thinking about something pleasant. Even the most engaging tasks (5) . Volunteers admitted to thinking about something else at least 30% of the time while performing these tasks. Human beings have the unique ability to focus on things that arent happening right now. That allows them (6) ..; it allows them to anticipate and plan for the future; and it allows them to imagine things that might never occur, said Matthew Killingsworth, (7) At the same time, it seems that human beings often use this ability in ways that are not productive and, furthermore, can be destructive to our happiness, he added.

For the study, Killingsworth developed a web application for the iphone that contacted participants (8) during their waking hours. When they received a message, those taking part had to respond with information about what they were doing and how they rated that activity. The results showed that happiness was more affected by how often people drifted off than by the activity they were doing at the time. The researchers say theyre confident that being distracted was (9) rather than the other way around. The authors write in the Science journal: A human mind is a wandering mind and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a (10) that comes at an emotional cost. 4. Find the words and phrases in the text: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) gerund that means to fantasize verb that means to praise enthusiastically adjective meaning very little or not enough verb meaning to move around aimlessly verb meaning to take place or to exist a two-word expression meaning while you are not asleep an expression meaning vice-versa

5. Amy Bloom says that the Fundamentally Sound, Top Five Components of Happiness are: (1) Be in possession of the basics food, shelter, good health, safety. (2) Get enough sleep. (3) Have relationships that matter to you. (4) Take compassionate care of others and of yourself. (5) Have work or an interest that engages you. In your opinion, is there more to happiness than this? IX.

1984
1.Match the following terms from/connected to Orwells novel 1984 with their explanation: 1) Orwellian 2) Newspeak 3) Thought police 4) Big Brother 5) Doublethink 6) Ingsoc 7) Telescreen 8) Ministry of Truth 9) Dystopia 10) Crimethink a) uncover and punish crimethink b) falsifies historical events c) TV and security camera-like devices d) accepting 2 opposite beliefs e) describes a futuristic totalitarian state f) fictional, simplified language g) English socialism h) illegal thoughts i) tyrant, knows everything about everyone j) society controlled by a repressive state

2.How are concerns about privacy and freedom expressed in the novel manifesting in the contemporary world?

Foreword from Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares. But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions". In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right. 3.How is Huxleys society different from that described by Orwell? 4.Complete the sentences with the words you consider appropriate: a) b) c) d) e) Human nature is Tyranny is Civilization is Technology is The future is

5.Imagine the world a hundred years from now.

X. The Walls That Separate Us

The Great Wall of China- Chinese emperors began constructing it more than 2000 years ago to keep out Mongols and invaders. It is actually a series of walls, spanning about 6000 km through the northern part of the country. Border fence along the U.S.A.-Mexico border- At the very western edge of the U.S.-Mexico border, there used to be a small plaza between San Diego and Tijuana called Friendship Park. This was one of the few places on the border where people from Mexico and the U.S.A. could meet and talk across the frontier. Under George W. Bush, the Department of Homeland Security started installing a secondary fence (besides the existing pedestrian barrier), essentially creating a no man's land where Friendship Park once stood. Almost 1000 km of fence went up until President Obama canceled plans to extend it. The Berlin Wall- the barrier surrounding West Berlin was built in 1961 to stem the flood of refugees from communist-controlled East Berlin to U.S., British and French zones of the city. The 140 km of barbed wire, barricade and concrete wall included guard towers and circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches.

unqualified good news. relatives who had been separated for decades.

But not tonight.

on a tiny dance floor barrier swing up, and the gates open.

dreams were coming true the death strip

The night the Berlin Wall fell At first East Berlin's wide cobbled streets were their usual empty selves. But after a few miles, we were caught up in a vortex of hurrying people. By car, foot and on bicycles they were rushing forward. Soon the street was so jammed we abandoned our car on the roadside and ran the last half mile with everybody else. We arrived just in time to see the 1)_____________________________________________. The excited crowd surged through - brushing aside the guards in green uniform who for years had threatened to shoot down anyone trying to cross to the West. 2) ___________________________. Nobody knew who would be in charge tomorrow, and the guards were not about to challenge the authority of the tens of thousands out in the streets. One family had suitcases and children. They were getting away while the going was good. Others celebratory and curious - were going as tourists to see a world long denied them. Waiting for them were free buses to the Kurfurstendamm - West Berlin's main boulevard - and even families searching for, and sometimes finding, 3) ______________________________________. After watching the tears and the hugs, and sampling the champagne that was being freely poured, we slipped back into the East and went to the Brandenburg Gate. Even at this stage it was still and isolated, with a ring of armed guards surrounding it, as though they feared the people would pick it up and carry it away. But around me more and more East Berliners were gathering and looking across what was known as 4) ________________________________ - the open ground in front of the Gate where guards could fire at anyone who approached. And then spontaneously - emboldened by group courage - everyone started walking forward. We went slowly at first while the guards backed away behind the Gate. Then as they slipped like ghosts into the darkness, we rushed forward and clambered up onto the wall itself. The wall here was about 2m tall, with a flat surface on top. Somehow we all scrambled up and crowded together like revelers 5) ___________________________________. A day before, we would have been shot for being here - now people were knocking off pieces to take home as a souvenir of an unforgettable night. For me it was that rare occasion when a story was 6) ____________________________. After years watching the way communism was practised, I felt no need to mourn its collapse. Whatever came next had to be better. Just as I finished describing the scene to the camera, I heard somebody behind me say: "I want to be an astronaut." And why not - it was the night when 7) ________________________________. Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8347695.stm, Published: 2009/11/09

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What were the reporters first impressions of Berlin on that day? What was the guards reaction? Why? Were people crossing to the West or to the East? Why were the people crossing to the other side? What happened at the Brandenburg Gate? Which side was the Gate on? Why do we build walls? 7. What does freedom mean to you?

XI.

QUOTING, REPORTING AND INTERPRETING A. Referring directly to other peoples words: to quote, to paraphrase, in the words of, as has it, according to, once wrote. _____________ the Chancellor, a tax increase is unavoidable. _____________ Shakespeare, All the worlds a stage. _____________ Julius Caesar: I came, I saw, I conquered. _______the Prime Minister _________, Things can only get better. Beckett ___________ that people were bloody ignorant apes. _____________ Abraham Lincoln, were not all idiots all the time. B. Casting doubt on what people have said: If Julian Assange is to be believed, Wikileaks is doing an ethical thing. I gather / I understand / I hearJulian Assange is constantly harassed. Julian Assange is supposed to be in danger. Theres a rumour going around (town) that his loyalists are abandoning him. The word is thatAssangewill post more secret documents on the Iraq war.. C. Verbs that indicate a persons attitude: state (categorically); (utterly) repudiate; (proudly) proclaim; (rightly) remark; (strongly) support; (totally) agree; (fully) understand; (greatly) appreciate INTENSIFYING AND EMPHASISING A. Powerful adjectives: It cost a lot. CAN BECOME: The price was exorbitant / extortionate / astronomical. Its a big problem. CAN BECOME: Its a vast / colossal / huge problem. B. Collocation- a number of intensifying adjectives close to the meaning of complete, collocate with particular nouns but not with others: unshakeable, sheer, unmitigated, eternal, utter, comprehensive - an________ optimist; a ____________ defeat;________ stupidity; _______madness;____________ faith; an ___________ disaster C. Adverbs of degree: adverb-adjective combinations are common to give emphasis: absolutely ridiculous totally wrong plain stupid dead right extremely expensive LINKING WORDS / TRANSITIONS BETWEEN SENTENCES OR PARAGRAPHS ADDITION: in addition, furthermore, moreover, besides, further, also, too, similarly, again, and, equally important, first, second, finally, still

COMPARISON: likewise, similarly, also, in the same way CONTRAST: in contrast, on the contrary, yet, however, still, nevertheless, on the other hand, instead, in spite of, at the same time, otherwise, regardless, although, even so, even though EXAMPLE OR ILLUSTRATION: for example, for instance, to illustrate, thus, in this manner, in particular, in fact, in other words, in short, it is true, of course, namely, that is, truly, specifically, after all REPETITION: in other words, that is, to repeat, again, to be exact, to be specific, to be precise, more specifically, more precisely TIME SEQUENCE: at once, suddenly, at length, immediately, at last, meanwhile, in the meantime, now, presently, at the same time, shortly, in the end, temporarily, thereafter, after a while, afterwards, again, also, and then, as long as, at that time, before, earlier, eventually, finally, lately, recently, next, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, still, until, when SUMMARY: all in all, altogether, as has been said, in brief, in other words, in conclusion, in particular, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore, to put it differently, to summarize EMPHASIS: indeed, certainly, in fact, of course CAUSE AND EFFECT: as a result, for this reason, therefore, hence, consequently, accordingly CONCLUSION: to conclude, to sum up, in summary, in brief, on the whole, finally