PARA EL MIÉRCOLES 20 MAYO

SAYING GOODBYE AFTER 30 MONTHS?

Forget the traditional Valentine card message; love is not forever. In fact, for most people, it lasts no more than 30 months. After that, according to research on the nature of romance, couples have to choose between breaking up and deciding that they are easy enough with each other to stay together. The conclusions of Professor Cindy Hazan, Cornell University, based on 5,000 interviews across 37 cultures and medical tests on couples challenge the romantic ideal, suggesting instead that men and women are biologically and mentally predisposed to be “in love” for only 18-30 months. That is just long enough for a couple to meet, mate, and produce a child.

There is evidence that what we call love is created by a chemical cocktail in the brain. Some chemicals are registered together only during the initial stages of a relationship. But even the most ardent lovers develop a tolerance to the effects of these chemicals, as a drunk person becomes immune to a single glass of alcohol. Love becomes a habit, especially if there are children. The study also indicates that most men fall in love more quickly and easily than women and most relationships are terminated by women. This suggests that women are less addicted to the cocktail of love.

(A) COMPREHENSION (3 points)

a) CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER  (0.5 points per answer)

1) Professor Hazan’s conclusions were based on…

                a. Interviews       b. Surveys      c. Medical tests     d. A and C are correct

2) Love is created by….

a. a habit    b. a romance in our hearts          c. a chemical cocktail in our brains     d. alcohol

               

b) ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH PHRASES FROM THE TEXT. (0.5 points per answer)

3) All couples break up after 30 months.

4) Men and women always decide when to fall in love.

5) The cocktail of love is more effective if there are children.

6) Women fall in love more slowly than men.

(B) USE OF ENGLISH (4 points)

7) Find in the text the word which has the following definition: (0.25 points)

“that cannot be affected by a particular illness” (adjective)

8) Find in the text one opposite for COLD (adjective). (0.25 points)

9) Which word is not an ADVERB? (0.25 points)

QUICKLY FAST LONELY EASILY

10) Give an adjective with the same root as FORGET (verb) (line 1). (0.25 points)

11) Turn the following sentence into reported speech: (0.5 points)

The film star said: “I fell in love last summer.”

12) Turn the following sentence into the passive voice: (0.5 points)

Many adults are reading Harry Potter’s books.

13) Complete the following conditional sentence. (0.5 points)

If I had studied psychology …

14) Join the following sentences using a relative pronoun. Make changes if necessary. (0.5 points)

Van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime. His works are worth millions.

15)  The homeless man had ___________ to sleep (somewhere / nowhere / anywhere) (0.25 points)

16) She refused to say _____________ to the police (nothing / something / anything) (0.25 points)

17) Make a question: Jenny waits for me at the bus stop every morning  (0.5 points)

 (C) PRODUCTION (3 points)

WRITE A COMPOSITION (80-100 WORDS). CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS.

SPECIFY YOUR OPTION.

a) Different attitudes of men and women towards love.

b) Do you think your love will last longer than 30 months? Why?

          PASSIVE VOICE.- Change the following sentences:

a.    They add sugar to fruit in order to make jam.

b.    The tour guide showed us around the city.

c.    She paid the workers three months´salary when she closed down her business.

d.    The boss has offered him a rise for his hard work.

e.    Did you take the car to the garage yesterday?

f.     We will call you when your turn comes.

g.    My parents may give my brother the car for the first time tonight.

h.    Everyone in our school knows her well.

i.      They are going to redecorate the room.

j.      She didn´t tell anyone about the phone call.

Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning (conditionals):

a.    The runner twisted his ankle because he fell.

b.    Diana is always late for work because she wakes up late.

c.    We didn’t buy the house we wanted because it was too far from the city.

d.    Brenda doesn’t pass her driving because she’s always so nervous.

e.    We didn’t move to Paris last year and so I didn’t learn French.

Write the verbs in the correct tense:

A.   I closed the door quietly because he(try)...................................to sleep.

B.   How many times(she-call)....................................since he came to N.Y.?

C.   The children are filthy. Where (they-be).......................................?

D.   I’m going to bed. I(work)..........................................for hours and I am tired.

E.   Mary was cleaning the windscreen when she (notice)...................... a crack in the glass.

F.    I couldn’t open the office door because someone (lock).................it.

G.    I agree: I (not think)......................................you should apologize.

H.   When I phoned her she(do).........................................her homework.

I.      When I shouted they (jump)...........off the roof and (run)..........away.

J.    Don´t phone her just now. She (talk)................................to her boss.