1 CHEMEN

VOCABULARY: PASSAGES
BATTLE OF THE SEXES
SUMMARY
1: Julia is a 34-year-old actress who lives in a large house in London and has 3 boys but would like to
have the baby girl she always “longed for”. She lives in a country where this is not allowed and she is not
even going to tell her GP (general practitioner) so she is going to travel to Naples. She wants a girl
because she is very much into fashion and wants someone to follow her steps. The treatment is
expensive, but she can afford it. She has a nanny to help her around the house and lend her a hand. The
method is called “pre-implantation diagnosis”: doctors remove a single cell and make millions of
photocopies of its genetic material by a process called Polymerase Chain Reaction which makes it
possible to know if it’s a boy or a girl. She believes that many would criticize her because people are at
odds about the treatment. Babies could become spoiled if they don’t have another one because they all
dote on him so much. She wonders if she is pushing her luck by fiddling around with nature.

The title is misleading/confusing because we would think that it is about the eternal struggle of men vs
women but in fact it’s another battle that is fought inside Julia’s womb.

Is it morally/ethically right or wrong to choose the sex of your baby? It raises medical concerns and legal
issues. There have been other medical advances with cloning the human genome to cure some diseases,
so we can use medicine and science to improve the quality of life. But it is not heard from of people
choosing the sex. Should we manipulate nature to serve our needs? There is also a religious issue:
people would say that we have no right to decide on people’s lives.

2: Julia is an actress who has three boys and wants to go through a process to get pregnant where she is
able to choose the sex of the baby. This raises the issue of whether it is wrong or right, moral and ethical
to choose the sex of the baby. This is not just a moral issue; it is also a medical and legal concern,
because we have never had anyone who wanted to choose a baby’s sex before.

The passage explains how the embryos of the unwanted sex go down the drain. She wants a baby girl in
order to be into fashion and because she wants other people to follow her steps. Although the
treatment is very expensive, she is able to afford it and she has even a nanny who will lend her a hand.

This also raises religious and environmental issues. Because she wonders if she is pushing her luck by
fiddling around with nature and manipulating it. And many religious people would think this is wrong, as
they believe that only God can decided upon life and death.

VOCABULARY
TO LONG FOR STH (PHRASAL VERB): Want something eagerly, yearn (anhelar, ansiar).  “She is
carrying the baby girl they have always longed for.”

TEST-TUBE: In vitro.  “The new technique, which makes this possible, is based on existing test-tube
technology.”

TO LEND SOMEONE A HAND (IDIOM): Help.  “She has a nanny that will lend her a hand.”

TO GO DOWN THE DRAIN: To be wastefully discarded.  “The embryos that contain the genes of the
opposite sex go down the drain.”

PRE-IMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS: The use of genetic analysis in the course of vitro fertilization.
 “Then, using a method known as pre-implantation diagnosis, doctors remove the single cell and
make millions of ‘photocopies’ of the genetic material in that cell, by a process known as Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR).”
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STRAIN: Something that makes you feel nervous, stressed and worried.  “A nanny who helps to make
a large family a lot less of a strain.”

TO DOTE ON SOMEONE (PHRASAL VERB): To give a lot of love and attention to somebody (consentir,
mimar).  “The baby could easily become very spoilt because we all dote on him so much.”

TO BE INTO STH: Enjoy, like.  “I am really into clothes and dressing up.”

WATCHDOG: Person or organisation that protects against illegal or unethical practices.  “The test-tube
watchdog body in Britain has refused to license embryo sex selection for purely social reasons.”

TO FIDDLE AROUND WITH STH (IDIOM): To play with something, alter or adjust something unhelpfully.
 “I’m pushing my luck by fiddling around with nature.”

TO APPROACH SOMEONE ABOUT STH: Ask somebody something, often in a cautious way.  “My GP
was most disapproving when I approached him about it.”

GP: General Practitioner (doctor).  “My GP was most disapproving when I approached him about it.”

ALL-CONSUMING: Taking almost all of your attention and time.  “(…) if you already have a large
number of children of the opposite sex can be all-consuming.”

HI MOM, HI DAD. AT THE BEEP, LEAVE A MESSAGE

SUMMARY
1: Eternal struggle between parents’ desire to keep tabs on their children and teenagers desire for
freedom. The focus is on electronic devices. Some consider that these are means of liberation and
others think they're control tools. Pagers and cell phones sometimes make it easier for parents to exert
control over the kids as if they were kept on a dog leash. Some have established a code system to easily
convey the urgency of each page. Others try to beat the system by keeping their device secret or turn
them off, although this last option does not give enough time to come up with a plausible alibi before
answering a call, as opposed to a pager. Psychology professors claimed that electronic devices can be
beneficial to both parties, giving teenagers more freedom and helping working parents get ahold of and
keep track of their kids which makes them feel calm about their whereabouts, especially for latchkey
children. This issue can be very anxiety inducing, as it can become overwhelming for kids.

2: With the appearance of pagers and cellphones, parents are able to keep a close track of their
children. The result of this is a perennial struggle between parents’ desire to know what their teenagers
are doing and the teenagers desire to have their parents back off.

In this passage, some teenagers shared their experience with these devices. Most of them claimed to be
uncomfortable with their parents’ attitude, as they tend to use cellphones to exert control over their
kids. They’d rather feel free while talking to their friends instead of feeling overwhelmed and cramped.

Therefore, many of them tried to beat the system and keep their parents at arm’s length by turning off
their devices and telling white lies. But it was reported that parents’ anxiety levels rise when their
children lose their device.

Others reached an agreement by which their parents could only page them if something important
came up, and not just on whims. A couple of teenagers thought that this kind of devices felt like a leash
and therefore refused to own them.

Only one of them, called Ali, claimed to be happy with the agreement she had reached with her parents,
since it helped them to loosen up a lot and get ahold of her when she was far away.
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The article also shows that switching to cell phones might not get people enthusiastic about it. A
cellphone has to be answered immediately, which makes it difficult to think up an alibi when teenagers
don’t want their parents to know what they are doing.

Psychology professor Steinberg claimed that electronic devices can be beneficial for both parents and
teenagers, giving teenagers more freedom and helping working parents who have different schedules
keep track of their kids. He stated that some years ago, working parents tended to feel uptight and
anxious about their kids’ whereabouts, especially in the case of latchkey children. Nowadays, this
technology has made it easier for working parents to stay in touch with their kids, which is definitely a
win-win-win situation.

3: “Parental Communication through Technology: necessarily useful or a nightmare to teenagers?”

Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad is an article which discusses communication between teenagers and their parents
through pagers, an electronic device that benefit both by giving teenagers more freedom and helping
parents keep track of their kids. Yet teenagers see this as a threat to their privacy, resulting in a struggle
between parents’ desire to know their children’s whereabouts and the teenagers’ desire to have their
parents leave them alone.

VOCABULARY
CHAPERONE: An older person, especially a woman, who stays with and takes care of a younger woman
who is not married when she is in public.  “Not since the times of chaperones (…)”

TO KEEP TABS ON STH/SB (EXPRESSION): To watch something or someone carefully. “(...) such a direct
means of keeping tabs on children.” / “Good, that is, if you can keep tabs on the pager itself.”

TO KEEP TRACK OF (EXPRESSION): To make certain that you know what is happening or has happened
to somebody or something.  “(…) many parents have bought pagers to help them keep track of their
teenagers, (…).”

PAGER: A small device that you carry or wear that moves or makes a noise to tell you that someone
wants you to contact them.  “In recent years, many parents have bought pagers and cell phones to
help them keep track of their teenagers, (...).”

PERENNIAL: Lasting very long, happening repeatedly or all the time.  “A result is a new balance in the
perennial struggle between parents’ desire to know what their teenagers are doing (…).”

TO BACK OFF: To stop being involved in a situation.  “(…) and the teenagers’ desire to have their
parents back off.”

TO EXERT CONTROL: To use influence, authority or power in order to affect or achieve something. 
“(...) their parents can exert control.”

TO SUMMON: To order someone to come or be present at a particular place, or to officially arrange a

meeting of people.  “Annoyed at constantly being summoned, (…).”

TO BEAT THE SYSTEM (IDIOM): To achieve what you want by breaking rules or by finding clever ways of
working within them.  “(…) they find ways to beat the system.”

TO HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS (EXPRESSION): To change your opinion about something or start to doubt
it.  “(…) she is having second thoughts.”

AFFLUENT: Wealthy, having a lot of money or owning a lot of things.  “(...) an affluent community
north of San Francisco (...).”

TO GO TO EXTREME LENGHTS: To make a great or extreme effort to achieve something.  “Other

teenagers have gone to more extreme lengths to keep their parents out of their social life.”
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TO KEEP SOMEBODY AT ARM’S REACH: To avoid being very close to or friendly with someone.  “They
kept their parents at arm’s reach by doing things like turning off their cellphones or telling white lies.”

WHITE LIE (EXPRESSION): A harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone’s
feelings.  “(…) like turning off their cellphones or telling white lies.”

TO THINK UP (PHRASAL VERB): Use one’s ingenuity to invent or devise something.  “I think up lies.”

PLAUSIBLE: Seeming likely to be true or believed, reasonable or probable.  “(…) to think up a plausible
alibi (…).”

ALIBI: An excuse for sth bad or for a failure.  “(…) to think up a plausible alibi before speaking (…).”

TO FINE-TUNE: To make very small changes to something in order to make it work as well as possible. 
“Receiving a page gives them ample time to fine-tune a story before calling back.”

CRAMPED: Not having enough space or time. Small and crowded: not having room to move freely. 
“(…) feel kind of overwhelmed and cramped, like my personal space is being invaded.”

OVERWHELMED: To affect someone’s emotions in a very powerful way.  “(…) life with a pager made
her ‘feel kind of overwhelmed and cramped (…).’”

(EVERY) ONCE IN A WHILE (EXPRESSION): Occasionally, sometimes but not often.  “Every once in a
while, if she calls home and (…).”

ON A WHIM/ON WHIMS (EXPRESSION): A whim is a wish to do or have something which seems to have
no serious reason or purpose behind it, and often occurs suddenly. Because of a sudden decision, desire
(por capricho).  “My mom doesn’t page me on whims.”

DEAN: (UK) An official in a college, especially the head of faculty, or one in charge of students, etc. (US)
Someone among a group of people who has worked the longest in the particular job or activity they
share, and who is their unofficial leader.  “(...) Ray Cordoba, a dean of students, estimates (...).”

TO CONVEY: To express a thought, feeling or idea. To communicate.  “Maura and her mother also
have codes to convey the urgency of the page.”

TO STAND FOR STH (PHRASAL VERB): If a letter or group of letters stands for something, it is an
abbreviation of a word or phrase.  “Each number stands for a letter or combination of letters.”

TO GET AWAY WITH (PHRASAL VERB): To escape/succeed in avoiding blame or punishment for
something.  “Lots of kids get away with it, (…).”

PLOY: Something (plan, strategy) that is done or said in order to get an advantage, often dishonestly. 
“That may prove to be a short-lived ploy.”

BUILT-IN: (Only before a noun): included, made or designed as part of something.  “(…) as wireless
devices with built-in [GPS] trackers (…).”

TO LOOSEN UP: To relax, especially after being nervous.  “It has actually helped my parents loosen up
a lot, (…).”

TO GET AHOLD OF SOMEONE: To communicate with someone by phone.  “They can always get ahold
of me.”

IN-LOCO-PARENTIS (EXPRESSION): Being responsible for a child while his/her parents are absent (e.g.:
while children are in school, teachers are legally in-loco-parentis)  “Some teenagers are unwilling to
carry around any kind of in-loco-parentis technology.”

LEASH: A piece of rope, chain, etc. tied to an animal, especially to a dog at its collar when taking it for a
walk.  “It’s a leash at this age.”
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TETHERED: Tied to a post or fixed to the ground with a rope or chain.  “Kids have always felt kind of
tethered (…).”

AT THE END OF YOUR TETHER: Having no strength or patience left.  “By six o'clock after a busy day
I'm at the end of my tether.”

LATCHKEY CHILD: A child who has a key to his or her home and is often alone at home after school has
finished for the day because his or her parents are out at work.  “Professor Steinberg said that in
research on latchkey children, (...).”

ABSENT-MINDED: Someone who is absent-minded often forgets things or does not pay attention to
what is happening near them because they are thinking about other things.  “Pagers are small, and
teenagers are famously absent-minded.”

DASHBOARD: The part of a car that contains some of the controls used for driving and the devices for
measuring speed and distance.  “Pagers are routinely swept under beds, left on hot dashboards, (...).”

WHEREABOUTS: The place where a person or thing is (paradero).  “The uncertainty of the pagers
whereabouts raises the anxiety level a notch or two, (…).”

NOTCH: A point or degree in a scale.  “(...) raises the anxiety level a notch or two, (...).”

UPTIGHT: Worried or nervous and not able to relax.  “If she's not wearing the pager and I page her
several times, I get more uptight and anxious.”

SLEEP
SUMMARY
1: We can’t get by without sleep. There are many benefits of getting a good night’s sleep and many
drawbacks of going without it. Scientists reckon that by resting our bodies, we allow time for essential
maintenance work to be done. If you are ill, you feel drowsy and need sleep to repair the damage.
Chemicals that control sleep build up during the day, eventually reaching levels that make us tired. We
can control them to some extent with caffeine or medicine.

Scientists study what is going on in people’s heads while they sleep by using electrodes. When we first
drop off our heart beats more slowly and breathing becomes shallow. After 90 minutes our eyes begin
to twitch, and we go into REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) and we start to dream.

Different theories as to why we dream:

1) It gives the brain a chance to sort out the activities of the day filing everything away.
2) The brain gets bored and organizes its own entertainment.

Some side effects of not getting enough sleep can be hallucinations or depression. A DJ spent awake
more than 200 hours for charity to raise money and he started seeing things bursting into flames. A
siesta can be very beneficial to have during the day. Airline pilots have a nap to be more awake for the
tricky business of landing.

2: Most scientists reckon that humans need sleep so that the damage which their bodies suffered during
the day can be put right. While we sleep, as energy isn’t being used up doing other things, the wounds
heal rapidly. This is the reason why some illnesses make us feel drowsy.

Sleep is controlled by certain chemicals which build up when we are awake and can be controlled by us
to some extent.
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Researchers have discovered that when we drop off, the heartbeats slow down and the breathing
becomes shallow. After 90 minutes, our eyes start to twitch and we finally reach REM sleep (Rapid Eye
Movement), and that is the sign that we have started to dream.

We dream every single time we sleep, even if we don’t remember it. One of the theories about why we
do it is that the brain tries to sort out the day’s activities. Another theory is that it gets bored and it
manages to organise its own entertainment. Some people need eight hours of sleep, while others
manage on a lot less. However, we all need some sleep and going without it can have strange effects,
like thinking everything around us is bursting into flames.

Also, taking a nap can be beneficial for us. In fact, it has been recommended that airplane pilots should
take one during long flights so that they are more alert for the tricky business of landing. So, when we
nod off after lunch, we will know science is on our side.

3: The text breaks down the concept of “sleeping”, how our bodies produce certain chemicals that build
up during the day, that end up making us feel tired, so we eventually fall asleep.

1) Scientists have shown that by resting our bodies, we can use our energy to fix any damage that
we may have, instead of using it for other things.
2) The Rapid Eye Movement (REM) concept refers to one of the five stages that our brain goes
through when we are sleeping. This particular one is known to be the one where most dreams
occur.
3) We dream every night, even though we don’t always remember it. Why we dream, on the
other hand, is still a mystery. Some theories say that we do so to sort out the day’s activities, or
because the brain gets bored.
4) We all need some sleep, and the lack of it can have very strange effects. The text mentions the
case of a DJ who went 200 hours without sleeping for charity. He ended up having
hallucinations, and depression for the next 3 months.
5) Humans have unusual schedules when it comes to sleeping. Animals usually have a sleep during
the day, and studies have shown that doing so can be beneficial for us too.

4: This passage describes:

1) The process of sleeping and how it can benefit you. For example, an injury can be put right
more quickly if we rest or to give the brain a chance to sort out the main activities of the day
while we dream.
2) The effects not sleeping can have on you. For instance, if you stay up too much it can lead to
depression, which is what happened to the DJ.

VOCABULARY
KIP (UK INFORMAL): Sleep, especially in a place that is not your home.  “Kip, nap, doze, forty winks,
shut-eye and snooze are all expressions we use to describe that mysterious state, sleep.”

NAP: A short sleep, especially during the day.  “Kip, nap, doze, forty winks, shut-eye and snooze are all
expressions we use to describe that mysterious state, sleep.”

DOZE (MAINLY UK): A short sleep, especially during the day.  “Kip, nap, doze, forty winks, shut-eye
and snooze are all expressions we use to describe that mysterious state, sleep.”

FORTY WINKS (UK INFORMAL): A short sleep during the day.  “Kip, nap, doze, forty winks, shut-eye
and snooze are all expressions we use to describe that mysterious state, sleep.”

SHUT-EYE (INFORMAL – OLD FASHIONED IN UK): Sleep.  “Kip, nap, doze, forty winks, shut-eye and
snooze are all expressions we use to describe that mysterious state, sleep.”
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SNOOZE (INFORMAL): A short, light sleep, especially somewhere other than in your bed.  “Kip, nap,
doze, forty winks, shut-eye and snooze are all expressions we use to describe that mysterious state,
sleep.”

TO RECKON: To consider or have the opinion that something is as stated.  “Most scientists reckon that
by resting our bodies, (…).”

TO PUT RIGHT: To make a situation better.  “Any damage that there is can be put right more quickly
(…).”

ASLEEP/TO FALL ASLEEP: Sleeping or not awake. / To start to sleep.  “Injured animals certainly spend
more time asleep (…).”

DROWSY: Being in a state between sleeping and being awake.  “And quite a few illnesses make us feel
drowsy (…).”

CHEMICAL: Any basic substance that is used in or produced by a reaction involving changes to atoms or
molecule.  “Sleep is controlled by certain chemicals.”

AWAKE: Not sleeping.  “Caffeine helps to keep us awake (…).”

SLEEPY: Tired and wanting to sleep.  “(…) while alcohol and some medicines make us sleepy.”

SHALLOW (BREATHING): The drawing of minimal breath into the lungs.  “The heart beats more slowly
and our breathing becomes shallow.”

TO TWITCH: To make a sudden small, usually unintentional, movement of a part of the body.  “After
about 90 minutes our eyes start to twitch (…).”

REM: Abbreviation for Rapid Eye Movement: quick movements of the eyes that happen at certain times
while you are sleeping and dreaming.  “(…) and we go into what is called REM sleep.”

TO RAISE: To cause something to increase or become bigger, better, higher.  “(..) who stayed awake
for 200 hours to raise money for charity, (…).”

ORDEAL: A very unpleasant and painful or difficult experience.  “He survived the ordeal but was
depressed for three months afterwards.”

TO BURST INTO FLAMES (EXPRESSION): To suddenly burn strongly, producing a lot of flames.  “(…)
thought things were bursting into flames all around him (…).”

TRICKY BUSINESS (PHRASE): Something that involves risk or the chance of failure.  “(…) so that they
are more alert for the tricky business of landing.”

TO GET BY (PHRASAL VERB): To be able to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, usually by having
just enough of something you need.  “(…) we can’t get by without it (…).”

TO USE UP (PHRASAL VERB): To finish a supply of something.  “(…) if energy isn’t being used up doing
other things.”

TO GET ON WITH STH (PHRASAL VERB): To start or continue doing something, especially work.  “(…)
so our body can get on with curing us.”

TO BUILD UP (PHRASAL VERB): To increase in quantity, or to add more of something so it increases in

quantity.  “These build up during the day, (…).”

TO DROP OFF (PHRASAL VERB): To start to sleep.  “They have discovered that when we first drop off
everything slows down.”

TO SLOW DOWN (PHRASAL VERB): To be less active and relax more.  “They have discovered that
when we first drop off everything slows down.”
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TO GO INTO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To start an activity or start to be in a particular state or condition. 
“(…) and we go into what is called REM sleep.”

TO STAND FOR STH (PHRASAL VERB): If a letter or symbol stands for something, it represents a word or
idea, especially as a short form.  “REM stands for Rapid Eye movement, (…).”

TO SORT OUT STH (PHRASAL VERB): To deal successfully with a problem or a situation.  “One is that it
gives the brain a chance to sort out the day’s activities, (…).”

TO FILE STH AWAY (PHRASAL VERB): To store information or documents carefully so that they are easy
to find.  “(…) filing everything away in the right place.”

TO GO WITHOUT STH (PHRASAL VERB): To not have something or to manage to live despite not having
something.  “(…) we all need some sleep and going without it can have some very strange effects.”

TO NOD OFF (PHRASAL VERB): To begin sleeping, especially not intentionally.  “So next time you nod
off after Sunday lunch (…).”

EXERCISE SAID TO BOOST BRAIN POWER

SUMMARY
1: The importance of having a healthy lifestyle and being active.

Overwhelming body of evidence that exercise is crucial for staying alive and to boost brain power.

Physical health and its relationship with mental health (also in passage “Sleep”).

Based on 2 studies:

1) Published in the journal Nature Neuroscience:

• A neurologist (Fred Gage) who studies two groups of mice. 1st is encouraged to exercise
(tunnels, toys and exercise wheel) and the other one is not. The group that exercised has
more benefits than the other one: grew twice as many new brain cells than the mice
who sat in their cages bored. Control group (stuck in cages) and running group (run in
wheel) + two swimmer groups: one had to learn a maze and other had to swim in a
shallow pool every day. The runners still grew more brain cells than the swimmers.
• Gage reported that human brain cells do divide and grow: proved that it was false what
conventional medical wisdom thought about the human brain being static.
• They don't know if they are smarter because they grew more brain cells. Growth takes
place in the hippocampus, which has been linked to learning and memory and the
“enriched” mice performed better on learning tests.

2) American Heart Association.

• Exercising lowers blood pressure, cholesterol, reduces the risk of blood clots and of
having heart disease.
• Regular, moderate exercise (enough to break a sweat) also helps people who have
already had a heart attack or heart disease. Patients have lower blood pressure on the
days they exercise than on the days they don't.

2: This passage is about a study that has shown that exercise has an important impact on brain cell
production. Exercise is good not only to preventing high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart diseases,
but also to boosting brain power as well.
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The study consisted in mice being kept in cages with toys and exercise wheels. The result proved that
the mice that exercised grew twice as many new brain cells than the mice that where kept without
doing anything.

In order to find answers to what kind of exercise is most important, the researchers make a runner
group of mice, which were allowed to run freely on a wheel, and a swimmer group, which had to learn a
maze and swim in a shallow pool. The results showed that the runner group grew more brain cells than
the swimmers.

With this overwhelming study, it has been shown that the belief about human brains being static is
false, as they proved that human cells do divide and grow.

They also discovered that the new cell growth takes place in the hippocampus, and the enriched mice
performed better on learning tests. Therefore, cell growth could make you smarter, although
researchers are not sure yet.

3: The passage talks about the importance of doing exercise in order to improve and even keep our
physical and mental health.

The reports are based on a study made by Fred Cage, a celebrated neurologist, and his team. The
American Heart Association claims that regular exercise reduces the risks of having a heart attack
because it keeps blood pressure down and it lowers cholesterol.

Cage’s group studied the brain development of different groups of mice to discover which one had more
benefits after a certain period of time. That was the case for those that exercised daily and were not
bored in their cages.

Moreover, running is claimed to be the most effective exercise for brain cell stimulation and production.
This is because the new cell growth takes place in a part of the brain called hippocampus, which has
been linked by many studies to learning and memory. The mice who were kept in cages with toys and an
exercise wheel showed a better performance on learning tests.

Now, researchers are testing how running affects learning ability in human beings. The American Heart
Association performed an analysis of 100 different studies which has shown that moderate exercise can
lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, reduce the overall risk of heart disease and prevent
dangerous blood clots.

4: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE EXERCISE?

1) Physical exercise may help in aiding the creation of new brain cells, according to researchers.
2) The article in question talks about some studies that were published in the Nature
Neuroscience magazine about how several mice were made to exercise regularly, and how that
ended up helping in the growth of new brain cells. The piece describes what the team of
researchers, led by neurologist Fred Gage, did to test on the rodents, and what the results from
these experiments ended up being.
3) The story also details studies made by the American Heart Association which conclude that
regular exercise has positive benefits on the heart and the cardiovascular system.

VOCABULARY
TO BOOST: To improve or increase something.  “Exercise said to boost brain power.”

OVERWHELMING: Difficult to fight against. / Very great or strong.  “Two reports published yesterday
added to the overwhelming body of evidence (…).”

CRUCIAL: Extremely important or necessary.  “(…) that exercise is crucial not only to staying alive, but
to boosting brain power as well.”
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ALIVE: Living, not dead.   “(…) that exercise is crucial not only to staying alive, but to boosting brain
power as well.”

REVIEW: The act of considering something again in order to make changes to it, give an opinion of it or
study it.  “A review of studies for the American Heart Association found that (…).”

TO KEEP STH DOWN (PHRASAL VERB): To control the size or number of something and prevent it from
increasing.  “(…) moderate exercise keeps blood pressure down, (…).”

TO LOWER: To cause to descend, reduce or decrease.  “(…) lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk
(…).”

BLOOD CLOTS: A mass of coagulated blood, as within a blood vessel or at the site of an open wound. 
“(…) and reduces the risk of blood clots that cause heart attacks.”

TO ENGAGE IN STH (PHRASAL VERB): To take part in something.  “(…) showed that mice who
engaged in regular exercise (…).”

TO GROW: To increase in size or amount, or to become more advanced or developed.  “(…) mice who
engaged in regular exercise grew twice as many new brain cells (…).”

STRIKING: Very unusual or easily noticed, and therefore attracting a lot of attention.  “The difference
was striking (…).”

TO MAKE: To produce something, often using a particular substance or material.  “An because we
know now that human brains also make new cells, (…).”

VIGOROUS: Very forceful or energetic. Healthy and strong.  “(…) running or other vigorous exercise
stimulates brain cell production in people as well.”

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: Opinions or theories that have existed for a long time and that most people
agree with.  “Conventional medical wisdom had held that the human brain (…).”

STATIC: Staying in one place without moving, or not changing for a long time.  “Conventional medical
wisdom had held that the human brain is static (…).”

TO RENEW: To increase the life of or replace something old. “(…) once it is fully developed it cannot
renew itself.”

BELIEF: The feeling of being certain that something exists or is true.  “Gage’s team showed that belief
was false.”

MAZE: A complicated system of paths or passages that people try to find their way through for
entertainment.  “One group of swimmers had to learn a maze, (…).”

SHALLOW: Having only a short distance from the top to the bottom.  “(…) while the other was just put
in a shallow pool every day to swim.”

FACTOR: A fact or situation that influences the result of something.  “We don’t know if it’s the
voluntary factor that’s key (…).”

HIPPOCAMPUS: A part of the brain that is part of the limbic system and is important for memory. 
“The new cell growth takes place in the part of the brain called the hippocampus, (…).”

TO LINK: To make a connection between two or more people, things, or ideas.  “(…) which has been
linked by many studies to learning and memory.”

TO ENRICH: To improve the quality of something by adding something else.  “And the ‘enriched’ mice
in previous studies performed better on learning tests.”
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TO FIND OUT (PHRASAL VERB): To get information about something because you want to know more
about it, or to learn a fact or piece of information for the first time.  “Now the team is testing the mice
to find out whether running directly affects learning ability.”

ABILITY: The physical or mental power or skill needed to do something.  “Now the team is testing the
mice to find out whether running directly affects learning ability.”

TO BREAK A SWEAT (IDIOM): To begin to sweat —often used figuratively to say that something is not
hard for someone to do.  “They found that all studies consistently show that moderate exercise —
enough to break a sweat— (…).”

OVERALL: In general rather than in particular, or including all the people or things in a particular group
or situation.  “(…) reduce the overall risk of heart disease and prevent dangerous blood clots.”

DAY TO DAY: Happening daily/every day.  “And the benefits can be seen day to day.”

SECRET MESSAGES TO OURSELVES

SUMMARY
1: More than 100 years ago, Elias Howe fell asleep, after tossing and turning all night, after having
worked all night on a sewing-machine but finding it impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around
the needle.

He had a nightmare that he had been captured by savages whose king threatened to get him killed if he
couldn’t build the perfect sewing-machine. But the thread kept getting caught around the needle. The
king flew into a rage and ordered the soldiers to kill him. They advanced with their spears raised and the
inventor noticed the hole in the tip of each spear. He realized that he had to make the thread run
through the hole.

Thomas Edison + Albert Einstein said that their best ideas came from dreams. Charlotte Bronte “drew on
her dreams” in writing Jane Eyre. Igor Stravinsky could only solve his problems in musical composition if
he “slept on them”.

When you sleep your mind is still working. The unconscious part digests your experiences and works on
the problems you encountered during the day. It stores information and details you may have not
noticed and sends messages to the part you use when you are awake. The unconscious part expresses
though its own logic and language/images that the conscious part may not understand. Dreams can be a
solution to a problem even though we may not remember them. They may bring an explanation to any
type of issue you cannot solve in your life. The conscious part is switched off and the unconscious takes
over.

2: We can send messages to our brain about the sort of things we had to go through during the day and
the worries that lie in our mind. It seems that during the night, our brain tries to sort out all the
problems we have had and even find a solution in our dreams.

This is exactly what happened to Elias Howe. He had run into a terrible problem and he needed to find a
solution. He had a nightmare and when he woke up, he realized he had just found the solution to get
the thread to run smoothly around the needle, which enabled him to design the first practical sewing-
machine.

Dreams can help us find a solution and put an end to problems. This is because dreams are not an
isolated part of ourselves. In fact, they are a sort of communication means between the unconscious
and the conscious parts of our brain.
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While we sleep, a part of our mind is still working. The conscious part of the brain is switched off and the
unconscious part digests our experiences and goes through all the information and the details of the
things we have been doing during the day. We all need to understand what happens when we dream in
order to value our dreams. Because, in fact, dreams are considered to be secret messages that our
unconscious send to ourselves.

3: DREAMS  Solution to problems like for Howe and Igor Stravinsky.

 Source for creativity like for Charlotte Bronte.

 Inspirational as for Thomas Edison and Einstein.

WHAT happens when we are asleep?

VOCABULARY
TO FALL ASLEEP: To start to sleep.  “(…) Ellas Howe finally fell asleep.”

SEWING-MACHINE: A machine that is used for joining together pieces of cloth, with a needle that is
operated either by turning a handle or by electricity.  “He had been working all night on the design of
a sewing-machine (…).”

TO RUN INTO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To experience something unexpectedly.  “(…) but he had run into
a very difficult problem (…).”

THREAD: (A length of) a very thin fibre.  “It seemed impossible to get the thread to run smoothly
around the needle.”

SMOOTHLY: Easily and without interruption or difficulty.  “It seemed impossible to get the thread to
run smoothly around the needle.”

NEEDLE: A thin metal pin, used in sewing, that is pointed at one end and has a hole called an eye at the
other end for thread.  “It seemed impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around the needle.”

TO TOSS AND TURN (IDIOM): To move about from side to side or turn a lot in bed, especially because
you cannot sleep.  “He tossed and turned.”

TO CAPTURE: To take someone as a prisoner, or to take something into your possession, especially by
force.  “He dreamt that he had been captured by a tribe (…).”

SAVAGE: A person whose way of life is at a very early stage of development.  “(…) by a tribe of terrible
savages (…).”

TO THREATEN: To tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what
you want.  “(…) whose king threatened to kill and eat him (…).”

TO FLY INTO A RAGE (IDIOM): To suddenly become very angry.  “The king flew into a rage and
ordered his soldiers to kill Howe.”

SPEAR: A weapon consisting of a pole with a sharp, usually metal, point at one end, that is either thrown
or held in the hand (lanza).  “They advanced towards him with their spears raised.”

TIP: The usually pointed end of something, especially something that is long and thin.  “There was a
hole in the tip of each spear.”

TO AWAKE WITH A START: To suddenly wake up, feeling alarmed or surprised.  “The inventor awoke
from the nightmare with a start, (…).”

TO DRAW ON STH (PHRASAL VERB): To use information or your knowledge of something to help you
do something.  “Bronte also drew on her dreams in writing Jane Eyre”
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TO SLEEP ON STH: To delay making a decision about something important until the next day so that you
have time to consider it carefully.  “(…) the only way he could solve his problems in musical
composition was to sleep on them.”

TO DIGEST: To read or hear new information and take the necessary time to understand it. / To take
information into your mind in a way that gives you the ability to use it.  “This unconscious, but still
active, part digests your experiences (…).”

TO STORE: To put or keep things for use in the future. / To put or keep something somewhere until it is
needed.  “It stores all sorts of information and details (…).”

A STUDY IN CONTRASTS
SUMMARY
1: Aaron Spelling, successful and wealthy TV producer and wife Candy, a big spender. They have a
luxurious lifestyle and had to pay a bill of $25 million. On Christmas Eve they delivered snow to their
mansion so that their children could have it. Candy bought an entire collection of a fashion show and
had it flown out from New York. They enjoy indulging themselves.

Martin and Rebecca Granger are teachers from London who moved to a small cottage, left by his
mother in the southwest of England because they got tired of trying to make kids learn things which
they did not consider interesting. They had to rebuild it because it was in a terrible state. They enjoy
living by the sea, grow their own vegetables, have a goat and make their own clothes. Money is still an
issue for them, but they have learned to get by and earn their living. She has a part-time job as a teacher
and he paints water-colours of natural landscapes. They value their freedom from the rat race (a lot of
competition and no relaxation) and pressures of life in a big city. They might emigrate to New Zealand,
further away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

2: The passage explores two different ways of living.

First, we are introduced to Aaron Spelling, who is said to be the richest and most successful television
producer in Hollywood, and his wife Candy. They have a luxurious lifestyle and bought a 10-million-
dollar house, which they had torn down to build a more wonderful mansion. Candy is known to be the
biggest spender. Once, she had a huge amount of snow delivered and spread all over the lawns, so that
their children could enjoy a “white Christmas”. On another occasion, she had a whole fashion show
flown out to her from New York.

On the other hand, Martin and Rebecca Granger are teachers from London that decided to move to a
small cottage in Cornwall. They came into Martin’s mother house and managed to rebuild the place with
their own hands. The couple lives by the sea and has a large garden in which they grow most of their
own vegetables. They also make their own clothes and manage to get by on very little. Rebecca has a
part-time job as a teacher and Martin paints and sells his water-colours of the landscapes they observe
from their house. They say that they value their freedom from the rat race and the pressures in a big
city. This is why they are considering moving to New Zealand, further away from the hustle and bustle of
the city and off the beaten track.

3: The Spellings: Aaron and Candy live in Hollywood. They own a million-dollar mansion and lead a
maximalist lifestyle. Christmas is spent with real snow, delivered in time for “a white Christmas”. Candy
can afford entire fashion collections, complete with private shows and accompanying models.

The Grangers: Martin and Rebecca live in Cornwall. A humble cottage in where they find happiness,
alongside their goat and vegetable garden. One is a teacher, the other is a painter. Money is scarce, but
freedom from the big city is not.
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4: Two families with differences in:

 Lifestyle.

 Priorities.

 Relationship with money (ambition vs humbleness).

 Desires for the future.

VOCABULARY
CONTRAST: An obvious difference between two or more things.  “A study in contrasts.”

RICH: Having a lot of money or valuable possessions.  “Aaron Spelling is said to be the richest (…).”

SUCCESSFUL: Having achieved a lot, become popular, and/or made a lot of money.  “(…) is said to be
the richest and most successful television producer in Hollywood (…).”

WEALTH: A large amount of money or valuable possessions that someone has.  “(…) in a city famous
for its wealth, (…).”

SPENDER: Someone who spends money.  “(…) his wife, Candy, is the biggest spender.”

TO TEAR STH DOWN (PHRASAL VERB): To intentionally destroy a building or other structure because it
is not being used or it is not wanted any more.  “Then they had it torn down so that an even bigger,
more wonderful mansion could be built.”

MANSION: A very large, expensive house.  “(…) an even bigger, more wonderful mansion could be
built.”

LUXURIOUS: Very comfortable and expensive.  “(…) a more luxurious swimming-pool (…).”

RINK: A large, flat surface, of ice or other hard material, for skating or the area or building that contains
this.  “(…) but an indoor ice-skating rink and a private zoo, as well.”

BILL: A request for payment of money owed, or the piece of paper on which it is written.  “The final
bill will come to at least $25 million.”

TO COME TO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To reach a particular point.  “The final bill will come to at least
$25 million.”

LAWN: An area of grass, especially near to a house or in a park, that is cut regularly to keep it short. 
“(…) spread all over the green lawns (…).”

WHITE CHRISTMAS: A Christmas when it snows.  “(…) so that their children could enjoy ‘a white
Christmas.’”

TO FLY OUT: To leave for somewhere by plane.  “She had a whole fashion show flown out to her (…).”

TOUGH: Difficult to do or to deal with. / Likely to be violent or to contain violence; not kind or pleasant.
 “(…) used to teach in a tough secondary school in London.”

COTTAGE: A small house, usually in the countryside.  “(…) they moved to a small cottage in Cornwall,
(…).”

EXTREME: At the furthest point, especially from the centre.  “(…) in the extreme south-west of
England.”

LEAK: A hole or crack through which a liquid or gas can flow out of a container, or the liquid or gas that
comes out.  “There were leaks in the roof.”
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LOO (UK INFORMAL): Toilet.  “There wasn’t even an indoor loo.”

TO REBUILD: To build something again that has been damaged or destroyed.  “Rebecca and I have
rebuilt the place with our own hands.”

WITH (Y)OUR OWN HANDS (IDIOM): Used to say that you have made something yourself.  “Rebecca
and I have rebuilt the place with our own hands.”

PLEASANT: Enjoyable, attractive, friendly, or easy to like.  “It is a pleasant, small place by the sea.”

GOAT: An animal related to sheep that usually has horns and a beard. Goats live wild on mountains or
are kept on farms to provide milk, meat, wool.  “(…) and keep a goat.”

TO GET BY (PHRASAL VERB): To be able to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, usually by having
just enough of something you need, such as money.  “(…) we’ve learned to get by on very little (…).”

PART-TIME: If you work part-time or do part-time work, you work for only some of the day or the week.
 “She does some part-time teaching in a school in the village nearby.”

VILLAGE: A group of houses and other buildings that is smaller than a town, usually in the countryside.
 “She does some part-time teaching in a school in the village nearby.”

WATER-COLOUR: A paint that is mixed with water and used to create pictures, or a picture that has
been done with this type of paint.  “Martin paints water-colours of the wild Atlantic (…).”

WILD: Wild land is not used to grow crops and has few people living in it.  “Martin paints water-
colours of the wild Atlantic (…).”

SUNSET: The appearance of the sky in the evening before the sun goes down.  “(…) and the brilliant
sunsets they see almost every day.”

RAT RACE: A way of life in modern society, in which people compete for power and money.  “(…)
what they value the most is their freedom from the rat race (…).”

TO EMIGRATE: To leave a country permanently and go to live in another one.  “(…) but we might
emigrate to New Zealand, (…).”

HUSTLE AND BUSTLE: Noise and activity. / Busy and frenetic activity.

TRAVEL WISELY, TRAVEL WELL

SUMMARY
1: A businessman who is used to travelling frequently tells us how to travel wisely. First of all, it is
extremely important to pay attention to departure times so as to not risk missing important events or
meetings and have time to spare. It is also fundamental that we make sure we have some of the local
currency when we travel to a different country so as to not encounter any problems when we arrive at
our destination. It is also crucial to pack clothes according to the weather of the place we are going to.
Even if it’s not too far away the temperature could change, so you have to pack your luggage
accordingly.

2: This passage is about a businessman who gives advice on wise travelling and explains situations in
which he would have taken this guidance. He seems to have learned the hard way many steps that one
should follow when going on a trip.

Throughout the passage he shares 3 main rules: 1) You should always check and double check departure
times in order to avoid losing your flight and have time to spare. 2) Even if you have a credit card, you
16 CHEMEN

should carry a little of the local currency with you when arriving in a different country. 3) You should
find out about the weather at your destination before leaving, in order to pack the right clothes.

3: The author of the passage presents a set of recommendations for travelers and explains the
consequences that he had to deal with when he did not know about these helpful tips.

Firstly, he speaks about the importance of checking the time of departure of the flight properly and
poses that, even though it is a very simple thing to do, most people will be in trouble simply because of
not doing it.

The second suggestion for the travelers is to have some of the local currency even if they usually pay by
credit cards, remarking the inconvenience of needing cash and not having it.

The final indication of the author is for the traveler to always check the weather of their destination and
have the right type of clothes with them.

4: This passage is about a businessman who, due to the nature of his work, has got experience in the
topic of travelling, so he decides to provide the reader with a few rules which he has learned the hard
way.

1) Always check and double-check departure times.

2) It is important to have at least a little of the local currency.
3) Find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you leave.

VOCABULARY
TO TRAVEL: To make a journey, usually over a long distance.  “Travel wisely, travel well.”

WISELY: Showing good judgment.  “Travel wisely, travel well.”

A LITTLE/A FEW: Quantifiers meaning “some”. “A little” is used with singular uncountable nouns. “A
few” is used with plural countable nouns.  “(…) gives a little advice (…)” / “(…) there are a few simple
rules (…).”

LITTLE/FEW: “Little” and “few” have negative meanings. We use them to mean “not as much as may be
expected or wished for”. “Little” is used with singular uncountable nouns. “Few” is used with plural
countable nouns.  “(…) with very little time to change planes in between.” / “It is amazing how few
people really do this carefully.”

ADVICE: An opinion that someone offers you about what you should do or how you should act in a
particular situation.  “A businessman (…) gives a little advice on ‘wise travelling.’”

WISE: Having or showing the ability to make good judgments, based on a deep understanding and
experience of life.  “A businessman (…) gives a little advice on ‘wise travelling.’”

THE HARD WAY: If you learn something the hard way, you learn from unpleasant experiences rather
than by being taught.  “I have learned, often the hard way, that there are a few simple rules about
(…).”

JOURNEY: A trip from one place to another. / A long, difficult, and often adventurous trip.  “(...) how
to make your life easier both before and after your journey.”

TO ARRIVE AT: To reach a destination, specifically buildings and parts of buildings.  “(…) I arrived at
the airport (…).”

TO HAVE (STH) TO SPARE (IDIOM): Used to indicate whether someone has more than enough of
(something).  “(…) I still had a little time to spare.”

CLERK: A person who deals with customers in a store or hotel.  “The clerk at the desk told me politely
but firmly (…).” / “(…) I was able to borrow a few dollars from a clerk at the hotel, (…).”
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CURRENCY: The money that is used in a particular country at a particular time.  “(…) to have at least a
little of the local currency with you (…).”

TO ARRIVE IN: To reach a destination, specifically towns, cities and countries.  “(…) when you arrive in
a country.”

TO VISIT: To go to a place in order to experience it.  “(…) if you are flying to a place few tourists
normally visit.”

TO FIND (STH) OUT (PHRASAL VERB): To get information about something because you want to know
more about it, or to learn a fact or piece of information for the first time.  “The third and last rule is to
find out as much as you can about the weather (…).”

LUGGAGE: The bags, suitcases, etc. that contain your possessions and that you take with you when you
are travelling.  “(…) especially if you can take only a little luggage with you.”

VOYAGE: A long journey, especially by ship.

TRIP: A journey in which you go somewhere for business/shopping, usually for a short time, and come
back again.

MAID TO ORDER
SUMMARY
1: Advantages and drawbacks of having a robot. The writer says that she would like a voice-activated
robot to write her thank you notes, find her keys, fill out insurance forms, make up her mind about what
to order at restaurants, get rid of clothes she never wears, tell her what to wear in the mornings, buy
gifts, stand in line, read the newspaper and provide her synopses, make a witty repartee (quick and
funny answers or remarks in a conversation) in her place at parties, fix her computer, be in charge of
house appliances, etc.

There are many people that could do the work robots do, but robots prevent the owner from feeling
guilty about, for example, the mess left to the cleaner, which wouldn’t be possible with a human helper.

There’s a catch about robots. Most robots are too difficult to manipulate, bulky or even end up breaking
and people end up getting rid of them. Robots can have human aspects, such as eyes and a personality.
It can be a he or a she.

These tasks performed by robots are sometimes too easy or little time demanding. Are humans going
through a path of laziness? It seems that some people desire to make the least amount of decisions as
possible. If this keeps evolving, there’s a chance that robots will become more and more like humans.
Humans have the amazing ability to make their own choices. Do we really want so to sacrifice it?

2: The passage is about the drawbacks of having a robot. The writer goes on explaining what the robot
she envisages would look like.

One of the most convenient aspects of having a robot, is that robots prevents the owner from feeling
guilty about the mess left to the cleaner. When a robot cleans your apartment, it will not think that you
are a spoiled brat for not doing the work yourself.

However, although there are some complex appliances that are able to do some complicated tasks, the
truth is that such robots don’t exist, because in general they are hard to use and end up breaking.

3:  Advantages and Disadvantages of robots.

 Increasing laziness of humans.

18 CHEMEN

 Moral dilemmas.

VOCABULARY
MAID TO ORDER VS MADE TO ORDER: Pun or play on words with the same pronunciation. “Maid” is a
woman who works as a servant in a hotel or in someone’s home, so “Maid to order” would be a female
domestic servant who is ready to serve someone’s personal needs or desire. “Made” is the past simple
and past participle of make, so “Made to order” means built, constructed, or assembled to meet one’s
custom measurements or needs; very well suited to someone’s personal needs or desires.  “Maid to
order.”

VOICE-ACTIVATED: Voice-activated machines, systems, etc. work when you speak instructions to them.
 “(…) my robot will be voice-activated!”

FILL OUT (PHRASAL VERB): To write or type information in spaces that are provided for it.  “(…) fill out
insurance forms (…).”

TO MAKE UP (MY/YOUR) MIND (IDIOM): To decide what to do or choose.  “(…) make up my mind
about what to order at restaurants (…).”

TO GET RID OF STH (IDIOM): To remove or throw away something unwanted.  “(…) get rid of the
clothes in my closed that I never wear (…).”

WITTY: Using words in a clever and funny way.  “(…) make witty repartee in my place (…).”

REPARTEE: Quick and usually funny answers and remarks in a conversation.  “(…) make witty repartee
in my place (…).”

COCKTAIL PARTY: A formal party with alcoholic drinks, usually in the early evening.  “(…) make witty
repartee in my place at cocktail parties (…).”

APPLIANCE: A device, machine, or piece of equipment, especially an electrical one that is used in the
house, such as a cooker or washing machine.  “(…) all the other robotlike appliances in my house (…).”

FLAGGING: Becoming weaker.  “(…) and then, never flagging, finish writing this article (…).”

BASE METALS: A metal or alloy (such as zinc, lead, or brass) of comparatively low value and relatively
inferior in certain properties (such as resistance to corrosion) —opposed to noble metal.  “(…) a robot
that turns baser metals (like hangers) into gold (…).”

HANGER: A curved piece of wire, wood, or plastic on which clothes are hung while they are being
stored.  “(…) a robot that turns baser metals (like hangers) into gold (…).”

TO COPE: To deal successfully with a difficult situation.  “(…) and can cope with a last-minute science-
fair project, (…).”

SCIENCE-FAIR PROJECT: An experiment, demonstration or display of scientific apparatus presented for

viewing.  “(…) and can cope with a last-minute science-fair project, (…).”

BAKE SALE: An event where people sell cakes and other baked goods that they have made in order to
raise money to help a particular cause.  “(…) make cookies for a bake sale (…).”

TO DUST: To use a cloth to remove dust from the surface of something.  “David Rakoff (…) needs a
toaster that dusts.”

SHAPELY: Used to describe something that has an attractive form, especially a woman’s body or parts of
a woman’s body.  “David Owen (…) asks for ‘a shapely sexpot.’”

SEXPOT: A conspicuously sexy woman.  “David Owen (…) asks for ‘a shapely sexpot.’”
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ANCHORMAN: A man who is the main news reader on a television or radio news programme.  “John
Johnson, the television anchorman, (…).”

SETTLE FOR STH (PHRASAL VERB): To accept or agree to something, or to decide to have something,
although it is not exactly what you want or it is not the best.  “(…) Ellis Weiner will settle for a robot
that folds sheets and peels onions.”

STOCKBROKER: A person or company that buys and sells stocks and shares for other people.  “Peter
Rudzitus, a stockbroker, (…).”

POTBELLY: A fat, round stomach.  “(…) a robot with an enormous potbelly into which he can put (…).”

TOKEN: A round metal or plastic disc that is used instead of money in some machines.  “(…) his
Mexican subway token, (…).”

TO HAND: To put something into someone’s hand from your own hand.  “(…) and the robot will hand
it to him.”

CATCH: A hidden problem or disadvantage.  “(…) but there is a catch.”

TO COME OVER (PHRASAL VERB): To visit someone at their house.  “When a nonhuman comes over
to clean your apartment, (...)”

ANDROID: A robot (= machine controlled by computer) that is made to look like a human.  “(…) there
is no danger that the android will think you are a spoiled brat for not doing the work yourself.”

SPOILED BRAT: A spoiled child/brat is allowed to do or have anything that they want, usually so that
they behave badly and do not show respect to other people.  “(…) the android will think you are a
spoiled brat for (…).”

TO END UP (PHRASAL VERB):  To finally be in a particular place or situation.  “(…) and end up back
in their bulky cardboard boxes (…).”

BULKY: Too big and taking up too much space.  “(…) end up back in their bulky cardboard boxes (…).”

TO ENVISAGE: To form a mental picture of something or someone you have never seen.  “The robots I
envisage are cute.”

OBLIGING: Willing or eager to help.  “My ideal robot has (…) an obliging and adorable personality.”

TO SPOT-WELD: To weld two pieces at isolated spots rather than in a continuous seam.  “(…) whereas
a machine that, say, spot-welds car frames, (…).”

TO PICK STH UP (PHRASAL VERB): To collect, or to go and get, someone or something.  “(…) whereas
a machine that (…) picks up moon rocks (…).”

MARRIOTT MAKES ROOM FOR DADDIES

SUMMARY
1: Marriott International started to focus on a neglected group of people: working dads. It is hard for
them to find a balance between their job and personal life: they have to juggle work and play. 2 courses:
daddy stress/daddy success and effective fathering raise questions that every father should try to
answer. The seminars give advice and solutions to the employees’ problems.

2: This passage talks about a program created by Marriott International, one of the world’s largest hotel
companies, which focuses on a neglected group which no one has ever paid attention to: working
fathers. Most companies put all their efforts into helping working moms, but what this article shows is
20 CHEMEN

that it is also complicated for working dads to juggle their job and their personal life. This does not allow
fathers to get involved in their children’s life as much as they would like to as they want to do their best
at work, which results in a zero-sum game.

To help this group, this company gave 2 courses which bring initiatives so that fathers can offer their
children not only financial peace of mind but also a sense of connectedness.

Both courses propose a series of questions which allows fathers to identify how connected they are to
their children’s lives. According to the outcome, they should or should not improve their involvement.
Another important aspect mentioned by Klein and Levine is the time you spend with your children.
Being a good parent doesn’t mean being with them all the time; kids just want their parents to be
happy, so it's critical to make time for yourself so that when you spend time with your kids you give
them your best version. Klein and Levine encourage travelling parents to use technology to stay
connected; such as sending them photos or faxes of their drawings and homework, getting them an
email account to keep up with what’s going on in their lives, and so on. The project was a great success
and companies around the world began to implement it with excellent results.

3:  Donna Klein and James Levine.

 Neglected group: working parents.

 Strike a balance between work and family life.

 Course “Effective Fathering”.

 Seminar “Daddy Stress/Daddy Success”.

Fatherhood Test:

 Child’s 3 closest friends.

 Activities with each of them.

 Child’s doctor.

 Child’s principal.

 Child’s encouragement/disappointment.

Connection with passages: Travel Wisely, Travel Well; Hi Mom, Hi Dad (relationship between parent-
beeper/phone-child).

4: The passage talks about a company called Marriott International, which decided to help a big,
neglected group: working fathers. In order to provide help, Donna Klein and James Levine developed a
program that assists these fathers to find an equilibrium between 2 main goals: working and spending
time with their families, especially their children.

VOCABULARY
TO JUGGLE: To succeed in arranging your life so that you have time to involve yourself in two or more
different activities or groups of people.  “(…) help their employees juggle work and family (…).”

TO TARGET: To direct an action, advertising, or a product at a particular person or group.  “Most

companies that help their employees juggle work and family target working moms.”

TO UNVEIL: If you unveil something new, you show it or make it known for the first time.  “(…) the
company unveiled a program to help an overlooked group of its own employees (…).”

OVERLOOKED: Ignored, not noticed.  “(…) to help an overlooked group of its own employees (…).”

TO OVERSEE: To watch or organize a job or an activity to make certain that it is being done correctly.
21 CHEMEN

NEGLECTED: Not receiving enough care or attention.  “That neglected group: working fathers.”

DRIVING FORCE: Someone or something that has the power to make things happen.  “Donna Klein,
51, is the driving force behind Marriott’s fatherhood initiatives.”

TO DEVELOP: To invent something or bring something into existence.  “(…) she developed what has
become one of the country’s most celebrated array of work-life programs.”

ARRAY: A group of elements forming a complete unit.  “(…) she developed what has become one of
the country’s most celebrated array of work-life programs.”

CONSTITUENCY: A group of people who support, or are likely to support, a particular person, product,
suggestion, etc.  “(…) the more she realized that they were ignoring a vital constituency.”

TO TEAM UP (PHRASAL VERB): To join another person, or form a group with other people, in order to
do something together.  “So she teamed up with James Levine, (…).”

TO LAUNCH: To begin something such as a plan or introduce something new such as a product.  “So
she teamed up with James Levine (…) to launch two major initiatives for working dads.”

TO FOCUS (STH) ON SB/STH (PHRASAL VERB): To give a lot of attention to one particular person,
subject, or thing.  “We’ve focused for the last two decades on working mothers, (…).”

GURU: A person skilled in something who gives advice.  “(…) says Levine, a leading academic guru on
fatherhood and work.”

FATHERHOOD: The state or time of being a father.  “(…) says Levine, a leading academic guru on
fatherhood and work.”

TO PROVIDE FOR SB (PHRASAL VERB): To give someone the things they need, such as money, food, or
clothes.  “They want to provide for their kids, (…).”

ZERO-SUM GAME: A situation in which an advantage that is won by one of two sides is lost by the other.
 “People have an understandable tendency to see this as a zero-sum game, (…).”

WIN-WIN SITUATION: A win-win situation or result is one that is good for everyone who is involved.

WORTHWHILE: Useful, important, or good enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent
or the effort made.  “But if people feel productive and worthwhile as parents, (…).”

TO CARRY (STH) OVER (PHRASAL VERB): If sth from one situation carries over or is carried over into
another, it is allowed to affect the other situation.  “(…) that self-esteem carries over into the job.”

TO AIM AT (PHRASAL VERB): To produce something for a particular purpose or a particular group of
people.  “(…) a course aimed at frontline employees.”

FRONTLINE EMPLOYEE: An employee who directly interacts with customers.  “(…) a course aimed at
frontline employees.”

TO RAISE: To cause to exist.  “Both raise questions that every working father should ask himself.”

APHORISM: A short clever saying that is intended to express a general truth.  “That’s one of the
defining aphorisms of business life.”

TO ENGAGE IN STH (PHRASAL VERB): To take part in something.  “The ultimate goal (…) should be to
remain engaged in your children’s lives.”

FOND: Happy and loving.  “(…) that when he asked his daughter (…) about her fondest memories (…).”

STROLL: A slow relaxed walk, especially for pleasure.  “(…) she cited their Sunday morning strolls to
the bakery (…).”
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CONNECTEDNESS: The state of being connected and having a close relationship with other things or
people.  “Kids are looking for a sense of connectedness, (…).”

TO ENTER INTO STH (PHRASAL VERBS): To start to become involved in something, especially a
discussion or agreement.  “You have to enter into their flow, not expect them to enter into yours.”

TO ENCOURAGE: To talk or behave in a way that gives someone confidence to do something.  “(…) I
know what encourages my child the most, (…).”

STUMPED: To be unable to answer a question or solve a problem because it is too difficult. 

“Stumped?”

SHEEPISH: Embarrassed because you know that you have done something wrong or silly.  “Don’t feel
too sheepish.”

TO SHOOT FOR STH: To try to do something. / To aim to achieve something.  “(…) he may want to
shoot for a new level of involvement.”

LAMENT: An expression of sadness over something, or a complaint.  “It’s the eternal lament of
working parents (…).”

TO DEVOTE STH/YOURSELF TO SB/STH: To give your time or effort completely to something you believe
in or to a person, or to use a particular amount of time or energy doing something.  “Klein and Levine
argue that being an effective father is about more than devoting time to your children.”

IN-DEPTH: Done carefully and in great detail.  “Levine’s group conducted in-depth research on what
children want from their working parents.”

TOOLS OF THE TRADE (IDIOM): A set of tools or skills that are necessary for a particular kind of job or
work.  “Do You Have the Tools of the Trade?”

TO COUNT FOR STH (PHRASAL VERB): To have value.  “Even the best intentions don’t count for much
without crisp execution.”

CRISP: Deftly (in a skillful, clever, or quick way) and powerfully executed.  “Even the best intentions
don’t count for much without crisp execution.”

ON-THE-GO: Very busy or active.  “Klein and Levine recommend that on-the-go fathers create ‘leave-
taking’ rituals to help kids feel more connected (…).”

LEAVE-TAKING: An act of saying goodbye.  “Klein and Levine recommend that on-the-go fathers create
‘leave-taking’ rituals to help kids feel more connected (…).”

TO PUT STH ON THE TABLE (IDIOM): To present something, such as a proposal, plan or offer, formally to
other people, so that it can be discussed and agreed on.  “When companies put this issue on the
table, men come out of the woodwork.”

TO COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK: To appear after having been hidden or not active for a long time.
 “When companies put this issue on the table, men come out of the woodwork.”

AS BARRIERS DISSAPPEAR
SUMMARY
1: There are biological, psychological and cultural factors that play a big part in gender roles. Dr. Schmitt
researched about the differences in personality traits displayed by men and women. Women tend to be
more cooperative, nurturing, cautious and emotionally responsive. Men tend to be more competitive,
assertive, reckless and emotionally flat.
23 CHEMEN

Evolutionary psychologists claim that gender differences have a biological root. Another school of
psychologists states that the differences result from sociocultural structures.

Research teams analyzed a series of personality tests taken by men and women in more than 60
countries. The results showed that the size of the gender gap in personality varies among cultures and
personality differences between men and women are smaller in traditional cultures. These findings were
counterintuitive, so Dr. Schmitt collected data from men and women on 6 continents and concluded
that the trends were real.

Results were not favourable to any group, so Dr. Schmitt decided to conduct his own research adding
the economy as a main focus. The more economically developed a society is, the bigger the gender
personality gap becomes. Men in traditional agricultural societies and poorer countries are more
cautious and anxious, and less assertive and competitive than the men in richer countries.

2: As counterintuitive as it may sound, wealthy modern societies that level external barriers between
women and men strengthen ancient internal differences instead of shrinking them.

The article shows the biological, psychological and cultural factors that play a role in gender roles. It is
based on Dr. Schmitt’s research on the differences in personality traits in both men and women.

On the one hand, evolutionary psychology claims that gender differences have a fundamentally
biological root. One the other hand, social-role psychology states that any difference between men and
women is the result of sociocultural structures.

To test how both theories adapt to the real world, a research was made to evaluate personality tests
taken by men and women around the globe.

The results of this research were surprisingly not favourable to neither one of these theories and
highlighted the shortcomings in their respective approaches.

VOCABULARY
GENDER GAP: A difference between the way men and women are treated in society, or between what
men and women do and achieve.  “As Barriers Disappear, Some Gender Gaps Widen.”

MARS-VENUS STEREOTYPES: Preconceived ideas about how a person will act based on their gender and
the assumption that men and women have different emotional and social capacities and needs.  “(…)
some of the old Mars-Venus stereotypes keep reappearing.”

NURTURING: Caring (present participle of nurture).  “On average, women are more cooperative,
nurturing, cautious and emotionally responsive.”

RESPONSIVE: Saying or doing something as a reaction to something or someone, especially in a quick or

positive way.  “On average, women are more cooperative, nurturing, cautious and emotionally
responsive.”

ASSERTIVE: Someone who is assertive behaves confidently and is not frightened to say what they want
or believe.  “Men tend to be more competitive, assertive, reckless and emotionally flat.”

RECKLESS: Doing something dangerous and not worrying about the risks and the possible results
(imprudente).  “Men tend to be more competitive, assertive, reckless and emotionally flat.”

TO CONTEND: To state as the truth; claim.  “Evolutionary psychologists contend that these are (…).”

TRAIT: A particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behaviour (rasgo). 
“Evolutionary psychologists contend that these are innate traits inherited from ancient hunters and
gatherers.”

TO ASSERT: To say that something is certainly true.  “Another school of psychologists asserts that both
sexes’ personalities have been shaped by traditional social roles, (…).”
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TO SHRINK: To become smaller, or to make something smaller.  “(…) and that personality differences
will shrink as women spend less time nurturing children and more time in jobs outside the home.”

TO NURTURE: To take care of, feed, and protect someone or something, especially young children or
plants, and help him, her, or it to develop.  “(…) as women spend less time nurturing children (…).”

HYPOTHESIS: An idea or explanation for something that is based on known facts but has not yet been
proved (plural: hypotheses).  “To test these hypotheses, a series of research teams (…).”

PATRIARCHAL: Ruled or controlled by men.  “A husband and a stay-at-home wife in a patriarchal

Botswanan clan seem to be more alike (…).”

TO DIVERGE: To follow a different direction, or to be or become different.  “The more Venus and Mars
have equal rights and similar jobs, the more their personalities seem to diverge.”

COUNTERINTUITIVE: Contrary to what one would intuitively expect.  “These findings are so
counterintuitive that some researchers have argued (…).”

DATA CRUNCHING: A method in information science which makes the preparation of automated
processing of large amounts of data and information (Big Data) possible.  “but after crunching new
data (…).”

TO POINT TO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To make it seem likely that a particular fact is true or that a
particular event will happen.  “(…) Dr. Schmitt and his collaborators from Austria and Estonia point to
hardships of life in poorer countries.”

COSTLY: Expensive, esp. too expensive.  “(…) and mute costly secondary sexual characteristics (…).”

DISPARITY: A noticeable and usually significant difference or dissimilarity.  “(…) the average disparity
in height between men and women isn’t as pronounced in poor countries (…).”

STUNTED: Prevented from growing or developing to the usual size.  “(…) because boys’ growth is
disproportionately stunted (…).”

MALNUTRITION: Physical weakness and bad health caused by having too little food, or too little of the
types of food necessary for good health.  “(…) because boys’ growth is disproportionately stunted by
stresses like malnutrition and disease.”

GENDER ROLES: Socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society
considers appropriate for men and women.  “These villagers have had to adapt their personalities to
rules, hierarchies and gender roles more constraining than those in modern Western countries (…).”

CONSTRAINING: Restricting or limiting (present participle of constrain).  “These villagers have had to
adapt their personalities to rules, hierarchies and gender roles more constraining (…).”

HUNTER-GATHERER: A member of a society that lives by hunting and collecting wild food, rather than
by farming.  “(…) or in clans of hunter-gatherers.”

JAUNT: A short pleasurable excursion; outing.  “Humanity’s jaunt into monotheism, (…).”

TO ALLUDE TO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To mention something without talking about it directly.  “(…)
Dr. Schmitt says, alluding to evidence (…).”

EGALITARIAN: Believing that all people are equally important and should have the same rights and
opportunities in life.  “(…) alluding to evidence that hunter-gatherers were relatively egalitarian.”

DOMAIN: A sphere of knowledge, influence, or activity (campo, esfera).  “(…) with men and women
expressing predisposed interests in different domains.”
25 CHEMEN

TO A LESSER EXTENT (IDIOM): Used to describe the effect or importance of something in relation to
something else.  “Removing the stresses of traditional agricultural societies could allow men’s, and to
a lesser extent women’s, more ‘natural’ personality traits to emerge.”

CASE STUDY: A detailed account giving information about the development of a person, group, or thing,
especially in order to show general principles.  “Competitive running makes a good case study (…).”

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD: A state in which conditions in a competition or situation are fair for everyone. 
“(…) it has offered a level playing field to women the past two decades in the United States.”

EQUAL SHARES: Equal parts.  “Female runners have been competing for equal shares of prize money
(…).”

COUNTERPART: A person or thing that has the same purpose as another one in a different place or
organization.  “(…) and receiving nearly 50 percent more scholarship aid from Division I colleges than
their male counterparts, (…)”

TO JIBE WITH STH (PHRASAL VERB): If one statement or opinion jibes with another, it is similar to it and
matches it.  “(…) and it jibes with other studies reporting that male runners train harder (…).”

ENDURING: Continuing for a long time; lasting.  “This enduring ‘sex difference in competitiveness,’
(…).”

ALLURE: The quality of being attractive, interesting, or exciting.  “(…) maybe it was that allure of the
mysterious other that kept Mars and Venus together so long on the savanna.”

2020 VISION
SUMMARY
1: It talks about how change and technology have had an impact on our daily lives and how it will
continue to do so.

There’s a huge difference between his father’s (1927) and his grandfather’s (1895) lives due to the
advance of electricity and new inventions which made day to day easier and packed with new
information, which didn’t happen in the time between his father’s and his life (1952) because the most
significant changes had already happened. The rate of change has plateaued. Ubiquitous
telecommunications and neobiological techniques of gene manipulation promise to speed up the rate of
change again. The author expects that in 2020, life will be significantly different. The author says that we
will be able to do whatever we want and have unlimited options thanks to biotechnology. He talks about
near biological changes, about everything being connected and about how this will pose a threat to
privacy. There are ways to protect privacy with unbreakable encryption, however. Every product will be
intelligent: cars will know where they are, stereos will bring the volume down when your phone rings,
retailing will change; products will contain a chip that updates price. Every product will be custom-built.

Neobiological technologies will thrive, with gene therapy, embryonic clones, DNA fingerprinting and
bioengineered food. Biotechnology is too powerful to suppress; it will cure heritable diseases,
vegetables and fruit won’t rot and we will be able to pinpoint late-onset diseases. There won’t be a
difference between technology and biotechnology, as everything will be connected. We are headed
toward a grand neobiological future.

2: In this passage, the author talks about how change and technology have had an impact on our daily
lives and how it will continue to do so.

It is clear that there is a huge difference between his father’s and his grandfather’s lives, due to the
advancement of technology. Whereas his grandfather’s world had no power tools, no TV news, no
26 CHEMEN

motor cars, etc., his father’s world was shaped by the escalating influence of electricity and automation.
In this sense, the narrator’s life now is not much different from his father’s life, as the rate of change in
the daily modern life has plateaued.

The author expects that in 2020 life will be significantly different. The rate of change is going to speed
up again due to ubiquitous telecommunications and neobiological techniques of gene manipulation. We
will be able to do whatever we want and have access to custom-built products. Thanks to
biotechnology, everything will be connected. Products will contain intelligence to communicate with
other products. Even retailing will significantly change.

However, all this development will clearly pose a threat to privacy. Although there will be ways to
protect privacy with unbreakable encryption, this will not be enough.

Neobiological technologies will be extremely powerful as our society will face phenomena such as gene
therapy, embryonic clones, DNA fingerprinting and gene databack.

Biotechnology cannot be supressed because it will cure heritable diseases and we will be able to
pinpoint late-onset diseases.

We are headed toward a grand neobiological world, as there will not be a distinction between
technology and biotechnology. Everything will be connected; machines will become biological and we
will be able to engineer every living thing.

3:  Comparison between generations  1890s-1920s-2020s.

 Expectations about the future.

 Privacy.

 Connection with passages: Marriott Makes Room for Daddies and Maid to Order.

4: This passage talks about the uncertainty of the future, how life and technology has changed
throughout the years and how those changes had affected people’s lives. But it mainly discusses change,
how change will evolve the current world by introducing new technologies and by changing things we
are used to. This passage is narrated by a man who feels change will do all these things; it’s from his
perspective. He believes that, by 2020, technology will have reached an enormous evolution and will
have become an essential part of everyday life. He talks about how technology will be part of
everything, from books, to retailing and customer service, to medicine. Also, how this will impact 2020’s
society and the way they live their lives with technology by their side.

VOCABULARY
POWER TOOL: A tool that operates with an electric motor.  “(…) my grandfather had (…) no power
tools.”

ESCALATING: Increasing in price, amount, rate, etc. “My father’s world (…) was shaped by the
escalating influence of electricity (…).”

AUTOMATION: The use of machines and computers that can operate without needing human control.
 “My father’s world (…) was shaped by the escalating influence of electricity and automation.”

INDISTINGUISHABLE: Impossible to judge as being different when compared to another similar thing. 
“His typical day (…) was almost indistinguishable from mine.”

RATE: The speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens
or changes in a particular period.  “(…) the rate of change in the daily pattern of a modern’s person life
(…).”

TO PLATEAU: To reach a level and stay there, rather than rising or falling (estabilizarse).  “(…) the rate
of change in the daily pattern of a modern person’s life has plateaued.”
27 CHEMEN

DISRUPTION: The action of completely changing the traditional way that an industry or market operates
by using new methods or technology.  “All the great disruptions made by the automation of industry
(…).”

BIOTECHNOLOGY: The use of living things, especially cells and bacteria, in industrial processes.  “The
main influences on social change in the near future will be communications and biotechnology.”

UBIQUITOUS: Seeming to be everywhere.  “Ubiquitous telecommunications via wire and wireless,

(…).”

TELECOMMUNICATIONS: The sending and receiving of messages over distance, especially by phone,
radio, and television.  “Ubiquitous telecommunications via wire and wireless, (…).”

TO SPEED UP STH (PHRASAL VERB): To go or happen faster, or to cause something to happen faster. 
“(…) promise to speed up the rate of change again.”

TO SUCCEED: If you succeed, you achieve something that you have been aiming for, and if a plan or
piece of work succeeds, it has the results that you wanted.  “By then we will have succeeded in
connecting everything to almost everything else.”

TO TURN DOWN: To reduce the height or intensity of by turning a control.  “Your stereo will turn itself
down when the phone rings.”

RETAILING: The activity of selling goods to the public in stores or on the internet (venta al por menor).
 “Retailing and customer service will have changed beyond recognition.”

BEYOND: Further away in the distance (than something).  “Retailing and customer service will have
changed beyond recognition.”

DRILL PRESS: An upright drilling machine in which the drill is pressed to the work by a hand lever or by
power.  “Imagine all manufactured items —a vacuum cleaner, a drill press— linked together, (…).”

CUSTOM-BUILT: Made according to the needs of a particular buyer.  “(…) every product is custom-
built.”

ENCRYPTION: The process of changing electronic information or signals into a secret code (= system of
letters, numbers, or symbols) that people cannot understand or use without special equipment. 
“There are ways to protect privacy with unbreakable encryption, (…).”

TO LOOK FORWARD TO STH (PHRASAL VERB): To feel pleased and excited about something that is
going to happen.  “But we can look forward to privacy becoming a major issue in the future.”

GENE THERAPY: The science of changing genes in order to stop or prevent a disease.  “Gene therapy,
gene counselling, embryonic clones (…).”

GENE COUNSELLING: Process through which knowledge about the genetic aspects of illnesses is shared
by trained professionals with those who are at an increased risk or either having a heritable disorder or
of passing it on to their unborn offspring.  “Gene therapy, gene counselling, embryonic clones (…).”

EMBRYONIC CLONE: Biologic copy of a fertilized egg that has begun the process of cell division. 
“Gene therapy, gene counselling, embryonic clones (…).”

DNA FINGERPRINTING: Method of isolating and identifying variable elements within the base-pair
sequence of DNA.  “DNA fingerprinting and bioengineered food are about to explode on society.”

TO SUPPRESS: To prevent something from being seen or expressed or from operating. 

“Biotechnology is too powerful to suppress.”

TO ROT: To (cause something to) decay.  “By 2020, we’ll be making vegetables and fruits that don’t
rot in stores if we want to.”
28 CHEMEN

TO PINPOINT: To fix, determine, or identify with precision.  “We will be able to pinpoint late-onset
diseases (…).”

LATE-ONSET DISEASE: Disease whose signs and symptoms manifest late in the life of an individual. 
“We will be able to pinpoint late-onset diseases (…).”

GRAND: Impressive and large or important.  “The future we are headed toward (…) is a grand
neobiological one.”

TO HEAD TOWARD STH: To progress toward a particular outcome.  “The future we are headed
toward (…) is a grand neobiological one.”