Reading_for_the_Real_World_1_2nd_Ed

1 SECOND EDITION

Reading for the Real World 1 Second Edition

Casey Malarcher · Andrea Janzen · Adam Worcester

© 2009 Compass Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise, without prior permission
in writing from the publisher.

Acquisitions Editor: Jordan Candlewyck
Content Editor: Rob Jordens
Copy Editor: Kelli Ripatti
Cover/Interior Design: Design Plus

email: [email protected]
http://www.compasspub.com

The authors of this book would like to acknowledge the following writers for
contributing materials to this series: Michael Souza, Michael Pederson,
Paul Edmunds, Paula Bramante, Kandice MacDonald, Barbara Graeber

ISBN: 978-1-59966-420-0

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Contents

Unit 1
Strange & Unusual

Reading 1 : American Superstitions / 5
Reading 2 : Bigfoot / 11

Unit 2
Computers & Technology

Reading 1 : The History of the Internet / 17
Reading 2 : Gamers: Image and Reality / 23

Unit 3
Health & Medicine

Reading 1 : Body Mass and Weight / 29
Reading 2 : Studying Headaches / 35

Unit 4
Social Issues

Reading 1 : High School Dropout Rates on the Rise / 41
Reading 2 : Where Are All the Boys? / 47

Unit 5
Environmental Issues

Reading 1 : Sixth Extinction / 53
Reading 2 : A Plan to Curb Greenhouse Gases / 59

Unit 6
Law & Crime

Reading 1 : The History of the Death Penalty / 65
Reading 2 : Bounty Hunters / 71

Unit 7
Language & Literature

Reading 1 : King’s March on Washington Address / 77
Reading 2 : Desiree’s Baby By Kate Chopin / 83

Unit 8
Space & Exploration

Reading 1 : The Space Race / 89
Reading 2 : Asteroid Impacts on Earth / 95

Unit 9
Sports & Fitness

Reading 1 : Cheating in Sports / 101
Reading 2 : Gi / 107

Unit 10
People & Opinions

Reading 1 : Barack Obama’s Keynote Address at the Democratic National
Convention / 113

Reading 2 : Anita Roddick / 119

Unit 11
Cross-Cultural Viewpoints

Reading 1 : Ideas About Beauty / 125
Reading 2 : Bribery or Business as Usual? / 131

Unit 12
Business & Economics

Reading 1 : Adventure Tours for Charity / 137
Reading 2 : Rating Companies / 143

U N I T 1 Strange & Unusual 1

American
Superstitions

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What are some good-luck superstitions?
2. What are some bad-luck superstitions?
3. Do you follow or believe any of these superstitions?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. clover a. inclined to believe in chance or magic

2. conduct b. a small plant with white berries; a Christmas decoration

3. confess c. a small flowering plant, usually with three leaves

4. optimistically d. to do

5. mistletoe e. to admit

6. superstitious f. positively; in a positive way

6

American Superstitions Track 1

E very culture has superstitions. Some people
believe them more than others. Even in our
modern technological society, superstitions
still hold a powerful influence. Most people seem to
5 outgrow them. But how many people continue to
believe (or at least act like they believe) these
superstitions as adults?

A survey conducted for the journal American Demographics by the research
firm Market Facts found some surprising results. In modern America, where
10 superstitions are seen as nothing more than the beliefs of a weak mind, 44
percent of the people surveyed still admitted they were superstitious. The other
56 percent claimed to be only “optimistically superstitious,” meaning they were
more willing to believe superstitions relating to good luck over ones related to
bad luck. For example, 12 percent of those who said they were not really
15 superstitious confessed to knocking on wood for good luck. And 9 percent
confessed they would pick up a penny on the street for good luck. A further
9 percent of non-believers also said they would pick a four-leaf clover for luck if
they found one. And some still believed in kissing under the mistletoe for luck.

Of the 44 percent of Americans who admit their superstitious beliefs, 65
20 percent said they were “only a little” superstitious, 27 percent were “somewhat”

superstitious, and 8 percent were “very” superstitious. Among this group of
believers, some interesting differences appeared when the men and women were
considered separately. In the survey, women comprised 60 percent of the
entire superstitious group, seeming to indicate that women tend to be more
25 superstitious than men. However, more than half (64 percent) of the “very”
superstitious believers were male.

Additionally, age also showed significant differences between the believers
and non-believers. More young people admitted their superstitious nature than

23 comprise --- to make up
24 indicate --- to show; to suggest
27 significant --- major; large

32 expect --- to guess; to consider likely
35 respondent --- a person who answers a survey
37 minimal --- low; of the smallest amount
38 common --- usual; occurring frequently
40 check --- to mark
41 widely --- over a large range or area
51 cross one’s fingers --- to put the second finger over the first finger

older people in the survey. For people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-
30 four taking the survey, 64 percent claimed to be at least a little superstitious. But

for seniors 65 and older, only 30 percent admitted to believing any superstitions.
It might be expected that people with more education would be less

superstitious, but results from the survey indicated almost equal numbers of
believers between those with and without college degrees. Of those survey
35 respondents who never finished or only finished high school, 42 percent
reported being at least a little superstitious. For those with a college education,
47 percent claimed the same minimal level of belief.

In the survey, ten common superstitions were listed for the people who
responded. Of these superstitions, five were related to good luck and five to bad
40 luck. Respondents were then asked to check the ones they believed. Of the
superstitions in the list, good-luck superstitions were more widely held. The top
superstitions related to good luck that most people followed “very much” were
picking four-leaf clovers (79 percent), knocking on wood (72 percent), picking up
pennies (70 percent), and crossing fingers for luck (59 percent). Of the bad-luck
45 superstitions, the most common belief was that breaking a mirror
brought bad luck (82 percent). Other bad luck superstitions
listed in the survey included seeing black cats, walking under
ladders, seeing the bride before the wedding, and doing
anything on Friday the 13th.
50 Many people would like to think it could not hurt to do
something like knocking on wood or crossing your fingers to
bring a little luck. After all, who doesn’t want a little luck?

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 574 words

7

8

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ The majority of people said they do not believe in bad luck.
2. ____ None of the non-believers think four-leaf clovers are lucky.
3. ____ It is bad luck to climb a ladder.
4. ____ Few people thought that breaking a mirror was bad luck.

B Choose the best answer.

1. Which of the following would bring bad luck?
a. A cracked mirror
b. Crossed fingers
c. Money on the street
d. Walking under mistletoe

2. Which of these good-luck traditions was most commonly followed by
non-believers?
a. Avoiding black cats
b. Kissing under mistletoe
c. Knocking on wood
d. Picking up money

3. Who would be most likely to admit being superstitious?
a. A nineteen-year-old, female, college student
b. A thirty-year-old, male, high school drop-out
c. A forty-year-old, male, college graduate
d. A seventy-year-old, female, college graduate

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What was the main purpose of the survey?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. What are the different groups of superstitions?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the phrases from the list. Use each phrase only once.

in good-luck breaking a mirror confessed to being
picking four-leaf clovers who responded to the superstitious beliefs

A marketing research firm conducted a survey to find out information about
1 _________________ of Americans. It was found through the survey that many
Americans actually 2 _________________ at least “somewhat” superstitious.
Most people see themselves as “optimistically superstitious,” meaning they believe
more 3 _________________ than bad-luck superstitions. Some common
good-luck superstitions in the survey included 4 _________________ and
kissing under mistletoe. Bad-luck superstitions on the survey included walking under
a ladder and 5 _________________ . Of the people 6 _________________
the survey, young people said they were superstitious more often than old people.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

horoscope curse omen fate astrologist faith

1. An __________ can tell your fortune by the stars.
2. Oh, no! I just saw a crow. That’s a bad __________.
3. According to my __________ in the newspaper, I will have a good day today.
4. Have __________! Everything will turn out all right in the end.
5. The archeologist had bad luck after he opened the tomb. He received the

mummy’s __________.
6. I can’t do anything about it. It’s my __________ to be in this situation.

9

10

Supplemental Reading

1“Unlucky” Number 13 Track 2

998 was a very bad year, especially for people
who believed the number 13 is an unlucky

number. In 1998, three months had a Friday that

fell on the 13th of the month--February, March, and

5 November. That is actually the most Friday the 13ths

possible in a year.

The origin of the number 13 being an unlucky number goes back to the time

of Jesus’s death. At the last supper, Jesus gathered his twelve followers for a

special meal, but including himself, there were a total of 13 people at the table.

10 One of those followers later betrayed Jesus and turned him over to be killed.

Today, superstitions about the number continue to worry people. As a

result, most American skyscrapers do not have a 13th floor. In addition, most

airplanes lack a 13th row because few customers would buy tickets to sit there.

Perhaps surprisingly, when asked, only 13 percent of the American population

15 admit they believe that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. The percentage is slightly

higher among young people. About 30 percent of Americans between the ages of

eighteen and twenty-four say they try to generally be a little more careful on a

Friday falling on the 13th. Interestingly, the nine movies of the horror series

Friday the 13th were all released during this age group’s formative years (1980-

20 1993). Perhaps the series has had a greater effect on people than anyone would

like to admit.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Can superstitions ever be helpful?
2. Do you have any item that brings you luck? What is it and where did you get it?

U N I T 1 Strange & Unusual 2

Bigfoot

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. Do you know any stories about mysterious creatures?

Where were they seen?
2. Do you think that strange creatures like the Loch Ness monster

exist? Why or why not?
3. What have you heard about “Bigfoot”?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. aggressive a. a dead body or bones

2. remains b. a smell; a scent

3. creature c. to travel; to move from one country or area to another

4. description d. a statement that tells what something looks like

5. migrate e. an animal or monster

6. odor f. quick to attack; not afraid

12

Bigfoot Track 3

N ative American and Canadian Indian tribes
have passed down stories going back
thousands of years about giant ape-men
living in the forests of the western United States and
5 Canada. They called these creatures Sasquatch, Yerin,
or Mountain Devils. Regardless of the name, the
descriptions of these animals are usually the same. The
Bigfoot is usually described as being very tall, well over
two meters. It is covered in thick, dark hair and usually gives off a bad odor.
10 The Bigfoot’s body is usually very muscular and ape-like, yet it walks upright
and has a face more similar to that of humans than of apes. For the most part,
these creatures appear not to be violent or aggressive. Bigfoot sightings are
usually of lone, or single, creatures, but there have been reports of people seeing
groups, or families, of Bigfoot.
15 People in other countries also tell stories of similar ape-men. In the
Himalayas, a mountain range in Nepal, people call these creatures Yeti, or
Abominable Snowmen. The Africans call them Ngoloko, and the Chinese tell
stories of the Gin-Sung, or bearman.

Though sightings have been reported for centuries, is there any scientific
20 evidence for the existence of these creatures? Some say yes, and others say no.

Dr. Grover Krantz, a physical anthropologist at the University of Oregon,
believes that Bigfoot may be a type of creature known as a Gigantopithecus.
A Gigantopithecus is an animal that lived in Asia over 300,000 years ago and
looked like a mix between an ape and a very large man. Dr. Krantz believes that
25 these animals, which lived long before humans, may have migrated from Asia
and decided to settle in the heavily wooded area of the Pacific Northwest,

2 pass down --- to tell from one generation to the next
6 regardless of --- in spite of; not considering
17 abominable --- terrible
19 sightings --- fact of seeing; something seen
21 anthropologist --- a person who studies the development of humans
24 mix --- a combination
26 wooded --- having many trees

45 trickster --- a person who cheats others
49 deeper --- farther inside
50 elusive --- not easy to find; good at hiding

where food was plentiful.
Is it possible that creatures like these could have survived for so many years

unknown to humans? Cryptozoologists compare the case of Bigfoot to that of the
30 coelacanth. The coelacanth is a type of fish that was believed to have gone

extinct over 70,000,000 years ago, but this fish has been discovered to be still
living off the coast of South Africa. Cryptozoologists believe that the animals that
we now call Bigfoot have been able to survive by living in an area that people,
until recently, have seldom gone.
35 There are, however, some questions that science has been
unable to answer. For example, why have no dead Bigfoot
bodies ever been discovered? And where is the physical proof
of their existence? Bigfoot researchers point out that it is
unusual to find the dead remains of any animal in the forest.
40 Most of the time, they say, other animals eat the remains soon
after death; this may be the case for Bigfoot, too. Many
skeptics, people who do not believe in Bigfoot, say that the video and
photographs of Bigfoot are really pictures of people wearing an ape costume.
They also believe that the Bigfoot footprints are really the footprints of a bear, or
45 footprints made by tricksters trying to fool scientists.

It is possible that we may never know the truth about these animals. If they
have avoided being seen for the last several thousand years, then maybe they will
stay hidden for another several thousand. Or it may be that as we humans go
deeper and deeper into the forests of Northwest America and Canada, we may
50 finally come face to face with the elusive Bigfoot.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 572 words

13

14

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Stories of Bigfoot are only very recent.
2. ____ Bigfoot could be related to an animal that lived thousands of years ago.
3. ____ Many people think that Bigfoot evidence is not real.
4. ____ The coelacanth is an extinct Bigfoot.

B Choose the best answer.

1. Why do cryptozoologists think that the coelacanth is good evidence for the
existence of Bigfoot?
a. The coelacanth is an old kind of fish that can live out of water.
b. The coelacanth also looks strange.
c. The coelacanth is originally from Asia.
d. The coelacanth shows that living ancient animals exist without being easily
found.

2. Why don’t skeptics think Bigfoot exists?
a. Only pictures of Bigfoot have been taken.
b. They believe that the footprints were made by bears or tricksters.
c. Skeptics made a Bigfoot costume.
d. They are very big.

3. According to the reading, what do cryptozoologists probably study?
a. Fish
b. All animals
c. Unknown or mysterious creatures
d. Humans

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What is Dr. Krantz’s theory about Bigfoot?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. If Bigfoot does exist, why is the Northwest a good habitat for it to live in?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the phrases from the list. Use each phrase only once.

believers say found or sighted are not aggressive
a bad odor came from Asia usually eat them

Descriptions of Bigfoot indicate they are larger than men, have lots of hair, and
usually have 1 _________________. One theory says that Bigfoot
2 _________________ originally, but it migrated to North America to find food.
Some people wonder why more people have not 3 _________________ a Bigfoot.
Bigfoot researchers say it is because these creatures 4 _________________ and
hide when humans come near them. Skeptics also point out that no one has ever
found a dead body of a Bigfoot; however, 5 _________________ that fact is not
so strange. It is actually rare to find the remains of any dead animal because other
animals 6 _________________.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

lair monsters legends hoax uncanny supernatural

1. Where does the fox live? Its __________ is over there.
2. Is the Loch Ness monster real? I think it is just a(n) __________.
3. Long ago, people thought that rain was __________. They didn’t realize that it

was a natural process.
4. “Do you think __________ exist?” “Well, I’ve never seen one.”
5. Bob had a(n) __________ experience. He still feels strange about it.
6. There are many __________ about ghosts.

15

16

Supplemental Reading

The Death of Bigfoot? Track 4

I s Bigfoot dead? The answer is “yes” according to the
family of Ray L. Wallace, who died November 26th,
2002 in Seattle, Washington. After the death of his
father, Michael Wallace told a story that surprised many
5 people who have been trying to solve the Bigfoot mystery.
He claimed that his father thought of the idea of a Bigfoot
creature; though he did not make the name, Bigfoot, he developed it as a
practical joke to make money. According to Michael, Ray Wallace asked a friend
to make a pair of 16-inch (40 cm) footprints out of wood. He then used these
10 footprints for making fake Bigfoot tracks around the woods near his house.
Mr. Wallace would use these footprints to support stories about Bigfoot that he
would tell to newspapers. Some of these stories were quite strange.

He once told a newspaper reporter, “Bigfooted creatures are people, they
speak a language.” Mr. Wallace then used these stories to make money. He made
15 tape recordings of strange sounds that he said were “Bigfoot conversations” and
sold the tapes to tourists along with Bigfoot photos, posters, and pieces of
animal hair that he said came from Bigfoot.

Though his family claims that Bigfoot died with Ray Wallace, others are not
so sure. Scientist Jeff Meldrum, a professor at Idaho State University, does not
20 believe that Bigfoot was imaginary. Professor Meldrum claims to have copies of
over forty footprints that he says belong to a very large, unknown creature,
which he believes is Bigfoot.

Discussion

1. If Bigfoot exists, what kind of creature do you think it could be?
2. What other kinds of hoaxes have you heard about?

U N I T 2 C o m p u t e r s & Te c h n o l o g y 1

The History of
the Internet

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. During which decade were computers first used in homes?
2. During which decade did lots of people start using the Internet?
3. Was the original use of the Internet for business or some other

purpose?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. accelerate a. a set of operation instructions for a computer program

2. access b. easily carried by hand

3. cable c. to go faster

4. code d. a person skilled at programming, usually having
a mischievous purpose

5. hacker e. a cord made of strands of metal wire

6. portable f. to use by permission

18

The History of the Internet Track 5

A lmost everyone knows about the Internet. More than a billion people
around the world are now online. The Internet is a powerful tool for
information and communication.
The basic concept of the Internet was first thought of in the early 1960s. It
5 began as a military research network, designed to be decentralized or spread out
over many locations. If one location was attacked, the military could communicate
from another location. The first small network went online in 1969. It connected
four universities in the United States.

This network was very successful from the beginning. Scientists could now
10 share information about their research. In 1972, email was invented and quickly

became the most popular application. By the end of that year, the network
connected many universities and government research centers. The general
public became aware of the network in the late 70s. A new version allowed
anyone to get online. People from all over the world joined online groups to talk
15 about thousands of different subjects.

The term Internet was used for the first time in 1982. New technology had
created a common language for the network computers. The Internet was now

recognized as an international
network. This was also at

20 the time when privacy and
security started becoming
important issues. Hackers
and viruses began to
emerge.

25 In 1990, the original
military network went
offline, and a year later the

2 online --- connected to the network
5 decentralize --- to put in many different locations
11 application --- a special purpose for which something is used
13 aware of --- conscious of; informed about

29 navigate --- to direct or manage its course
34 search engine --- a computer program that searches the World Wide Web
36 annual --- yearly
36 approximately --- nearly
40 consortium --- a group formed with the purpose to work together
44 data --- information

World Wide Web was born. The World Wide Web is in fact a browser for the
Internet---a kind of software program that allows users to access and navigate
30 within information on the net. With the introduction of the World Wide Web, the
development of the Internet accelerated at a rapid pace. The first computer code of
the web was created in 1991 allowing programmers to combine words, pictures, and
sounds on web pages.

In the early nineties, the first search engine, Gopher, and the first web
35 browser, Mosaic, were developed, allowing easier and simpler access to the Net.

Traffic on the Internet started growing at an annual rate of approximately
340,000 percent.

At the end of the 1990s, Internet2 was born.
Internet2 uses fiber optic cables to link together a
40 consortium of hundreds of high-speed networks
around the world. Instead of connecting to the
Internet solely through telephone lines, people
could now connect in a wide variety of ways, including
via satellite. These new methods have more data carrying capacity, or bandwidth,
45 than telephone lines. This made the Internet faster and able to convey much more
information. People could soon watch TV shows and movies online.

In the future, people will not need a computer to access the Internet. The
browser will become a platform for the Web. Information will no longer need to
be stored in a computer hard drive. Instead, it will be stored in places around
50 the world. People can retrieve it through cell phones, music players, and other
portable devices. This is called “cloud computing,” because it seems as if
information floats down from the sky. A 2008 study said that the Internet will
continue to grow. By 2020, a low-cost global network will allow people even in
remote areas to have Internet access. English will remain the primary Net language,
55 but other languages, especially Mandarin, will increase. Also, a segment of society
will refuse to use the Net and live without modern technology.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 562 words

19

20

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ The first small network went online in 1969.
2. ____ Gopher was the first Internet search browser.
3. ____ The Internet2 allowed people to watch TV online.
4. ____ By 2020, English will no longer be the primary language of the

Internet.

B Choose the best answer.

1. Which of the following is NOT an Internet-based technology?
a. Mosaic
b. Gopher
c. Hacker
d. World Wide Web

2. The first computer virus probably appeared in ____.
a. the early 70s
b. the late 70s
c. the early 80s
d. the early 90s

3. What was Gopher?
a. A computer company
b. A computer virus
c. A program application
d. A search engine

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why was the first small network useful for scientists?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. In the future, why will people no longer need computers to access the
Internet?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the words from the list. Use each word only once.

portable code hackers
cables accelerated access

Although it has only a short history, the Internet has had a great impact on
modern society. The concept of the Internet came from military research in the
1960s. The military wanted to 1 _________________ its research and control
centers through connections to many locations by computers. As more and more
people began using the system during the 1980s, privacy and security became an
issue due to the threat of 2 _________________ and viruses. In the 1990s, the
development of the Internet 3 _________________ rapidly thanks to the World
Wide Web and the invention of the first computer 4 _________________ for web
pages. Soon after, fiber optic 5 _________________ made the Internet faster and
able to carry much more information. In decades to come, 6 _________________
devices will be used instead of computers to retrieve information from the Internet.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

install downloaded idle crashed click frozen

1. I lost all of my homework when my computer __________.
2. Do you know how to __________ this program?
3. To open the file, just __________ on its name.
4. Casey has __________ over 400 MP3 files.
5. If your computer is __________ for a few minutes, the screensaver will start.
6. The computer screen is not responding to the mouse. I think your computer is

__________.

21

22

Supplemental Reading

Internet and Freedom of Speech Track 6

O ne of the most important things that the
Internet has fostered or strengthened

has been freedom of speech and
freedom of expression. The Internet is a very large

5 common public area that is shared by people all

around the world. Due to the diversity of the Net’s

users, no one standard can be applied to govern

speech on the Net. Furthermore, the Internet technology itself prevents complete

blocking of access to information.

10 The Internet has helped to promote political freedom in many cases and

allowed protesters a way to express their discontent. In 1990, the Internet

allowed Chinese dissidents to bypass government censorship and inform the

world Chinese community of the rebellion in Tiananmen Square and its tragic

outcome. Similarly in 1991, people both in the Soviet Union and around the

15 world were able to access eyewitness accounts of the attempted coup against

Mikhail Gorbachev in spite of an information blackout. During Iraq’s invasion of

Kuwait, Internet users got up-to-date information through Internet connections

with Kuwait even though radio and television broadcasts had been cut off.

In the late 1990s, many countries became alarmed at the freedom of speech

20 accessible on the Internet and tried to restrict it. Singapore mandated that

political and religious sites must register with the government. China ordered

that all Internet users register with the police. And Saudi Arabia restricted

Internet use to only universities and hospitals. However, due to the nature of the

Internet, none of these efforts has had much lasting effect.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. What do you usually use the Internet for?
2 How has the Internet changed since you first began using it?

U N I T 2 C o m p u t e r s & Te c h n o l o g y 2

Gamers:
Image and Reality

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What are the most popular computer games today?
2. Do you know any people who play a lot of games on the computer?

What are these people like?
3. What do you think most gamers have in common?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. antisocial a. highly developed; complicated

2. activity b. a picture; an idea of how something looks

3. image c. an action to hurt or kill others

4. recognize d. disliking other people; not fitting in with others

5. sophisticated e. an action; a way to enjoy free time

6. violence f. to see and understand

24

Gamers: Image and Reality Track 7

V ideo games have become very popular. There are
numerous games for the personal computer.
Additionally, game systems, like the Sony
Playstation and the Xbox, can be found in many
5 homes. As video games have become more popular
and sophisticated, they have influenced popular
culture. The character of Lara Croft from the
game, Tomb Raider, is well known even to people
who have never played the game. There have been
10 several movies based on video games, Tomb
Raider included. Obviously, the video game industry is highly profitable, and
the designers of a successful game can become very rich. Of course, what this
means is that there are many people buying and playing video games. What
kinds of people are they?
15 There are many stereotypes about gamers. The first one is that most gamers
are males. Another stereotype about gamers is that they are not interesting or
attractive people. According to this view, gamers are mostly fat because they
always play games instead of exercising. Even if they are not fat, they are still
unhealthy because they rarely go outside or do anything active. Another part of
20 this image is that gamers are ugly. They play games because it is impossible for
them to find girlfriends. Not only are they ugly, but they are also boring. Gamers
have no interests outside games, so games are all that they can talk about,
besides computers. Further, this image of gamers implies they are antisocial.
They do not know how to communicate with other people. This is the main
25 reason that they play games. Gamers spend all of their time alone with their
computers, and they only connect with other people through the Internet, where

2 numerous --- many
7 character --- a person in a story
10 based on --- originating from; taken from
11 profitable --- able to earn money for a company
19 rarely --- seldom; not often
23 imply --- to suggest; to seems to mean

31 emotional problems --- extreme emotional reactions not usually
found in others

36 destruction --- damage; complete ruin
37 views --- ideas
46 commit --- to do; to carry out

they can pretend to be different people. This sort of communication is not real,
since gamers would never be able to talk the same way with people in the normal
world.
30 The most negative stereotype about gamers is that they possibly have
emotional problems. Many video games are violent, so gamers might be
influenced by that violence. They may start to feel that it is OK to use violence in
real life. Further, gamers spend too much time in the false worlds of their games.
The result is that they can no longer recognize the real world. They may come to
35 believe that they are characters in a game. The result of this could be violence or
destruction of property, either real or through computer hacking.

Of course, these views are only stereotypes. There may be some gamers that
fit the negative stereotype. However, a recent study about gamers was conducted
in the United States by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. This research
40 involved a survey of 1,162 college students across the United States. The survey
found that most gamers are the same as normal people. According to the survey,
both gamers and non-gamers spent the same amount of time doing different
kinds of activities, like studying and exercising. Gamers did not spend all their
time playing games. They did not spend all their time alone, either. Most of the
45 gamers in the survey lived normal lives and had normal friends. For them, gaming
was a social activity. These gamers were unlikely to commit violence against others.
Finally, the survey found that just as many women as men played video games.

According to this survey, at least, gaming has
become a normal hobby, like any other, and as is the
50 case with many other stereotypes, the stereotypical
image of gamers does not seem to match with
reality.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 591 words

25

26

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Gamers are not thought to be like normal people.
2. ____ Gamers are thought to be antisocial.
3. ____ Many gamers always play games as a way to enjoy time with friends.
4. ____ More men play video games than women.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1. What is the main idea of this reading?
a. Gamers have similar personalities, likes and dislikes.
b. Gamers are similar to people’s ideas of them.
c. Gamers are different from people’s ideas of them.
d. Gamers are not similar to each other.

2. What is NOT a stereotype of a gamer?
a. They don’t make friends easily.
b. They dislike sports.
c. They are often boring to other people.
d. They frequently interact with other people.

3. According to the reading, what does “stereotype” probably mean?
a. An idea about gamers that is usually true
b. An idea about gamers that is good to have
c. An idea about gamers that is often too simple
d. An idea about gamers that is wrong

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why is it dangerous for gamers to think video games are the real world?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why do people think that gamers play computer games?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks with the words from the list. Use each word only once.

antisocial activity image
recognize sophisticated violence

Over the years, video games have become more popular and 1 _____________.
For most people, the 2 _________________ of a gamer is a man who is
overweight and lazy. Because gamers sit in front of computers all day, their lack of
physical 3 _________________ makes them gain weight. People also think that
gamers are 4 _________________ because they spend so much time alone,
playing games that typically focus on killing. However, research indicates that
gamers easily 5 _________________ appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
In other words, they are not more likely to commit acts of 6 ________________
than non-gamers.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

bias points weird ammunition juvenile select

1. Roger does very strange things, so most people think he is __________.
2. Now you have to __________ what color hair you want your character to have.
3. Don’t act in that childish way. It’s very __________.
4. Hey! I got 50 __________ for picking up the gold coin!
5. You need a lot of __________ to shoot all your opponents in Quake III.
6. He has a(n) __________ against people who play computer games.

He doesn’t like to talk to them.

27

28

Supplemental Reading

Why Play Computer Games? Track 8

P eople like video games for different reasons. Playing a game like Quake
III allows people to have an imaginary battle, where they can shoot or
destroy their opponents. This sort of game can be exciting for some.
Others find that it helps to take away their stress. Quake III is an example of a
5 first-person-shooter (FPS) game, one of the most popular kinds of games.
There seems to be a thrill that comes with fighting, especially when it is with
other people on the Internet.

Other games provide a different world for the
player to enter. These are called adventure games.
10 The games may place a player in a different time or
place or create an entirely imaginary world. A player
may be able to win by fighting, using strategy, or
solving puzzles, but the most important point is the
different world of the game. Myst and Riven are two of the most famous
15 adventure games.

Some role-playing adventure games allow players to create new characters
for themselves. In the game, a player can be a hero, monster, or any number of
other kinds of characters. Role-playing games are very popular, particularly on
the Internet. One of the most popular is Everquest. In this game, players join
20 others online to have adventures. They can play many different characters,
making different names, abilities, and personalities for themselves. The feeling
in these games is like becoming a character in a book. There seems to be a game
for just about every kind of personality.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. What are the advantages of playing video games?
2. What are some problems that playing video games can cause?

U N I T 3 Health & Medicine 1

Body Mass
and Weight

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What are some health problems caused by too much body fat?
2. How can you tell if someone is unhealthily fat?
3. What do you think BMI is?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. density a. a way; a procedure

2. inaccurate b. mass divided by volume

3. mass c. having well-developed muscles

4. method d. not exact; not correct

5. muscular e. exact; accurate

6. precise f. a measure similar to weight

30

Body Mass and Weight Track 9

T o be obese means to have too much fat on the body. Obese people are
not just overweight. Such people are likely to suffer health problems
because of their weight. The precise cause of obesity is not clear.
However, it is clear that obesity is a problem in most countries. One study
5 estimated that about 55 percent of people in the United States are obese. People
need to understand what obesity is and how to tell if they themselves are obese
so that they can change their condition.

An obese person does not have to look extremely fat. Even people who seem
only slightly overweight can actually be considered obese. If a person has a certain
10 amount of fat on their body, then their health might be in danger. This amount of fat
is usually thought to be 40 percent of the body’s total composition. Finding a
person’s exact fat percentage is troublesome. Most people still rely on their weight
measurement to tell them if they are overweight or obese.

There are problems with this method, however. There are recommended
15 weights for different ages. In addition, weight alone says nothing about a person’s

percentage of body fat, which is most important. People have different body types,
which can make weight measurements unreliable. For instance, athletes usually
have more muscle mass than other people. Muscle weighs more than fat. Therefore,
an athlete may weigh more than their recommended weight, but this does not mean
20 they are not healthy. A more accurate measurement of body fat is needed.

Probably the most popular method of determining body fat today is the
Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided
by the square of his or her height (in meters). For men, a BMI of 24
to 27 is normal. For women, it is 23 to
25 26. A BMI of 30 or more means a

1 obese --- overweight in an unhealthy way
8 extremely --- to the utmost degree; exceedingly;

excessively
9 slightly --- a little
9 certain --- particular
11 composition --- a mix of all the various parts
14 recommend --- to suggest
17 unreliable --- not able to be trusted

27 general --- vague; not definite or specific
38 criticism --- a critical comment
45 result --- the final outcome

person is obese. Many experts feel that BMI is a reliable way to determine if a
person’s weight is unhealthy. However, others feel that BMI is too general to be
really useful. The numbers come from comparisons of large groups of people. It
is not related to an individual’s body composition. BMI says nothing about a
30 person’s actual percentage of body fat. There are many different ways that BMI
can be affected by body shape and size. Muscular people may show a high BMI,
even though they are perfectly healthy. Some people have higher bone
density than others, which increases their weight. In some cases, those
who have very low body fat and are also not muscular can have a BMI
35 that is too high. BMI is also unreliable for children and the elderly.
Even supporters of BMI think that it should not be used for people
under eighteen or over seventy years old.

Despite these criticisms, there are strong positive aspects of
BMI. The main one is that it is very simple. The measurement can
40 be performed easily. It does not take special knowledge or
equipment. Though BMI is a general measurement, it still gives
useful information. At least, it can suggest that there might be a
problem. Furthermore, some studies have shown that people with
higher BMI numbers have a higher risk of health problems. It takes only
45 a minute to get a BMI number, but the results can be very important to a
person’s life.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 563 words

31

32

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ An obese person always looks very fat.
2. ____ The most popular way of determining body fat is by weight.
3. ____ BMI is not always a very reliable way to measure body fat.
4. ____ Only very skilled people can measure BMI.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1. What people would NOT show high BMIs?
a. Obese people
b. Very muscular people
c. Elderly people
d. Average people

2. What is the main advantage of using the BMI?
a. It is based on the individual’s body.
b. It is always reliable.
c. It does not require special equipment or skills.
d. It is of limited use.

3. Why is the BMI important to get?
a. We can plan a diet.
b. We can understand our body’s processes.
c. We know how healthy we are.
d. We can enjoy eating.

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. When do we consider a person obese?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Who do supporters of BMI think that this test should NOT be used for?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided
below. Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary.

First Sentence: There are a couple different ways that people use to determine if a
person has a healthy or unhealthy body weight.

1. A muscular person weighs more because the density of muscles is greater than
the density of fat.

2. Most people still rely only on a person’s weight as a method for determining
obesity, although it is considered inaccurate.

3. The Body Mass Index (BMI) compares a person’s weight with his or her height,
and the resulting number is indexed with average people.

4. According to a study, about 55 percent of Americans are considered to be obese.
5. Despite the fact it is not precise, the BMI still gives a person useful information

about her or his body.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in
the reading. Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list.
Use each word or phrase only once.

prone to scale measuring tape disgnoses protein carbohydrates

1. A __________ measures your weight.
2. A doctor __________ and then treats diseases.
3. According to the __________, my waist is thirty inches.
4. Bread, rice and vegetables all contain __________.
5. Kathy’s family is __________ allergies. Almost every person in her family is

allergic to something.
6. Meat contains a lot of __________.

33

34

Supplemental Reading

Health Problems of Obesity Track 10

I t is important to understand that obesity is not just an uncomfortable
condition of the body. Obesity can cause serious health problems. Many
people are not aware of these problems, so they do not try to prevent the
problems before they appear. This is unfortunate, since prevention is possible,

5 though difficult.

One of the worst health problems caused by obesity is Type 2 diabetes. One

study found that about 80 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes are obese.

People with diabetes do not have insulin in their bodies. Insulin helps the body

to absorb, or take in, sugar. If the body cannot absorb sugar, several bad things

10 can happen. A person with diabetes can suffer from seizures (losing control of

the body) or fall into a coma.

A number of other problems related to obesity have also been found.

Obesity can cause heart disease. Heart disease happens when the vessels that

deliver blood to the heart become blocked. This makes it more likely that such

15 people will suffer from heart attacks, which take place

when the heart loses blood supply and cannot pump

properly. Furthermore, obesity causes problems with

breathing, especially when sleeping. Obese people are

at high risk for arthritis as well as certain kinds of

20 cancers.

All of these problems, and others, can be prevented. Of course, losing

weight is very difficult. Changing a lifestyle is hard and often painful. Even so,

the results of obesity are much worse.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. What method do you use to determine your body fat? Would you like to try the

BMI? Why or why not?
2. What do you think is the best way to lose weight?

U N I T 3 Health & Medicine 2

Studying
Headaches

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. How often do you get headaches?
2. When you get headaches, what do you do?
3. Is there anything you can do to avoid headaches?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. bark a. to feel pain

2. cluster b. a small group of things close to each other

3. insight c. the covering on a tree’s trunk

4. powder d. to start; to begin

5. set off e. small pieces, like dust

6. suffer f. an understanding of something

36

Studying Headaches Track 11

H eadaches are a big problem. But they are not just a problem for the
person suffering from the headache. They are a
problem for society as well. Each year, millions
of people suffer from severe headaches that keep them from
5 doing their jobs. In fact, according to one estimate,
headaches cost individuals and businesses more than $50
billion each year! This is one of the reasons research into
headaches has become a worldwide effort.

Although he did not know much about how headaches work, Hippocrates
10 was the first doctor to find a way to treat them. Before 400 B.C., Hippocrates

discovered that the bark from willow trees was useful in treating pain. He made
a white powder from the tree’s bark and gave it to his patients.

Hippocrates did not know it, but he was actually prescribing a natural
chemical in willow bark called salicin. When a person eats salicin, the
15 chemical is changed inside his or her body into salicylic acid. It turns out that
salicylic acid is good for stopping pain, including headache pain, but it is bad for
a person’s stomach. In the 1800s, a chemist in Germany changed the acid’s form
a little to make it easier for people to take. This new form of the chemical was
called acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin today.
20 Aspirin was used throughout most of the 1900s to treat headaches, but
doctors had little idea about what really caused headaches. When doctors know
the cause of a disease, they can find better ways to treat it. Therefore, as medical
technology developed, doctors began to use the technology to learn more about
the human brain and about headaches.
25 Currently, doctors classify headaches into two general types: primary and
secondary. A primary headache is a condition suffered as only the headache itself.

4 severe --- strong; very bad
5 estimate --- a guess; approximate calculation
9 Hippocrates --- a Greek doctor who started the study of medicine
14 willow --- a kind of tree, having narrow leaves
14 salicin --- C13H18O7; a glucoside related to the sugar family

29 symptom --- a sign; an indication
31 tension --- mental strain or overuse
33 dull --- not intense or sharp
34 migraine --- a severe, recurring headache
51 disable --- to cripple; to stop an ability

On the other hand, a secondary headache is one caused by another condition.
For example, someone who catches the flu may suffer from headaches along with
other symptoms of the illness. Flu headaches are thus secondary headaches.
30 For primary headaches, doctors have determined three possible causes. One
kind of primary headache is caused by stress. Doctors usually call headaches of
this kind tension headaches. Such headaches are characteristically felt on both
sides of the head as a dull, steady pain.

Another kind of primary headache is the migraine headache. Doctors
35 believe this headache is caused by reduced flow of blood to certain parts of the

brain. A migraine sufferer usually feels intense pain on one side of the head. The
sufferer also becomes sensitive to light and noise. If the migraine is severe, the
sufferer may vomit repeatedly.

The third kind of primary headache is known as the cluster headache.
40 Cluster headaches typically occur around the same time each day for weeks or

months at a time. The person suffering from this kind of headache usually feels
pain on one side of her or his head, and the pain is centered around one of the
person’s eyes. Doctors do not know much at present about cluster headaches,
but they seem more common among men and could be related to alcohol or
45 other things that affect a person’s blood flow.

Using computers and more advanced medical equipment, doctors continue
to learn more about what happens in the brain before and during headaches.
Especially in the case of migraines, some doctors believe they have found the
part of the brain that sets off the reaction for severe attacks.
50 With this new insight into brain processes, doctors hope
new ways will be discovered to disable headaches
before they begin.

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 598 words

37

38

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ The first treatment for headaches was prescribed over 2,000 years ago.
2. ____ There are different types of headaches.
3. ____ Cluster headaches occur regularly.
4. ____ Migraine headaches are caused by stress.

B Choose the best answer according to the reading.

1. What was the first treatment for headaches?
a. Powder from the outer part of a tree
b. Powder from tree roots
c. Willow bark
d. Acetylsalicylic acid

2. What is NOT a possible cause of a primary headache?
a. A reduced flow of blood
b. Alcohol
c. Stress
d. Catching the flu

3. What will doctors likely study to treat migraines in the future?
a. How aspirin stops migraines
b. How to make drugs less expensive
c. How the brain develops in childhood
d. How drugs can stop parts of the brain from reacting

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why are many scientists interested in finding out about headaches?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. How is a secondary headache different from a primary headache?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided
below. Select THREE answer choices to complete the summary.

First Sentence: Doctors have classified various kinds of primary headaches that
people can suffer from.

1. Hippocrates was the first doctor to find a way to treat headaches.
2. Tension headaches are when a person suffers a steady and dull pain on both sides

of their head.
3. Aspirin has been used for hundreds of years to treat a headache, but doctors had

almost no insight about the actual causes of the condition.
4. When there is a reduced flow of blood to certain parts of the brain, doctors

believe this sets off a migraine headache.
5. A headache that occurs at the same time every day for weeks at a time and

involves pain around one of a person’s eyes is called a cluster headache.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

chronic throbbing placebo alleviate dehydration tablet

1. __________, or lack of water, can cause headaches.
2. My headache is so painful right now. My head is really __________.
3. Aspirin can __________ pain.
4. A(n) __________ headache is a headache that occurs regularly.
5. As part of the research project, the doctor gave half the people a tablet with no

aspirin; it was a(n) ________.
6. Most people take aspirin in __________ form, not in liquid form.

39

40

Supplemental Reading

Fighting Migraines Track 12

A spirin may work well for fighting minor headaches, but it may not be the
best choice for dealing with migraines. Doctors have found that after
treating a migraine sufferer with aspirin, the next migraine attack becomes
stronger. Therefore, doctors have searched for other ways to treat migraines.

5 From brain research, doctors have learned that certain cells in parts of the

brain release proteins during a migraine attack. By using a drug which acts like

the natural chemical serotonin in the brain, the cells can be stopped from

releasing protein. This has the effect of blocking the migraine. Now drug

companies are producing even better products developed from this idea.

10 However, the most effective of these drugs must be taken as liquid and put

directly into the bloodstream. The drug is not yet available as a pill.

The above example is only one kind of medicine doctors have found useful

in fighting migraines. It also turns out that drugs used to fight depression work

well to relieve migraines. And surprisingly, some migraine sufferers claim Botox

15 has proven helpful for them. (Botox is a chemical injected into the face for the

purpose of removing wrinkles.)

Not all migraine sufferers are turning to medicine for help with

their problem. Some of them use alternative remedies to fight

migraines. For example, many people use yoga or meditation to

20 relieve stress and reduce the number of migraines they suffer. And

in some cases, people know that certain foods or fluorescent lights

trigger their migraines. These people simply try to avoid things

that set off migraine attacks.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Was your last headache a primary or secondary headache? How did you treat it?
2. Would you be willing to test a new headache drug that affects your brain

activity? Why or why not?

U N I T 4 Social Issues 1

High School
Dropout Rates
on the Rise

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What is the high school dropout rate in your city?
2. What are some reasons why a student may drop out of high school?
3. What are some ways to decrease the number of high school

dropouts?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. convince a. to abandon an attempt or activity

2. diploma b. a report that examines and analyzes a topic

3. drop out c. a document certifying graduation

4. economy d. the condition of economic life

5. philanthropic e. to persuade

6. study f. characterized by acts of goodwill

42

High School Dropout Rates
on the Rise Track 13

H ow many students drop out of high school in the United States?
Nobody seems to know with certainty, but statistics indicate it might
be a lot more than most people think. Recent studies have found that
only about 75 percent of all high school freshmen receive a high school diploma
5 and that in the fifty largest US cities, the number falls to 52 percent–barely more
than half. Previous studies had shown that 85 percent of all high school students
graduated. The US now has the highest dropout rate of all industrialized
countries. It is estimated that more than 1 million students drop out of high
school every year, or 7,000 each school day. According to one study, America is
10 the only industrialized nation in which children are less likely to graduate
from high school than their parents.

The rising dropout rate has alarmed both educators and economists. In
this age of advanced technology, education is more important than ever. To get a
good job, workers need to know how to read. They must be able to quickly
15 calculate complex math problems. High school dropouts hurt not only themselves
but also the American economy. They hinder America’s ability to compete
against the rest of the world. A worker without a high school diploma earns an
estimated $300,000 less in his or her lifetime than a high school graduate. A
dropout has less spending money to help the economy and less to pay the
20 government in the form of taxes. Because the government collects less tax
money, it cannot pay as much to retired
people who have worked hard their entire lives.
One report estimated that high school dropouts
in one recent school year will cost the US almost
25 $330 billion. In addition, dropouts are more
likely to get into trouble. They often rely on

4 freshman --- a student in his or her first year of high school or college
10 industrialized --- well-developed; stable
12 educator --- a person who works in the education field
12 economist --- a specialist in economic matters
15 calculate --- to figure out; to solve
16 hinder --- to cause delay
18 graduate --- someone who has finished high school or college

28 prisoner --- a person in prison
31 mayor --- the head of city government
38 campaign --- coordinated actions to achieve a result

government welfare programs, which are funded by American taxpayers. Studies
have shown that as much as 75 percent of all prisoners in the United States, for
example, did not finish high school.
30 Several cities have formed programs to help high school dropouts. In
Houston, Texas, volunteers---including the mayor---go to dropouts’ homes and
try to convince these students to give school another try. More than 5,000 city
dropouts have returned to the classroom since the program started in 2004. In
Virginia, a private business has donated money to open two non-traditional
35 schools for high school students who are struggling in conventional schools and
are likely to drop out. And in Washington, D.C., a private welfare agency has
started a program to help dropouts learn job skills.

Now there is a new national campaign to reduce American dropout rates.
A group called the Promise Alliance is giving money to several states. It wants
40 each state to develop a plan for increasing its graduation rates. Alliance leaders
hope that all fifty states will have a plan in place by the year 2010. The campaign
is funded by both businesses and philanthropic organizations. It aims to unite
government and business leaders with parents and educators. “The key is to
start working together,” said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of
45 Promise Alliance. “We need to recognize that by working together, we can
make enormous strides to ensure that our children succeed.”

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 547 words

43

44

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ The US has the highest dropout rate of all industrialized countries.
2. ____ The new national campaign is funded by the government.
3. ____ The majority of prisoners in the US did not finish high school.
4. ____ High school dropouts cost the US economy billions of dollars a year.

B Choose the best answer.

1. The mayor of which city visits homes of dropouts to persuade them to go back
to school?
a. Washington, D.C.
b. New York
c. Houston
d. Los Angeles

2. Which of the following was NOT a statistic in the reading passage
for the number of high school dropouts recorded in the United States?
a. 52 percent
b. 75 percent
c. 80 percent
d. 85 percent

3. Which of the following groups was NOT mentioned in the new campaign of
working together?
a. educators
b. business leaders
c. parents
d. economists

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. Why is getting an education important?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why is the rising high school dropout rate bad for the economy?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

S ummary

Fill in the blanks in the table with the sentences below according to the
category they belong to. Use each sentence only once.

High School Dropouts

Problems Solutions

1. Businesses and philanthropic organizations are funding campaigns to increase
graduation rates.

2. High school dropouts put a strain on the economy.

3. Volunteers go to dropouts’ homes to try and convince them to go back to school.

4. Recent studies state that barely half of the students in the fifty largest cities in the
United States graduate from high school.

5. High school dropouts also hurt their chance of getting a good job.

6. Promise Alliance is giving money to several states for them to develop their own
plans to decrease the number of high school dropouts.

V ocabulary Extension

Here are six words that are related to the topic but are not in the reading.
Fill in each blank with the best word from the list. Use each word only
once.

enact pedagogy administration credit fosters tuition

1. The University’s decision to raise __________ made many students angry
because they feel the cost of attendance is already too high.

2. Assistant principals aid the principals with the overall __________ of the school.

3. Because he was always absent for class, the teacher decided to fail him. So, he did
not receive __________ for the class.

4. The government should __________ a law that gives more money to schools.

5. Every teacher has a(n) __________, or style of teaching, that they follow when
instructing in the classroom.

6. The classroom should be an environment that __________ learning.

45

46

Supplemental Reading

What Does “Dropout” Really Mean? Track 14

O ne popular saying in America is that “there are lies, damn lies, and
statistics.” This means that statistics are often deceiving. Statistical
numbers reveal facts that appear to be true but, in reality, mask a
truth that is much more complicated.
5 Many researchers think this is the case with
dropout statistics. National high school dropout
rates are difficult to accurately determine for
several reasons. First, each state records dropouts
differently. There is no national standard for what
10 the term “dropout” means. Some students “drop
out” of one school after their freshman year and then go to another school to
finish their high school career. Others do not finish high school but later take a
special test and receive a General Education Diploma, or GED, which is equivalent
to a high school diploma.
15 Statistical discrepancies can cause confusion. For example, several studies
have recently claimed that the US high school dropout rate is about 25 percent.
But the National Center for Education Statistics showed the US dropout rate at
14 percent. How can the statistics be so different? Which ones are more correct?
The answers are not clear, and researchers add to the confusion by arguing
20 among themselves.

The validity of statistics depends on how they are calculated. Statistics often
don’t reflect different factors in determining the statistics. They give us a picture
of a situation, but the picture is not always accurate.

Discussion

Discuss the following questions.
1. Do you think that it is OK to use deceiving statistics if it is for a good cause?

Why or why not?
2. Think of an example of a misleading statistic that an individual or organization

has used. What was the purpose of them doing so?

U N I T 4 Social Issues 2

Where Are
All the Boys?

Pre-Reading Questions

Think about the following questions.
1. What percentage of the students at your school are women?
2. Which majors do men usually choose?

Which majors do women choose?
3. What kinds of jobs do men do if they do not attend university?

Vocabulary Preview

Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.

1. dilemma a. registration in a class or school

2. decline b. to relate to a particular cause or source

3. enrollment c. to decrease; to go down

4. attribute d. a problem; difficulty

5. ensure e. to seek; to go after

6. pursue f. to guarantee

48

Where Are All the Boys? Track 15

T hese days, college lecture halls in the United States are being filled
more and more by female rather than male students. Women now
make up 55 percent of the college population---and that number
continues to rise. Within ten years, three million more women than men may be
5 attending US colleges.

Thirty years ago, male students were the majority on college campuses in the
United States. Traditionally, men acted as the breadwinners of their families,
and college was seen as the path to career advancement and higher salaries. But
during the feminist movements of the 1970s, more women aspired to having
10 careers and enrolled in college to pursue degrees. By the mid-1980s, more women
than men were attending college. At the same time, there was an unexpected
decline in the number of males applying to college. Educators are still uncertain of
the cause of this decline, but it continues to affect enrollment numbers for men in
higher education. Researchers have suggested a number of theories to account for
15 males’ seeming decline in interest in seeking college degrees.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, males leave or are
kicked out of high school in higher numbers than females. And male students are
three times more likely to be placed in special education programs. Author
Christina Hoff Sommers attributes the drop in male enrollment to early stereotyping
20 of boys as “aggressive” and “non-academic.” In her book, The War Against Boys,
Sommers writes that many boys don’t receive enough mentoring and
academic support to become straight-A students and therefore lose
interest in higher education.

Others believe the drop in male enrollment can be
25 attributed to the growing number of men seeking jobs in

repair, construction, and technology. These are careers that

3 make up --- to comprise
7 breadwinner --- primary money maker
15 seeming --- appearing to be true
17 kick out --- to throw out; to remove
18 special education --- education that is modified for slow

learners or those with special needs

36 bachelor --- a four-year college degree
36 doctorate --- a five-to-seven-year graduate degree
41 priority --- something that takes importance over other things
49 lawsuit ---a legal action in court
51 weight --- importance; likelihood of selection

often don’t require a four-year degree from a university but still
promise good salaries.

The effect of there being more women than men at
30 colleges has created some noticeable changes. The higher

number of female students has already led to more diverse
classes and programs offered at universities, especially in the
field of Women’s Studies. And at graduation time, one may
notice a difference in what types of university degrees are
35 awarded to men and women. While women earn a higher percentage of
bachelor’s and master’s degrees, men still earn a higher percentage of doctorate
degrees.

But fewer men on campus have not changed the male/female ratios in some
majors. There are still fewer women in fields such as math, engineering, science,
40 and computers. Women’s advocacy groups like the American Association of
University Women are urging colleges to make this issue a priority, but the
focus for many schools still centers on recruiting more men. To increase male
enrollment, some schools have formed partnerships with male mentoring groups
to encourage younger students to aim for college. Other schools have modified
45 their recruiting and admissions policies, sending out extra mailings to boys and
paying closer attention to male candidates.

However, public universities may face legal challenges from women about
these recruiting practices that favor males. Recently, the University of Georgia lost
a lawsuit filed by female students because of an affirmative action policy that
50 favored males. As one female junior complained, “It’s not fair that a boy would get
extra weight (in the admissions index) over a girl, but it would be better if there
were more boys on campus.” This dilemma presents a challenge for colleges: How
can a school attempt to close the gender gap in ways that ensure that both men
and women have equal access to opportunities in universities?

Reading Time _______ minutes _______ seconds 598 words

49

50

Reading Comprehension

A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the

reading.
1. ____ Women first outnumbered men on college campuses in the 1980s.
2. ____ Sommers wrote a book about boys in high school.
3. ____ Colleges are offering more courses that focus on women

and women’s issues.
4. ____ Men need to go to college to get a job with a good salary.

B Choose the best answer.

1. Which is NOT a reason suggested for the decline in the number of men in colleges?
a. Fewer males in society
b. Stereotyping against males in high school
c. Males entering jobs that don’t need high degrees
d. Males lack mentors in high school

2. Which is probably true about Sommers’s book?
a. It describes laws related to education.
b. It focuses on boys.
c. It looks at the progress girls have made.
d. It tells about her experience in school.

3. Which is true about males in high school?
a. They enjoy studying.
b. They cause less trouble than the females.
c. They get better marks than the females.
d. They get into more trouble than the females.

C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the passage and

write them on the lines provided.
1. What ways have schools tried to increase male enrollment?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

2. Why have some universities had legal problems with their recruiting policies?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________