Номер 5, страница 31 - гдз по английскому языку 11 класс учебник Вербицкая, Каминс Карр

3. Is it good for us?. Reading and Listening - номер 5, страница 31.

Условие.

5 Vocabulary. Look at the highlighted words and phrases in the texts and match them to the meanings. Then explain them to your partner.

Texts A and B

1 have a negative effect on

2 unavoidable

3 do something beyond normal limits

4 having a powerful effect emotionally

5 improve

6 develop a strong interest in something

Texts C and D

1 short periods of intensive spending

2 addicted to

3 stop doing something that is bad for you

4 important but not easily noticed

5 spend carelessly

6 borrow a lot of money that you will have to pay back

Is it good for us?

Text A Abby

'I was becoming more and more isolated'

I had never been particularly sporty at school, but in my twenties I started doing sports as a way of meeting people because I'd recently moved to a new town. I took up tennis, squash, aerobics and badminton as hobbies, but as I got involved with the clubs and teams, exercise became a central part of my life and I became increasingly determined to keep fit. The three hours a day I was doing soon doubled, and I started to become totally obsessed with exercise. I wouldn't miss a day at the gym. It wasn't really about my body any more – I just had to do my workout and get my fix. At the height of my addiction, I was exercising for up to eight hours a day, starting with two hours on my exercise bike before work. I would walk for an hour at lunchtime and then head off for a two-hour run after work, followed by a three-hour session at the gym.

I would spend my holidays at health farms and even get out my exercise bike on Christmas Day. My dress size plummeted from 14 to 8, and my weight slipped to seven pounds. Instead of using sport to enhance my social life, I was becoming more and more isolated and was not getting anything out of the exercise at all.

The regime started to take its toll, and I was admitted to hospital with severe cramps and high blood pressure.

I can now manage my exercise addiction, thanks to my psychiatrist, who helps me keep on track. I'm still all for people getting fit, but I think more should be known about exercise addiction. It's a slippery slope, and like all other addictions, it can be taken to extremes.

Text B Ben

'It makes you want to remember every interesting detail of your day'

It started as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends when I moved away from home to university, but once I started, it was inevitable that I would get hooked. I've been keeping my own personal diary ever since I was a kid, and since the Internet has become an essential part of my existence, it was only a matter of time before I got bitten by the bug.

To say that blogging is addictive is an understatement. It makes you want to remember every interesting detail of your day and makes you appreciate the simplest of things. I'll often find myself making notes wherever I am – scribbling a few words on a paper serviette in a café, even dictating a few thoughts into my phone while I'm standing at the bus stop – just to make sure that I won't forget the topics I want to write about when I get the chance.

Also, it has exercised my mind into finding something extraordinary in a seemingly ordinary day or event, like an argument I've overheard or a newspaper headline I've noticed. The more subscribers I have to my blog, the more 'pressure' I feel to write something worth their time: something thought-provoking, something entertaining or informative.

I look forward to going online to update my blog and see how many hits I've had. As well as family and friends, I get visits from strangers from all over the world. It's overwhelming when I get messages from these people telling me that they enjoy the things I write, and I actually think it's strengthened my family ties – they have much more insight into my life now than when I was living at home!

Text C Rob

'I realise now that I was looking for reassurance'

Nowadays I never spend more than $10 a week on texts, which is the goal I set with my counsellor when I started treatment. When things were really out of control I was sending around 700 texts a week, and in one year I squandered £4,500 on text messaging. That was during a period of real insecurity in my relationship with my girlfriend, and it was kind of comforting to get texts from her: I realise now that I was looking for reassurance, constantly needing to know where she was and what she was up to. It's certainly been much easier since she and I went our separate ways. Apparently it isn't unusual for people with an addiction to have underlying problems at work or with a relationship.

I was referred to a counselling service after my boss discovered my problem: I had accidentally sent a text which was intended for my girlfriend to one of my colleagues, and then hit the 'resend' button eight times when I didn't get a reply! My boss started keeping an eye on me and took note whenever I reached for my mobile to send or read a message; then he demanded an explanation for all the time I was spending not doing my job. I decided to resign rather than face disciplinary procedures. My counsellor says I'm the first case of text message addiction he's treated in ten years of working in the field, but he also thinks there are a good few people out there who don't realise they have a problem. That may well be true, it's certainly easy to get hooked on texting: no sooner have you sent one message than another comes straight back, kind of like a game of ping-pong.

Text D Sam

'I am now successfully rebuilding my life'

By the time I went into the Priory Clinic to be treated for shopping addiction, I had run up a debt of £28,000. From quite a young age, I had to have 'nice' things because they made me feel good. At the age of sixteen I started a part-time job as a waitress and I loved earning my own money to buy whatever I fancied ... and when my wages had gone, I borrowed money from my brother.

When I left school at eighteen, I started working in the retail industry. I opened several bank accounts and collected numerous store and credit cards. I often ended up buying things on my shopping trips that I didn't even want or ever use, just because of the 'high' I got from making the purchases. My addiction caused a lot of problems at home since my parents didn't understand what was going on and I refused to talk about it – I felt too guilty and ashamed and usually kept all my possessions out of sight. In the end I left home, but I just couldn't make ends meet – I was spending my money on useless things and didn't have enough to cover the rent and bills. I had to move back in with my parents and I tried to curb my spending. But I still couldn't kick the habit. Eventually, I got professional help when I lost my job because I was out of the office shopping all day long. Counselling helped me to discover what triggered my shopping sprees and to set myself weekly goals to change my behaviour. I am now successfully rebuilding my life, and I'm slowly repaying my debts. I am finally aware of who I am, and I actually like myself now.

Решение.