Q Reading and Writing 3 Unit 7 Test A

Q Reading and Writing 3 Unit 7 Test A Name: ______Date: ______

Reading and Writing

Looking for Excitement Section I Can you remember how you felt the first time you asked someone out on a date? Was your heart pounding, were your hands a little shaky, were you in a sweat? Did you go through with it? The signs – or is it symptoms? – of fear and excitement are very similar: the adrenaline rush, the body’s response to a perceived situation of stress or danger. It’s a physiological thing, a chemical thing. It would seem we have little say in the matter.

Section II Asking someone on a date you are not risking life and limb, but if you mess it up you may well feel that the psychological risk – rejection and all the feelings that go with it – outweighs the possible benefits of getting to know that person. But you did go through with it, and did it again on many other occasions with other people without, one hopes, losing that tingle of fear or excitement. In fact, without it there wouldn’t be much point, no “rush”. You learn, I think, to trick your mind into believing that what might be fear is in fact excitement. Whether or not this is so, there is always a pleasurable sense of daring when you step outside what is called your “comfort zone”.

Section III Occasions to do this present themselves every day and in ordinary circumstances. You don’t have to go in for extreme sports. You might decide to take on a job with extra responsibilities, so that the buck stops with you, or give a speech for the first time, or tell your boss what you really think of her. Doing things such as these is largely beneficial but, as always, there’s another side to it. Many of us take risks that we should know in advance can have serious negative consequences, if not immediately then in the long term.

Section IV The effects may be seen over some time because these risks often become addictions. Smoking, drinking, gambling, and overeating spring to mind, but also less seemingly harmful pastimes, like collecting, when they become obsessions. There’s no excuse for not knowing what harm smoking can do, yet dedicated smokers have somehow convinced themselves that they’re immune. Gamblers have a different mind-set, more like extreme sports junkies: imagine betting your house on the turn of a card – imagine the “rush”! Quite possibly losing is as big a kick as winning for them.

Section V We all have some kind of obsession or addiction, however minor, which in the past would have been called a “weakness for” something, but which these days is called a problem, or even a disease. The suffix –aholic can be attached to almost anything: we have chocoholics, shopaholics, and so on. The media and lifestyle magazines play this up and what we thought of as a harmless personality trait becomes something we should feel guilty about. Guilt, too, has an edge to it.

Section VI The adrenaline rush response was originally used to describe our reaction to sudden, surprising situations – you are suddenly confronted by a lion in the wild, for example – but now we go looking for it. This should mean that we have thought a bit about the consequences. Unfortunately, many don’t think far enough ahead and find themselves hooked, and what once provided kicks becomes routine. Choose the best answer.

1. In Section I, the writers implies that

A. we are always frightened on our first date. B. sweating is normal when you first ask somebody out. C. we have little control over our physical reactions. D. dating is simply a matter of chemistry.

2. Which verb is closest in meaning to “mess it up”? A. fail B. reject C. fear D. avoid

3. What does “Occasions to do this” in Section III refer to? A. tricking your mind into thinking fear is excitement B. taking on a job with extra responsibilities C. stepping out of your comfort zone D. doing things that are generally beneficial

4. The writer suggests that under normal circumstances A. we deliberately take harmful risks. B. some risk-taking will do us good. C. we’re certain which risks are harmful. D. we run away from responsibilities.

5. In Section IV the writer suggests that A. addiction to gambling and addiction to extreme sports are similar. B. people should avoid hobbies like collecting things. C. gambling and overeating always become addictions.

D. smokers are certain that their addiction is safe.

6. What effect does using the suffix -aholic seem to have? A. It makes a problem sound like a weakness. B. It makes a weakness sound like a medical condition. C. It changes the meaning of the word “addiction”. D. It makes an addiction sound harmless.

Complete the sentence. Choose A, B, or C. 7. For risk takers who like physical activity, mountain climbing is the _____ challenge. A. trivial B. unfortunate C. ultimate 8. The skier was _____ to compete in next year’s Olympic Games. A. determined B. embarrassed C. implied 9. Melinda _____ stepped off the bridge and took her first bungee jump. A. extremely B. bravely C. cheerfully 10. The climbing teacher’s _____ was to make sure that everyone reached the mountain top safely. A. risk B. role C. route 11. There was a _____ amount of snow on the ground, so it was hard to walk. A. significant B. complex C. realistic

Read the sentence. Choose the correct definition for the underlined word. 12. The setting sun made the side of the mountain a vivid orange. A. having very bright light or color B. producing a strong, clear picture in your mind 13. The strong winds drove us to the other side of the river. A. control a car or other moving vehicle B. force somebody to move somewhere else 14. The Olympic athlete never stopped fighting to reach her goals.

A. trying hard to do something B. arguing about something

Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses. Use the simple past, past perfect, or simple present. Rock climbing (15) ______(be) a fun, but dangerous, sport.

When I (16) ______(go) rock climbing last year, I felt a little nervous.

My friends and I (17) ______(get) to the site early in

the morning. I (18) ______(eat) a good breakfast, but my stomach was

still full of nerves. Finally, I (19) ______(start) to climb.

With my friends’ help, I (20) ______(make) it to the top.

Writing

Think of an activity that you would like to try which involves a risk. Describe what the risk would be and why you would like to try the activity.