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Intro SECOND EDITION Reading for the Real World Intro Second Edition Eric Prochaska · Anne Taylor © 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: Joanna Weinhardt Copy Editor: Kelli Ripatti Cover/Interior Design: Design Plus email: info@compasspub.com 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: 978-1-59966-419-4 15 14 13 12 11 10 14 13 12 11 10 Photo Credits pp 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49, 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 66, 67, 70, 72, 77, 79, 89, 90, 91, 95, 96, 97, 100, 101, 106, 107, 108, 113, 125, 130, 133, 136, 137, 138, 139, 142, 143, 144, 145, 148 © Shutterstock, Inc pp cover, 17, 18, 52, 65, 71, 73, 78, 79, 82, 83, 84, 85, 88, 94, 102, 103, 108, 112, 115, 119, 120, 121, 124, 126, 127, 131, 132 © iStock International Inc pp 114, 118 © Jupiterimages Corporation Contents Unit Strange & Unusual Reading : Reading : Researching Ghosts / The Search for Atlantis / 11 Unit Computers & Technology Reading : Reading : Constantly Changing Music Media / 17 Hackers and Crackers / 23 Unit Health & Medicine Reading : Reading : Healthy Self-Images / 29 Pollution in Our Bodies / 35 Unit Social Issues Reading : Reading : Illegal Immigration / 41 The Glass Ceiling / 47 Unit Environmental Issues Reading : Reading : Living near Volcanoes / 53 The Future of Water / 59 Unit Law & Crime Reading : Reading : Anti-Smoking Laws / 65 Victimless Crimes / 71 Unit Language & Literature Reading : Reading : Steve Jobs’s Commencement Address at Stanford University / 77 “The Premature Burial” By Edgar Allan Poe / 83 Unit Space & Exploration Reading : Reading : Products From Space / 89 A New Space Race / 95 Unit Sports & Fitness Reading : Reading : Yoga / 101 Women in Professional Sports / 107 Unit 10 People & Opinions Reading : Reading : The Architecture of Wright / 113 Making Fame Work / 119 Unit 11 Cross-Cultural Viewpoints Reading : Reading : Sons or Daughters? / 125 Rights for Men / 131 Unit 12 Business & Economics Reading : Reading : Outsourcing / 137 Credit Card Use / 143 U N I T S t r a n g e & U nusua l Researching Ghosts Pre-Reading Questions Think about the following questions Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not? Do you know people who say that they have seen a ghost? Do you believe them? Do you know any stories about ghosts? Vocabulary Preview Match each word or phrase with the correct definition serious a a way of doing something trail b a path objective c can be seen through transparent d based on fact; without personal opinion or emotion haunted e sincere; authentic process f often visited by ghosts Researching Ghosts D Track ale Kaczmarek believes in ghosts, and he has been the president of the Ghost Research Society since 1982 In his career, Kaczmarek has met many people who not believe in ghosts, and when they find out that he is a ghost expert, they think he is a fool So one of Kaczmarek’s goals is to make ghost research more scientific Not all people believe in ghosts, but most people trust science So if ghost research becomes scientific, more people will respect Kaczmarek’s work Kaczmarek follows a careful process to investigate ghosts The first step happens when 10 someone telephones Kaczmarek about a ghost During the first phone call, Kaczmarek interviews the caller to determine if it is a serious case or a hoax Next, Kaczmarek asks the caller what he or she wants him to Some people want him to 15 find out the cause of the paranormal activity, while other people want him to remove a ghost from their house After the phone call, Kaczmarek contacts other members of the Ghost Research Society, and Kaczmarek makes a team from a few 20 members They visit the house where the ghost was reported, but he never tells the members any details about the case This is very important to keep the investigation objective because if they know the details, they might imagine seeing 25 something After a thorough inspection of the location, the team talks to the home 12 18 26 expert - a person with special knowledge or skill scientific - following the principles of science investigate - to examine; to look into determine - to decide; to find the truth contact - to communicate with thorough - complete; accurate 27 29 30 47 observe - to watch; to note with one’s senses method - a way of doing something; process expertise - special knowledge or skill reputation - what others think of a person, thing, or place owner, and they share what they have observed with each other for the first time By waiting until this time to share the details, Kaczmarek believes that his method of investigation is more scientific 30 Kaczmarek has shared his expertise of ghosts by writing books and giving tours of haunted places Kaczmarek wrote a book called Windy City Ghosts about ghosts in Chicago One of the stories in this book is about ghost 35 horses and their ghost riders People sometimes see these ghosts on 95th Street, which is a busy street that runs through the forest near some horse stables People ride horses from these stables into the forest, and they must cross 95th Street Over the years, there have been several accidents in which horses and riders were killed 40 by fast-moving cars Sometimes at night, people driving through the forest report seeing transparent horses and riders crossing the street They stop their cars to let the horses and riders pass, but when they look closely, the horses and riders have disappeared! All of these reports have come from the area where the horse trail crosses 95th Street 45 Kaczmarek gives tours to this location and tries to explain the world of ghost research to his guests Through his books, tours, and the scientific process of his investigations, Kaczmarek is improving the reputation of ghost researchers Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 461 words R eading Comprehension A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading Dale Kaczmarek is the president of the Ghost Research Society The first step in a ghost investigation is to visit the place where the paranormal activity was reported Kaczmarek’s only job is removing ghosts Kaczmarek thinks that talking about details first helps the research team B Choose the best answer according to the reading What is one of Kaczmarek’s goals? a b c d To be an expert on ghost horses To catch the ghosts of 95th Street To prove that ghosts exist To make ghost research more scientific Why doesn’t Kaczmarek describe the paranormal activity to his team before inspecting the location? a b c d He doesn’t like to frighten the team members Kaczmarek doesn’t want them to expect anything He doesn’t know any details until he arrives at the location Kaczmarek and his team live far away from each other Which activity does Kaczmarek NOT do? a b c d Write books about ghosts Give tours of haunted places Speak to ghosts for other people Investigate paranormal activity C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage and write them on the lines provided When Kaczmarek visits a house where ghosts have been reported, why does he not share any details of the case to the team members? Why does Kaczmarek give tours to the 95th Street location in Chicago? S ummary Fill in the blanks with phrases from the list Use each phrase only once to investigate might imagine seeing is a hoax to be objective follow a trail scientific process Dale Kaczmarek sometimes receives serious calls _ houses that are haunted by ghosts During the inspection, Kaczmarek follows a(n) _ His team members need _ as they inspect the location, or they _ some paranormal activity Sometimes, the call _; the caller is just playing a joke Near Chicago, there are reports of ghost horses and riders The ghosts appear near some horse stables and _ that crosses a busy road People who see them say the ghosts are transparent The people can see through them! 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 one from the list Use each word or phrase only once curse phantom possessed psychic séance talisman A(n) _ can see the future I carry this magical _ with me for good luck and protection from evil Like a ghost, a(n) _ can be seen, but it can’t be touched When a group of people hold a(n) _, they can speak to dead people Breaking a mirror has serious consequences: a(n) _ of bad luck for seven years The girl in the movie The Exorcist was _ by a powerful demon 10 S upplemental Reading Bloody Mary G Track o into a room with a mirror Turn off all the lights Light a candle, look into the mirror, and start chanting “Bloody Mary.” Say this spooky phrase thirteen times, and the image of Bloody Mary will appear in the mirror! She will be standing behind you, over your left shoulder! But beware: Bloody Mary has surprises waiting for those who call her She sometimes kills the caller Other times, she scratches out his or her eyes She can drive the person crazy Sometimes, she 10 grabs people and pulls them into the mirror with her! The urban legend of Bloody Mary has been around for generations School kids all around the world have entered dark bathrooms to try this game Many run away in fright as they say “Bloody Mary” for the thirteenth time In 1978, folklorist Janet Langlois became interested in the legend At that 15 time, the legend was already widespread around the United States Langlois visited a Catholic girls’ school and interviewed eighty students She compared their stories and determined that the story of Bloody Mary might come from an old legend about the crying ghost of a woman who eternally searches for her murdered children However, no one really knows who Mary may have been 20 The Bloody Mary legend is renewed with each generation of daring adolescents Generations from now, school children will probably still be scaring themselves with this timeless, terrifying legend Discussion Discuss the following questions Have you ever done something like in the “Bloody Mary” story? Explain Why you think some people are interested in scary things? 134 R eading Comprehension A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading Feminism is bad The men’s movement did not become organized until 1977 Many men not agree with the parental laws When parents separate, the kids generally live with their mothers B Choose the best answer according to the reading What does MRA stand for? a b c d Men’s Rights Areas More Research Activists Men’s Rights Activists Mother’s Rights Awareness Healthcare issues are important to MRAs because a 75 percent more money is spent on raising money for women’s cancer research b there is not a lot of money being spent on cancer that affects only men c the suicide rate is four times higher for young men compared to young women d All of the above Which statement would the writer probably agree with? a People should consider men’s rights as well as women’s rights b Men’s rights are neglected, and they are more important than women’s rights c The law should not give mothers the custody of their children d MRAs believe that laws in today’s society favor men C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage and write them on the lines provided Why many men feel that parental leave laws are unfair? How does the media portray men in a negative light? 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: Many people are aware of the feminist movement, but they are not aware of men’s rights activists, or MRAs Men are fighting for more money to be spent on male cancer research MRAs focus on the equality for men, looking at issues from a male perspective Important men’s issues, such as healthcare and legal matters, are often overlooked Recent studies show that men make less money than women in the healthcare sector MRAs point out biases against men, and they are hoping to redress the balance of men’s rights 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 one from the list Use each word or phrase only once sexist domestic violence discrimination stereotype child support weakness My father has to pay _ to my mother because my parents are divorced, and I live with my mother Do people think that it is _ if a man doesn’t get a job because he is a man? Is crying considered a(n) _? One _ of men is that they are more violent than women Banning men from the nursing program of a university could be a form of _ _ can occur between any members of a family 135 136 S upplemental Reading Custody Battles W Track 44 hen a couple separates and decides to divorce, nothing is easy One of the most difficult things to settle is the custody of their children Movies show weeping mothers defending their children from uncaring fathers However, every day families disintegrate It does not make the evening news, but it is a tough time for all involved It used to be the mother who normally gained custody of a child, but thanks to the efforts of groups like Fathers Justice, fathers may also stand a chance The motto of this men’s group is “A father is for life.” The group is particularly concerned with the impact that being fatherless has on a child’s life Statistics 10 from 2007 show that 63 percent of youth suicides in the United States are children who did not grow up with a father Seventy-one percent of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes Even where the court has ordered visitation rights, some mothers prevent these visits According to one website, 40 percent of mothers said they interfere 15 with visitation rights They not comply with the order because they want to punish their ex-spouse The media often talks of “deadbeat” fathers who not pay child support In reality, 10 percentage of men required to pay child support fail to so However, over 45 percent of women who are supposed to pay child support not Fathers Justice believes that mothers 20 are preventing fathers from enjoying a relationship with their children and wants to see this change While child custody is never easy to decide, statistics such as those above show that fathers are not necessarily the bad guys Discussion Discuss the following questions Is separation or divorce common in your culture? Do you personally know anybody whose parents have split up or divorced? U N I T 12 B u s i n e s s & Ec onomic s Outsourcing Pre-Reading Questions Think about the following questions Have you ever called a company for information and started talking to someone with an accent that was hard to understand? Do you know of any companies that hire people for projects who don’t work in the company? What you think of large companies that employ people living in places like India, China, and Russia to save company costs? Vocabulary Preview Match each word or phrase with the correct definition practice a to make smaller reduce b an established way of doing something professionally performance c related to money financial d the act of doing something, such as one’s job at one’s fingertips e people who work in a company staff f easy to access 138 Outsourcing B Track 45 usiness practices have changed significantly over the years In the past, a large company would employ people to carry out all of its work inhouse However, in modern businesses, a number of specific, limited functions or tasks are transferred to other third-party companies The third-party organizations then take responsibility for the control of these functions This is known as outsourcing Outsourcing first became popular in the 1980s but began to grow in the 1990s It is now a very popular business practice Most outsourcing is done by multinational companies One research organization estimates that 3.3 million 10 U.S jobs and $136 billion in wages could be moved to such countries as India, China, and Russia by 2015 A wide variety of jobs are outsourced Recent statistics show that the largest percentage of jobs being outsourced is in information technology at around 28 percent The next largest field is human resources which takes 15 percent of the 15 outsourcing market This is followed closely by sales and marketing outsourcing with 14 percent and financial services outsourcing at 11 percent Outsourcing can bring a wide variety of benefits First, it can help a business reduce its costs This is because the company does not need to hire full-time 20 workers to that job, and it does not need to pay for their training It only needs to pay for the services when it uses them According to a 25 survey of 650 companies, 4 15 in-house - done in a company, using its own employees function - a duty or role third party - a third person or organization less directly involved than the main people multinational - involving many countries marketing - the part of business which focuses on encouraging people to buy a product or service 32 33 38 41 45 expert - a skilled professional field - an area of activity or knowledge orally - verbally; out loud transcript - a record or copy of something numerous - many or abundant 42 percent believed that outsourcing improved their financial performance Outsourcers can also enable a company to improve quality levels The organizations that provide 30 outsourcing to a company will have workers who are experts in their field These experts should be able to provide top quality work and have the latest information at their fingertips 35 A third benefit is time-saving An outsourcer can help reduce the time it takes to bring a product to the market by providing additional staff and services An example of time-saving can be seen in the field of medicine Doctors write notes when they see patients, which they then record orally They used to hand these notes over to a secretary who listened to the recording and typed up these 40 notes The problem with this system was that it often took days or weeks to produce the type-written transcript By outsourcing, it is possible to send the notes to a center in India While it is night in the US, it is daytime in India so the Indian workers are able to type up the notes and send them back to the hospital, meaning that they are ready the next day 45 All kinds of companies can use outsourcing, and the numerous benefits it brings mean that outsourcing is likely to continue to grow for a long time to come Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 470 words 139 140 R eading Comprehension A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading A lot of US jobs and wages could be given to countries such as India, China, and Russia by 2015 Outsourcing is a time-saving option for doctors Outsourcers cannot help a company improve quality levels Most jobs that are outsourced are in the field of human resources B Choose the best answer according to the reading According to the reading, what is transferred to third-party companies? a b c d Full projects from beginning to end Management positions Specific, limited tasks Janitorial work What are benefits of outsourcing? a b c d High levels of training Saving time Improving energy levels None of the above How is employing an outsourced skilled worker good for a company? a b c d They can record information orally They can send notes to India They are of working age They have access to the latest information available C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage and write them on the lines provided How have business practices changed over the years? When did outsourcing first become popular and begin to grow? 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 Business Practices Outsourcing Work Doing Work In-House Full time workers are not needed, which helps reduce the business cost Companies use full-time staff that are already hired to help out with specific tasks Large companies employ people to carry out all of its work within the company Jobs are kept in the country, not given to people in other countries, which builds up the local economy Many multinational companies believed that this financial practice improved their financial performance An expert who has access to the most recent information can be hired on a contract basis to provide excellent work 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 one from the list Use each word only once flexibility conserve personnel salaries domestic communication Many companies like to outsource in order to _ resources _ could break down when employees are located in different parts of the world Corporations can save a lot of money on _ by hiring from other countries Outsourcing can give _ to both the employer and the employee’s work schedules By using third-party employees, a company does not need to worry about the _ problems of hiring and firing A drawback to outsourcing to a foreign country is that it can eliminate _ employment 141 142 S upplemental Reading Overseas Call Centers W Track 46 henever we have a question about a bank account or credit card, we can just pick up the phone and make a call However, these days, the person who answers the call will probably be in another country Banks are among the numerous companies which outsource work They are taking advantage of the lower costs of outsourcing by setting up overseas call centers India is a popular choice because English is one 10 of the official languages This means it is easy to find native speakers of English Labor costs are much lower, and this enables the banks to save money However, not all of the bank customers are satisfied with the service they receive Some callers are not familiar with the Indian accent and struggle to understand the workers in the call centers They are not confident the workers 15 really understand their questions and are afraid mistakes will be made with their bank accounts In April 2005, call center workers used customer passwords to steal $350,000 from one major bank Others believe jobs should not be sent overseas These people think banks have a duty to boost the local economy rather than send profits overseas They also argue cost-cutting benefits are not 20 passed onto the customers, because they see no reduction in the banking fees customers must pay Discussion Discuss the following questions Do you think outsourcing to keep business costs lower is a good idea? Why or why not? What is your opinion on companies that outsource people in other countries for call centers? U N I T 12 B u s i n e s s & Ec onomic s Credit Card Use Pre-Reading Questions Think about the following questions How many credit cards you have? How often you use your credit cards? Have you ever spent too much using a credit card? If so, what did you do? Vocabulary Preview Match each word or phrase with the correct definition debt a still in existence; not settled decline b to be in debt to outstanding c something owed, such as money owe d to search for seek out e having the standing of a student in a university or college who has not received a 4-year degree undergraduate f to decrease 144 Credit Card Use C Track 47 redit card companies make money when card users buy more than they can afford If you use a credit card to buy something expensive, you will have to pay for it over several months During this time, you also pay interest on the amount you owe This is how credit card companies make a profit Naturally, credit card companies would like all of their users to pay them interest, so the card companies actually seek out new card users who they think will pay them interest They send offers for credit cards to university students and even some older high school students They know that these young people 10 want to buy a lot but cannot pay for it So they are perfect customers for the credit card companies! A survey showed that almost one out of every four American university students applied for a credit card on campus Because parents and university officials are worried about students becoming victims of credit card companies, 15 several states have passed laws to limit credit card solicitation at universities Many schools also have free workshops to teach students how to use credit cards and manage their spending According to recent statistics, 78 percent of undergraduate university students have at least one credit card Thirty-two percent of those students have 20 four or more cards On average, students owed $2,748 to credit card companies However, percent of the students owed more than $7,000 It certainly seems as though these students are excited about being independent from their parents and like buying things by 25 themselves 12 14 16 18 afford - to have enough money to pay for interest - the extra money charged on borrowed money profit - the extra money earned after all expenses are paid one out of every four - 1/4; 25 percent victim - a person harmed by someone or something workshop - a meeting or seminar to exchange ideas or educate statistic - a numerical piece of data 27 40 41 poll - a survey budget - a plan for spending money fraud - deceit or trickery, especially for profit The problem is that few students make enough money to pay for what they buy Of course, credit card debt isn’t only a problem on campus Another poll showed that at least half of all Americans owe money to a credit card company The average outstanding balance—the amount of money they still owe the credit 30 card company—is $3,815 for each card holder Nearly 30 percent of Americans said they use credit cards but that they pay the whole balance each month The remaining 20 percent said they not have any credit cards 35 It may be surprising, but these numbers are actually lower than they used to be Just a few years ago, the average debt was nearly double its current level In America and several other countries, credit card use is declining There are two main reasons for this One reason is that consumers now realize how easy it is to go into debt with a credit card They are 40 controlling their spending to stay within a budget The other reason is credit card fraud Though online sales once helped credit card use increase, people are now worried about a cracker stealing their information So they are using their cards less often Reading Time _ minutes _ seconds 466 words 145 146 R eading Comprehension A Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading Credit card companies want customers to keep a balance each month Universities encourage solicitation of students by credit card companies The majority of university students own more than one credit card Credit card use has declined recently in more than one country B Choose the best answer according to the reading What is the author’s intent in this reading? a b c d To accuse credit card users of taking advantage of credit card companies To promote credit card use among students To explain how some people overuse credit cards To compare good and bad credit card companies Why students go into credit card debt? a b c d They manage their money well They act responsibly There is no interest for students They don’t have money to buy a lot Which of the following is true according to the reading? a About one in ten Americans does not use credit cards b Thirty percent of Americans pay their entire credit card balance each month c A very small portion of Americans owe money to credit card companies d College students owe more than most Americans, on average C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage and write them on the lines provided Why credit card companies seek out students? Why has credit card use declined in recent years? 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 Owning a Credit Card Advantages Disadvantages It is easy to have an outstanding debt with a credit card If you pay the money you owe each month, there is no problem in owning a credit card An undergraduate can be independent from their parents Many students not make enough money to pay for what they charge on their credit cards Credit Card companies want people to owe a balance, so they will seek out people who will spend more money than they have There are free workshops to teach students how to use credit cards and manage their spending 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 one from the list Use each word only once advance defer phishing rate surcharges swipe A popular form of Internet fraud is called _ Using a credit card to get a cash _ results in high interest Not only you have to pay interest on your balance, but some credit cards have _ on purchases, too I couldn’t pay my credit card balance, so the company let me _ payments The interest _ on this card is over twenty percent! Store clerks _ your card through a card reader when you’re paying 147 148 S upplemental Reading Identity Theft Y Track 48 ou finish dinner at a cozy restaurant The waiter delivers the bill, and you give him your credit card He takes it and returns moments later with your receipt It sounds like a simple transaction, but what if the waiter wrote down your credit card number? It’s that easy to become a victim of identity theft Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world From 2002 to 2003, the rate of this crime jumped seventy-nine percent in the US Between 500,000 and 700,000 people are 10 victims of identity theft each year Over million Americans have already been victims of identity theft This might scare some people away from using the Internet, but more than half of all identity theft crimes are committed by roommates, neighbors, relatives, or co-workers of the victim Right now, only 15 about one in every 700 identity theft criminals is caught This makes those criminals feel very safe, so identity theft will not stop any time soon On top of that, it can be very profitable for the criminals If a criminal uses your stolen credit card, the credit card company is often responsible for the losses Identity theft fraud costs financial institutions about $2.4 billion every 20 year By the end of 2003, $221 billion worldwide had been lost to identity theft So the next time you use your card to pay for dinner, walk to the cash register yourself It only takes a cautious attitude to save yourself from the nightmare of identity theft Discussion Discuss the following questions How you feel about using credit cards? Why? Do you know anyone who has had a serious problem with credit cards or identity theft? If so, what happened? ... introduced in the US? a b c d In the 1950s In the 1970s In the 1980s In the 1990s C For the next two questions, look for the answers in the reading passage and write them on the lines provided Why couldn’t... Atlantis is really a mountain a great flood changed the location of the city instead of searching the coastline, they should be looking for a lost island C For the next two questions, look for the answers... on the other hand, will report the vulnerability of the system in a(n) _ way, so the program can be patched Hackers feel they are _ programmers because they try to help the computer community
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