U N I T
Compulsion 2
2
questions on this subject. Our first caller
Introduction
this morning is Marion Jeffries from
London.
2 Possible answers
a People may do something once thinking that
it will give them enjoyment, and they may Sentence completion
continue doing it until it becomes a dominant
3 Key
part of their lives. Even though they may not
a Psychologist: ignore his behaviour. School
continue to enjoy doing it, they are unable to
teacher: point out that extended playing could
stop.
do permanent damage to his eyes and brain;
b In order to overcome addiction, people need
try to persuade him to cut down on time spent
to recognise that they have a problem. They
playing the games, encourage him to keep up
then need to change their habits in order to
his other hobbies, show that there s more to
stop. If they are unable to do this alone, they
life than his games console.
can get professional help or join a group
Student: try to get him to play less (but don t
where they can meet people with similar
take the games console away from him) and
problems.
encourage him to develop other, related
interests.
Tapescript
Listening p24 Presenter Our first caller this morning is Marion
Jeffries from London. Hello, Marion.
What s your question to the experts?
Lead in
Marion Thank you. Good morning.
1 Possible answers
Presenter Hello, Marion. Good morning.
They are addictive. They are heavily marketed
Marion Hello, um & It s my son Adam  he s just
by companies. They are fun to play.
eleven  and we bought him a new games
console for his birthday last month, and
2 Key
he hasn t stopped playing since he got it.
He always gets so involved in the games
a whether computer games are mentally and
that, when I ask him to stop, he doesn t
physically harmful to children
even hear me. He s always losing his
b a child psychologist, a former secondary
temper and behaving in an aggressive
school head teacher, and a university student
way. The, when he s finished playing, he s
exhausted and completely
Tapescript
uncommunicative. He tends to be very
Presenter This week on Call the Experts we re
rude, even abusive, especially when he s
dealing with a question more and more of
been playing a difficult game. I shouldn t
you seem to be asking: are games
have bought it for him. I realise that now.
consoles harmful to our children s
Presenter That s very worrying, Marion. I can
mental or physical health? Here in the
understand your concern. What exactly
studio we ve got Helena Brook, a child
would you like to ask the panel?
psychologist, Jim Edwards, a former
secondary school head teacher, and
Marion I need advice really  I d like to know what
Oliver Newton, a university student
your panel thinks I should do about
currently doing research into the effects
Adam s & obsession.
of the latest generation of computer and
Presenter Helena Brook, you re a child psychologist 
video games. They ll be answering your
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what would you advise Marion Jeffries to Oliver Not yet. My research is still in the early
do? stages. At the moment the evidence is
conflicting, but what I can say is that
Helena Marion, whey you say your son has hardly
these games affect different people in
stopped playing since his birthday, what
different ways. Certainly, they make some
exactly do you mean? How many hours a
people behave more aggressively, but it is
day does he play for, on average?
likely that if they didn t play games, they
Marion I d say about five or six  more at
would have to find another outlet for
weekends.
their aggression.
Helena And you say he gets aggressive if you try
Presenter So, the games bring out his behaviour
to stop him. What does he do exactly?
rather than cause it?
Marion He screams and shouts at me, you know,
Oliver That s right. And another unexpected
like a two-year-old having a temper
finding from my research is that, although
tantrum. Last week, he got so annoyed
the children who play these games behave
that he actually threw the controller at
more aggressively, they usually develop
me. Oh, and yesterday he kicked his little
improved powers of observation and
sister who d gone to tell him it was lunch
reaction. There are significant
time. Sometimes he just refuses to stop
improvements for example in their normal
playing. It seems to be changing his whole
reading speed.
personality. He used to get on so well with
Presenter That s very interesting, Oliver. So in the
the rest of the family.
light of your research, how would you
Helena Well, Marion, you really ought to stop
respond to Marion Jeffries question?
worrying. There s no evidence that these
Oliver Well, Marion, don t stop your son from
games are harmful in any way. Don t
playing altogether or you might make the
forget that most eleven-year-old boys are
situation worse. It could make him
naturally aggressive. Obsessions like this
resentful and depressed. No, I think I agree
are a passing phase  it s pretty certain
with Jim  try and get him to play less
that, in a month or two, your son will get
and encourage him to develop other,
bored and move on to something else.
related interests. Why don t you tell him
One last thought, Marion. Have you
he s got a flair for computers and suggest
thought about just ignoring Adam s
he learns basic computer programming?
behaviour? It might just do the trick.
After all, computers are our future, one
Presenter Jim Edwards would you agree with that?
way or another.
Jim No, I m afraid I wouldn t. When I was a
head teacher, I was all too familiar with
4 Key
the effects of these games on kids in the
a his birthday e naturally aggressive
classroom: they d become overtired,
b finished playing f his eyes
unable to concentrate, and they d get into
c six g read
arguments or fights with other children 
d kicked
or even teachers. If I were you, Marion, I d
point out to Adam that he could do
5 Key
permanent damage to his eyes or his
brain if he continues to play for hours on
abusive, impolite, rude
end.
assertive, determined, stubborn
Marion What about taking the games away from
depressed, fed up, unhappy
him, or limiting the number of hours a day
exhausted, overtired, sleepy
he can play?
Jim I wouldn t take it away  I think that d be
asking for trouble. But you could try
persuading Adam to cut his playing time Grammar and practice p25
down. And above all, encourage him to
keep up his other hobbies, otherwise he ll
Habits
lose all his friends. Just try and show him
that there s more to life than his games
1 Key
console.
b, c, d, g
Presenter Oliver Newton, you ve taken a scientific
Verb forms in the present simple and the verb
look at some of these games. Have you
tend to are used to indicate the present, plus use
been able to reach any firm conclusions?
of frequency adverbs (always, sometimes,
usually).
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2 Key
Vocabulary p27
e, f
Verb forms such as would and used to and past 1 Key
simple are used to indicate the past, plus use of
The writer feels a bit defensive that the reader
time references like before.
might laugh at him/her, proud that he/she has
Note that sentence a refers to a single completed
got the addiction under control at the moment,
action in the past, not a habit.
and also a bit smug that he/she doesn t put on
any weight even when he/she eats a lot of
3 Possible answers
chocolate.
never normally
rarely frequently 3 Key
hardly ever often
cut down  reduced
occasionally
get by  survive
light up  shine
4 Possible answers
turns off  disgusts
a When people are fed up, they tend to be
putting on  gaining
miserable, unsociable and unwilling to go out
give up  stop
and do things.
b When people are nervous or embarrassed, they 4 Key
tend to blush and be unable to speak clearly.
a 4, 6 c 1, 7 e 3
Sometimes they become clumsy.
b 5d 2
c When people are excited, they tend to talk and
laugh a lot. They tend to rush about and do a
5 Key
lot of things.
a give (it) back d give in
b giving it up e giving out
5 Key
c giving away
The present continuous with always is used to
refer to very frequent actions, especially ones
which the speaker finds annoying.
Exam techniques p28
Used to
Dos and Don ts
7 Key
a 3 b 1 c 2
1 Key
1, 2 D/E 7 H
8 Key
3 A 8, 9, 10 A/F/H
a  ll never get used to d aren t used to
4 G 11, 12 B/G
b aren t used to e  m used to
5 C 13, 14 F/H
c get used to
6 F 15 A
Cloze
10 Key
Vocabulary p30
1 used 6 on 11 is
2 taking 7 or 12 the
Comparison
3 down 8 for 13 of
4 It 9 not 14 by
3 Key
5 which 10 in 15 anything
worse, the least superstitious, as superstitious as,
most natural, more mystical
4 Key
a longer, longest; shorter, shortest
b larger, largest; later, latest
c flatter, flattest; thinner, thinnest
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d heavier, heaviest; funnier, funniest
Writing p32
e more important, most important; more
independent, most independent
Article
f cleverer / more clever, cleverest / most clever;
narrower / more narrow, narrowest / most
1 Possible answers
narrow
1 on the train / bus, in the bath, when they are
g better, best; worse, worst
relaxing, in doctors or dentists waiting rooms.
h more easily, most easily; more carefully, most
2 It may depend on whether they are interested
carefully
in the subject, whether the writing style is
accessible, or how well the article is presented
5 Key
on the page.
very different: far, a lot, much
3 Informal  the article is intended for young
almost the same: a bit, a little, slightly
people, it is about a light-hearted subject and
the title I m just crazy about & is an informal
6 Key
expression.
a the unluckiest
b more dangerous
2 Key
c hotter
a by talking about it from a personal viewpoint
d the worst, more neatly
c informal, personal, serious
e younger / youngest, cleverer / more clever
d paragraph 3
f the shortest, the most intelligent
e extreme adjectives, e.g. fantastic, terrifying
Creating interest
Speaking p31
3 Key
It should attract your attention.
Long turn
It should make you want to read the article.
It should give you an idea of what the text is
3 Possible answer
about.
Photos 1 and 2 show groups of fans shouting and
waving. However, in photo 1 they are all football 4 Possible answers
supporters, whereas in photo 2 they are cheering
The title No, I m not completely mad is the most
at a singer who appears in the foreground. Fans
likely to make somebody want to read on
like these often behave and dress the same way
because it creates an element of mystery. It gives
so that they can feel part of the same group and
no idea what the article is going to be about but
easily identify each other.
suggests that it is something unusual. Readers
may be curious to find out what that is.
4 Possible answer
Sky-diving for beginners  This title is fairly
Photos 3 and 4 show people doing activities on
bland, although it might attract somebody who
their own. Photo 3 shows a young man playing
wants to learn about sky-diving.
pinball, which is a fast and exciting game which
So you d like to try sky-diving  This is also fairly
tests reactions, whilst photo 4 shows a young
bland, although it is intended as a question
woman looking after a horse, which is a calmer
directed at the reader, which might attract
and more careful activity. People who like to
attention.
concentrate on an activity without needing to
A complete history of sky-diving  This title
cooperate with others will prefer doing activities
suggests something that is serious, dense and
on their own.
possibly dull.
5 Possible answers
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to
fall out of an aeroplane? This sentence
immediately engages the reader by asking a
dramatic question.
The other sentences in comparison are not so
interesting.
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2 Key
Overview p34
a 2c 4e 3
1 Key b 5 d 1
1 the 9 say / claim
3 Key
2 from 10 after
a determined d stubborn
3 of 11 with
b sleepy e rude
4 in 12 out
c fed up f assertive
5 as 13 to
6 they 14 when / if / whenever
7 Does 15 let
8 Not
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