O I

o
E XA M P R AC TI C E Reading
The Mozart Effect
o
3>
CP
A In 1993 an experiment showed that listening to
classical music improved memory. Three groups of
students listened to Mozart, rclaxationmusic or silence.
Afterwards, they took anintelligence test. The resnlts
showed an improvement after listening to Mozart
compared to relaxationmusic or silence. Unfortunately,
the researchers found that the ' Mozart Effect' lasted
only ten to fifteen minutes.
C Politicians have exploited the Mozart Effect. In
1998, the Governor ofGeorgia, USA distributed free
classical music CDs to the parents of nevvborn babies
i n his state. However, the original Mozart Effect
study was done with college students. No studies
have looked at the effeets of music on the babies'
intelligence. Some say the pl an is good, but others
think the money coul d be better spent.
B Other scientists tried to repeat the experiment, hut
failed. In one case, students listened to numbers, and
thenrepeated them backwards. Listening to Mozart had
no effect. Apparently, the Mozart Effect depends on the
kind of test used. Other researchers have said that the
original vvork was not valid because only afew studenls
were tesled, and that relaxationmusic and silence may
have anegative effect on memory.
D So, i fyouwant to improveyour intelligence sbould
you buy some classical music? Should children start
piano lessons when they are young? You' l l definitely
get beautiful music, but there is no conclusive
evidence that your intelligence wi l l improve. Also,
there is no evidence that music improves memory
permanently. More research and testing are needed
to see how music and memory interact.
Read the text and choose the correct answers. (4marks)
1 Students who listened to Mozart...
A got worse marks in the test.
B gotbetter marks in the test. )
C couldn't remember anything after ten to fifteen
minutes.
2 Some researchers have criticised the original test
because...
A there were not enough students.)
B there were too many students.
C itdepends on memory.
3 The Governor's plan...
(A is not based on research.
B is popular with everyone.
C has been criticised by everyone.
4 The relationship between music and memory...
(^Aneeds more research?)
B has been tested enough.
C doesn't exist.
2 Match words 1-4with words fromthe text. (4marks)
1 got better {paragraph A)'
2 in reverse urder {paragraph B)
3 very your>g children {paragraph O
4 definitive {paragraph D) .[.::;:^Lt::.
3 Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions.
(2 marks)
1 The students listened classical music.
2 Itdepends M the kind of test.
3 They could spend the money M other projeets.
4 Silence may have a negative effect .9 memory.
16 Unit 1 Memory and expenence
R E AD IN G
1 Look atthe photo and the title. What isthe main topic ofthe text?
1 The environment 0 2 Zoos in England 3 Animal cruelty O
DON' T ASM FOR A PLASTICBAG!
Did you know that a plstic carrier
bag is used for an average of just 12
minutes before being thrown away?
Most end up on landfill sites, but many
just get blown into the sea. This can
have tragic consequences for marine
wildlife and birds, which either mistake
the bags for food or get trapped inside
them. Rebecca Hosking, a wildlife
photographer from the small town of
Modbury in south-west England, was
so shocked bythe devastation caused
to animis by discarded plstic that
she set up a scheme in her hometown
to ban plstic bags completely.
Shopkeepers in Modbury, which
has a population of just 1,553, have
agreed to ban plstic carrier bags.
The idea is to cutdown on the plstic
rubbish floatmg around the seas,
killing wildlife and spoiling the coastal
landscape. Shoppers are nowgiven
environmentally friendly alternatives,
such as reusable cotton bags, or they
bring their own shopping trolleys and
rucksacks. Customers are allowed to
bring their own plstic bags to reuse,
but f they want a new bag they have to
buy one.
So how does the Modbury experience
compare with elsewhere in the world?
Well, Taiwan prohibits notonly plstic
bags, but also disposable plstic
plates, cups and cutlery. Customers
can be fined 200for breaking the law
and consequently, there's been a 70%
reduction in the use of plstic bags.
Ireland makes shoppers pay a tax of
22 euro cents on carrier bags, and this
has led to a 90% reduction in use. In
2007, San Francisco became the first
US clty to ban plstic bags, which will
mean 180million bags less a year.
However, compared to the 5 trillion
bags used worldwide annually, that is
justa drop in the ocean.
2 Sean the text quickly and answer the questions.
1 How many minutes do we usually use a plstic bag for?
2 Where is Modbury and what is ts population?
Ji:.i.:J;J.li...l...^J...:.:;.:;J:.l.lJ.i:.. :J.:.:::JJ.::l'.:.'.i.L^.li.'.
3 How much do Irish people have to pay for a plstic
bag?
4 How many plstic bags are used n the world every
year?
3 Read the text again and answer the questions.
1 How can plstic bags be dangerous for wildlife?
; :lvM.U'.:d.
2 What made Rebecca Hosking persuade people to stop
using plstic bags?
3 Whal can shoppers in Modbury use instead ol plast c
bags?
.. Av.IV!.'.^.' i-Li -J i.J'-VI i/ I -' !:",i J . : i. .' J . .\: .. ? ".' i [; 1:.!.LA .'.i1'.V.'.'/ .t
twjjeys. ff. rucksacks.
4 What does the expression 'that s just a drop in the
ocean' mean?
4 Find words orexpressions inthe text which match the
definitions.
1 to not understand or judge something correctly
{paragraph A)
2 thrown away {paragraph A)
3 a system for doing something {paragraph A)
4 ruining {paragraph B)
5 other places {paragraph O.f>eym.
6 made to pay money, as a punishment {paragraph C)
Ourplanet Umi2 17