6.

12

LISTENING – PSYCHOLOGY

LISTENING – COLOURS
1- Listen to Jessica’s talk and complete the gaps. Audio

Introduction

People have instinctive reactions to colour, and the example she gives is that
__________________

Colour has psychological and physiological influences. Percentage of information we

get through our eyes being ________ %

Psychological influences

People feel comfortable when colour suggests something familiar. Children prefer
________ colours.

Cultural variations: _______________

Variations according to climate: ___________________

Variations according to era: __________________

Physiological influences

Red results in __________________

White or grey results in ________________

Food retailing

The reasons why fast-food outlets use red are _____________________

Sophisticated restaurants use ________________ colours

LISTENING - A MOTIVATING BUSINESS

2- You will hear a business man called Sally talking about being a speaker.
Audio

Sally chose to study (1)................................................because she was interested in

it.

When Sally started her own business, it was her

(2)................................................that was most valuable.

To her surprise, it was the production of a(n) (3).................................................that

gave her the impetus to be a motivational speaker.
 6.12

Sally thinks that a motivational speaker should fill their audience with
(4)................................................... for their work.

According to Sally, (5)...............................................is the quality that is most

important in a good speaker.

Sally sometimes feels sorry when people she talks to find making
(6)................................................. difficult.

Sally uses the word (7)............................................... to describe the message she

wants to give.

Sally feels that getting (8)................................................is crucial for her as a

speaker so that she can improve herself.

2.2- Listen again and write the exact words used for the underlined
phrases

We seemed to be stuck in the same old routine

We seemed to have everything we wanted

I felt pretty surprised

I want to change the way people think

We’re not all suited for individual success

In my case, it was starting with nothing behind me

Script

Hi, I'm Sally and I'm here to talk to you about my job as a motivational speaker, why
I started and how I feel about it. I never intended to make this my career. At
university I didn't study anything like business or psychology - I did history just
because I enjoyed it, not because of where it might lead. I did a few dead-end jobs
afterwards and seemed to be in a bit of a rut. But then a friend suggested we start
our own online business designing websites; he would put in the technical know-
how and I would bring the creativity.

And it worked like a dream. We made a lot of money and seemed to have it all. But I
knew too many people who hadn't made it and once I was set up for life, I wanted to
help others. So I decided to write some self-help articles for magazines. I was pretty
amazed when these were brought out last year in a book and that was what gave
 6.12

me the idea of becoming a motivational speaker. It's amazing how many people
appreciate this kind of help.

I advertise on my website and companies ask me to run seminars for employees. I

don't try to change people's jobs but I do want to alter their mindset - to try to lift
them out of any sense of frustration and inspire them with enthusiasm for what they
do. We're not all cut out for individual success but I can make people feel happier in
whatever career they have chosen.

What qualities make a good motivational speaker? Having a charismatic personality

helps and you must like people. But first and foremost you must project a sense of
honesty. I genuinely feel too many people settle for second best and we all have the
potential to improve our lives both at work and at home - it's just a case of
unlocking it. Sometimes what I suggest means they may have to face hard
decisions, which can get to me sometimes, and people may not always like what I
say. But those who take my advice on board say it's made a huge difference.

On the practical side, some things will make you more successful as a speaker. Of
course, you must be inspiring but I think you must have a message that I call unique
– this is your selling point. You should identify something about yourself that can
inspire others. In my case it was starting from scratch with no previous experience
or financial back-up. Always research the background of those you are speaking to -
every talk must be tailor-made for your audience. Once you become known and
people respond positively to you, others will clamour for your skills. I always ask for
feedback so that I do better for the next session - this is really important for me,
personally and professionally. Finally, I'd say you never know what you can do until
you try. So, are there any questions?

Answer key 1

1- History 2- Creativity 3- Book 4- Enthusiasm

5- Honesty 6- Decisions 7- Unique 8- Feedback

Answer key 2

1- In a rut 2- have it all 3- I was taken aback

4- Mindset 5- Cut out for 6- From scratch

LISTENING – WHY PERFECTIONISM ISN’T PERFECT

3- You will Mary talking about perfectionism. Audio
 6.12

Mary thinks that because it is only a ‘(1)...........................perfectionism cannot be

achieved.

Mary thinks that musicians who are primarily concerned with their musical
(2).....................may underperform.

Mary says that becoming obsessed with (3)...........................is a problem

experienced by many perfectionists.

Mary is convinced that language learners who concentrate on communication will

find that their (41........................ also gets better.

Mary is concerned that some young athletes may be so worried about

(5).....................that they are unwilling to participate.

Mary’s tip for perfectionists is to set a 16)............................ for every task.

According to Mary, it’s useful to remember the phrase ‘(7)............................. ' when
doing tasks such as giving a presentation.

Mary thinks that people should be satisfied with achieving their

(8)............................. without worrying about being perfect.

Script

Mary Shaw: Is being a perfectionist a good thing or not? I believe that perfection is
not only impossible to achieve but - rather like trying to find the mythical pot of gold
at the end of a rainbow - I'd say it's nothing more than a fantasy. The closer you get
to it, the further away it moves. The more you improve, the more room for
improvement you'll find. Aiming for perfection is one thing. Expecting perfection,
demanding it and beating yourself up for falling short, dooms you to frustration, and
diminished confidence and motivation.

Musicians are a good example of how aiming for perfection can actually harm
performance. Instead of just losing themselves in the music, the more they focus on
their technique while practising for a concert, the more nervous they're likely to be
and won't give their best performance. Why? Because they know that the likelihood
of a completely perfect performance is close to zero. Instead, what they should be
focusing on is what they want to communicate to the audience and how to achieve
this. I feel that the biggest problem with perfectionists is that they sometimes get
so stuck in the detail that they forget the goal, which, in the case of musicians, is to
move and delight an audience

This is true for many different skills - learning a language, for example. Instead of
worrying about getting the accent absolutely right or not making any grammar
mistakes at all, learners should be focused on getting their message across. And I'm
certain they'll find their accuracy will also gradually improve in the process.

Another problem with perfectionists, which, worryingly, is quite common among

young athletes, is that they won't even take part in some competitions because
their fear of failure prevents them from even trying to win. They don't consider
anything less than winning an option. Their more relaxed peers, who are willing to
have a go - they're the ones who are more likely to succeed as they'll learn from
their experience and their mistakes.
 6.12

Striving for perfection can also be harmful because perfectionists can never leave
something alone. Even when they're done with a task, they can't help trying to find
new things to improve on. This lingering process starts off as 10 minutes, then
extends to 30 minutes, then to an hour and more. And so they become less
productive as a result. The way I always recommend avoiding this is to fix a time
limit and stick to it. An inevitable result of this is the realisation that good enough is
usually ... well, good enough.

It's not just artists and sports people who need to learn this lesson. It applies to
everyday activities as well. When giving a presentation, for example, I think it's
good to bear in mind that old saying: less is more. It's far better to try and make a
few points clearly rather than lots of points in great depth, which will be lost on the
audience. But many perfectionists have a tendency to include every possible piece
of information so nothing gets left out.

Of course, no one is saying that you should lower your standards and be content
with an average performance. The point is still to aim high and put in 100 percent
effort but to be satisfied by fulfilling your potential - that's all anyone can ask.
Perfectionism is most common...

Answer key

1- Fantasy 2- technique 3- Detail 4- Accuracy

5- Failure 6- Time limit 7- less is more 8- Potential

LISTENING – PERSONALITY TESTS

4- You will hear five short extracts in which people are talking about
personality tests. Audio

SPEAKER 1 SPEAKER 2 SPEAKER 3 SPEAKER 4 SPEAKER 5

a) What prompted each speaker to do the test

Want to learn more about personality testing

Make spontaneous decisions

Have no other option

Want someone else’s opinion about a problem

Have confidence in the accuracy of the test

Be easily tempted by questionnaires

Believe it would help their career prospects

Hope to impress a friend with the results

b) How each speaker felt about the test results

Uncertain about their implications

 6.12

Upset because they were worse than expected

Amazed at their accuracy

Indignant because they seemed to be unjustified

Unhappy about the way they were obtained

Concerned because they revealed a mismatch

Curious about what they might really mean

Suspicious because the results were similar to somebody else’s

Script

Speaker 1: I did this magazine quiz called How well does your partner know you?
You had to grade statements and then give the same quiz to your partner to answer
about you. Well, there was a huge discrepancy between my results and Charlie's,
and the analysis said something like,'You should have spent more time getting to
know each other.' We started to talk about the questions and some of his answers
really had me worried. He can't have been listening to half the things I've told him
over the years! I did the quiz on the spur of the moment but I rather wish I hadn't
now.

Speaker 2: I'd already had an interview and had actually been working there for a
couple of weeks. The job is perfect for me - it involves working to deadlines and I
thrive on pressure. After a couple of weeks they said I had to do a personality test.
They must have got my results mixed up with someone else's because they said I
wasn't good at handling pressure. I've never felt so insulted in my life. Me? Not
handle pressure? Well, now I think my boss sees just how wide of the mark the
results were.

Speaker 3: I'm a real sucker for quizzes and personality tests. I love them! But I
honestly didn't expect much from this one. I mean how could choosing colours say
anything about your personality? You had to click on eight colours in order of
preference, then wait a few minutes and repeat the same test. I clicked on purple
first and then I can't remember but I know I put grey, blue and black last both times.
When I read the results I could hardly believe it. My attitudes, my worries, my
problems with my partner, my work habits - it was all absolutely spot on.

Speaker 4: The psychology department were asking for student volunteers to do a

personality test. I've always wanted to get to the bottom of how these tests work,
so I went along. We were asked to wait until they called us in but they put us in this
really stuffy room with only three seats and there must have been at least 15 of us.
We had to wait for ages! I was getting really fed up. Finally, it was my turn. They
thanked me for coming and explained that they had really been looking at our
behaviour in the overcrowded room and been recording it. They ought to have told
us that was what was going on. It's not ethical

Speaker 5: I've got my own translation business but I wasn't getting many
commissions. I decided to see if one of those life coaches could get to the bottom of
whatever was going wrong and the first thing she did was give me a personality
test. I was a bit taken aback when she said my test results showed that I needed to
work in collaboration with others. It's weird as I've always seen myself as a bit of a
 6.12

loner and as not taking too kindly to people telling me what to do. I'm not sure I'm
going to like having my translations picked to pieces by others.

Answer key

Speaker 1: B & F Speaker 2: C & D Speaker 3: F & C

Speaker 4: A & E Speaker 5: D & A

LISTENING - ARE CREATIVE PEOPLE MORE LIKELY TO BEHAVE IN AN

ECCENTRIC OR UNUSUAL WAY?
5- You will hear David talking about creative people. Audio

David says that (1) ...«.............................were something that physicist Isaac

Newton avoided.

According to David, the author Charles Dickens believed he was being pursued by
(2)........................................

David refers to a 1966 study that showed that eccentricity was a

(3).............................. condition.

David says that eccentric/creative people cannot

(4).....................................information so they may behave strangely.

According to David, Anton Strue is researching why eccentric/creative people are

more likely to be (5).................................. than other people.

Strue concluded that eccentric/creative people receive more information, especially

(6).................................... which affects behaviour.

David believes that eccentric/creative people today have more opportunities

because of the (7)..................................industry.

David hopes that more university degrees will include (8)..................................... to

promote 'eccentric' ways of thinking.

Answer key

1- Social functions 2- Beggars 3- Genetic 4- Ignore 5- Introverts

6- Memories 7- Information technology (IT) 8- Training course

LISTENING – HUMOUR
6- You will hear an interview with Janet Wilson, a young stand-up
comedian. Audio

1) Janet's interest in stand-up comedy started because

A she was dissatisfied with normal acting roles.
 6.12

B she enjoyed writing her own jokes and scripts.

C she knew it would fulfil her desire for a challenge.
D she feels it linked to her primary acting interest.

2) How did Janet's parents react to her career?

A They hesitated about supporting her.
B They wished she had been more studious.
C They were pleased she was doing something she loved.
D They were concerned about the insecurity.

3) How does Janet feel during a performance?

A frustrated by an unresponsive audience
B privileged to be able to make people happy
C tired by the stress involved in entertaining others
D upset when an audience doesn't like her

4) Janet thinks a successful comedian must

A be a charismatic presence on stage.
B have the opportunity to win awards.
C be able to ignore any criticism.
D feel confident about growing as a performer.

5) When talking about her future, Janet is resigned to the fact that she
A must be prepared for set-backs in her career.
B might accept other work for financial reasons.
C has to work on a better stage presence.
D lacks opportunities to develop in other areas.

6) How does Janet feel about stand-up comedy?

A accepting of the competitive atmosphere
B encouraged by growing numbers of comedians
C unsure about changes that are happening
D irritated when there isn't work for everyone

6.2 Complete the sentences from the interview. Use the clues in brackets
to help you.

I realised it was going to be.........................early on. (something I would like)

At school I........................acting in school plays. (had a good time)

You have to understand that and not let it........................... skin, (upset you)

What I thought were good jokes.......................... ground. (were not appreciated)

Take the....................... , in other words. (accept good and bad times)

Though there are more opportunities, you have to....................... because if you
don't, there's always someone who will (seize them)

Script
 6.12

Interviewer: Today I'm talking to Janet Wilson, a young comedian specialising in

stand-up comedy. Janet, what is a stand-up comedian and how did you start?

Janet: I go into theatres and stand on stage and tell jokes! I'm completely alone - no
actors. Pretty scary, but that's part of the appeal. I write my own material, which
can be demanding, though I love the creativity side more than the actual writing
process. I realised it was going to be my thing early on. I'd always known I wanted
to perform somehow. At school I had a ball acting in school plays -1 even joined a
local drama club. I preferred comedy roles, though I only found out about stand-up
itself when I was taken to a show for a birthday treat. It seemed a logical extension
of my acting and I got hooked pretty quickly.

Interviewer: How did your parents react when you told them what you wanted to
do?

Janet: My dad's into technology - he's a genius with computers. I'm a bit of a geek
myself but I'm not particularly talented, though I write tech jokes in my material. I
guess they hoped that I'd do-something safe, like computing or medicine, but my
academic record put paid to that hope! My brother's a lawyer and my parents are
really proud of him. They've never been unsupportive of me but they'd just like to
see a more clearly defined career structure - and the entertainment sector doesn't
give that at all. Even people who make it big aren't necessarily working all the time.

Interviewer: How do you feel when you're actually performing?

Janet: It can be hard remembering all my material so that I can be flexible and
respond to the audience. They can be very demanding - they've paid money to be
entertained and if I don't make them laugh, I've failed. You have to understand that
and not let it get under your skin. It's happened to me: what I thought were good
jokes fell on stony ground. It's when there's silence instead of laughter that's
disconcerting. Performing can be exhausting, even when everything's going well. I
want to spread happiness, take people out of themselves, and that's pretty special -
to be able to have that kind of effect on others.

Interviewer: What do you think is most important for a successful comedian?

Janet: I'm happy when I have a good experience on stage. I'd love to win trophies,
get recognised for my work, but there's probably more to it than that. As a creative
person, I want to have a sense of progress. It's not just about comedy, it's about
where you are in your life. You have to give all of yourself on stage, so you're very
exposed – that has the potential to be hurtful. The bottom line is you need to be
thick-skinned and confident in what you're doing but taking constructive comments
on board. Take the rough with the smooth, in other words.

Interviewer: How do you feel about your own future?

Janet: People often think comedians are misfits but I reckon that's an idea put about
by comedians themselves, to make themselves sound interesting and boost
audiences! I'm enjoying writing at the moment and I'd like to do more gigs. When
you're over-specific about what you want to do, you risk setting yourself up for a fall
if it doesn't happen. I don't make enough as a stand-up, which is something I have
to address - be realistic and earn a regular wage for a while. I've got movies in my
sights. I've been looking at scripts, though I don't know how likely they are to
materialise.
 6.12

Interviewer: What about stand-up comedy in general? Is that in a good place?

Janet: It's definitely higher-profile than ever and there are more shows around. I
wouldn't say it was easy because there are more comedians trying to get work. It's
a more viable career choice though - there are even new courses specialising in
stand-up. Though there are more opportunities, you have to grab them with both
hands because if you don't, there's always someone who will. It's high stakes,
though it's all usually done in good humour. If you don't get a show and someone
else does, you can't get annoyed - that would be pointless.

Interviewer: Janet, thanks for sharing those insights with us and good luck with your
career!

Answer key

1-D 2-D 3-B 4-C 5-B 6-A

LISTENING – A BOOK ON LAUGHTER

7- Listen to a radio discussion between two authors called Mark Shaw and
Diana Abel about a book on laughter by Robert Provine. Audio

1 According to Mark Shaw, the idea that the main motivation for laughter is not
humour
A is hard for people to understand.
B needs further investigation.
C is now widely accepted.
D contradicts findings in other studies.

2 What surprised Diana Abel about differences in laughter between men and
women?
A the greater frequency of women's laughter
B the changing role of laughter in relationships between the sexes
C the difficulties faced by female comedians
D the value women place on laughter

3 What recommendation for increasing laughter does Diana find attractive?

A Spend more time with friends.
B Watch more comedy on TV.
C Practise laughing.
D Stop taking life too seriously.

4 How has both speakers' attitude to laughter changed after reading the book?
A They find themselves more inclined to laugh.
B They are more conscious of their own laughter.
C They are more aware of people's reasons for laughing.
D They find other people's laughter strange.

5 Mark and Diana would both have liked more information on

A different kinds of humour.
B the origins of laughter.
C the negative aspects of laughter.
D the physical effects of laughter.
 6.12

6 Why does Mark think the book will appeal to a non-academic audience?
A It is written in a lively, conversational style.
B It will teach people about relationships.
C It contains fascinating stories.
D It can be used as a self-help guide.

Script

Presenter: Welcome to the Review Show. Joining me today are writers Diana Abel
and Mark Shaw. The first book we'll be discussing is Robert Provine's Laughter:
0scientific investigation. It's certainly an interesting topic, Mark. But what did you
make of the idea that laughter is not primarily a response to humour but a social
lubricant – something used to smooth interaction between people?

Mark: Yes. Very interesting. It's something I've come across before and I don't think
Provine is the first to make this claim. But he is the first to popularise this theory.
And I think a lot of people will find it really difficult to accept that we don't just laugh
because we find something funny. Laughter has a much more complex role. What's
really disturbing is that, according to some statistics, we're laughing much less than
we used to, usually only when we're watching a comedy on TV.

Presenter: Indeed. Diana, I know you were particularly struck by the comparisons
between male and female laughter in the book.

Diana: Yes, that's right. While researching the book, Provine looked at hundreds of
lonely hearts ads in the newspapers and found that one of the key qualities women
look for in a potential partner is a good sense of humour – something sought after
much less commonly by men. That was news to me. It seems women want a man
who will make them laugh, while men like women who laugh at their jokes. That
might explain why until relatively recently there were so few female comedians
around.

Presenter: Provine does stress the importance of increasing laughter in our lives and
gives some advice on how to achieve this. Were you tempted to try out any of his
suggestions, Diana?

Diana: Well, Provine thinks laughter is important for maintaining relationships but
doesn't necessarily support the idea that laughter improves health or longevity. So
he's not advocating attending laughter workshops or laughter yoga. His message is
really quite simple. If you want to laugh more, rather than sitting in front of comedy
programmes, socialise more with people whose company you enjoy - which makes
sense to me. One thing I'm in favour of, which Provine doesn't mention, is that
people should lighten up and laugh at themselves more.

Presenter: Did either of you find your attitude to laughter had changed after reading
the book?

Mark: I certainly started noticing when people actually laughed and found it
confirmed Provine's theory, that is, people were laughing at things that weren't
remotely funny and also in odd places during a conversation.

Diana: The effect it had on me was to monitor my own impulses to laugh - it made
me less spontaneous in a way.
 6.12

Mark: ... analysing what made you want to laugh instead of reacting naturally -1
experienced that too.

Presenter: So did you find the book answered everything you ever wanted to know
about laughter?

Mark: It was pretty comprehensive, especially the parts on how humour and
comedy work. He also focuses on how humour can be abusive and cruel - anyone
who's experienced this in the playground will be able to relate to that. The section
on the mechanics of breathing and laughing I could have done without.

Diana: I was more interested in the social aspects of laughter. Provine argues that
laughter existed before comedy and I wish hed gone into more depth about how
laughter may have begun.

Mark: That was my favourite section of the book, so more on that would have been
welcome. The descriptions of how laughter may have started with chimpanzees
tickling each other are wonderful.

Presenter: But, overall, would you recommend this to someone who hasn't got a
professional or academic interest in laughter?

Mark: Without question, yes.There were some bits where I felt my lack of a
background in neuroscience was a disadvantage but you can just skip those bits
and move on to some of the lovely anecdotes about the research - some of the
accounts of the contagious nature of laughter are really amazing. In some places
people couldn't stop laughing for days.

Diana: Yes, incredible.

Presenter: And do you think the book will help people?

Mark: Well, if you just want to find out about the benefits of laughter, there are
more appropriate self-help guides. This is more wide-ranging than that.

Presenter: I see. So, moving on to another book about comedy...

Answer key

1-A 2-D 3-A 4-B 5-B 6-C