Unit 11 Reason and emotion

11 a Hikikomori
Reading Japan's lost generation 2 Read the article again. What do the phrases in bold
mean?
1 Read the article about the hikikomori in [apan.
1 it's high time that they pulled themselves
Answer the questions.
together (para 1)
1 What is the hikikomori condition?
2 state of isolation (para 2)
2 What could be responsible for it?
3 A Never-ending Adolescence (para 3)
3 What could happen of the problem is not
addressed?
4 that has given rise to this (para 3)

5 less inclined to offer long-term employment

(para 4)

6 to live a reclusive life (para 5)

Some of the earliest Some say that it has to do with today's uncertain
hikikomori in Japan - economic prospects in Japan. Thirty years ago, young
young people who have Japanese from middle-class families trod a fairly sure
withdrawn from society path from high school to university to a job for life in
to the safety of their one of Japan's corporations. The few who did not take
bedrooms - are now this route were considered aberrations. Nowadays,
reaching middle age. with more graduates competing for fewer jobs and
Some people feel this businesses that are less inciined to offer long-term
is self-indulgent and it's employment, such 'aberrations' are not difficult to findo
high time that they pulled To make matters worse, many of those without good or
themselves together; secure jobs are graduates who did follow the approved
others feel that it is a sign path and felt they had done everything right.
of dysfunction in society
that should be heeded. Others blame the parents, high achievers in their own
careers, whose success the young hikikomori wish
Most hikikomori are male and many come from middle- they could emulate. Unable to face the disappointment
class families. These families do their best to help them, of their children not finding job security, instead they
but the hikikomori would rather their parents left them enable them to live a reciusive life. If only the parents
alone in their rooms to watch television or browse the would act more firmly, these critics say, rather than
Internet, or just to sit doing nothing in their state of shielding them, the problem would not exist.
isolation.
Whatever the true causes, this is both a personal
The Hikikomori condition was first formally recognised and a social problem that needs to be addressed.
by Japanese psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in 1998 in his Supposing that nothing were done about it, then, as
book Social Withdrawal: A Never-ending Adolescence. the hikikomori's parents grow old and retire, Japan
Although there have been some similar cases reported would be left with a generation who are not integrated
in France and other western countries, it seems to be a into the working or social life of the wider community-
particularly Japanese phenomenon. So what is it about something that would have serious implications for the
Japanese society that has given rise to this? whole of society.
Language focus unreal past Vocabulary feelings: adjectives
3 Look at these examples of the unreal past (1-5) and idioms
from the article. Match them with their uses (a-e).
6 Match the strong feelings with the milder ones.
1 It's high time that they pulled themselves
Strong Mild
together ...
1 astonished a content
2 The hikikomori would rather their parents left
them alone in their IOoms ... 2 ecstatic b cross
3 ... the parents, whose success the young 3 livid c despondent
hikikomori wish they could emulate. 4 miserable d scared
4 If only the parents would act more firmly, ... 5 petrified e taken aback
the problem would not existo
7 Match four of these idioms (1-8) describing feelings
5 Supposing that nothing were done about it,
with adjectivesfrom Exercise6. Then match the
then [apan would be left with a generation ...
remaining four idioms with the adjectivesbelow (a-d).
a describes a wish for action (someone else to do
1 all over the place ...
something)
2 a bit down
b describes a preference (for what someone
would like to happen) 3 done in .
c describes something that should be done now 4 hot under the collar ...
orsoon 5 on edge ...
d means 'what would happen if ... ?' 6 speechless .
e describes a wish for the opposite to be true 7 thrilled to bits .
8 upbeat .
4 Complete these sentences by putting the verbs in
the correct tense. Sometimes there is more than a exhausted
one possibility. b optimistic
1 Supposing you (be) in my c nervous
position, what . .(you / do)? d confused and disorganised
2 If only we . (leave) earlier,
we .. . (not / get) stuck in alI
8 Complete these sentences using an appropriate
adjective or idiom from Exercises 6 and 7. Sometimes
this traffic.
there is more than one possibility.
3 I would rather . (telI)her
myself than you . (telI)her. 1 Don't worry about Sue. She's just ....
because she has to work on a public holiday.
4 I wish you . (live) nearer.
Then we . (be) able to meet 2 We're feeling very about our
up more often. chances of winning the league this year.
5 It's time that we . (treat) 3 It was a great opportunity to get a free holiday so
these people as victims, not problems. I was rather. . when he refused.
6 I wish that someone . (find) a 4 I'm not going to come out tonight. I've
pIOper cure for this condition. been working all day and I'm completely

5 Pronunciation word stress: wishes 5 She's . . that no one told her

about the concert. She really wanted to go.
a '!!fI 3.10Look at these sentences. Underline the
6 I have a good job and a nice place to live. On the
stressed words. Then listen and check.
whole I'm pretty .
1 If only you had waited. 7 I always feel. . before I have to
2 I wish you were here. give a talk, but once I begin I'm fine.
3 If only it was that easy. 8 Sorry, I can't help you. We've just moved house
4 I wish they would stop making that noise. and I'm . at the moment.
5 I wish I hadn't said anything.

b Practise saying the sentences with the same stress.

 11 b Don't think too much
Listening how we decide 4 Complete these phrases from the talk. The first letter
of the missing words has been given for you.
1 How do you make important decisions? Look at
1 to think things t., . means to
the statements by four different people and say
consider things carefully
which one best describes you.
2 to suffer from r .m. means to
1 'I always try to let fate decide. 50 let's say there wonder if you have done the right thing
was a popular show 1wanted to see but the
3 to base a decision on o facts
tickets were really expensive. t'd wait a couple of
means to decide using independent information
days and then ring up to buy the tickets. If they
were sold out, fate would have decided for me.'
4 to reality means to alter
what is real
5 to take our feelings into a.
2 'When it comes to difficult decisions, 1find means to consider our feelings
I often have to go with my gut feelings. If
6 to a decision means to argue
1try to use reason, sometimes 1go round
that a decision is right
and round in circles, because there are just
toa many factors to consider.'

3 'I find the easiest way to make a difficult

decision is to make a points system. If 1had
to decide whether to take a new job, for
example, I'd score each advantage of the job
with a positive number and each disadvantage
with a negative number. Then I'd add them up
and see if the total is positive ar nega tive. '

4 'Feelings can be very deceptive. 1try

to make decisions in a completely
rational way and ignore what my
emotions are trying to tell me.'

2 li 3.11 Listen to a talk about a book on decision

making by [onah Lehrer, Which statement in
Exercise 1 best describes what the author thinks?

3 '!íI3.11 Listen again. According to the speaker, are

these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1 The example of changing your job shows how
complicated many of the decisions we have to
take are.
2 We often deceive ourselves about how we have
arrived at a particular decision.
3 It is better to ignore your feelings when making
a decision.
4 Leaders make good decisions because they
have strong ideas.
5 We each need to work out a decision-making
strategy for all prablems and stick to it.
6 For complex problems, we are better off
following our feelings.
 Unit 11 Reason and emotion

Language focus inversion in 8 Rewrite these ideas as conditional sentences. Use

conditionals
5 Complete these sentences from the talk using
conditionals.
1 I to take the new job, ... it
would prabably lead to other opportunities.
2 If I took the job and it
out well, where
3 I stayed where I was, I'd
probably feel much happier.
4 you doubt this, read Jonah
Lehrer's bestseller How we decide.
5 Were we recognise this, ...
we also feelless regret at
making the wrang decisions.
6 You might find, says Lehrer, that you
..............................................................................................................................................................................
a better decision had you spent more time
analysing simple prablems ...
6 Which sentences in Exercise 5 are examples of
inversion in conditionals?
7 Rewrite these conditional sentences using
inversion.
1 If the owner were to lower the price, our client
would consider making an offer.
2 If we had been told earlier, we could have done
something about it.
3 If anyone asks, I'11be back in the office on 23rd
September.
4 If the pipes froze, it could result in them
bursting.
5 If customers had just put the money in the
bank, they would be a lot better off.
inversion where the ideas seem more formal.
1 I rushed into buying the latest phone. A month
later I saw the same phone for half the price.
2 You may need help finding your way araund.
work Please ask any of the staff.
I be then?
3 It's a good thing that shelters were available
after the storm. Otherwise, many people would
have been left homeless.
4 Faced with the same situation again, would
you do the same thing?
made
9 Pronunciation heteronyms
a "" 3.12 Listen to these sentences and say where
the stress falls in the words in bold. What rule can
you make about these words?
1 a What's that strange object?
b I don't object to the idea.
2 a Did they contest the decision?
b It wasn't a fair contest.
3 a How much did the price increase?
b It's a big increase.
4 a It' s a refuse collection truck.
b I couldn't refuse the offer.
5 a What an interesting project.
b We can't project far into the future.
6 a We import furniture fram [apan.
b Our main import is sugar.
b Practise saying the sentences in Exercise 9a. Pay
attention to the stress on the words in bold.
10 Dictation a personal decision
"" 3.13 Listen to someone describing a decision
they had to make. Complete the paragraph. Then
say what you think they should do.
OK, so here's .

6 If it rains, please bring in any furniture from

outside.
 11 c Robobees
Listening insect robots
1 li 3.14 Look at the photo and the title Insect
robots. Answer the questions. Then listen to a
report about Robobees and check your answers. 4 li 3.17 Listen to the last part of the report and
1 What technical challenges do you think a complete the summary.
designer of an insect rabot faces? Bees are not the only animals to have
1 raboticists. Scientists have
2 What useful tasks could insect rabots perform? also used flies, fish and 2 to get
ideas for rabots. It is hoped that such research will
create a new generation of machines based on the
Glossary designs of 3 , using the
hive (n) /harv/ a house for bees to live in 4 that animals apply in the task
pollinate (v) l'pDIgnertl spread the seeds of flowers from one to of daily survival. The National
another 5 Foundation in the USA is
convinced of the potential benefits and is putting
2 li 3.15 Answer the questions. Then listen to 6 per year into the research.
the first part of the report again and check your
answers. 5 Complete these collocations fram the report with
the correct verbo
1 What kind of animal rabots have we seen up to
now? adapt to determine face
flap perform take

2 What inspired the scientists to make Robobee?

3 What did they think they could use Robobee to
do?
4 Rather than an individual rabot, what do they
hope to create with Robobee?
1 an operation
2 changing conditions
3 a challenge
4 one' s wings
5w •••••••••••••• the cause of something
6 advantage of

5 . What will Robobees use to 'understand' their Word focus move

enviranment? 6 Replace the underlined phrases with the correct
I I expression with move.
!
3 li 3.16 In the report the speaker made a number move the goalposts move to tears
of comparisons between Robobee and real bees. move up a gear move up in the world
Listen to the second part of the report again and on the move
complete the table.
1 I was deeply touched by their bravery in the
Robobee Actual bees
face of such hardship .
1 uses a computer have a ... 2 She has become more prasperaus - she used to
chip brain live in a one-bedraom flat .
2 are amazing flying machines 3 We need to work a bit faster if we are going to
3 uses a hive as a live in a real bee hive get this finished on time .
4 I couldn't tell you what she's doing these
4 has a variety of make ...
days. She's always changing activity.
purposes and ...

S uses cameras and use 5 They said that anyone over eighteen could
sensors to navigate apply but now they've changed the rules.

.,
A
 Unit 11 Reason and emotion

11d Conversations at work

Real life recognising feelings
1 'i 3.18 Listen to three conversations in the
workplace. Tick (.I) the subject that the people are
talking about. There are two extra subjects.

a someone worried that others

have the wrong impression of them
b someone upset that they
were not asked to a meeting
c what one person thought
about another's proposals
d someone saying something too directly
e a joke that was taken the wrong way

2 • 3.18 Listen again and answer the questions. 4 Pronunciation adjectives ending in -ed

1 In conversation 1, why is the second speaker a li 3.19 Are the following -ed endings pronounced
upset with the first speaker? /d/, /t/ or /id/? Listen and check yom answers.
1 shocked ... 6 minded ...
2 In conversation 2, what does the second 2 thrilled ... 7 surprised ...
speaker worry that Sarah might think about her 3 worried ... 8 impressed .
now? 4 bored ... 9 frustrated .
S frightened_ 10 Iaughed ...
3 In conversation 3, is Gary likely to be offended b Practise saying the words in Exercise 4a with the
by what the second speaker said? same pronunciation.

C "3.20 Listen to these words. What sound does

3 Speaking skill recognising others' feelings -ied produce here?
a terrified
• 3.18 The speakers used phrases to recognise
b preoccupied
the effect of what they said on their or others'
feelings. Complete the phrases. Then listen and c mystified
check yom answers. d satisfied
Conversation 1
5 Listen and respond being sensitive
1 You.... .. . a .
taken aback. I didn' t mean to
"3.21 Imagine you are having discussions with
.....................
you duríng the meeting. colleagues at work. You want to understand the
2 Anyway, I'm sorry if that .... feeIings behind what they are saying. Listen to
...................................................
wrong at the meeting. each statement. Respond with your own words.
3 Please don't . me disloyal. Then compare yom response with the model
Conversation 2 answer that follows.

4 You . worried. Is something 1 Well, I'm a bit surprised

bothering you? that you vo/unteered
5 Did I .. . something to me for the project.
......................
you?
Oh, I'm sorry I hope I
Conversation 3 didn't upset you.
6 Sorry, why are you laughíng? I don't I didn't mean to put you
understand what's . in a difficult situation.

7 Sorry, perhaps that . ................................................

a bit
abrupto
11 e Avoiding misunderstandings
Writing an email message
1 Writing skill avoiding misunderstandings
Read the ernails (1--4) and underline the
phrases which help the reader to avoid a
rnisunderstanding.
D Hi John
l'm still waiting to hear back from vou about
buvinq some of rnv old furniture. Were Vou that
horrified when Vou saw it? l'm joking of course! I
don't want to pressure vou in anv wav - it's just
that l'rn moving in two weeks' time and I need to
sort something out.
Let me know.
Best wishes
Hakim
f) Dear Sian
Manv thanks for getting back to me 50 quicklv. In
vour haste, Vou attached the wrong document. It's
the photo of the main universitv entrance that I
need, not the one of vour hol idav in the south of
France! Can Vou resend?
Thanks.
Jen
11 Dear Sarah
Just to let Vou know that we won't need Vou on
Sundav after alI. Frederica has volunteered to help
us with the packing. Please don't take this the
wrong wav. We do reallv appreciate vour offer.
See Vou soon, I hope.
Paul
li Hi Barnev
That wasn't the answer I expected! I thought Vou
wanted to be involved in this project. Don't worry
- l'm not offended in anv way. It just took me
rather bv surprise.
Speak soon.
Graham
2 Read these emails (A-D) and rnatch thern with the
impression that they give (1--4).
1 This person seerns offended not to be asked.
2 This person seerns too busy to deal with
correspondence.
3 This person seerns annoyed to be kept waiting.
4 This person seerns to be rnaking a rude
cornrnent about the reader.
r.
m HI. Des
That was a verv long answer Vou sent me. I will
replv to Vou when I have time to read it prcperlv.
Jeff
Ia Dear Brigitte
Great to hear from Vou! Your spelling hasn't
improved much since we were at school. I had
to re-read vour email three times before I could
understand it. Your idea of meeting up on 8th
December sounds perfect. Let me know where
vou'd like to meet.
Ali the best
Rosalie
r..
I!I Dear Mr Nasri
I sent Vou a quotation as promised a week ago, but
Vou have not replied. Are we to suppose that Vou
are not interested?
Kind regards
David Ternperlev
\..
m Dear Berni
I received vour email savinq that Vou don't want
to take up mv offer of advice about the design of
vour website. I hope the person Vou have found to
help Vou with this does a good job.
Yours
Jasper
3 Rewrite the emails from Exercise 2 so that
you avoid the possibility of the reader
rnisunderstanding thern.
 Unit 11 Reason and emotion

Wordbuilding heteronyms Learning skills the Internet

1 Match the wards (1-8) with their definitions (a-h). 3 The Internet has some great resources for learning
English. Here are a few tips using these.
1 delegate (n) l'delIggtl
2 alternate (v) j';:,:ltgneIt I News: Visit an English language news website and
listen to a story that you are already familiar
3 row (v) Irgul
with. Write down new words that you learn.
4 wound (n) /wumd/ Songs: Find a song sung in English that you like
5 tear (n) ItIg(r)1 and try to write down the lyrics. Then do an
6 minute (n) l'mmItI internet search for the lyrics and compare.
7 sewer (n) l'sgug(r)1
Talks: Listen to TED talks. These are free and
are categorised by subject. Listen without
8 refuse (v) In'fju:zl the transcript and see how much you can
a someone who warks with a needle and thread understand. Then listen again, this time
b change places periodically following the transcript. Make a note of any
newwords.
c say no to something Blogs: Try to find blogs about stories that have
d a drop of water from the eye interested you in Life. Perhaps post a comment
e a unit of time on their blog and start a conversation.
f a representative 4 Do one of the things in Exereise 3 this week. Then
g a cut ar injury tell a fellow student about your experience.
h propel a boat with oars

2 Look at the words in bold. What part of speech Check!

are they? What do they mean? How are they 5 Do the crossward. A1lthe answers are in Student' s
pronounced? Book Unit 11.
1 I wound a piece of bandage around Across
the cut to protect it from infection.
3 Unit 11awas about this kind of intelligence (9) I
4 'thrilled to ......' means 'very happy' (4)
2 Please try not to tear the material when you
put the cover back on the chair. It's very tight. 7 if you are very angry, you are (5)
9 the opposite of reasoned and logical (10)
3 They had a big row yesterday and now Down
neither one is speaking to the other. 1 a human-like robot (7) :
2 the title of Kahnmann' s book: Thinking fast and
4 I put a minute amount of sugar in your coffee .m. (4)
before I remembered you dídri't take sugar.
5 and 8 a stronger way of saying 'I wish ... ' (2,4)
You won't taste it.
6 'moved to' means 'so touehed that
you ery' (5)
5 We have a job share. We work on alternate
days of the week. 8 see5 Down I
- -
1 2

6 It is well known that rats live in the sewers.

7 Household refuse collection is on Thursdays.

I I
I-- -
4
8 Good managers learn how to
delegate responsibility to their team.
I I - -

- I I
- I---

I I
- -