Classifying Thinkers (A summary of the previous text)

We don't really know how to define intelligence. However, this does not discourage some people from categorizing others according to their intelligence or lack of it. In his essay, "Thinking as a hobby," author William S. Golding does exactly this. Golding divides people into three categories: grade-three thinkers, grade-two thinkers, and grade-one thinkers.

According to Golding, 90 percent of the population represents the largest category, called grade-three thinkers. These people are docile. They follow orders and they obey other people's wishes. They never learn to think for themselves and cannot distinguish truth from lies. A dictator could take control of them and make them do whatever he wanted, as if they were sheep. The resulting mob would be brutal and ugly.

Grade-two thinkers, Golding's second category, are less likely to be influenced by a dictator. These grade-two thinkers, who make up 9 percent of the population, see corruption in the world. For example, grade-two thinkers may question the honesty of religion or political institutions,but they fail to find new ideals to believe in.

The remaining 1 percent of the population are what Golding calls grade-one thinkers. They not only see corruption, but they also know how to seek truth. Their lives are defined by beauty, wisdom and knowledge. Such thinkers are creative and imaginative geniuses, like Mozart, Michelangelo, and Einstein, who opened new worlds in music, art and science.

One wonders in which category Golding would place himself. Surely not among the "sheep"! Golding may prefer to believe that intelligence prevents people in the top tenth percentile of the population from following political dictators, but the number of doctors, teachers, lawyers, and writers in many countries who were willing supporters of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao shows that this belief is incorrect. In fact, sometimes the common sense and compassion of the ordinary man is all that stands between civilization and barbarism. As one of the so-called sheep, I say bah to Mr. Golding!


Answer the Questions:

1. Circle the thesis statement. How does Golding classify people?
[The thesis statement: In his essay, "Thinking as a hobby," author William S. Golding does exactly this.]
[Golding divides people into three categories: grade-three thinkers, grade-two thinkers, and grade-one thinkers.]

2. Underline the topic sentence of each body paragraph.
[Body paragraph 1: According to Golding, 90 percent of the population represents the largest category, called grade-three thinkers.]
[Body paragraph 2: Grade-two thinkers, Golding's second category, are less likely to be influenced by a dictator.]
[Body paragraph 3: The remaining 1 percent of the population are what Golding calls grade-one thinkers.]

3. How does the author describe 90 percents of the population? The remaining 9 percent? The final 1 percent?
[The author explains that 90 percent of the population are docile. They follow orders and they obey other people's wishes. They never learn to think for themselves and cannot distinguish truth from lies. As for the remaining 9 percent, the population is said to able to see corruption in the world. For the final 1% of the population, they not only see corruption, but they also know how to seek truth. Their lives are defined by beauty, wisdom and knowledge. Such thinkers are creative and imaginative geniuses.]

4. Underline the examples used in the third body paragraph to describe "Grade-one thinkers."
[Mozart, Michelangelo, and Einstein.]

5. What is the writer's opinion of Golding's essay? In which paragraph do you find this opinion?
[The writer feels that the current situation throughtout the world contradicts Golding's opinion. Thus, he is rather in disbelief of Golding's essay. This opinion of his can be found in paragraph five.]

6. What support (facts, examples) are used in the conclusion to argue the writer's point of view?
[Golding may prefer to believe that intelligence prevents people in the top tenth percentile of the population from following political dictators, but the number of doctors, teachers, lawyers, and writers in many countries who were willing supporters of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao shows that this belief is incorrect.]


Cohen F Robert and Miller Judy "Reason to write -Strategies for success in academic writing"
Oxford University Press

1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The text is all about the journey of a ten-year old girl, Chihiro into a fantasy world and how she must find her way back to reality. The protagonist’s experience in the alternate world represents her passage from childhood to adulthood. In the opening scene, the viewer is informed that Chihiro and her family are moving to a new town. This is also a form of journey for her, in terms of leaving behind old memories and learning to adapt in a new environment. Furthermore, she travelled on a train ride across the spirit world to visit Zeniba in hope of breaking her curse over Haku.]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[The main issue in this text would be the autocracy rule. Yubaba, the main antagonist of the film and an old witch with an inhumanly large head and nose, supervises the bathhouse with an over-bearing and authoritarian personality. She took Chihiro's name and renames her "Sen" in order to hold power over her for the duration of the contract. She also does this to her other workers, so she can keep them in service forever. Haku works as Yubaba's direct subordinate, often running dirty errands and performing various missions for her. Furthermore, discrimination is also a problem throughout the text. After Chihiro is put to work, she encounters difficulties; she was given hard and menial tasks. As an additional example, she was denied bath tokens whereas others were granted those with ease. Besides that, greed for money is an obvious topic. Yubaba is only interested in taking care of guests for money, while the bathhouse staffs are crazy over gold.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Chihiro Ogino, the ten-year old protagonist of the film, has several commendable traits. During her adventure she matures from a whiny, self-centered, and pessimistic child to a hard-working, responsible, optimistic young girl who has learned to care for others. She is also persistent, as shown when she insists on getting a job from Yubaba. Once being accepted, she works diligently with the help of Lin, who in the end warms up to Chihiro and grows a strong bond with her. It can be seen that she eventually becomes very well-mannered and polite and cares deeply for those around her, especially Haku and No-Face.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[Personally, the text has helped to expand my understanding of being hard-working, particularly in a competitive society nowadays. Chihiro is an ideal role-model; she works like a horse to accomplish her daily chores under Yubaba and is willing to go the extra mile. She never gives up in her quest to recover her parents and escape. Besides that, there are lots of people in society who are dictators, more than eager to control and exploit others for their own personal gain. Yubaba has this sort of personality and practically worships gold. She rules her employees with an iron grip and seizes anything prized from them. Communist countries such as Vietnam perform such acts towards their population, and the people are oppressed. This, in my opinion, should be avoided as people have rights and freedom.]

1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The novel opens with Alice having decided to take a short walk due to boredom, and she spots a talking rabbit with a pocket watch which vanishes into a rabbit hole. Curiosity takes Alice down the rabbit hole, and an extraordinary journey into a magical place begins. Her adventures with the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the caterpillar are of a kind that leads her to question herself and the knowledge that she has about herself and of the world. In fact, Alice undergoes a sort of self-realization journey throughout the story. The text also symbolizes a typical escapade of a child into a fantasy world.]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[In my point of view, external features or appearance is the main issue in the text. In Alice’s quest, she encounters a variety of weird and mythical creatures such as a caterpillar who smokes with a Hookah, an overly grinning Cheshire cat, and even a Gryphon. These creatures were of great help to Alice, helping her in her journey across Wonderland. For example, her encounter with the caterpillar was very helpful because it is through the caterpillar that she manages to master the way in which one could change their height depending on the situation. Her experiences with the Mad Hatter and March Hare, however, were awful and any sort of attempt to learn something logical was futile. Alice’s encounter with the Queen of Hearts was equally appalling, as the Queen was a sadist at heart and preferred to execute her subjects at any given opportunity. Alice’s final realization of reality, that the characters are just a pack of cards, is the realization of the manner in which external features can influence the mind of a human being, especially that of a child.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Regarding qualities worth admiration or disapproval, I would prefer to express my disgust for the individuality of the Queen of Hearts. The most horrifying trait the Queen possesses is her fanatical gusto of sentencing her subjects to decapitation at almost any circumstance. Her favorite quote of ‘Off with her head!’ or ‘Off with his head!’ is excessively brutal and cruel, and Alice has an instant and lasting negative impression of her. Furthermore, the Queen does not act like one and lacks in reasoning. During the court session, she was more eager to behead the witnesses than hear their statements. Additionally, she is poor in controlling her people, as shown during the croquet game. At the end, all the players, except the King, the Queen, and Alice, were in custody and under sentence of execution. Luckily, the King pardoned the entire lot.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[The text helps me to understand the world through a different perspective; a growing child’s version of the wide world. During the years when people travel from their childhood to adulthood through adolescence, they are hardly aware of what exactly happened during the process. A psychological maturing occurs when Alice finds herself alone and, at times, neglected in Wonderland. She learns to fend for herself and realizes the importance to maintain her personal identity. More than once, she is misunderstood and eventually mistreated by the creatures in Wonderland. It is through her eyes that the author comments on various modern-day issues, for instance hypocrisy, greed, power, and sexuality. Furthermore, there are certain times in the text where Alice reacts in fear instead of affection, due to her still being a young child. This is exemplified by her experience with the puppy in Chapter 4. The cute puppy, in fact, just wanted to play with her. In spite of this, Alice was terribly afraid of the puppy, partly due to her shrunken size.]

1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The text elaborates about the life of a Chinese girl named Adeline Yen Mah. A rundown of the text would reveal that it is a lifelong journey for her trying to achieve success in order to attain her parents’ love and recognition. Ever since Adeline’s father remarried, she suffered abuse, lack of care and ignorance by her parents, especially by her stepmother Jeanne Prosperi. As a whole, Adeline went through a great deal of misery and anguish. She was even sent to orphanages and boarding schools and was left to fend for herself. To make matters worse, her siblings bullied, manipulated and exploited her right until the very end. However, with the help of Aunt Baba and her grandfather Ye Ye, she managed to cope and furthered her studies. She was admitted in the University College in Bloomsbury as a medical student at the age of 17. In time, she passed her studies with flying colors and worked in many places such as Hong Kong and New York. Eventually her financial status would pose her no problems, attributable to her diligent attitude. Her journey into parenting was also a tough one, when her first marriage ended up as a failure.]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[The foremost issue in this novel would be family problems, as faced by Adeline in her life. She was mistreated by Jeanne Prosperi, nickname ‘Niang’, the second wife of Joseph Yen. Niang had somehow brainwashed Adeline’s father and all he cared for was earning more money. Adeline and her other siblings were considered second-class by Niang and Joseph. She was ever jealous of Adeline’s exceptional academic performance. A good example: When she sensed that Aunt Baba had a positive influence on Adeline and that Adeline constantly seek comfort from Aunt Baba, she forbid them both from being together. Therefore she always conspired against the first four children of Joseph and caused disruption. Thus, there was continuous disarray among the Yen household. Furthermore, being materialistic is also another topic of concern. Adeline’s father practically worship and treasure money more than his children. Niang, on the other hand, was more than willing to inherit all of Joseph’s assets when he died by changing his will. Lydia, the eldest daughter and sister to Adeline, plotted against Adeline by poisoning Niang with fraudulent thoughts. This resulted in Adeline being excluded from Niang’s will and so her portion would be distributed among the rest.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Although Adeline is the main character in the book, I am instead obliged to bestow my admiration to her aunty, Aunt Baba. First and foremost, I would like to salute her for her willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the family. She decided to give up any hope of marriage with the aim of taking care of her brother Joseph’s children. In the end, she became a spinster. She even resigned from her job at the Women’s Bank even though she was in a good position and received a steady pay. At a time, she had to rely on Joseph for financial support. Besides that, Adeline respected Aunt Baba deeply, as she was more like a mother to Adeline. This, in turn, displayed Aunt Baba’s caring and loving personality. She supported Adeline with all her heart; cheered Adeline up during hard times and praised her for brilliant academic results. Under the tyranny of Niang, Aunt Baba provided morale support to Adeline. She was also a pleasant companion to Ye Ye, keeping him company during lonely times. What's more, she had an iron resolve when it came to hard work. She strived for success under Grand Aunt and was promoted. She readily accepted life’s strains and labors, notably at the closing stages of the book, where Aunt Baba lived a harsh impoverished life though she was contented with it. Her final wish from Adeline was a humble one: she longed to move back into their old house at No.15 and spent her last days there. Adeline did fulfill that wish and she lived there till she died.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[As the main issue of the text is about family problems, it makes me understand that life isn’t just all sweet and smooth; there are people out there who are cruel and heartless. Niang is a perfect example of nastiness as described by Adeline. Niang had bullied Adeline and tarnished her image among family members with any available option. Niang, as a stepmother, obviously despised the first four children of Joseph and cared only for her own son Franklin. Besides Niang, Lydia, Gregory, Edgar and James all took turns picking on Adeline, as she was the youngest and the best achiever of the family. Lydia even went to the extent of imposing a sort of excommunication on Adeline for the sake of money, even when Adeline helped her son. This implies that in certain situations, greed for money is able to overcome family unity and values. Besides that, the text confirms that sexism and racism are topics subjected to immense criticism around the world. Adeline was lowly treated in England when working there due to her gender, whereas Joseph felt inferior to Niang by reason of her French blood. Undoubtedly, the sense of superiority among Europeans still exists, though this should be eradicated as everyone is equal in the eyes of God.]

1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The tale revolves around a nomadic Somali girl, who is also the author, Waris Dirie. The entire text narrates about her upbringing, an eventual escape from home, survival and the path into stardom. At the outset, her life was considered a constant journey across desert plains as she and her family relentlessly searched for water supply. This tedious routine was eventually disrupted when Waris decided to flee from her father’s prearranged marriage. Her adventurous journey across the Somalian desert in search of her auntie in Mogadishu then began. Later in the story, she journeyed by plane to Heathrow, where she would work for her uncle. Lastly, she stayed behind in London and became a flourishing model. As a result, she travelled and toured around wonderful places including Morocco, Paris, Milan and New York. Last but not least, there was an account concerning Waris’ mission to locate a good husband, in which she suffered a lot.]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[The primary issue in this novel would be the female genital mutilation – any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. This is practiced throughout the world, with the practice concentrated most heavily in Asia and Africa. Waris was lucky enough to survive and in the long run cured from this disfigurement. Another major concern is the discrimination of the black African people by the ‘whites’. This is exemplified by the change of attitude of people towards Waris once her uncle ceased to be an ambassador.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Waris Dirie, the key character in this book, possesses qualities worth of esteem. To begin with, she is valiant and daring. She willingly runs away from the safety of home to the unforgiving desert without any supplies in order to elude the appointed marriage by her dad. Accordingly, she was only 13 years of age when she fought off two men in separate occasions when in danger of being raped. Furthermore, she was so enthusiastic to star in the Living Daylights film that she actually stole a specially-made passport with her picture and her friend, Marilyn’s name; risked being prosecuted for forgery. Fortunately, she survived the ordeal at the customs section of Heathrow airport. Besides that, Waris was also a determined and iron-willed person. She had the doggedness to make it through the desert and find her aunt. As modeling was everything to her, she put in incredible amount of effort to achieve success without giving up. Lastly, she was a caring and loving daughter. Her mom always had her hands full taking care of the household and Waris often tried her best to lighten the burden. Additionally, even after running away and finally achieving success, she went on a long search for her mother with the help of the BBC, a news company. In due course, both mother and daughter met up and spent quality time together.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[The most enlightening component in this text would be the life of Africans. In order to survive, most Africans endure back-breaking work, especially the women. Waris’ mother went through having twelve children and had to deal with the household chores. Furthermore, most Africans do not live with the lavishness of modern gadgets and technology. Waris’ mother had no other option but to wander off into the desert alone to give birth, and gruesomely cut the umbilical cord herself with something sharp. Throughout history, antifeminism is widespread and women are treated as a lower class. Although the situation all over the world has improved a great deal, Africa women are still being ill-treated. In Waris’ family, the girls had to undergo an approved marriage by their father. Waris was only 13 years of age when she was forced to marry Mr.Galool, a man whose age she claimed to be at least sixty years old when they first met. Unbelievably, she was ‘traded’ to the old man for 5 camels! Besides that, social issues particularly raping is rife in Africa. Waris was in risk of being raped twice, but fortunately she survived both attempts with her pride intact. Other than that, Waris was deceived and duped of two thousand pounds by Harold Wheeler with the promise of a new passport. It is unknown whether Harold was ultimately caught or not.]

1. How does the text relate to the theme of a journey?
[The text narrates about the early childhood days of the author Roald Dahl. Majority of it recounts fascinating events that occurred throughout his life in a span of his first 20 living years. Thus, this is said to be a physical and mental journey for the author in terms of growth and self-understanding. It is also similar to the common type of journey where all children are required to experience. This is exemplified by his first-hand encounter with homesickness during whole of his first term at St. Peter’s. Besides that, Roald Dahl journeys to different places such as Llandaff (enrolled in Elmtree House and then Llandaff Cathedral School), Oslo (visited Bestemama and Bestepapa), Tjöme (vacation), Cardiff (studied in St. Peter’s School), Kent (attended classes in Repton), throughout London and East Africa (worked for the Shell Company).]

2. What is the main issue in the text?
[The main issue revolves around corporal punishment in school. In a total of 3 cases, Roald Dahl explains how students were punished in a way most feared – the dreaded cane. The first occurrence was at Llandaff Cathedral School, where he got whipped four times by the headmaster Mr. Coombes for playing a mouse prank on Mrs. Pratchett. Once again his buttocks met the cane few years later due to a misunderstanding between him and Captain Hardcastle over an issue of talking in Prep. As for the third occasion, he was informed about a boy named Michael being flogged horribly – until his backside bleeded – by the Headmaster of Repton. In addition, bullying and exploitation was also a stern matter; teachers, boazers and wardens are inclined to oppress the students. Captain Hardcastle, Williamson and the Matron are the major players in the despicable field of harassment and discrimination.]

3. What quality do you admire or dislike in a character?
[Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg, the mother of Roald Dahl, is the choice of my admiration. First of all, she was brave and independent in enduring troubled times. In exemplification, she had lost both her husband Harald Dahl and her eldest child Astri in the space of a few weeks. There she was, all alone in a foreign land and to make matters worse, she was expecting another baby in two months’ time. Instead of seeking help from relatives in Norway, she decided to continue her stay in Wales and take care of her five children. Furthermore, she was a strong-willed lady. This can be clearly seen by her determination in fulfilling her late husband’s wish. Besides that, she emphasized a lot on her children’s education and even sent Roald Dahl to well-known schools such as Llandaff Cathedral school and Repton. In addition, she was a caring and loving mother. An excellent example is that she refused to tell Roald Dahl her health condition although she knew she was going to die because the author himself was in serious condition and needed an operation on his spine. She also kept more than six hundred letters of Roald Dahl, which he wrote home to her, all neatly bound with a green tape. Another incident proved that she was willing to defend the author; when she found out the Headmaster had caned him, she settled the matter with the Headmaster immediately – promptly disallowing the caning of her son. Moreover, she incredibly dealt with all the train, boat and hotel bookings and also luggage of ten people including herself for the trip to Norway. Last but not least, she displayed decisiveness and a calm composure when the author had his nose cut off due to an accident and hurried him to the nearest doctor.]

4. How does the text develop your understanding of the world?
[In my opinion, the most eye-opening feature would be the abuse of students by teachers, prefects and wardens. Cases of mistreatment are evident throughout Roald Dahl’s life as an adolescent. This, in turn, implicates that nothing seems to be fair and the world out there is a harsh one. Additionally, the text helps me to understand the world is advancing and progressing, and has done so significantly from the author’s era. As an example, when he was operated for his adenoids to be taken out, no anesthetic was used. However, no patient nowadays would even think of visiting a doctor who doesn’t use anesthetic for adenoids operation.]

4. In what way does the father understand his son well?
[In my opinion, the father understands that his son has a motive; when his son tells him a fact, it eventually will lead to something else instead.]

A collocation is two or more words which often go together.

Natural English Unnatural English
fast food quick food
a quick shower a fast shower
(Tip:when you learn a new word,write down other words that collocate with it)
Eg.: make + the bed/ time/breakfast/friends/fun/a joke/money

Exercise
Both options make sense.Underline the one which forms a common collocation

1. Many small houses and huts were (flooded away / [washed away]) when the river bursts its banks.
2. Poor farming methods are responsible for soil (devaluation / [erosion]) in many areas of Saharan African.
3. During the earthquake, many people were ([buried] / covered) alive.
4. The forest fire left a wide area of the mountainside blackened and (ablaze / [smouldering]).
5. Villagers are hoping for rain this month after nearly a year of (dry weather / [drought]).
6. Before the hurricane struck, many people were ([evacuated] / shifted) to higher ground.
7. Thousands of children in the famine-striken area are suffering from ([malnutrition] / undernourishment).
10. Heavy snow has fallen in the mountains and many villages have been (blocked out / [cut off]) for the past two days.
11. The Aids ([epidemic] / plague) is having serious effects in some countries.
12.Many small islands in the Indian Ocean are threatened by rising sea (waters / [levels]).


English Grammar and Vocabulary
Vince Michael and Sunderland Peter
(Macmillan)

There are only a few magic numbers in American civic life. You can vote(and get drafted)at age 18. You can drink at 21. You can become president at 35. You can retire at 65.
But on that last one-do Americans really want to? Now that so many Americans are living healthfully until 85, fewer and fewer actually retire at 65. Today there are 5 million people 65 or older in the U.S. labor force, almost twice what there were in the early 1980s. And that number is about to explode.
Some people are working past 65 because they have to: Health care costs are rising, and Social Security payments-at an average of about $1,000 a month-don't cover what they used to. But the bigger trend in Senior Work is the fact that Americans love -and now that we're living longer, we want to work longer too. We just can't get enough. My friend and mentor Harold Burson, the co-founder of the global PR firm Burson Marsteller, where I am CEO, just turned 86, and comes to work every day, bursting with ideas.
On average, Americans work over 1,800 hours per year, substantially more than most workers around the world. Although we get fewer vacation days per year than other Western countries(13 days, compared to 28 in the UK, and 37 in France), we let more than twice as many go unused. And really, what's a vacation to us these days without our BlackBerry? In 2006, almost a quarter of us (23%) checked our work e-mail and voice mail while away-up from just 16% in 2005. A lot of us love to work.
In fact, the impulse to work is so basic that the Fourth Commandment is to take off one day a week. Not working for a day is right up there with not murdering, not committing adultery, and not stealing. We tend to assume that most people want off-waiting all week for the Friday afternoon whistle so they can stream out of work. To be sure, many jobs are terrible-even life-threatening-and people reasonably can't wait to get home. But as work overall has become more managerial, consulting ,and software-oriented-and as manufacturing jobs have been on the decline-a lot of people have changed their attitude toward work, and the number of workaholics has skyrocketed. How many times have you heard the old saying that no one ever lay on his deathbed wishing he had spent more time at the office? And yet, a lot of people are doing just that. The sandwich generation is going to be in for a shock when they call their 70-year old parents at the office and find they are just too busy to babysit their grandkids.
Add to America's general obsession with work the fact that it is now the baby boomer generation who is nearing 65, and it becomes clear that the traditional idea of "retirement"-with its gold watch, rocking chair, and golf course-is just about ready for retirement itself.
Boomers reinvented youth in the 1960s and economic success in the 1980s; they are not to do their senior years by someone else's formula. According to a 2005 survey by Merrill Lynch, more than 3 in 4 boomers say they have no intention of seeking a traditional retirement. Rather they look ahead to their 20 more years(when Social Security was created in 1935, a 65 year old could expect just 13 more years)and they say Bring It On. Some want to keep their health insurance, or have enough funds for the extra years-but more of the boomers surveyed said they wanted to keep working in order to stay mentally and physically active and to stay connected to people.

"Microtrends-the small forces behind tomorrow's big changes"
Mark J. Penn (2007)Hachette Book Group

Questions
1. What do the magic numbers of 18, 21, 35 and 65 represent in American civic life?
[These magic numbers indicate age levels whereby certain special privileges are bestowed to Americans. Americans are eligible to vote at age 18, drink at age 21, become president at age 35 and retire at 65.]

2. Why do some people work past 65?
[Some people are working past 65 because they have to: Health care costs are rising, and Social Security payments don't cover what they used to. But the bigger trend in Senior Work is the fact that Americans love to work. This is further supported by the ability of people to live longer, so everyone prefers to prolong their working life.]

3. What does the phrase "bursting with ideas" when he comes to work at the age of 86 implies about Mr. Harold Burson?
[The phrase implies that Mr. Harold Burson goes to work everyday constantly overflowing with new, innovative and useful ideas; he is mentally active. It also implies that old age does not hinder his ability to contribute to his company.]

4. Give examples to show that American employees are workaholics by choice?
[On average, Americans work over 1,800 hours per year, substantially more than most workers around the world. Although they get fewer vacation days per year than other Western countries (13 days, compared to 28 in the UK, and 37 in France), they let more than twice as many go unused. In 2006, almost a quarter of Americans (23%) checked their work e-mail and voice mail while away-up from just 16% in 2005. According to a 2005 survey by Merrill Lynch, more than 3 in 4 boomers say they have no intention of seeking a traditional retirement and instead they look ahead to their 20 more years of work.]

5. What is the tone of the writer when he mentions that "not working for a day is right up there with not murdering, not committing adultery and not stealing"?
[The writer portrays a sense of seriousness when it comes to taking a break from work for a day, and equates it's significance to other Commandments.]

6. What example is given to show that the grandparents of the present generation do not fit with the traditional stereotypical image of grandparents in the past?
[The example stated: The sandwich generation is going to be in for a shock when they call their 70-year old parents at the office and find they are just too busy to babysit their grandkids.]

7. Explain in your own words the sentence "it becomes clear that the traditional idea of 'retirement' - with its gold watch, rocking chair, and golf course - is just about ready for retirement itself."
[In my own words, the phrase denote that the usual follow-ups from retirement: gold watch, rocking chair and golf course, aren't practiced anymore and are mentioned by people just for the fun of it. The whole situation is as if a cliche, where people frequently speak of things to be done related to post-retirement, though they aren't carried out anymore.]

verb + preposition/s
eg. : run down
run out of
run into

1. Guess who I ran [into] at the club!
2. She's always running [down] her husband.
3. I need to go to the market. I've run [out] of oil,meat and rice.

Put in a suitable preposition in each space.

1. Hundreds of people turned [up] in the rain to see the celebrity.
2. Most of my time is taken [up] with answering the phone.
3. Don't be put [off] by the price,a cool $ 20,000.
4. Something funny is going [on].
5. I think she made [up] the whole story!
6. Not many people turned [up] for the last lecture.
7. Don't worry, you can count [on] me.

Which word completes each set of collocations or fixed phrases?
a) an instrument _panel_______
a panel of experts
a control panel
a wooden panel

b) a [secret] ballot
a [secret] agent
keep it a [secret]
meet in [secret]
the [secret] of success

c) take [stock] of the situation
it's out of [stock]
the [stock] exchange
the [stock] market

d) a [time] sheet
a [time] zone
only [time] will tell
long [time] no see
for the [time] being

e) a [child] minder
[child] abuse
[child] care facilities
a [child] prodigy
behaving like a [child]