DAY 20 29 days sharpen your IELTS listening reading skills IELTS fighter

29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR IELTS LISTENING – READING SKILLS 1 29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR LISTENING & READING SKILLS Group: IELTS Fighter – Hỗ trợ học tập READING 4: PRACTICE 1... 29 DAYS SHARPEN Y

29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR IELTS LISTENING – READING SKILLS 1

29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR LISTENING & READING SKILLS

Group: IELTS Fighter – Hỗ trợ học tập

READING 4:

PRACTICE 1

29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR IELTS LISTENING – READING SKILLS 2

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I MATCHING INFORMATION

Sensory Overload

A Are you suffering from a feeling of annoyance? Does life seem to get more and more irritating all the time? Do you struggle day to day just to stay calm and clear-headed in the face of more and more frustrating experiences? If your answer

to these questions is “YES,” you are not alone In fact, you are part of a growing trend that demonstrates the significance of the small events which annoy us on a day

to day basis

B According to psychologist Maurice Penman, inhabitants of today’s modern cities face a far more aggressive range of sensory experiences than ever before “It

is not simply that the pace of life is faster in today’s world, or that people are under more pressure at work Of course, both those things are true But today people are

29 DAYS SHARPEN YOUR IELTS LISTENING – READING SKILLS 3

exposed to a greater number of both visual and auditory stimuli Basically, this means we are being asked to both look at and listen to far more than we ever have been before."

C However, Penman is quick to point out that many of the things which are contributing to these problems are also the same things many of us value A greater sense of irritation is the price we pay for the convenience of the Internet and mobile phones “Mobile phones are a very significant example to consider There is no doubt that they are useful in a multitude of ways, and most people do not want to go back to the days before them But at the same time, mobile phones have almost completely destroyed a sense of quiet public space There was a time when you could rely on public transport being relatively quiet, a place to think about the events

of the day on the way home Now a bus or a train carriage can feel like being locked

in a busy office.”

D The increase in sensory demands is not just due to the use of mobile phones Advertisers are reaching out to potential consumers more aggressively than ever News services are now broadcast on buses and at train platforms Family meals are frequently interrupted by telephone canvassers and email users are often forced to deal with an avalanche of unsolicited promotional messages, or “SPAM” One could easily imagine that our children and their children may have to guard their homes from an overwhelming amount of annoyance

E While it is difficult to deny the growth in these increasingly annoying events

in our day, is there actually any real significance to these facts? Penman argues:

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“There is no doubt that on the surface, this increase of stimuli in our day simply appears to be a matter of minor annoyance But when we look closely, we can see that this has the potential to significantly affect our psychological health.” He goes

on to explain that if exposure to these irritations is frequent and prolonged, very subtly our stress levels begin to rise As they do, we find there is a compound effect Stress from the minor episodes in the day starts to increase our feeling of pressure when faced with major challenges at work We are increasingly carrying a greater and greater stress load, with opportunities to relax and unwind more and more restricted Penman points out that even though we all sometimes crave stimulation,

we have become so obsessed with it in the twenty-first century that it has now become almost impossible to avoid Shops increasingly feel the need to play loud, thumping rock or techno music Advertising becomes more and more energetically aggressive all the time This, Penman maintains, prevents us from dealing with our daily stress and eliminating it from our systems He adds: “You really do need to get right out of the city and into a quiet space now, though most of us are too busy

to do that very often.”

F It might be easy for critics to dismiss the annoying experience of too many mobile phones on the bus, or any of the other stimuli Maurice Penman cites However, it is the failure to eliminate stress which leads to potentially fatal consequences If these daily distractions are contributing seriously to our stress levels, then Penman has identified a significant danger We now know that stress truly is a killer, and has been implicated in the rise of depression, heart disease and even weight problems, as it increases hormones in the body which stimulate the appetite for fattening carbohydrate-rich foods

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G There is no denying that Maurice Penn's main arguments are compelling It seems that stress has become so prevalent that people are getting stressed about their levels of stress But what are we supposed to do? He suggests we do everything we can to go within ourselves and try to maintain a sense of personal peace and space

He recommends the use of meditation and relaxation tapes, exercise at the end of the day whenever possible and greater emphasis on fun Unfortunately, Maurice Penman had no suggestions for those of us who find meditation frustrating, or who get annoyed at relaxation tapes He had no recommendations for days when you can’t find any equipment you need in the gym, or find yourself irritated at those around you who keep saying you need to have more fun

Questions 14-20

The reading passage has eight paragraphs A-H

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 14-20 on your Answer Sheet

NB You may use any letter more than once

14 an example of how a place has changed due to modern conveniences

15 physical effects of stress

16 a recommendation of how to deal with modern-day pressures and

over-stimulation

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17 an explanation of sensory overload and today’s irritations that cause stress

18 an assertion about people’s level of stress

19 a reason why small amounts of stress can feel greater

20 a prediction about growing irritations and interruptions to our personal space

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II MATCHING INFORMATION

Video Games and children

A Research has shown that playing video games can be beneficial for a number

of cognitive functions and may also contain social benefits They educate, provide space for creativity and offer healthy social interaction One important aspect in a game is that following directions can be crucial to success In order to progress in games, one must first learn to follow the guidelines, restrictions and components of them As the player confronts new challenges, they must use problem-solving to find solutions This is true for educational games, mind games, and Role Playing Games alike The player cannot get through with what they already have or know and must find new combinations and incorporate old skills with new skills to overcome obstacles such as the level or quest (Gee, 2003) In relation to this, the player can also learn strategy and anticipation, management of resources (simulation games), mapping, pattern recognition, how to judge the situation and practice reading (with directions, dialogue, etc.) and quantitative calculations (through educational games, managing finances, buying and selling for profit, etc (Tumbokon, 2014)

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B But at the same time, the best examples are very addictive and gamers are tempted to play for increasing lengths of time Excessive behaviour in any area of life rightly signals alarm bells for parents However, for an emerging technology like games, it can be hard to differentiate between excess and enthusiasm It's difficult for parents to judge what is a healthy time commitment if they are not game-players themselves One approach is to look at the available statistics A 2012 consumer study demonstrated that a surprisingly wide range of ages play games: 40% of the

UK population in fact, of which 24% play at least weekly This picture is brought into greater focus by last year’s government briefing It states that in England, video games were played for two hours or more a day by 55% of boys and 20% of girls in

2010

C On the more extreme end of the spectrum, the clinical physiologist Dr Jane Hucksteth (2010) reported that 7% of teens in the UK play more than 30 hours of computer games a week However the impact on their school work and social life needed further study “It is agreed that excessive screen time – over four hours with

no break – can be a bad thing." said Dr Hucksteth, "There is a lot of research on this However, we should also consider time of day, weekends versus school days and the age of the child before we can assess the overall impact on their welfare ”Gaming

is far from a diagnosable addiction but some of the language of addiction can help parents identify when things are getting excessive”

D Indications include playing every day, devoting long periods of time, sacrificing other activities, neglecting homework and moodiness The last two may describe many of our children, but Hucksteth suggests that where four or more of these factors exist there may be cause for concern and a need for parents to step in

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"Games should be played as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle," agrees Dr Jo Twynum of UKIE, the UK games industry trade body “Players should take regular breaks – a good guide is five minutes rest every 45 – 60 minutes of game play.” In light of this, appropriate gaming time is more about its impact on the child’s wider life than a hard and fast time limit As children get older, they will naturally integrate gaming among other activities (outside interests, friendship groups and even homework) so the dividing line will become more blurred

E Distinguishing gaming habits from time spent on other forms of screen time

is also important While TV and video games appear similar on the surface, the interactive nature of the latter results in an experience more like a physical toy Dr Twynum highlights this misunderstanding “I’m not sure games provide any different parameters to other immersive activities Would we ask ‘How long should children play Lego for’?” Video games offer distinct advantages over television, particularly the recent trend in cross-over titles like "Skylanders" and "Disney Infinity"; these come with plastic action figures which allow children to play away from the screen – although, of course, parents may object to the costs involved in buying multiple characters on top of the games themselves

F If parents are concerned that their child is spending excess time on gaming, keeping game technology in shared spaces rather than bedrooms is by far the most effective and informal solution This does require compromise on both the part of the child (losing their private pursuit) and the parent (having to share the living room) but has the advantage of not only keeping games under surveillance but encouraging families to play together – something that children are often more enthusiastic about than parents anticipate Using Parental Controls to restrict access

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to particular games is a good driver for conversation and agreement over appropriate gaming habits in a family There are also specific hardware features, for example a timer that pauses the action after a pre-determined amount of daily screen time A combination of these reference points, regular breaks, along with moving technology back into family spaces, ensures parents and children maintain a healthy relationship

to video games and involvement in the family unit

Questions 16 - 21

Reading passage 2 has six paragraphs labelled A – F

Choose the correct heading for each paragraph, from the possible options i - ix

Write the correct number, i - ix in boxes 16 - 21 on your answer sheet

List of Headings

i Comparing games with other electronic media

ii Types of intervention for game addicts

iii Video games as a learning tool

iv The financial costs of gaming

v Tell-tale signs of addiction

vi Playing time: not the only consideration

vii How schools should manage video-gamers

viii Evaluating video game usage patterns

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ix How gaming develops technological skills

16 Paragraph A

17 Paragraph B

18 Paragraph C

19 Paragraph D

20 Paragraph E

21 Paragraph F

Questions 26-27

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? Write:

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

26 Seven percent of the UK population spend over 30 hours a week on video gaming

27 Built-in controls which limit gaming time are very popular with parents

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III YES/NO/GIVEN

Ecotherapy

Ecotherapy, the concept that exposure to nature will improve wellbeing and healthy living, encompasses a wide variety of activities, whether they be prolonged periods

in wilderness, gardening or individual therapy But what is the theory behind it? Why should immersion in greenery (even if only a municipal park) or huge landscapes (mountains, the sea, deserted regions) reduce depression, delinquency, addiction and other problems? Many ecotherapeutic interventions entail group activities like camping trips, group bush walks or even walks on the beach Wilderness programmes (often misrepresented as boot camps) have been created, particularly although not exclusively for adolescents, such as the delinquent, the drug-addicted and the depressed They can consist of as much as eight weeks of living in small groups in remote regions, a huge challenge for many A significant part of their effect

is achieved by forcing the client to concentrate on survival and the need to cooperate with others in order to do so The sense of isolation and the absence of now common modern methods for self-stimulation, such as the internet and substance abuse, are also believed to help the client to detoxify from established bad patterns

But nature is also shown to be independently important The egocentricity of clients

is often reduced by awareness of something much bigger than them, whether it be mountains, wide open plains or huge skies The feeling that the client is the centre

of the universe is called into question by the sheer scale and complexity of nature