No Kids The Secret To A Happier Marriage A new study has found that having a child can make a couple less happy with each other. Researchers from the University of Denver conducted an eight-year study of 218 sets of parents. Their report is called “The effect of the transition to parenthood on relationship quality”. It is published in the March 2009 edition of the ‘Journal of Personality and Social Psychology’. The psychologists examined how happy couples were in the eight years after the birth of their first child. They concluded that the first baby put a lot of stress and pressure on a marriage. Ninety percent of couples experienced a decrease in marital bliss immediately following the birth of their first child. Unmarried couples experienced bigger problems. It’s not all bad news for would-be parents. Some couples in the research said their relationship was stronger after their baby was born. Parents who were married for a long time before starting a family were happier. Couples on higher incomes also seemed to have fewer problems. Researcher Scott Stanley said his team’s findings did not mean children bring unhappiness in life. He said that parents may be happier as part of a family than as a childless couple. He noted that “this type of happiness can be powerful and positive”. Stanley also pointed out that couples who did not have children also became unhappier with each other over time. However, he said parenthood accelerated levels of unhappiness. TRUE / FALSE a. Researchers say having a child will negatively affect a marriage. T / F b. The researchers spent eight years studying 218 different parents. T / F c. The study looked at the impact of a couple having two children. T / F d. Parents who weren’t married had more problems than married couples. T / F e. The article said there was some good news for future parents. T / F f. Richer parents were unhappier after the birth of their first baby. T / F g. The researchers said parents could be happier than childless couples. T / F h. Couples who did not have children stayed happy together forever. T / F SYNONYM MATCH 1. study a. happiness 2 conducted b. kind 3. transition c. sped up 4. examined d. change 5. bliss e. report 6. would-be f. stated 7. starting a family g. hopeful 8. noted h. having children 9. type i. carried out 10. accelerated j. looked at Vegetarian diet reduces cancer risk A decade-long study in the United Kingdom has found that cancer is less common among vegetarians. Health experts have always thought that a vegetarian diet is healthier than one that includes meat. This latest research is one of the biggest studies to compare cancers in vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The researchers tracked the health of 63,550 men and women aged between 20 and 89. They separated people into different groups – meat-eaters, fish-eaters, and vegetarians. The research team reported a “significantly lower” number of cancers among the fish-eaters and vegetarians compared with those who ate meat. The study suggests being vegetarian could protect people against cancer. The findings of the research have been published in the March 2009 edition of the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’. Lead researcher Professor Timothy Key said his study was the first major research to look at the link between diet and cancer. "It suggests there might be some reduction in cancers in vegetarians and fish-eaters and we need to look carefully at that," he said. Vegetarianism is on the increase around the world. People are becoming more and more health conscious and are eating less meat, or cutting it out altogether. Some people choose a strict vegetarian diet that excludes all animal products. This means no dairy products or honey. Less strict vegetarians eat eggs and fish. TRUE / FALSE: a. The article talks about a 10-year-long study into cancer. T / F b. The study in the article is the biggest ever to look at cancer and diet. T / F c. Researchers studied the health of teenagers and centenarians. T / F d. The study concludes that being vegetarian could benefit your health. T / F e. The study’s findings are not yet published anywhere. T / F f. A researcher said it was the first big study to look at a diet-cancer link. T / F g. A greater number of people around the world are becoming vegetarian. T / F h. Strict vegetarians should not eat cheese, yoghurt or honey. T / F SYNONYM MATCH: 1. decade a. divided 2 common b. conclusions 3. tracked c. connection 4. separated d. ten years 5. protect e. widespread 6. findings f. aware 7. link g. followed 8. conscious h. safeguard 9. altogether i. rules out 10. excludes j. completely Life near fast food restaurants unhealthy New research in the USA says it is unhealthy to live in areas with lots of fast food restaurants. A study by the University of Michigan said people who live within walking distance of fast food restaurants have a 13 per cent higher chance of having a stroke. Lead researcher Dr. Lewis Morgenstern and his team analyzed the social status of the 1,247 people who had strokes in an area of Texas over a three-year period. The area was home to 262 fast food restaurants. The team compared the stroke victims’ social status with how close they lived to the restaurants. He concluded there was a strong relationship between the distance someone lived to fast food restaurants and their chances of having a stroke. A stroke is similar to a heart attack, except it attacks the brain. Strokes are among the biggest killers in the USA. Many are the result of unhealthy eating. A diet that has a large amount of fast food and other junk food increases the chances of having a stroke. Dr. Morgenstern’s research found that there could be up to 33 different fast food restaurants in an area. This puts people living nearby more at risk of a stroke. Dr. Morgenstern said he didn’t know whether it was the actual fast food that increased the risk of stroke. He said fast food restaurants are more common in poorer neighbourhoods where people are less educated and generally have unhealthier and more stressful lifestyles. TRUE / FALSE a. A study said living near fast food reasons was bad for your health. T / F b. People who live very close to fast food restaurants are 13% fatter. T / F c. The study focused on an area that had 262 fast food restaurants. T / F d. The researchers looked at the social status of people who had a stroke. T / F e. A stroke is like a heart attack that attacks your brain. T / F f. The study found as many as 33 fast food restaurants in an area. T / F g. The lead researcher is 100% sure fast food leads to strokes. T / F h. There is no link at all between education levels and risks of strokes. T / F SYNONYM MATCH 1. live a. examined 2 chance b. like 3. status c. possibility 4. analyzed d. usually 5. close e. heightens 6. similar to f. reside 7. increases g. usual 8. up to h. nearby 9. common i. position 10. generally j. as many as U.S. woman gives birth to eight babies A woman in Southern California gave birth on January 27th to octuplets. It is only the second time in US history a mother has delivered eight babies. It is also only the second time ever for all octuplets to survive their first day. Doctors said the six tiny boys and two girls were all doing well and breathing on their own. They all arrived nine weeks early and ranged in weight from 0.68kg to 1.47kg. The mother and the team of doctors received a huge surprise at the end of the birth – an eighth baby. The mother believed she was going to have just seven babies (septuplets) before the birth. After the doctors delivered babies A to G, they discovered baby H. The mother asked the nurses: “Really? An eighth baby? How did we miss that baby?” There are no pictures of the babies yet. The mother has asked the hospital to keep her identity a secret. She also does not want the media to find out whether or not she took fertility drugs before becoming pregnant. Dr Richard Paulson of the University of Southern California told reporters that the octuplets were probably because of fertility drugs. He also spoke about the risks involved in multiple births: “It's a risky decision to try to have all eight babies. I would not recommend it under any circumstances,” he said. He added that the chances of having eight children naturally, without drugs, were “unbelievably rare”. Twins occur in roughly 1 in 80 births; triplets in 1 in 6,400 births. The likelihood of octuplets being born is 1 in 20 trillion pregnancies. 1. TRUE / FALSE a. A woman in America has given birth to quadruplets. T / F b. It is the first time ever that all babies survived beyond a day. T / F c. Several of the babies need special machines so they can breathe. T / F d. Doctors originally thought there were only seven babies. T / F e. The mother wants to stay out of the public attention. T / F f. A doctor said he believed the woman took fertility drugs. T / F g. The doctor advised multiple births under special circumstances. T / F h. The chance of having octuplets without drugs is over 15 trillion to 1. T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH 1. octuplets a. enormous 2 tiny b. chance 3. early c. likely 4. huge d. premature 5. discovered e. advise 6. identity f. eight babies 7. probably g. found 8. recommend h. amazingly 9. unbelievably i. small 10. likelihood j. name Cubans can now build their own homes Times are changing quickly in Cuba. Cubans can now build their own houses for the first time in 50 years. The country's president, Raul Castro, has announced changes to help the nation's housing shortage. For the past five decades, people had to rely on the government to provide them with houses. There was no such thing as housing loans or a property market. The new reforms will allow people to get loans to build their own homes. There will still be many restrictions. All new properties must follow strict building guidelines. The government has announced dimensions for new houses that all architects must stick to. Mr. Castro explained his decision live on television, telling his people: "I've given you this amount of space Now build your little home with whatever you can." Housing has become a serious problem in Cuba. There are now too few houses for people to live in. Overcrowding is reaching record levels as more and more people live with their families in tiny properties. Cuba's government has had difficulty keeping to its targets of building 100,000 new homes per year. The situation has been made worse by three huge hurricanes that hit the island in 2008. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed in the fierce winds and driving rain. One potential Cuban homeowner, Jose Santana, was delighted with the news. "My dream to have my own home may soon come true," he said. This may be easier said than done. The average wage in Cuba is just $17 a month, and most building materials are only available on the black market. 1. TRUE / FALSE a. People in Cuba are attending free house-building workshops. T / F b. People could build their own homes 55 years ago. T / F c. Cubans have been unable to get a housing loan for the past 50 years. T / F d. People in Cuba are free to design their houses any way they choose. T / F e. There aren’t enough houses in Cuba for people to live in. T / F f. Cuba’s government couldn’t manage to build 100,000 houses a year. T / F g. Very bad weather in 2008 added to Cuba’s housing shortage. T / F h. Average wages in Cuba are only $170 a month. T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH 1. quickly a. to be had 2 rely b. limits 3. reforms c. likely 4. restrictions d. depend 5. stick to e. huge 6. serious f. salary 7. tiny g. fast 8. potential h. follow 9. wage i. changes 10. available j. small U.S. child guilty of mother’s murder A 12-year-old boy in the United States has been found guilty of murder. The child shot and killed his mother, Sara Madrid, 34, after an argument over his chores. He cannot be named because he is still a juvenile. The court heard he was so angry that he got his mother’s gun from her bedroom and shot her eight times. Ms Madrid’s partner, Alfonso Munoz, witnessed the shooting. He said the boy handed him the empty gun after he had finished shooting. Munoz told the court he taught the boy how to use the weapon for emergencies and for self-defense. Local newspapers reported that Ms Madrid did not get on with her son. Her sister told the court that Madrid had a quick temper and often yelled at, scolded and slapped the boy. The future of the boy is now in the hands of an Arizona judge, James L. Conlogue. He will sentence the 12-year-old on January the 23rd. Prosecutors want the boy to receive the same sentence as an adult. However, this is impossible under U.S. law, which states a juvenile can only be held until he becomes 18. The boy's lawyer, Sanford Edleman, argued that the boy could not be tried as an adult because he was so young. Edleman said the boy did not even understand what was going on. He said the boy did not intend to kill his mother and that he only wanted to get back at her for scolding and slapping him. The judge ruled the case should stay in the juvenile court after a psychologist said the boy had suffered physical and mental abuse from his mother. 1. TRUE / FALSE a. An American teenager shot and killed his own mother. T / F b. The boy shot his mother eight times with her gun. T / F c. The boy’s mother taught him how to use a gun for self-defense. T / F d. The mother always treated her son with great love and kindness. T / F e. The boy has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. T / F f. US law says children can only serve a maximum of 18 years in prison. T / F g. The boy’s lawyer said he was too young to understand what he did. T / F h. A psychologist said the boy was mentally and physically abused. T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH 1. argument a. shouted at 2 chores b. youngster 3. juvenile c. attorney 4. witnessed d. get 5. scolded e. fight 6. receive f. mean 7. lawyer g. harm 8. intend h. jobs 9. ruled i. saw 10. abuse j. decided Human noise pollution a danger to sea life Human-made noise pollution in the Earth’s oceans and seas is becoming a serious threat to marine wildlife. Scientists report that there is hardly an underwater place left where marine mammals can live in peace and quiet. Dozens of species of whale, dolphin, turtle and other creatures rely on sound to communicate, find mates and hunt for food. Their increasingly noisy environment is making it more and more difficult to lead a normal life. This is according to a report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), called "Ocean Noise: Turn it Down”. The environmental group says noise from shipping, military sonar, oil and gas surveys, offshore construction and marine sports has reached dangerous levels for sea life. The IFAW says the distance over which blue whales can communicate is down by 90 per cent. It also reports that in the past decade, many whales have become beached after being disorientated because of loud noise. The group also warns that noise pollution is only going to get worse. It highlighted the use of seismic surveys as one example of the extent of the problem. These generate incredibly loud sounds every ten seconds that can travel 3,000 km. There are 90 survey ships active in the oceans today. In addition, the number of ships sailing the seas will double by 2025. Mark Simmonds, a conservation spokesman, said, "man-made noise is already triggering a kind of acoustic fog,” and called for a “response to noise pollution in the underwater world”. 1. TRUE / FALSE a. The noise humans make is threatening creatures living in the oceans. T / F b. There are very few quiet places left in the oceans. T / F c. Turtles use sound to hunt for food and look for a mate. T / F d. An environmental group said noise from shopping upset whales. T / F e. The distance over which blue whales can communicate has increased. T / F f. Noise pollution can mean whales lose their way and die on beaches. T / F g. The number of ships on the seas will triple in the next 20 years. T / F h. An environmental spokesman said it’s very foggy in the oceans. T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH 1. threat a. starting 2 marine b. live 3. rely c. answer 4. lead d. aquatic 5. levels e. confused 6. distance f. danger 7. disorientated g. scale 8. extent h. amounts 9. triggering i. length 10. response j. depend Bad bosses can cause heart attacks Having a bad boss could be bad for your heart. This is the conclusion of a Swedish study on management styles and health. The researchers concluded that poor managers can increase their employee's risk of developing heart disease. The Stockholm University study analyzed data on the health of 3,000 male workers. They compared the data with the results from questionnaires about senior managers. The questions asked workers if they thought their boss was considerate, communicated well and offered positive feedback. Other questions looked at how much work bosses gave to workers and how well they outlined their goals. The research team found that workers who respected their bosses were healthier and had fewer heart problems. The report is published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It suggests that companies should re-train bosses to improve worker health. A healthier workforce will improve the overall health of the company. Investing in providing leadership skills to senior managers could be a good long-term investment. The researchers said a more supportive and understanding boss would reduce the chances of workers developing high blood pressure and stress-related illnesses. Magnus Larsson, an engineer for a large IT company, agreed with the report’s findings. He believes his heart attack last year was because of his boss: “The guy was a monster. Working for him was a daily nightmare for eight years,” Larsson said. 1. TRUE / FALSE a. A bad boss can increase your risk of having a heart attack. T / F b. Managers who don’t have a lot of money develop heart disease. T / F c. Interviewers questioned 3,000 men and women for their research. T / F d. Workers who respected their bosses had a few heart problems. T / F e. A report says that training managers would make staff healthier. T / F f. The report says training bosses is a good investment in the long run. T / F g. The report says bosses are good at understanding blood pressure. T / F h. An IT worker had a bad time every day and worked for a monster. T / F 2. SYNONYM MATCH 1. bad a. chance 2 poor b. thoughtful 3. risk c. conclusions 4. considerate d. advance 5. outlined e. ogre 6. improve f. no good 7. investment g. cut 8. reduce h. summarized 9. findings i. bad 10. monster j. outlay Baracks and Obamas born in Kenya Barack Obama's popularity has __________ a new baby-naming craze in Kenya. More than __________ of the male babies born at a hospital in Kisumu province on the day of the U.S. election were named Barack. Kisumu is the __________ Obama’s father came from. Another popular name for baby boys was Obama. In Swahili, the name Barack means ‘blessed __________’. Many parents were calling their newborn daughters Michelle, the name of Barack Obama’s wife and __________ to be America’s First Lady. People from all across Kenya were thrilled with Barack Obama’s election __________ and many celebrated in the streets. The new President-elect has become a national __________ in Kenya. A long lasting __________ of his election win will be the number of Baracks, Obamas and Michelles growing up in Kenya. victory area soon legacy sparked hero half one It is not __________ for parents to name their children after actors, pop stars or sports __________. New Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was named after the U.S. Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis. It is __________ unusual for newborns to be named after politicians. It __________ be interesting to know how many parents named their baby after outgoing U.S. president George W. Bush. One Kenyan mother, Pamela Adhiambo, gave __________ to twins on November the 5th. She named her new son and daughter Barack and Michelle. She told the AFP news agency: “I made up my __________ to name them __________ before the elections, and even if Obama had not won, I would still have done the same.” Ms Adhiambo added she hoped naming her children in this way would bring them __________ in life. mind might heroes success birth long unusual more Men more attracted to women in red A new study suggests that men are more __________ attracted to a woman if she wears red clothes. The report from New York’s University of Rochester conducted __________ experiments to find out the effects of colour on human relationships. Researchers asked more than 100 men to give a __________ to photographs of women. The men had to __________ the women according to how pretty they were, how much the men would like to kiss them, their intelligence and how kind they __________. They also had to provide details of what kind of date they would like to __________ the women on. The results showed that that the women in the pictures who wore red scored higher and were more __________ to be taken on an expensive date. The data showed the colour red made no __________ on the scores for intelligence and kindness. looked score impact physically take rate likely different The research was __________ out by psychology professor Andrew Elliot and his team. He said: “It's fascinating to find that something as [ever-__________] as color can be having an effect on our behavior without our awareness.” This is one of the first scientific studies to look at the __________ of colour on human behaviour. For most of us, however, it will come as no __________ that red is the colour of love and passion. Look no further than red roses on Valentine’s Day and the popularity of __________ red lipsticks. Elliot says men may be genetically programmed to be attracted to females wearing red. He said __________ apes also display such behaviour. Women in the study did not rate the pictured females as __________, neither did they have the __________ to rate men wearing different colours. surprise present prettier chance deep carried certain effects . Professor Timothy Key said his study was the first major research to look at the link between diet and cancer. "It suggests there might be some reduction. in Southern California gave birth on January 27th to octuplets. It is only the second time in US history a mother has delivered eight babies. It is also