Altruism, according to the passage, is a behavior pattern characterized by

sacrifice - the individual performing it gains nothing, only benefits others.

With examples, the professor challenges the assumption that altruism is
"abound", conveyed by the reading passage.
According to the professor, one recent study about the meerkat brought new
insights about into the assumption that these animals are utterly altruistic.
The study showed evidence that the sentinel eats before standing guard that is, it doesn't go without food, sacrificing itself for the being of the herd,
as the passage suggest. Also, because the sentinel is the first to see the
possible predator, it is the first to have the opportunity to scape. The other
animals are actually in more danger than the sentinel. When the guard
emits the signal of danger, the action that follows is likely to attract the
predator's attention, therefore leaving the animals on the spotlight to be
preys.
The example about human beings given by the professor also contradicts
the reading passage. There might be an essentially extrinsic motivation in
the action of donating an organ to someone who needs it. The donator will
definitely benefit from the appreciation that he or she is going to receive
from other human beings. So, the action could be beneficial for the donator
as well and could be performed solely with it in mind.
To sum up, the lecture contradicts greatly the reading passage. In some
situations, altruism may not be the main motivation both for animals and
humans.

According to the passage, the appearance of professors in television, which

is becoming increasingly common, is something beneficial for the professor
themselves, as well as for the universities and for the public. The lecture
greatly challenges this claim.
The passage argues that the reputations of TV professors are enhanced
because they are seen as authorities in their fields by a wider audience.
Conversely, according to the lecturer, by appearing on TV, the professor's
reputation may actually be harmed. Peers might perceive him or her as not
being a serious scholar, but rather someone who only wants to entertain
people, not educate them. As result, the professor might not be invited to
take part in some meetings or events, and could also not be granted money
for research.
The other point that the lecture conveys is that professors lose a lot a time
by appearing on TV. They have to figure out what they're going to say,
reahearse it and maybe travel to appear on TV. The time he spends doing
this is subtracted from the time the professor has to carry out research,

teach or advise students. So, the universities and the students are not
benefiting from these appearances.
Last but not least, the lecturer mentions that, contrary to the belief of the
passage, not even the public is benefiting. TV stations are solely interested
in the professor's academic title. The information that he ends up being
broadcast is not in-depth information and doesn't differ much from the kind
of information that a reporter (who has done the homework) would give.

Because of the above reasons, it is questionable whether appearing on TV

has really anything of beneficial for professor, for their universities and for
the general public.

According to the reading passage, the painting "Portrait of an Elderly

Woman in a White Bonnet" could not have been painted by Rembrant. Three
problems support this claim: the way the woman in the portrait is dressed,
the disposition of light and shadow in the painting and the wood panel made
of glued pieces of wood on its back. These problems are in contradiction
with what we know about Rembrandt's mastery and style.

Presenting findings from a new study, the lecturer challenges what is

presented in the reading passage and therefore affirms that "Portrait of an
Elderly Woman in a White Bonnet" is a Rembrant work.

First, according to the lecturer, analisyes of the pigments of the painting

using X-rays have shown the luxurious fur collar that the servant woman is
wearing was actually added on top of the original painting, 100 years later,
so that the woman would look more aristocratic and this, therefore, would
increase the value of the painting. This solves the apparent "inconsistensy"
of the way the servant is dressed in the painting.

Second, the contradiction found in the fact the woman's face is illuminated
by the dark full collar she is wearing is solved if we take into account the
finding that, originally, the woman was wearing a white collar that
illuminated her face. So, in Rembrant, the use of light and shadow was
realistic; it was the changes in the painting that introduced the "error".

Finally, the glued wood panel was actually added to enlarge the painting and
make it more valuable. Also, analyses of the original pieces of wood show

that they belong to the same tree from which another panel for a Rembrant
painting was made.

Friends
I believe that it is more important to keep old friends than to make new
ones. I am going to support my opinion by invoking what I consider to be the
characteristics of a real friendship.
First of all, lets establish that friendship is the most superior form of
relationship in the realm of human interaction. Romantic love is selfish
and always aims at something that is external to the relationship itself sex,
attention, fidelity, etc. Conversely, friendship is essentially uninterested. In
one his essays, the French essayist Montaigne remembers a story of a man
who had two friends. He was poor, but his friends were rich. Upon his deathbed, the man wrote in his testament that he bequeathed to his friends his
debts, the keeping of his mother and the marrying of his daughter.
Everybody laughed at these words, but when the friends learned what they
had inherited, they were both very satisfied and proud. In fact, among
friends, one is always seeking to do the others good and does not expect
things in return.
Therefore, friendship is something very important and all human
beings seek for it. Understandably, because it is so superior, another
characteristic of friendship is that it is rare, very rare. In a human lifetime, I
would say that we come across only a handful of friends. People who would
fall defending our name and who would happily inherit your debts cannot be
that common. And, if it is real, by definition, friendship has to stand the test
of time, has to be enduring. Maybe that is why there is this old saying
claiming that it is more important to keep old friends than to make new
ones. Surely, we are always meeting new people that we consider potential
new friends. But friendship, in my opinion, is something that takes time to
build it is not an instant thing. We might have several people with whom
we interact every day but those could not be considered our friends just
because of that: they are our colleagues, not our friends. Friendship is
something that we must cherish: it requires effort and dedication. It is a
clich, but yes, it is like a garden. In order for it to flourish, we have to take
care of it. So, if we cannot make a friendship last, we challenge the very
definition of it. Friends are not disposable; we cannot abandon them for new
people. If we do that, it is simply because we were not friends with them.
Old friends are people who were by our side in some of the most important
moments of our lives. We lived in their companion things that we havent

experienced with people we have just met. It is only natural to value them
more.
I have a best friend and we have known each other for several years. I
am about to move to another to study and I know I will certainly meet new
people there. I might end up finding one or two new friends and, one day,
they might become my old friends, just like this best friend of mine. But that
does not mean that I am going to forget her and all the things that we lived
together. It is already decided that I am going to be the godmother of one of
her children and we will definitely continue to be in touch. I am sure our
friendship will prove to be real and a new friend is not going to replace it. It
is superior, enduring and will always be cherished.