Universidad del Valle Sede Palmira

Lectura de textos Académicos en Inglés 1

Abril 03 DE 2018
NOMBRE ________________________________________________________________

I – READING COMPREHENSION

A. Match the words in bold with their meaning.

1. damage a) compulsively
2. spot b) throw up
3. symptom c) harm
4. vomit d) point
5. obsessively e) warning sign

PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES OF GAMING ADDICTION

You've been searching all day. You've travelled hundreds of miles, sometimes going back to make sure you
haven't missed anything. Some areas are so infested with hostile creatures that you've been prevented from
continuing on your journey until the creatures were destroyed. After all that, you've finally ... finally, found
what you've been looking for - the secret passage that transports you to another place. You've moved up to
the next level! You're so excited that you don’t notice how much your back hurts, nor do you notice that
you're on the verge of getting a terrible headache ... again.

It may sound like a strange story, but it's all too familiar for video game players ("gamers"). Whether they
play on an Xbox or online, they enter worlds filled with witches, elves, dragons, and more, by travelling to
mysterious and sometimes secret locations. They spend so much time in this other world, they begin to do
physical damage to their bodies.
Physical consequences of gaming addiction include carpal tunnel (in your hands), headaches, sleep
disturbances, backaches, eating irregularities, and poor personal hygiene.
The Carpal tunnel syndrome has long been associated with computer use, so it's no surprise that it's a
physical symptom of gaming addiction. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when the main nerve between the
forearm and hand is squeezed or pressed. This occurs when the carpal tunnel - the area of the wrist that
houses the main nerve and tendons - becomes irritated or swollen. Overuse of a computer mouse can
cause such irritation and swelling, as can excessive use of a video game controller.
Migraine headaches typically start in one spot and slowly spread, getting more painful as they progress.
In severe cases, the pain can be so extreme that it causes the sufferer to vomit. Light and noise can cause
terrible pain. Someone who plays video games for extended periods of time is more prone to headaches
because of the intense concentration required and the pressure put on the eyes.
The term "sleep disturbances" covers several sleep-related disorders, including insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep
apnea, nocturnal myoclonus (periodic leg or arms jerks during sleep), and parasomnia (i.e., night terrors,
sleepwalking or talking, and nightmares). Sleep disturbances are caused, in part, by overstimulation of the
brain. However, some people can't get a good night's sleep simply because they think obsessively about the
game they're playing.
Backaches are a common physical symptom of gaming addiction because most gamers stay seated in
the same position for hours. The lack of movement causes stiffness and soreness, but could deteriorate into
chronic back problems.
Eating irregularities are caused by gaming addiction simply because most addicted gamers don't want to
take the time to eat properly. Rather than eating healthy, balanced meals, they eat food that is quick and
usually unhealthy. In extreme cases, the gamer may choose not to eat at all.
An addicted gamer is not going to take the time to properly care for himself. Showers, face-washing, and
brushing hair and teeth aren’t priorities.
 B. Choose the correct option.

1. To move to the next level of a game

you have…
a. to defeat monsters
b. lose battles
c. to miss the right secret passage

2. Game addiction…
a. helps your body
b. harms your body
c. decreases the pain in your body

3. The Carpal tunnel…

a. is located in the Mediterranean
b. is located in the shoulder
c. links the hand to the arm

4. Intense concentration can cause …

a. excitement
b. pain
c. boredom

5. Addicted gamers …
a. brush their teeth frequently
b. frequently skip meals
c. frequently have balanced meals

C- Read the text carefully and answer the following questions.

1. What is necessary to do to move to the next level in a game?

2. What kind of effects does game addiction have on players?
3. How would you define the Carpal tunnel syndrome?

D. Fill in the gaps with the verbs related to computers and Internet.
1. To _____ means to take a file off a website and put it on your computer.
2. When I don’t need a document or a file on my computer, I _____ it.
3. One of my favourite hobbies is to _____ with my friends every night.
4. Jane is addicted to the Internet. She _____ the Net for hours every day.
5. I can’t believe it. I forgot to _____ my work and now I’ve lost everything.
6. I need to _____ for information for my English project.

II – LANGUAGE STUDY

A. Choose the right phrasal verb and tense to complete the sentences.
 Get on with put off give back put on get by give up put out

1. Last year I __________playing football because I was too old for it.
2. In this issue of the magazine, they ________ a free CD.
3. The firefighters _________the house fire before it could spread.
4. That blouse____________ (not) that skirt.
5. I __________ my raincoat because it was raining.
6. Next weekend I _________ all those clothes I don’t wear anymore.
7. This singer ____________ his concert till next month, because he is sick.
8. Uncle Heine didn't have much money, but he always seemed __________ without borrowing money
from relatives.
9. I ___________ (not) my new Biology teacher.
10. Let's ___________ for a BBQ this weekend.

A Night Out

Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the phrasal verbs below:

Dave's a funny chap! He never wants to ______________in the evenings, but when he does, he never
wants to go home again!
Last Thursday was a typical example. I phoned him and asked if he wanted to go out to our local pub for a
quick drink. At first, he said that he didn't want to - he would rather ___________and watch the telly. But
after about 10 minutes, I managed to persuade him to come to the pub.
Well, we had a nice evening, and the 'quick drink' turned into a longer drink; the more Dave and I drank, the
more we wanted to drink. The pub closed at 11 o'clock, so we had to ________________then, but Dave
wanted to __________and persuaded me that we should go to the nightclub in town to continue our
'conversation'. There weren't many people in the nightclub, but that didn't stop us from having a good time! I
finally ___________ home at 5 o'clock in the morning, feeling very happy, tired, and drunk.
The way my head felt on Friday morning (or, to be more accurate, Friday afternoon!), I had to agree with
our friends who say that Dave and I are a bad influence on each other!

go out / stay out / stay in / drink up / get back

An Oil Spill

Complete the gaps using the phrasal verbs below.

In November 2017, an oil tanker carrying 20 million gallons of oil sank off the coast of Galicia in Spain. The
region is called the 'Coast of Death' because so many boats have sunk there in the past. It is thought that
the oil began ___________of the tanker when it split in two while being towed out to sea after experiencing
problems. A lot of oil has already ___________on the local beaches, but experts predict that more is
coming. Local people and environmentalists are working hard to ______________the
beaches________________, but it is a very difficult job.
The oil spill is a disaster for both the local environment and the local economy; it is feared that many people
will ______________losing their jobs because fishing and tourism are the main industries in the region.
The authorities are ___________the causes of the disaster, which has already caused the death of
unknown numbers of fish, seabirds and dolphins, and affected around 500 kilometres of coastline.

clean up / wash up / end up / look into / pour out

Archaeology

Fill in all the gaps,

Recently, there have been a number of programmes on British TV concerning archaeology, and I must say
that I've been fascinated by them. The other day I saw a programme that followed an archaeological dig in
London. In the introduction to the programme, the presenter told us that the name 'London' was
__________the old Roman name for the settlement - 'Londinium'. Anyway, they had _____________an old,
rusty piece of metal, but when they cleaned it the experts discovered that it was, in fact, a sword. They had
already ___________the history of the site, and thought that the sword might ____________to the Roman
period. In order to be sure, they had to _____________it ____________to a university for 'Carbon dating',
which enables scientists to tell exactly how old something is. At the end of the programme they told us that
the sword was, indeed, Roman. I was amazed by the idea that a Roman soldier had lost his sword so long
ago, and now I could see it on the screen in front of me in 2001.

date back / derive from /dig up/ look into / send off