ADVANCED

READING

Read the article and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

A STUDY OF MULTITASKING

Technology increasingly makes it possible for people to do more than one task at a time, for example moving between browsing the Web and using other computer programs, talking on mobile phones while driving, or flying a jet and monitoring air traffic. Indeed, the word describing this – ‘multitasking’ – has gone from being invented to being commonly used in everyday life in a remarkably short time. A recent study has looked at whether multitasking is purely beneficial or has its downside, especially when the tasks being done together are complicated ones.

The researchers concluded that when people are multitasking, they are using what they call ‘executive control’ processes. These processes concern different parts of the brain and involve the brain allocating different mental resources to different tasks and deciding which tasks are more important than others. The brain’s executive control gives the appropriate resources to the different aspects of tasks, such as understanding what the task requires, thinking about what to do, and taking action.

The researchers conducted an experiment into how much time was lost when people repeatedly switched between two tasks. The tasks varied in terms of how complex they were and how familiar the subjects were with doing those tasks, and they included such things as solving mathematical problems and classifying geometric objects. The researchers measured how long it took the subjects to carry out the tasks and considered the speed in connection with whether the tasks were familiar or unfamiliar, and whether the rules for doing them were simple or complicated.

The results of the experiments were the same for every kind of task. In each case, the subjects lost time when they moved from one task to another, and the amount of time they lost increased when the tasks were complex or unfamiliar. When they were familiar with a task, they were able to adapt to changing to it and get on with it much more quickly. The researchers say that these results indicate that the brain’s executive control consists of two separate stages. They called the first stage ‘goal shifting’, meaning a preference to do one of the tasks rather than the other at a particular moment. The second stage they named ‘rule activation’, meaning moving from engaging with the rules associated with how to go about one task to engaging with the rules involved in doing the other task. The second stage, rule activation, takes a significant amount of time, and this delay multiplies when people keep switching between tasks. The result is that quite a lot of time is lost when multitasking, in comparison with the time that would be taken if each task was completed separately.

This has major implications for multitasking, suggesting that although people may think that it saves time without affecting efficiency, in reality it actually takes more time, and this may have an adverse effect on efficiency. In the case of someone using a mobile phone while driving, multitasking could mean that they are not in full control of their vehicle during the short period when they are switching to using the phone.

The researchers feel that their research has important consequences for multitasking. Their conclusions regarding executive control and how it works may, they believe, help people to look for strategies that will enable them to operate in the most efficient way possible when they are multitasking. And an understanding of executive mental control could have an impact on the design of the technology involved in such areas as operating aircraft and air traffic control, as well as other activities where the interface between humans and computers is crucial to efficiency.

In addition, there are other possible applications of this research. Understanding how people function while multitasking could assist with recruitment, training and assessment of personnel in the workplace. It could also have an influence on government and industrial regulations, assist in the diagnosis and treatment of brain-damaged patients, and increase our general understanding of how the brain works.

1   What does the writer suggest about the word ‘multitasking’?

    A  It has changed in meaning since it was invented.      

    B  It is not always used appropriately.      

    C  Its increased use reflects a change in everyday life.         

2   The aim of the research was to ________.

    A  compare the advantages and disadvantages of multitasking      

    B  discover why multitasking is regarded a wholly good thing      

   C  find out if there are any negative effects of multitasking       

  

3   The researchers use the term ‘executive control’ to describe how the brain ________.

     A  controls some actions more than others      

     B  organizes how different tasks are carried out      

     C  distinguishes between easier and harder tasks   

      

4   What do we learn about the experiment?

     A  The researchers knew that some of the subjects had done similar tasks before.        

     B  Not all of the subjects did the same tasks.      

    C  The subjects started with simple tasks and move on to more complicated ones.     

    

5   Which of the following happened during the experiment?

     A  Sometimes little time was lost moving from one task to another.      

     B  Some subjects always found it hard to move from one task to another.      

    C  Complex tasks presented more problems than unfamiliar tasks.       

  

6   One of the two stages of the brain’s executive control ________.

     A  leads to a major disadvantage of multitasking      

     B  takes longer for some people than for others      

     C  has no connection with multitasking  

       

7   One of the implications of the research is that ________.

      A  some people are not suited to multitasking      

      B  multitasking always results in less efficiency      

      C  a common attitude to multitasking is wrong     

    

8   The researchers believe that their research might ________.

    A  encourage people not to do multitasking in some situations      

    B  affect the way that people approach multitasking      

    C  result in technology replacing people for certain tasks  

       

9   In the final paragraph, the writer says that multitasking is something that ________.

     A  is likely to increase in the future      

     B  people in authority have paid too little attention to      

    C  is relevant in many areas of life  

       

10   What is the main topic of the text?

      A  The growth of multitasking      

     B  How complicated the brain’s processes for multitasking are      

              C  The relationship between multitasking and efficiency         

NEF NA

answers: CCBAAACBCC

ADVANCED

READING

Read the article and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

CREATING YOUR OWN JOB SATISFACTION

A lot of people think that job satisfaction is only for other people. They look with envy on people who love their jobs and who don’t think of them as work. The idea of earning a living from something you really like doing only applies to a few very lucky people, they think. But this isn’t so. It’s not only people in the so-called ‘glamour professions’, for example, who can get genuine job satisfaction. You don’t have to be in the arts or a sports person to get enjoyment from what you do for a living. Even if you’re in a boring job, it’s quite possible to get some satisfaction from it.

The key to this is your attitude. You may think it’s unlikely that you can derive much satisfaction from a dull job that doesn’t require much thought and that involves a lot of routine procedures. But if you approach it with the right attitude, and put some effort in, you may be surprised at how enjoyable you can make it. Of course, if you just sit there telling yourself how boring your job is, you’ll never get anything out of it. But if you set out to find ways of making it enjoyable, there’s a good chance you’ll manage to.

One thing you can do is to set yourself challenges. Think about what you can do for yourself to make your work a little bit more interesting. If you’ve got a repetitive job, set yourself some targets to meet and try to beat your previous records. Or use your initiative in other ways. Think about ways you could develop your career into more interesting areas – see how you could improve your skills by doing a course, for example, or look into new skills you could get that would stand you in good stead for the future.

For some people, it’s not boredom that’s the problem, it’s the fact that their jobs involve a significant amount of unpleasantness. But if you keep telling yourself your job is horrible and there’s nothing you can do about it, you’ll get stuck in a rut and you’ll never get out of it. Focus on developing a positive attitude and try to keep any negative thoughts about your job out of your mind. Keep a sense of perspective – if something’s gone wrong on a particular day, decide whether it really matters or not. If it isn’t actually all that important, don’t dwell on it, let it go. Learn from it, and take an upbeat view of what’s happened – you’ll know how to avoid the problem in future, or what to do about it if it happens again.

Of course, you may reach the point where you feel totally trapped in a job. If this mindset starts to overwhelm you, check out the options you may have in the place where you work. Map out a plan for improving your situation there. Are there other roles in the organization you could apply for? Could you ask to be given different tasks? Could you get a different kind of assignment or go to another department where your skills are required? Finding out there are other options will give you a sense of control over your own working life. Even if you have no job satisfaction right now, you’ll feel better if you know that there is a realistic prospect of work that gives you a degree of it.

Expectations are another key ingredient in job satisfaction. Take a long hard look at what you really are capable of. Sometimes it’s important to accept that you couldn’t really do the much more interesting or high-powered job you aspire to. Try to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. Focus on the things you really are good at, rather than on things that, if you’re really honest with yourself, you couldn’t actually do. Make the most of your situation and feel good about what you can do, rather than feeling bad about what you can’t do.

Work is a very important part of most people’s lives and it’s important to get at least some satisfaction from it. If you really dislike your time at work, the rest of your life is affected too, and you can easily get a negative outlook on life in general. It’s in your own hands to avoid this. Even if you can’t get the job of your dreams, you can take steps to create your own job satisfaction.

1   The writer’s aim in the first paragraph is to ________.

     A  distinguish between different kinds of work         

     B  correct a false belief      

    C  define the term ‘job satisfaction’  

       

2   In the second paragraph, the writer ________.

    A  warns readers against a certain attitude         

    B  advises readers not to have unrealistic ideas about work      

    C  suggests to readers that most jobs are dull         

3   In the third paragraph, the writer emphasizes ________.

   A  how easy it can be to progress in a career      

   B  a particular route to job satisfaction      

   C  the need for people to motivate themselves    

  

4   The writer uses the phrase ‘stuck in a rut’ to refer to ________.

      A  a situation that won’t improve         

      B  the bad behaviour of others      

      C  the danger of being too sensitive    

     

5   What is the writer’s advice if something goes wrong?

    A  Pretend that it didn’t happen.         

    B  Use the experience to your advantage.      

    C  Don’t think about it until later.  

       

6   The writer says that people who feel ‘trapped’ in a job should consider ________.

     A  discussing their unhappiness with managers      

     B  moving to a different company or organization      

    C  changing the kind of work they do  

       

7   The writer says that you will feel better about your working life if you ________.

     A  think that some job satisfaction is possible in the future      

     B  choose a particular career option for the future      

    C  stop aiming for job satisfaction for a while  

       

8   What does the writer say about expectations of work?

     A  Too many people have unrealistic ones.      

     B  They should be based on real ability.         

     C  They may change as time passes.         

9   In the final paragraph, the writer says that ________.

     A  lack of job satisfaction has serious consequences for people      

     B  a negative attitude to life leads to a negative attitude to work      

     C  there is more to life than job satisfaction   

      

10   Which of the following best sums up the writer’s view in the text as a whole?

       A  Some people find it easier to get job satisfaction than others.      

       B  Everyone can get a certain amount of job satisfaction.      

       C  Job satisfaction is the most important issue in the workplace today.     

    

NEF NA
answers: BACABCABAB

RENOVACIÓN CUOTA SOCIO 2011-2012. 50% DESCUENTO PARA LOS YA SOCIOS.

Estimados compañeros, la juna directiva de esta asociación, ha decidido que para renovar la cuota de socio de este nuevo curso, los alumnos que ya son socios, sólo abonen el 50%  (3€) de la cuota, si hacen un nuevo socio.  El nuevo socio sí abonará los 6€ de la cuota.

Esta oferta sólo será válida desde el 1 de Octubre al 15 de Noviembre, después de esta fecha, tanto los socios antiguos como los nuevos, deberán abonar los 6€ de la cuota.

La promoción de julio, en la que los nuevos socios de Loca obtenían el 50% de descuento en el pago de la cuota de socio, ya no es válida.

Solicitar má información y la hoja solicitud de alta de socio a eoistudensstuff@live.com o pedir en la secretaría de vuestro centro.

Podeis entregar la hoja rellenada y firmada junto con el justificante de pago de la cuota por banco, en la secretaría de vuestra escuela. No se admite el pago de la cuota en efectivo en la escuela.

También podeis enviar la solicitud completada y el justificante del banco a aaeoil@gmail.com

JOIN US!

FIRMA LA PROTESTA. PLAZAS EOILORCA. TONTERÍAS LAS JUSTAS!.

TENEMOS QUE RECOGER POR LO MENOS 500 FIRMAS DE LOS ALUMNOS.

ESTA ES NUESTRA CAUSA, HEMOS SIDO LOS  PERJUDICADOS:

- Compañeros que han aprobado en septiembre se han quedado si plaza para este curso.

- Muchos alumnos en lista de espera

- Se han suprimido clases

- Un centro ha tenido problemas por no tener un administrativo que atienda e informe a los alumnos

- Deficiencias en el sistema de matriculación telemática a través de la web de la escuela.

- Anulación de actividades que se han estado haciendo en años anteriores

LOS PERJUDICADOS, NOSOTROS!

Y LAS MATRICULAS HAN SUBIDO EL DOBLE!

BASTA YA A ESTA TOMADURA DE PELO!

Envía tu queja a eoistudentsstuff@live.com y nos pondremos en marcha con vuestro apoyo.

Tenemos una protesta publicada en mayo, también puedes enviar tu firma. En breve se publicará en la misma web, la protesta contra la el problemas de las plazas para acceder a la escuela, cuya responsabilidad recae en la Consejería de Educación y no en la EOI de Lorca. 

Esperamos que también nos des tu apoyo y envies tu firma.

Entra en http://www.peticionpublica.es/PeticaoVer.aspx?pi=P2011N11752. Protesta contra los recortes publicada en mayo.

¡HAZTE OIR, FIRMA LA PROPUESTA!

EXAM REVIEW

Un super Link para repasar toda la gramática

NIVEL BASICO. BASIC LEVEL

Intermediate 1 

Intermediate 2

Avanzado 

LLAMAMIENTO PARA ALUMNOS EN LISTA DE ESPERA

NUEVAS PLAZAS PARA LOS ALUMNOS EN LISTA DE ESPERA

llamamiento para los aspirantes en lista de espera que se quedaron sin plaza en los llamamientos de julio.

lunes 26 de septiembre: a partir de las 16.30h estan convocados todos los aspirantes del NB1 y NB2 de francés, italiano e inglés.

martes 27 de septiembre:

16.30h: NI1 (francés e inglés), NI2 francés.

17.00h: NA1 francés e inglés.

18.00H: NA2 francés e inglés.

EN NIVEL INTERMEDIO 2 DE INGLÉS NO HAY PLAZAS.

ATENCIÓN: ALUMNOS QUE CURSAN EN TOTANA, LEER ESTO.

Me han dicho que no saben si ese llamamiento será en esos dias para Totana, pues por falta de administrativo se han retrasado las cosas y aún se están matriculando, asi que será a partir del lunes cuando se puedan saber las plazas libres para Totana.

Estar pendientes de la web de la escuela de idiomas y los que cursen en Totana, miren la información donde pone extensión Totana, pues no siempre coincide la misma información en el resto de centros, como en este caso. También se publicará en el tablón del centro de Totana.

 

LISTADO LIBROS EOILORCA 2011-2012.

 Libros de INGLÉS : 

NB1:

• NEW ENGLISH FILE ELEMENTARY( Oxford)
• Workbook +keys

NB2

• SPEAK OUT PRE-INTERMEDIATE (Pearson-Longman). Este es el libro que viene en el listado que me han enviado, pero antes de comprarlo, llamar a la escuela
• Workbook+keys

Este libro es el que piden ahora para la extensión de Totana, pero es posible que que en otras sea otro o que no hayan hecho cambios.  ASEGURAOS!


NI1:

• º NEW ENGLISH FILE INTERMEDIATE (Oxford)
• Workbook+keys

NI2:

• LANGUAGE LEADER INTERMEDIATE (Pearson-Longman)
• Workbook+keys

Libros de ITALIANO    
 

NB1:

• CHIARO! A1. Corso di italiano (Ed. Alma edizioni)
• Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana (Alma edizioni)

NB2:

•  CHIARO! A2. Corso di italiano (Ed. Alma Edizioni)
• 
  

  Grammatica pratica della lingua italiana (Alma edizioni)

Libros de FRANÇAIS

NB1:

• CONNEXIONS NIVEAU 1 (Espagne), DIDIER
• Livre de l`élève/Cahier d'exercises.

NB2:

•  ALTER EGO 2, Hachette
  

  Livre de l`élève/Cahier d'activités

NII y NIII:

• ALTER EGO ,3 Hachette

         Livre de l`élève/Cahier d'activités.

AI y AII:

• LE NOUVEL ÉDITO, DIDIER
• Livre de élève. ISBN-9782278066575

El listado de francés e italiano fué publicado por la EOI de Lorca en su web.
La información de los libros de inglés, me ha sido enviada por email, la fuente es de confianza.
Se recomienda llamar a la escuela para verificar la información.

INTERMEDIATE II.

READING

1   Read the article and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

We’ve all heard amazing stories in which people struggle heroically to survive against all the odds. We wonder what we would have done in similar impossible situations and find it hard to imagine how these people found the strength to stay alive. The truth, though, is that not all survivors are quite so heroic. As these two stories show, the will to survive isn’t always so strong.

The marathon runner

Thrilling yet terrifying, the Marathon des Sables is arguably the world’s toughest foot race. Competitors attempt a six-day 150-mile run across the Sahara desert in temperatures of over 100 degrees. Just imagine getting lost. That, however, is exactly what happened to an Italian policeman called Marco Contadino, a regular competitor,  when he took part in the race in 1996. A sandstorm developed as he was running, which covered the marks of the course he was following with sand. Marco should have stopped and waited for the storm to calm down, but he kept on, desperate to stay in seventh place in the race, only to find that when the wind dropped he could no longer see the course. He reached for his water bottle and found there were only a few drops left in the bottom of it.

For three whole days Marco tried to find his way back to the course, with barely any water and no idea what direction he was heading in. He started to visualize the agonising death he would soon have to face. A friend had once told him that dying of thirst was the worst of all possible deaths. Fearing such a long and painful death, he decided to cut his wrists with a knife. But, short of water, his blood was thick and would not flow. In desperation, he headed out into the desert one more time, expecting to die. Five more days passed until, miraculously, a group of Tuareg nomads found him and took him to a village. Marco discovered he was in Algeria, 130 miles away from the race course.

The yachtswoman

As an experienced sailor, Lynn Walker knows nothing is ever certain on the high seas. However, when she took on the job of sailing a luxury yacht from Tahiti to San Diego, she must have believed that it would be one of the less complicated trips she had done. Little did she know that after a week of calm sailing the weather would change dramatically, bringing a tropical depression from Central America to blast the yacht with 50-foot waves. Lynn found herself battling against Hurricane Raymond. It was an unequal battle, and the boat soon turned over.

Lynn was unconscious for a long time. When she did finally come round, she realized that the boat had miraculously righted itself, and that she had been saved by the lifeline connecting her to the boat. She had tied it to herself moments before the boat had first gone under the waves. Tragically, she could see Simon, her boyfriend, lying dead in the water.

There was plenty of food on the boat, and the weather was calm again, but Lynn could only feel an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. She found that she couldn’t eat, and simply sat on the soaking wet deck. It was as if she had given up, and was waiting to die. Then, all of a sudden, a voice in her head told her to survive. She managed to put up a makeshift sail, and consulting the surviving charts on the boat, somehow sailed to Hawaii.

Example: According to the writer, when people hear survival stories __________.

A  they imagine what they would have done         
B  they don’t believe them       

C  they enjoy them more than other stories   ü 

1   What does the writer not say about the Marathon des Sables?

     A  It makes you feel incredibly excited.         
     B  It gives you a real sense of achievement.         

     C  It’s extremely difficult.      

2   When Marco competed in the Marathon des Sables in 1996 __________.

     A  he used a new route         

     B  it wasn’t the first time he had competed         
    C  it was the hottest weather ever      

3   Why couldn’t Marco find his way back to the course?

     A  He had no way of knowing which way to go.         
     B  He was having strange visions from lack of water.         
     C  He was too tired to concentrate on where he was going.      

4   Marco attempted suicide because __________.

     A  he knew someone who had died of thirst         
     B  he thought it’d be better than dying slowly without water         
     C  he thought it was the best thing to do if the pain was too much      

5   Marco was rescued __________.

     A  eight days after he got lost         

     B  not far from where he first got lost         
     C  by people who had been looking for him      

6   When she agreed to sail the yacht from Tahiti, what did Lynn think the job would be?

     A  She knew it would be easy.         

     B  She expected it to be easy.         
    C  She hoped it would be easy.      

7   During the first few days of sailing __________.

     A  Lynn probably regretted accepting the job         

     B  the weather was fine          
     C  Lynn heard that there was bad weather ahead of her      

8   Lynn wasn’t able to sail the yacht in the hurricane because __________.

     A  the storm was too strong         

     B  she wasn’t a good sailor         
     C  the weather changed too quickly      

9   How did Lynn survive?

     A  She’d tied herself to the yacht.         
     B  The boat wasn’t the wrong way up for long.         
     C  She wasn’t unconscious for long.      

10   Lynn didn’t feel like fighting to survive because __________.

     A  there wasn’t enough food         

     B  she thought she was going to die         
     C  she was so depressed      

source: NFE NIII

answers: BBABABBAAC