Didier Nieto - 2061295

VOCABULARY MATCHING

Paragraph 1

1. impression a. A person who is or has the potential to be

very successful, especially academically or in business.

2. surgeon b. The mental action or process of acquiring

knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the
senses.

3. brainy c. An idea, feeling, or opinion about

something or someone.

4. high-flyer d. The action of remembering something

learned or experienced.

5. cognition e. A doctor who treats injuries or disorders

of the body by cutting into it.

5. respondents f. Having or showing higher intelligence.

6. recall g. People who reply to something, especially

information for a questionnaire.

Paragraph 2

7. validity [Link] excessive supply of something.

8. Aeronautics i. The quality of being logically or factually

reliable.

9. mindboggling j. The science or practice of building or flying

aircraft.

10. shed light on [Link] a course of action.

11. embark on l. Help to explain something by giving further

information about it.
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12. disregarded m. Overwhelming; too great to fully

BEFORE READING / LISTENING
From [Link]

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The article says everyone thinks rocket scientists are brainy. T/F
2. Researchers tested the cognition of 72 rocket scientists. T/F
3. Researchers' found only two major differences in their data. T/F
4. Neurosurgeons could recall memories quicker than average people. T/F
5. The researchers said we should never use certain English phrases. T/F
6. The researchers used a torch to shine light on a question. T/F
7. The article suggests we could all do the careers we wanted. T/F
8. The article joked that we could have too many brain surgeons. T/F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: (The words in bold are from the news article.)

1. impression a. evaluate
2. conducted b. phrases
3. assess c. steered clear of
4. cognition d. notable
5. significant e. carried out
6. validity f. cast
7. expressions g. thinking
8. shed h. excess
9. avoided i. sense
10. glut j. logic

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3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. brain surgeons are super- a. flyers

2. members of the general b. once disregarded
3. just as smart as those high- c. speed
4. tests designed to assess six different d. of using English phrases
5. their memory recall e. light on this
6. The research questions the validity f. brainy
7. something is actually quite easy g. of brain surgeons
8. The researchers shed some h. areas of cognition
9. embark on careers we i. public
10. this could lead to a glut j. to understand

GAP FILL
From [Link]

Most of us have the (1) _ impression that rocket scientists and flyers
brain surgeons are super-(2) brainy . Scientists have conducted cognition
research that suggests members of the general public are actually
impression
just as smart as those
recall
high-(3) flyers . Researchers from University College London asked
aerospace
329 (4) aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons to
significant
complete tests designed to assess six different areas of (5) cognition

brainy
. The researchers compared their data with those from 18,257 (6) _

respondents _ who had previously taken the tests. The researchers respondents

said: "Only two differences were (7) significant : the

neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quicker and their

memory (8) _ recall speed was slower."

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rapid validity

glut recall

mindboggling

genius
The research questions the (9) validity of using English phrases expressions
such as "this isn't rocket science" or "that isn't brain surgery". We
use these (10) _ expressions suggest something is actually quite easy avoided
to understand. Are aeronautics and neuroscience so (11) _
mindboggling _? The researchers shed some light on this. They
said: "In situations that do not require (12---)----
rapid problem solving, it might be more correct to use 'It's not
brain surgery', but in situations where rapid information (13) recall
_ is needed this phrase should be (14) recall ." This gives hope to
all of us that we can embark on careers we once disregarded
because of "(15) _ genius _ -level" requirements. However, this could lead to

a (16) glut of brain surgeons and rocket designers.

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What is most people's impression of rocket scientists?

Most of us have the impression that rocket scientists and brain surgeons are super-brainy

2. How many neurosurgeons took part in the researchers' tests?

72 NEUROSURGEONS

3. How many areas of cognition were tested?

tests designed to assess six different areas of cognition

4. What had over 18,000 respondents previously done?

had previously taken the tests.

5. Whose memory recall speed was slower?

the neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quick

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Didier Nieto - 2061295

What does the article say the research questions the validity of?

he validity of using English phrases such as "this isn't rocket science" or "that isn't brain surgery".

6. What did the researchers shed light on?

The researchers shed some light on this. They said: "In situations that do not require rapid
problem solving, it might be more correct to use 'It's not brain surgery'

7. What phrase should we avoid where rapid information recall is required?

But, in situations where rapid information recall is needed this phrase

should be avoided." This gives hope to all of us that we can embark on
careers we once disregarded because of "genius-level" requirements.

8. What does the article say the research gives to career seekers?

This gives hope to all of us that we can embark on careers we once disregarded because of
"genius-level" requirements.

9. What could there be a glut of in future?

this could lead to a glut of brain surgeons and rocket designers.

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Didier Nieto - 2061295

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1) What is most people's impression b) some English phrases

of rocket scientists? a) they go to c) neurosurgeons
space d) rocket scientists
b) they are dull
7) What did the researchers
c) they are super-brainy
shed light on? a) space
d) they love science fiction
b) dark
2) How many neurosurgeons took c) a cabin
part in the researchers' tests? a) d) whether aeronautics and
72 neuroscience are mindboggling
b) 88 8) What phrase should we avoid
c) 18,257 where rapid information recall is
d) 329 required?
a) Oh my God
3) How many areas of cognition b) It's not brain surgery
were tested? a) five
c) It's on the tip of my tongue
b) six
d) This isn't rocket science
c) four
d) seven 9) What does the article say the
research gives to career seekers?
4) What had over 18,000 a) jobs
respondents previously done? a) b) hope
been brainy c) better salaries
b) been neurosurgeons d) information
c) been rocket scientists
10) What could there be a glut of in
d) the tests future?
a) brain surgeons and rocket
5) Whose memory recall speed was
designers
slower?
b) researchers
a) the general public
c) phrases
b) rocket scientists
d) geniuses
c) neurosurgeons
d) researchers

6) What does the article say the

research questions the validity of? a)
10
tests
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PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 7 ) problem-solving speed was quicker and their memory recall speed

was slower."
( 13 )
should be avoided." This gives hope to all of us that we can embark
on careers we once

( 3 ) as smart as those high-flyers. Researchers from University College

London asked 329 aerospace
( 12 )
use 'It's not brain surgery', but in situations where rapid information
recall is needed this phrase
( 2 ) brainy. Scientists have conducted research that suggests members of
the general public are actually just
( 11 ) light on this. They said: "In situations that do not require rapid
problem solving, it might be more correct to
( 8 ) The research questions the validity of using English phrases such
as "this isn't rocket science"
( 13 ) disregarded because of "genius-level" requirements. However, this
could lead to a glut of brain surgeons and rocket designers.
( 6 ) taken the tests. The researchers said: "Only two differences were
significant: the neurosurgeons'
(4) engineers and 72 neurosurgeons to complete tests designed to assess
six different areas of
( 1 ) Most of us have the impression that rocket scientists and brain
surgeons are super-
( 9 ) or "that isn't brain surgery". We use these expressions to suggest
something is actually quite
( 5 ) cognition. The researchers compared their data with those from
18,257 respondents who had previously
( 10 ) easy to understand. Are aeronautics and neuroscience so
mindboggling? The researchers shed some

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Didier Nieto - 2061295

18

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Didier Nieto - 2061295

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1. super scientists brain and surgeons brainy . are

rocket scientists and brain surgeons are super-brainy

2. as are high-flyers, They smart as just those

smart as those high-flyers

3. designed areas different to assess cognition . Tests of

tests designed to assess six different areas of cognition.

4. their The with those . researchers data compared

The researchers compared

5. was speed problem solving neurosurgeons' The quicker .

the neurosurgeons' problem-solving speed was quicker

6. using Research English the validity of questions phrases .

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Didier Nieto - 2061295

The research questions the validity of using English phrases

7. suggest expressions to something . these We use

We use these expressions to suggest something

8. information recall situations In needed . where is rapid

where rapid information recall is needed

9. We once careers on can embark disregarded . we 10. To

we can embark on careers we once disregarded

10. This of could lead glut surgeons . a

this could lead to a glut of brain surgeons

19

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at [Link] - Copyright Sean Banville 2021