UNIT 14

MEN AND WOMEN: SOME DIFFERENCES

Unlocking the Meaning of Unfamiliar Words

Even though you have studied a lot of vocabulary words, you may still
come to a word that you dont know. What should you do then? Rather than stop
and use your dictionary, you should try to figure out the new word by using other
words in sentence. These are called context clues. The clues can be found in the
same sentence, an adjoining sentence, or anywhere in the paragraph. The clues
can also be found in your own background knowledge.
If you always stop to look in a dictionary when you come to a new word,
you slow down your reading speed, and you dont comprehend the reading as well
as you could. When you practice reading comprehension skills, you should not
stop reading to look up new words. After all, you cant use a dictionary during the
test. You can use your dictionary while you are studying vocabulary, to check up
on your knowledge. But dont rely on that dictionary when you are reading. It will
slow you down. What you want to learn is how to read faster.
There are two kinds of context clues: direct and indirect clues.
1. Direct: a definition or description of the word in the same sentence:
Commas: Solar energy , energy from the sun, is now.......
Words in a series: The people were unhappy with the government, so they were
working to change the statutes, laws, and reulations.
Verb: is, are, was, etc...
2. Indirect Clues: The clue words are in an opposing word or an opposing idea.
This type of sentence will have words like although, but, in contrast,
even though, or while.
Text 1
Men and Women: Some Differences

Men cannot manufacture blood as effectively as women can. His make

surgery riskier for men. Men also need more oxygen because they do not breathe
as women. But men breathe more deeply and this exposes them to another risk.
When the air is polluted, they draw more of it into their lungs.
A more recent and chilling finding is the effect of automobile and truck
exhaust fumes on childrens intelligence. These exhaust fumes are the greatest
source of lead pollution in cities. Researchers have found that the children with
the highest concentration of lead

in their bodies have the lowest scores on

intelligence tests and that boys score lower than girls. It is possible that these low
score are connected to the deeper breathing that is typical of the male.
Mens bones are larger than womens and they are arranged somewhat
differently. The feminine walk that evokes so many whistles is a matter of bone
stucture. Men have broader shoulders and a narrower pelvis, which enables them
to stride out with no waste motion. A womans wider pelvis, designed for
childbearing, forces her to put more movement into each step she takes with the
result that she displays a bit of a jiggle and sway as she walks.
If you think a man is brave because he climbs a ladder to clean out the roof
gutters, dont forget that it is easier for him than for a woman. The angle at which
a womans high is joined to ger knees makes climbing awkward for her, no matter
whether it is a ladder or stairs or a mountain that she is tackling.
A mans skin is thicker than a womans and nearly as soft. The thickness
prevents the suns radiation from getting through, which is why men wrinkle less
than women do.
Women have a thin layer of fat just under the skin and there is a olus to
this greater fat reserve. It acts as an invisible fur coat to keep a woman warmer in
the winter. Women also stay cooler in summer. The fat layer helps insulate them
againts heat.
Ment mens fat is distributed differently. They do not have that layer of it
underneath their skin. In fact, they have considerably less fat than women and
more lean mass. Forty-one percent of a mans body is muscle compared to thirtyfive percent for women, which means that men have more muscle power. When it
comes to strength, almost 90 percent of a mans weight is strength compared to
about 50 percent of a womans weight.

The higher proportion of muscle to fat makes it easier for men to lose
weight. Muscle burns up five more calories a pound than fat does just to maintain
itself. So, when a man goes on a diet, the pounds roll off much faster.
For all mens muscularity they do not have the energy reserves women do.
They have more start up energy, but the fat tucked away in womens nook and
crannies provides a rich energy reserve that men lack.
Cardiologists at the University of Alabama who tested healthy women on
treadmills discovered that over the years the female capacity for exercise far
exceeds the male capacity. A women of sixty who is in good health can exercise
up to 90 percent of what she could do when she was twenty. A man of sixty has
only 60 percent left of his capacity as a twenty-year-old.

COLUMN A
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

..... they draw more of it into their lungs.

A more recent-and chilling-finding....
...... which enables them to stride out with no waste motion.
A womans wider pelvis, designed for childbearing, .......
...... she displays a bit of a jiggle and sway as she walks.
The angle at which a womans thigh is joined to her knees ........
...... makes climbing awkward for her, ......
...... men wrinkle less than women do.
The fat layer helps insulate them againts heat
.

COLUMN B
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.

Having babies
Have lines in their skin
Silly
Frightening
Difficult
Get tired
Movement from side to side
Understanding children
Top part of leg
Place in body where air goes when you breathe in

k.
l.
m.
n.

Hide
Put a leg forward to walk
Protect
Cold

Text 2
Laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation. Stimulated emission is a variation of spontaneous emission, a process
that occurs in atoms when an electron in a ground, or unexcited state, is knocked
into a higher state when energy is aplied to the system. As the electron drops, back
into ground state, a photon, or particle of light, is released. As de-excitation occurs
in millions of atoms, photons are released in random fashion, and light is emitted
in every direction. Stimulated emission, however, causes an increase in the
number of photons travelling in a particular direction. An optical cavity, the space
formed by two reflective surfaces facing each other, is used to control the
direction of the beam. There are solid state, gas, and liquid lasers, and by
subjecting lasing materials to various tupes of energy electrical, magnetic, or sonic
scientists have been able to control the laser output to suit various functions and
applications.
In industry, the laser has proven to be a very versatile tool, particulary for
cutting and welding. Lasers are now also used in high speed printing and in the
creation of three-dimensional images, called hoograms. Laser tracking and
ranging systems have been developed, using light signals to measure distance
rather than the radio signals or radar. The use of the laser in biological and
medical applications is also rapidly surgical procedures. In the field of
communication the laser, used in conjunction with fiber optic networks, is capable
of carrying much more information than conventional wires and is setting the
stage for the electronical superhighway of the near future.
1. The main topic of the second paragraph is.....
a. The applications of the laser
b. Fiber optic networks
c. Measuring distance with lasers
d. The use of lasers in the medicine
2. It can inferred from the passage that lasers are rapidly becoming....
a. Obsolete in todays world
b. More limited in scope
c. A vital part of modern society
d. Less flexible in their uses

3. According to the passage, scientists have been able to control laser output by...
a. Controlling the direction of the beam
b. Subjecting lasing materials to various types of energy
c. Increasing the number of travelling in aparticular direction
d. Using a variety of lasing materials
4. What happens an electron drops back into ground state?
a. A particle of light is released
b. Excitation occurs
c. Energy is aplied to the system
d. There is an increase in the number of photons traveling in one direction
5. In paragraph 2, the words in conjunction with could best be replaced with of
the following phrases?
a. At acrossroads
b. Aside from
c. In combination with
d. In addition to
6. The author mentions all of the following types of lasers, except....
a. Solid state
b. Sonic
c. Gas
d. Liquid
7. The word versatile in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to....
a. Flexible
b. Stimulating
c. Energetic
d. Worthless
8. According to the passage, the electronic superhighway ......
a. Wil replace the laser
b. Has nothing to do with lasers
c. Will utilize lasers
d. Will be in competition with lasers

Text 3
The United States Constitution established a political system comprising a
national and federal government. The new federal system accommodated the
thirteen original state governments while establishing new bodies and powers
designed to address national concerns. The national govenment created by the

union of states stood above governments in specific national matters while

acknowledging the role of the states or sharing power with them in other areas.
State officials were required to take an oath to support the Constitution, and state
courts were required to recognize the Constitution and the laws and treaties made
under it as the supreme law.
The Constitution, a veritable work of genius, greatly enhanced the power
of central government but carefully divided its functions into three distinct
branches executive, legislative, and judicial. The ptinciple of separation of powers
was applied throughout the document. Carefully measured checks and balances
were inserted to prevent the acquisition or concentration of power in any one
branch and also for the purpose of protecting minority rights from the potential
rule of he majority. In their powers to amend the Constitution and to elect the
president and members of the Senate, the states also gained a role in applying
checks and balances.
9. In paragraph 1, the word them refers to....
a. National matters
b. The states
c. State officials
d. National and federal government
10. According to the passage, state officials were required to take an oath to....
a. Recognize the Constitutions as a work of genius
b. Share power with the federal government
c. Support the Constitution
d. Protect minority rights
11. The word amend in paragraph 2 could best be repalced by......
a. Change
b. Balance
c. Enhance
d. Construct
12. The author of the passage is probably an expert in....
a. Social science
b. Minority issues
c. Pubblic housing
d. Political science
13. It can be concluded from the passage that the author of the Constitution......
a. Intended above all to preserve the unty of the states
b. Wanted to avoid usurpation of power by any individual or body

c. Provided the states with the most power to government

d. Didnt believe that the state and federal branches of the government could
work well together
14. What is the authors main purpose in the passage?
a. To discuss one the principal elements of the Constitutions
b. To mention the roles of state officials in government
c. To persuade state legislators to support the Constitution
d. To summarize the role of the Senate