UNIT ASSIGNMENT 1 - A RISK YOU HAVE TAKEN.

Last year, I took a chance that shifted the trajectory of my professional journey. To share a little
background, I came from a pharmacy background, and I had worked a couple of short jobs: teaching
assistant, and event intern. Writing was never a serious pursuit for me, and I did not perceive it as part of
my future.

After I graduated, I took a gutsy little gap year and went back to my hometown. I needed a little break and
wanted to spend more time with family. While I was there, I was offered a remote job writing short
animation scripts. At first, I thought it would just be a small project. However, what began as a simple
opportunity soon turned into a notable moment, giving me confidence and opening up a new aspect of
myself.

When I returned to Ho Chi Minh City, I faced a mental challenge. After everything I had done, I felt lost,
and didn't believe I was good at anything. Luckily, my mother reminded me that not everyone writes well,
and it's possible that writing could be my thing. Her words helped me stay the course and apply for
professional screenwriter roles with little experience.

Now, I work as a screenwriter for a company that makes entertainment videos for kids on Youtube. This
job is significant because it not only helps me solve financial problems but also gives me a sense of
purpose. Taking this risk taught me that sometimes we must conquer fear and try new things. It was one
of the most important decisions I have ever made.

PASSAGE 1: LOOKING FOR EXCITEMENT

Section I

Can you remember how you felt the first time you asked someone out on a date? Was your
heart pounding, were your hands a little shaky, were you in a sweat? Did you go through
with it? The signs – or is it symptoms? – of fear and excitement are very similar: the
adrenaline rush, the body’s response to a perceived situation of stress or danger. It’s a
physiological thing, a chemical thing. It would seem we have little say in the matter.

Section II

Asking someone on a date you are not risking life and limb, but if you mess it up you may
well feel that the psychological risk – rejection and all the feelings that go with it –
outweighs the possible benefits of getting to know that person. But you did go through with
it, and did it again on many other occasions with other people without, one hopes, losing
that tingle of fear or excitement. In fact, without it there wouldn’t be much point, no “rush”.
You learn, I think, to trick your mind into believing that what might be fear is in fact
excitement. Whether or not this is so, there is always a pleasurable sense of daring when
you step outside what is called your “comfort zone”.

Section III

Occasions to do this present themselves every day and in ordinary circumstances. You
don’t have to go in for extreme sports. You might decide to take on a job with extra
responsibilities, so that the buck stops with you, or give a speech for the first time, or tell
your boss what you really think of her. Doing things such as these is largely beneficial but,
as always, there’s another side to it. Many of us take risks that we should know in advance
can have serious negative consequences, if not immediately then in the long term.

Section IV

The effects may be seen over some time because these risks often become addictions.
Smoking, drinking, gambling, and overeating spring to mind, but also less seemingly
harmful pastimes, like collecting, when they become obsessions. There’s no excuse for not
knowing what harm smoking can do, yet dedicated smokers have somehow convinced
themselves that they’re immune. Gamblers have a different mind-set, more like extreme
sports junkies: imagine betting your house on the turn of a card – imagine the “rush”! Quite
possibly losing is as big a kick as winning for them.

Section V

We all have some kind of obsession or addiction, however minor, which in the past would
have been called a “weakness for” something, but which these days is called a problem, or
even a disease. The suffix –aholic can be attached to almost anything: we have chocoholics,
shopaholics, and so on. The media and lifestyle magazines play this up and what we
thought of as a harmless personality trait becomes something we should feel guilty about.
Guilt, too, has an edge to it.
Section VI

The adrenaline rush response was originally used to describe our reaction to sudden,
surprising situations – you are suddenly confronted by a lion in the wild, for example – but
now we go looking for it. This should mean that we have thought a bit about the
consequences. Unfortunately, many don’t think far enough ahead and find themselves
hooked, and what once provided kicks becomes routine.

Choose the best answer.

1. In Section I, the writers implies that

A. we are always frightened on our first date.

B. sweating is normal when you first ask somebody out.

C. we have little control over our physical reactions.

D. dating is simply a matter of chemistry.

2. Which verb is closest in meaning to “mess it up” in Section II?

A. fail

B. reject

C. fear

D. avoid

3. What does “Occasions to do this” in Section III refer to?

A. tricking your mind into thinking fear is excitement

B. taking on a job with extra responsibilities

C. stepping out of your comfort zone

4. The writer suggests that under normal circumstances

A. we deliberately take harmful risks.

B. some risk-taking will do us good.

C. we’re certain which risks are harmful.

D. we run away from responsibilities.

5. In Section IV the writer suggests that

A. addiction to gambling and addiction to extreme sports are similar.

B. people should avoid hobbies like collecting things.

C. gambling and overeating always become addictions.

D. smokers are certain that their addiction is safe.

Complete the sentence. Choose A, B, or C.

6. For risk takers who like physical activity, mountain climbing is the _____ challenge.
A. trivial
B. unfortunate
C. ultimate
7. The skier was _____ to compete in next year’s Olympic Games.
A. determined
B. embarrassed
C. implied
8. Melinda _____ stepped off the bridge and took her first bungee jump.
A. extremely
B. bravely
C. cheerfully
9. The climbing teacher’s _____ was to make sure that everyone reached the mountain
top safely.
A. risk
B. role
C. route
Complete the sentence with ONE correct word from the word bank:

aspect trait mental challenge precaution

10 She has a unique ____________________ ability to make herself focus only on the present.

READING PASSAGE 2: POVERTY

Section I

Most of us have dreamed of what it would be like to suddenly find ourselves in possession
of a large sum of money – for example, a lottery win, or an unexpected inheritance from a
long lost relative – and have imagined what we would do with the money. Many of us,
depending on the size of the windfall and the advice of our accountants, might set aside
some money to help those less fortunate than ourselves or to give to a deserving cause.
After that we would probably spend it on cars, private jets and houses in countries around
the world so that we can enjoy summer all year long.

Section II

But have you ever imagined things going the other way? Suddenly, you lose all that you
have: job, house, car, savings, and any safety nets such as health and pension schemes. You
will have the equivalent of about $1.25 a day to live on, which is one level at which the
poverty line is drawn. That’s what’s called “absolute poverty”. It is estimated that at least 3
billion people live on less than the equivalent of $1.25 a day – that’s not far off half the total
world population.
Section III

Then there’s “relative poverty”, which is slightly harder to define, especially if you live in a
developed western democracy that has a functioning welfare system, as it is largely based
on comparisons within a given country. If relative poverty means not having an acceptable
level of income compared with other people in the same country, then this can lead to
comparisons that would not make sense to a person living in poverty in an African village.

Section IV

In an affluent society, this relative deprivation could mean that you lack, say, a fridge-
freezer, your own means of transport, a computer or the resources to acquire them – as one
report claimed. What were once considered luxury items are now thought of as essential. It
is when this sort of poverty is compared with that of the poorest nations that such
measurements seem strange. Making do without a fridge-freezer or a car is a long way from
searching in a landfill, not just for items to clean up and make use of or possibly sell on, but
for something to eat.

Section V

But it’s not just lack of material possessions and cash that define poverty. It must be
obvious that not having these resources cuts you off from so much else – from
opportunities to improve your situation, from full participation in society. It also has an
effect on a person’s pride and dignity. It is the poor that suffer most from malnutrition, lack
of education and health problems.

Section VI
The poor are always with us, as the saying goes. And they are becoming more visible – not
just because we are more aware of the problem of world poverty than before. It is also
because the gap between rich and poor in affluent countries is getting wider. That means
poverty is beginning to be felt by many people who thought that it was a problem that
existed only in far-away countries.

Choose the best answer.

1. Which of the following best describes “windfall”?

A. a sum of money that comes to you unexpectedly

B. a large sum of money left to you by a relative

C. an amount of money you can only dream of

D. a sum of money given to a charity

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A. More than half the world’s population live below the poverty line.

B. Three billion people get by on about two dollars per day.

C. Absolute poverty is defined as living on less than two dollars a day.

D. If you earn more than two dollars a day you are not in poverty.

3. How does relative poverty differ from absolute poverty?

A. It compares one country with another country.

B. It highlights the difference between rich and poor countries.

C. It compares people within a single country.

D. A definite line is drawn between rich and poor.

A. buying

B. developing

C. cooking

D. managing

5. Which of the following is not mentioned in Section V?

A. the right to vote

B. a bad diet

C. a lack of opportunities

D. a lack of education

6. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The poor are becoming more aware of their situation.

B. Poverty only occurs in distant countries.

C. Affluent societies are becoming poorer.

D. The gap between rich and poor is growing larger.

Match the dependent clause with the correct independent clause.

_____ 7. Because she earned money from two A. they asked a charity
organization for help.
jobs,
B. he missed the instructions
for the assignment.
_____ 8. Since the villagers needed a new C. she was able to pay for
school, college.

_____ 9. When the two groups worked

_____ 10. Because Ben was late for class, D. they accomplished a lot
more.

END OF READING TEST