martes, 27 de noviembre de 2007

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: Girls Are Often neglected Victims of Concussions
Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/sports/othersports/02concussions.html?em&ex=1191470400&en=56117d451c263a91&ei=5087%0aA
Date: October 2, 2007

1. Vocabulary:
2. concusión noun [C,U] a slight injury to the brain that is caused by being hit on the head and makes you feel tired or sick mild concusión
3. dizzy (FEELING) adjective feeling as if everything is spinning round and being unable to balance and about to fall down: Going without sleep for a long time makes me feel dizzy and light-headed. I felt quite dizzy with excitement as I went up to collect the award.
4. dizzily Adverb. In a dizzy way or a way that makes you feel dizzy: The skyscrapers towered dizzily above us.
5. dizziness noun [U]
6. dizzying adjective causing you to feel dizzy: a dizzying display of acrobatics.
7. dizzy (FEELING) adjective feeling as if everything is spinning round and being unable to balance and about to fall down: Going without sleep for a long time makes me feel dizzy and light-headed. I felt quite dizzy with excitement as I went up to collect the award.
8. lingering adjective [before noun]lasting a long time: She gave him a long, lingering kiss. She's says she's stopped seeing him, but I still have lingering doubts. The defeat ends any lingering hopes she might have had of winning the championship.
9. blow (HIT) noun [C] a hard hit with a hand or a weapon: a sharp blow to the stomach
10. freshman noun [C] US 1 (INFORMAL frosh) a student in the first year of high school, college, or university: He's a freshman at Harvard. Greg and Jody met in their freshman year at college and married soon after they graduated. 2 someone who has recently started any particular job or activity:a freshman in Congreso a freshman football placer
11. tackle (SPORT) verb [T] (especially in football or hockey) to try to take the ball from a player in the other team, or (in rugby or American football) to do this by taking hold of the player and causing them to falltackle noun [C]
12. superimpose verb [T] to put especially a picture, words, etc. on top of something else, especially another picture, words, etc., so that what is in the lower position can still be seen, heard, etc:The book cover had a picture of a dove superimposed on a battle scene.
13. turf (GRASS) noun [C or U] plural turfs or ESP. UK turvesthe surface layer of land on which grass is growing, consisting of the grass and the earth in which its roots grow, or a piece of this which is cut from the ground and is usually rectangular.
14. the turf noun [S] the sport of horse racingturf verb [T] to cover a piece of land with turf
15. nerve-racking, nerve-wracking adjective describes something that is difficult to do and causes a lot of worry for the person involved in it:My wedding was the most nerve-racking thing I've ever experienced.
16. lay (NOT TRAINED) adjective [before noun] not trained in or not having a detailed knowledge of a particular subject: From a lay viewpoint the questionnaire is virtually incomprehensible. See also layperson at layman (NOT TRAINED).

Main ideas:
A survey shows that girls in high school when doing sports are more susceptible to concussions than boy.
Girls take longer for their symptoms to resolve and to return to play.
This is due to the massive female participation in sports.
The consequences can be fatal: brain injuries, dizziness, lethargy and the inability to concentrate.
There are reasons to support the hypothesis based in reality.
The bodies of males and females differ enormousy: girls’ neck muscles are less developed than boys, providing less shock absortion during the impact.
Parents prefer to snatch the dream of their children of becoming a successful sport figure at school instead of suffering the consequences of losing their children or part of theirs.

Personal Reaction:
When you think of high school sports concussions, whom do you envision getting banged up? Usually it is a strapping young football player-a male- isn’t it? But in sports, both girls and boys play such basketball and soccer, girls are more likely to suffer these dangerous brain injuries because they are more competitive than boys that is why girls sometimes take much longer to reover and get back on the field than boys.
What I find even more intriguing are the possible explanations behind the surprising stats. On the one hand, researchers point to biophysical phenomena -for instance, the fact that boys have stronger neck muscles and larger heads than girls, so they can tolerate stronger blows. But there is also a sociocultural explanation. The suspicion that girls tend to report their concussions symptoms more than boys. Is it fair for boys to be considered the tough when they can also result seriously injured?

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: Experts question Study on Youth Suicide Rates
Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/us/14suicide.html?r=1&fta=y
Date: September 14, 2007

Vocabulary:
data group noun [U]information, especially facts or numbers, collected for examination and consideration and used to help decision-making, or information in an electronic form that can be stored and processed by a computer: The data was/were collected by various researchers. Now the data is being transferred rom magnetic tape to hard disk.
anti-depressant noun [C] a drug used to reduce feelings of sadness and anxiety:She's been on anti-depressants ever since her husband died. anti-depressant drugs
label (SIGN) noun [C] 1 a piece of paper or other material which gives you information about the object it is fixed to: Remember to put some address labels on the suitcases. Washing instructions should be on the label. 2 a word or a phrase which is used to describe the characteristics or qualities of people, activities or things, often in a way that is unfair: He seems to be stuck with the label of 'troublemaker'.
Label verb [T] -ll- or US USUALLY -l- [+ adjective] The parcel was clearly labelled 'Fragile'. If you spend any time in prison, you're labelled as a criminal for the rest of your life.
polarize, UK USUALLY polarise verb [T] to cause something, especially something that contains different people or opinions, to divide into two completely opposing groups: The debate is becoming polarized and there seems to be no middle ground.polarization, UK USUALLY polarisation noun [U] The polarization of society into rich and poor can clearly be seen in the city centres.
acknowledge verb [T] to accept, admit or recognize something, or the truth or existence of something: [+ ing form of verb] She acknowledged having been at fault.[+ that] She acknowledged that she had been at fault. You must acknowledge the truth of her argument. Historians generally acknowledge her as a genius in her field. [+ object + to infinitive] She is usually acknowledged to be one of our best artists. They refused to acknowledge (= to recognize officially) the new government. Please acknowledge receipt of (= say that you have received) this letter. He didn't even acknowledge my presence (= show that he had seen me).The government won't even acknowledge the existence of the problem.acknowledgment, acknowledgement noun [C or U] We sent her a copy of the book in acknowledgment of her part in its creation. I applied for four jobs, but I've only had one acknowledgment (= letter saying that my letter has been received) so far.acknowledgments, acknowledgements plural noun a short text at the beginning or end of a book where the writer names people or other works that have helped in writing the book
break (END) verb [I or T] broke, broken to destroy or end something, or to come to an end: Eventually someone spoke, breaking the silence. She laughed and that broke the tension. The enemy were unable to break the code (= understand it and so make it useless). She broke (= did better than) the record for the 5000 metres. Outside workers were brought in in an attempt to break (= end) the strike. They tried to break his will (= make him lose his control) but he resisted. He thought she would break (= lose her self-control) under the strain.break noun [C] when you end a relationship, connection or way of doing something:Their decision to not call their daughter Jane was a break with family tradition.
trial (PROBLEM) noun [C] a person or thing that is annoying and causes a lot of problems: She was a real trial to her parents when she was younger.The book is all about the trials of growing up.
placebo noun [C] plural placebos 1 a substance given to someone who is told that it is a particular medicine, either to make them feel as if they are getting better or to compare the effect of the particular medicine when given to others: She was only given a placebo, but she claimed she got better - that's the placebo effect. 2 something that is given to try to satisfy a person who has not been given the thing they really want:These small concessions have been made as a placebo to stop the workers making further demands.
prescribe (GIVE MEDICAL TREATMENT) verb [T often passive] (of a doctor) to say what medical treatment someone should have: The drug is often prescribed for ulcers. [+ two objects] I've been prescribed painkillers. prescribed adjective The patient was taking a widely prescribed sedative.prescription noun [C] a piece of paper on which a doctor writes the details of the medicine or drugs that someone needs: a doctor's prescription. a prescription for sedatives. UK The doctor should give you a repeat prescription (= another piece of paper allowing more of the same medicine to be given, often without the person seeing the doctor again). These drugs are only available on prescription (= with a prescription from a doctor). Prescription charges (= the standard amount of money you pay for any medicine prescribed by a doctor) are rising in June.
conclusive adjective proving that something is true, or ending any uncertainty:They had conclusive evidence/proof of her guilt. a conclusive argumentNOTE: The opposite is inconclusive.

Main ideas:
Suicide rates for children and adolescents have increased due to the over use of antidepressants.
Discrepancy between Food and Drug Administration and experts beacuse of the stagnant number of prescriptions for anti-depressants in teenagers.
While some experts say FDA warnings on antidepressants scare away patients and doctors, the FDA suggets antidepressants increase youngsters’ suicidal thought and behavior
A third group suggets that a reduction in prescriptions may increase suicide among young people.
Dr. Gibbson, author of the journal article, said the study was temptative not a fact.
Suicides are personal events driven by different factors: break-ups, job loss lack of drug or psychiatric treatment, etc.
FDA based their research on data from drug makers’ clinical trends.
Psychiatrists with long experience using this medication in children say there are no risks at all.
Experts say the study illustrates why suicide trends are so difficult to understand
Reasearchers at Columbia University analysing data from 1990 to 2000 have found that fewer suicides took place with the increase of the use of antidepressants.

Personal Reaction:
It is not the fault on antidepressants. No, it is that some drugs are not approved for use on children or teeenagers, but some doctors prescribe them anyway. Furthermore, these drugs are also abused by youth, with users selling their prescription medications to classmates at school. There is a wide breach between medication and drug addiction.
Antidepressants must be prescribed by the doctor after a detailed study on the patient. If these antidepressants seem risky, its use has to be avoided. Now, the article recognizes that thses drugs can be safer for those who really need them.

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: The ambivalent Bond with a ball of Fur
Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/science/02angier.html?8dpc
Date: October 2, 2007

Vocabulary:
startle verb [T] to do something unexpected which surprises and sometimes worries a person or animal:She was concentrating on her book and his voice startled her. The noise of the car startled the birds and the whole flock flew up into the air. Her article on diet startled many people into changing their eating habits.
floor (CAUSE TO FALL) verb 1 [T] to hit someone and cause them to fall: He was floored with a single punch to the head. 2 [T often passive] INFORMAL to surprise or confuse someone so much that they are unable to think what to say or do next: I didn't know what to say - I was completely floored.
disrupt verb [T] to prevent something, especially a system, process or event, from continuing as usual or as expected: A heavy fall of snow had disrupted the city's transport system. The meeting was disrupted by a group of protesters who shouted and threw fruit at the speaker.
disruption noun [C or U]The accident on the main road through town is causing widespread disruption for motorists.
disruptive adjective causing trouble and therefore stopping something from continuing as usual: His teacher described him as a noisy, disruptive influence in class.disruptively Adverb.
wad noun [C] a number of especially flat and/or small objects pressed tightly together:a wad of banknotes a wad of gum She used a wad (= a mass) of tissues to wipe away the blood.
insulate (PROTECT) verb [T] to protect someone or something from outside influences: Children should be insulated from the horrors of war.Until recently the country's economy has been insulated from recession by its reserves of raw materials.insulation noun [U]
craving noun [C] a strong or uncontrollable desire: I have a craving for chocolate.crave verb [T] Many young children crave attention.
dibs plural noun US INFORMAL dibs on sth a right to have or obtain something from someone, or to use something: Dibs on the front seat! Cablevision might have first dibs on buying the rest of the property.
surrogate adjective [before noun] 1 replacing someone else or used instead of something else: Because she had no children of her own, her friend's son became a kind of surrogate child to her. 2 surrogate (mother) a woman who has a baby for another woman who is unable to become pregnant or have a baby herself: She has agreed to act as a surrogate mother for her sister.
surrogate noun [C] For some people, reading travel books is a surrogate for actual travel.
surrogacy noun [U] the action of a woman having a baby for another woman who is unable to do so herself.

Main ideas:
Cleo was a cat that died of liver failure and her owner claims she is not surprised about her pet’s death.
Cleo’s owner remebers the time her father died and a pet helped her a lot.
The author says that she expects a bond to be bulit up between children, family and pets.
This bond should be simple and innocent.
Some people consider their pets good comapnions, that is why people are getting or buying more pets.
According to the American pet Products Manufacturers Association, 56% of american households have a pet.
We expect of pets to reach beyond the parochial barriers of the human race so as to attract public’s sympathy.
Scientists say we are in between of an ambivalence of feelings about animals.
On the other hand, we feel a connection to animals. On the other hand, we are always trying to show that we are not animals.

Personal Reaction:
I have been looking at the pet section this week. Now I see people with their outrages re-homing fees(selling your pet should just be wrong) but that is just my opinion, and I see people getting rid of their pets because it’s inconvenient or they suddenly have moved and can’t take their pets with them or they are having a baby and can’t be around pets.
I could go on all day with the reasons i have seen to get rid of their pet for losts of money... I have two loving dogs, Felipe and Penny and they are the light of my life. Pets offer us more than just being there. They share our living rooms, our couches and even our beds in some cases. They contributepositively to our mental and physical health. Some research suggests that the type of personality that is drawn to having an animal companionis different fromthe personalityof someone who doesn’t own a pet. As the article says pets are essencial for children’s love and an innocent relationship between human and nature.

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: Friends with benefits, and stress too
Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/health/02sex.html?R=1&adxnnl=1&oref=sloging&adxnnlx=1191341212-013TpOAah4bkbkXgtGhID3sg
Date: October 2, 2007
Vocabulary:
sit around phrasal verb (UK ALSO sit about) INFORMAL to spend time sitting down and doing very little: We sat around most of the evening, waiting for Jake and drinking beer.
rerun verb [T] rerunning, reran, rerun to show a television programme, film, etc. again: The James Bond films are always being rerun on television.
rerun noun 1 [C] a programme or film that has already been shown before on television: This week's films are all reruns. 2 [C usually singular] something that happens or is done again: The Muslim RDR is demanding a rerun of last week's presidential poll.
fling (SAY ANGRILY) verb [I or T; usually + adverb or preposition] flung, flung to say something angrily: They were flinging bitter accusations at each other. [+ speech] "I don't care what you think", she flung (back) at him.
stalk (FOLLOW) verb 1 [T] to follow an animal or person as closely as possible without being seen or heard, usually in order to catch or kill them: The police had been stalking the woman for a week before they arrested her.2 [I or T] to illegally follow and watch someone, usually a woman, over a period of time: He was arrested for stalking.3 [T] LITERARY If something unpleasant stalks a place, it appears there in a threatening way: When night falls, danger stalks the streets of the city.
stalker noun [C]a person who illegally follows and watches someone, especially a woman, over a period of time: Several well-known women have been troubled by stalkers recently.
innuendo noun [C or U] plural innuendoes or innuendos (the making of) a remark or remarks that suggest something sexual or something unpleasant but do not refer to it directly: There's always an element of sexual innuendo in our conversations.
hang out phrasal verb INFORMAL to spend a lot of time in a place or with someone:You still hang out at the pool hall?I've been hanging out backstage with the band.
treacherous (NOT LOYAL) adjective MAINLY OLD USE A person who is treacherous deceives someone who trusts them, or lacks loyalty: Vargas plays the part of treacherous aristocrat who betrays his king and country. I feel a bit treacherous to my own sex if I ever make general criticisms of women.
10. treachery noun [U] FORMAL Corley said she was standing down as leader because of the treachery of her own colleagues.

Main ideas:
· The relationship in which close friends begin having sex are often called friends with benefits, or FWB.
· A recent study suggests that these typical friendships evokes a real friendship and openness.
· The research confirmed this through a poll among college students who admitted having had at least one such relationship.
· A professor at Arizona state University is surpriseed that these cuoples are afraid to develop feelings for the other .
· Just a few of these couples became full scale romances while the rest eventually broke it off.
· But there are also couples who are not really friends. They just end up wrapped around each other because they see now and then. People get passionately involved but they fear romance.

Personal Reaction:
“ Two good friends who have a sexual realtionship without being emotionally involved”, that is the definition for FWB.Are these kinds of relationships good or bad? Well, it depends on your own perspective.Although the article doesn’t make an explicit judgement call on the properness of FWB relationships, they seem to imply tha it’s fine as long as both people are aware of the potential downsides. The fear in a FWB relationship is that one person will become more invested in the relationship than the other person. That someone will fall in love and both the friendship and the sexual relationship will be ended. In my opinion, maturity is not taken by sleeping with a guy who is your friend. Where are the values? Ideas like this makes shake marriage as social institution.

.

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: In the dreamscape of nightmares, clues to why we dream at all
Source: New York Times
Link: http://.nytimes.com/2007/20/23angi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Date: October 23, 2007

Vocabulary:
1. schizophrenia noun [U]1 a serious mental illness in which someone cannot understand what is real and what is imaginary:paranoid schizophrenia. 2 INFORMAL behaviour in which a person appears to have two different personalities
2. outrageous adjective 1 shocking and morally unacceptable:The judge criticized the "outrageous greed" of some of the lawyers.[+ that] It is outrageous that these buildings remain empty while thousands of people have no homes. These prices are just outrageous (= much too high).2 describes something or someone that is shocking because they are unusual or strange: outrageous clothes/behaviour. an outrageous carácter
3. host (A LOT) noun a host of a large number of something: There's a whole host of reasons why he didn't get the job.
4. bogey man noun [C] (ALSO bogy man, US ALSO boogeyman)an imaginary evil person who harms children: Be good, or the bogey man will come and get you!
5. bawdy adjective containing humorous remarks about sex: bawdy humour/songs
6. bona fide, bonafide adjective real, not false: Make sure you are dealing with a bona fide company.
7. bona fides plural noun LEGAL good or sincere intentions.
8. ricochet verb [I] If a ball or bullet ricochets, it hits a surface and bounces away from it at an angle: The ball ricocheted off the goalkeeper and into the net.
9. ricochet noun [C] He was hit by a ricochet from a stray bullet.
10. splice verb [T] to join two pieces of rope, film, etc. together at their ends in order to form one long piece:Scientists have discovered how to splice pieces of DNA.
11. splice noun [C]a join between two pieces of something so that they form one long piece

Main ideas:
A person with a traumatic past may reactivate his trauma by having nightmares. Yet, bad dreams are universal human experiences.
A good reason why bad dreams offer us an insight into the architecture of our thoughts.
Most of our dreams are bad.
We spend 60 to 70 percent of sommonolence dreaming or in a dreamlike state called sleep mentation.
Nightmare frequency varies by age and sex.
Nightmare rates climb through adolescence , peak in young adulthood and then it begins to drop.
Women report having more nightmares than men.
Nightmares content also varies over time and across cultures for example arab women dream with their repression and submissive roles in their society.
The survey and research was based upon brain imaging devices. Scientists have begun identifying which regions of the brain are active during sleep and which are largely off line.

Personal Reaction:
All people, in every age and culture have suffered from these terrors at nights. Nightmares are normal and frequent in our lives. It is considered by many a sort of channel through which we put all our fears and traumas. The research gives interesting information about the age and gender propensity to have nightmares. Besides the different varieties of nightmares depend on the people’s cultures. I think nightmares are a blurred topic to discuss but interesting at the same time. Interesting enough to go on finding out something relevant and useful for people’s better understanding of this topic. It would be great to know why nightmares take place in our brains.

Reading log

Name: Martín, María Fernanda
Title: Marital Spats, Taken to Heart
Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/health/02well.html?ref=research
Date: October 2, 2007
Vocabulary:
Main Ideas:
Arguing is an inevitable part of married life.
Yet, not all of us know that fighting with your spouse can affect your health.
Generally, women tend to bottle up their feelings during marital spat(self-silencing).
Specialists suggest that self-silencing may bring about depression, eating disorders and heart disease.
In utah, researchersa have videotaped 150couples arguing.
The results were categorized in different forms of arguing, ranging from being warm, submisive to hostileand controlliing.
Cardiovascular force increased. It also showed that arguing in a warm stly lower the couple’s risk of heart disease.

Vocabulary:
spouse noun [C] FORMAL OR LEGALa person's husband or wife: In 60% of the households surveyed both spouses went out to work.
nuance noun [C] a very slight difference in appearance, meaning, sound, etc: The painter has managed to capture every nuance of the woman's expression. Linguists explore the nuances of language.
spat (ARGUMENT) noun [C] INFORMAL a short argument, usually about something unimportant: She was having a spat with her brother about who did the washing up.
toll (CHARGE) noun [C]1 a small amount of money that you have to pay to use a road, cross a bridge, etc: He's just got a job collecting tolls at the start of the motorway.2 US the money a long-distance telephone call costs: Is Bayonne a toll call (= a more expensive telephone call) from New York?tolled adjective MAINLY UK There are plans to build a tolled motorway (= one which you pay to use) around the perimeter of the city.
ensue verb [I] FORMAL to happen after something else, especially as a result of it: The police officer said that he had placed the man under arrest and that a scuffle had ensued.ensuing adjective [before noun] happening after something and because of it: An argument broke out and in the ensuing fight, a gun went off.He lost his job and in the ensuing months became more and more depressed.
underlie verb [T] underlying, underlay, underlain to be a hidden cause of or strong influence on something: Psychological problems very often underlie apparently physical disorders.
chequebook UK noun [C] (US checkbook) a book of cheques with your name printed on them which is given to you by your bank to make payments with
psychosomatic adjective (of an illness) caused by anxiety and worry and not by an infection or injury: a psychosomatic illness
hostile (UNFRIENDLY) adjective unfriendly and not liking or agreeing with something: a hostile croad. The President had a hostile reception in Ohio this morning.I'm not hostile to (= against) the idea of change as such.
Hostility noun [U] They showed open (= obvious) hostility to/towards their new neighbours.
Personal reaction:
Unfortunately, during my life I have witnessed marital spats. How should these people get on if they are arguing even for minimum things like what they want to eat? Sposes in the whole world should read this article together. Couples should know that they need to allow the other live a safe environment so as to express feelings when they are in conflict. At least, try it just for their own health and the health of the realtionship as well. Nevertheless, couples nowadays don’t seem to care much the health of their love.