Main Menu Risks in Jobs Risks in Jobs Discussion Sample Video Discussion Sample Video Discussion...

Main MenuRisks in JobsDiscussion Sample VideoWhich Activity Is Riskier?Why do people take risks? Unit 6 Menu of Preparation

New College English II Unit 10

Risks in JobsDirections: Work in pairs to classify the following list of jobs according to the risks involved in the jobs. Some jobs have different types of risks.


Jobsnurse, psychiatrist (), businessman, policeman, coalminer, lawyer, stockbroker (), president, secretary, beggar, teacher, fighter pilot (), accountant (), interpreter, fireman (), singer, peasant, football player, writer, cleaner, psychologist, civil servant (), tourist guide, host of a TV show, factory worker, ambassador (), model, journalist, chemical engineer, computer programmer.


Risks in Jobsnurse, policeman, coalminer, secretary, teacher, fighter pilot, interpreter, fireman, football player, writer, cleaner, tourist guide, factory worker, chemical engineer, computer programmer businessman, stockbroker, accountant, peasant, writer, civil servant, tourist guidenurse, psychiatrist, lawyer, president, teacher, singer, psychologist, tourist guide, writer, anchorperson, ambassador, model, journalist


Discussion Sample VideoClick to enjoy the video clipRisks in Jobs


2. Which Activity Is Riskier?STEP ONEDirections: Work in groups to list the following activities in order of riskiness.rock climbing, working on a farm, driving a car, skydiving, skiing, flying in an airplane, driving a motorcycle, being a 65-year-old man.The following is a list of the activities from the riskiest to the safest:rock climbing skydiving driving a motorcycle being a 65-year-old manskiing flying in an airplane driving a car working on a farm


STEP TWODirections: The following table presents the time or effort involved in each activity to produce a 1-in-1000 risk of death. For example, 25 hours of rock climbing produces 1 death per 1000 climbers. So, hour for hour, rock climbing is twice as risky as skydiving. Look at the table carefully and check your list in Step One.


STEP TWO


STEP THREEDirections: Which of the activities in the above table would you prefer to do? Why?


SampleI prefer to do rock-climbing. I know its a risky sport but I really want to challenge myself and see how I can use my muscles and brain to do a tough job. You may ask why I like this risky sport while there are so many safer ones to test my strength and determination.I was born in a mountain area and Ive been enjoying mountain climbing since my childhood. I always feel excited while climbing a mountain, and rock-climbing is ever more exciting. Its true rock-climbing is full of danger, but life itself is full of dangers too. With modern equipment and our brains, we can prevent serious accidents and minor injuries wont hurt us too much.


3. Why would people like to take risks?Sample:I am really impressed by these quotes. They tell us life is full of risks. As Ali put it, he who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. So taking risks is an essential part of growth and progress. If we look at some famous people we know, obviously they are all good risk takers.


Sample:In addition to making achievements, some people take risks to enjoy a new experience and to challenge themselves. They want to look like a courageous guy or a strong person. Taking risks will make them feel more confident and competent. They also want to enjoy the excitement in risk taking because their lives are otherwise too peaceful and comfortable.


Unit 6 Menu of Word Study

Key Words StudyPhrases and ExpressionsVocabulary Exercises


Menu of Key Words StudyAccordinglyDisaster InconvenienceRob


1. accordingly -1 1. We must ascertain the actual conditions and arrange accordingly. adv. The point is to inform ourselves about the relevant risks and then act accordingly.


accordingly -22.The weather has changed suddenly. Accordingly, we must alter our plans for camping. accordance n. according to


2. disasterAll these difficulties were caused by natural disasters. n. By contrast, only about 300 die per year in mine accidents and disasters. 1disastrous 2catastrophe


3. inconvenience -1?put to inconvenience n. But is the added cost and inconvenience worth the difference in price, even supposing you could afford it? (L. 41)


inconvenience -22)Im sorry my questions have put you to inconvenience. 1)Im sorry for all the inconvenience Ive brought you. convenience convenient


4. rob rob sb. of sth.He was robbed of money on his way to office.The shock robbed him of speech. Am I likely to be robbed on vacations?(L. 9)(1)rob robber robbery(2)steal, burgle V.


Phrases and Expressionsfeed on reduce to


1. feed on -1feed on be fed up (with)Sheep feed chiefly on grass. Anxiety about the risks of life is a bit like hypochondria; in both, the fear or anxiety feeds on partial information.(L.11)


feed on -2Hatred feeds on envy.I am fed up with your grumbling.live on


2. reduce to Laziness has reduced him to a beggar.After the teachers scolding, the students were reduced to silence. But the fact that there are risks associated with everything we are going to do does not, or should not, reduce us to trembling neurotics. (L.31)


Menu of Vocabulary ExercisesDecide Which Word Fits the Sentence BestFill in the Blanks with an Appropriate WordTranslation


Vocabulary Exercises 1-1Directions: Work in pairs to decide which of the italicized words fits the sentence best. Use your dictionary if necessary.

She listens to you, and I wish youd give her sensible/sensitive advice.

1)sensiblesensible sensitive


Vocabulary Exercises 1-22) He weighed the relevant/relative advantages of buying a house against those of renting an apartment.3) Roy took the back off his clock in order to see the machine/mechanism that worked the alarm.2)relativerelevant relative 3)mechanismmachine n. mechanism n.


Vocabulary Exercises 1-34) The toy requires/requests quite a bit of skill tooperate.5) She went through the tapescript carefully, to reduce/eliminate all the errors.4)requires require v. request v.5)eliminate reduce v. eliminate v. all the errors reduce


Vocabulary Exercises 1-46) It was reported that 41 people were killed in a plane crash/collision.

6)crash 41plane crash collision


Vocabulary Exercises 2-12. Directions: Fill in each of the blanks with an appropriate word or phrase from the box. Change the form if necessary.character risky sensible informrarely all manner of end up definitively casual


Vocabulary Exercises 2-2We often discover that the true 1) __________ of many risks is quite different from what we might have imagined. Too often, we 2) ________ preparing ourselves for the impossible risk while failing to take precautions against more likely ones. The media, in particular, have a habit of selecting two or three risks every season to publicize while playing down others.

1) the true character of many risks character 2) end up doing characterend up


Vocabulary Exercises 2-3 Newspapers often scream about a cancer risk associated with this or that. 3) _______, however, do we learn the risk level. Such a 4) _______attitude towards the risk level certainly sells newspapers. 3) do we learn the risk level4) attitude casual, Rarelycasual


Vocabulary Exercises 2-4Because virtually everything is 5) ______, and there are 6) ____________ risks in our daily life. But ordinary people should 7) ______ themselves not only about what is risky, but also about what the level of the risk is. 5) risky a. virtually adv. 6) there are all manner of risks 7) should inform sb. about sth. riskyall manner ofinform


Vocabulary Exercises 2-5Because ignoring the risk level makes 8) ________risk management impossible. Indeed my general rule is this: Unless someone can 9) ___________ tell you what level of risk is associated with a particular activity, do as youwish. 8) 9) definitively sensibledefinitively


Vocabulary Exercises 3-13. Directions: Complete each of the following sentence by translating the Chinese in brackets into English.1) () those grades, he won the scholarship to Syracuse University. 2) The market has () interesting things for sale.3) Faith does not ()thin air but on facts. On the strength ofall manner offeed on


Vocabulary Exercises 3-24) The teacher told the girl to an equation () to its simplest form.5) Keep on doing that and youll () in serious trouble.6) The environmental problems are often () nuclear waste.7) Today we are going to () the question of homeless people. reducetoend upassociated withfocus on


Vocabulary Exercises 3-38) For assistance, they () one of the citys innovative museums.9) Everyone in the class is expected to actively ()these discussions.10) The southern weekend identified at least two village officials said to be () the trade.turned toparticipate ininvolved in


Menu of Reading ComprehensionRelated InformationPre-Reading QuestionsIntensive StudyPost-Reading


Menu of Related InformationFear, Risk and Rational SuicideHow Life Insurance WorksRisk & Its Effect On The Price of Life InsuranceThe Risk of LifeRisk


Menu of Pre-Reading Questions:In a normal day, what are the three riskiest things you do?Sample:Pre-Reading Questions Directions: Discuss in pairs the following question. The three riskiest things I do in a normal day: ride my bicycle in heavy traffic; run downstairs; do science experiments.


Passage StudyActive TextNotes to the TextDifficult SentencesSummary of the Text


Risks and You Para.1 Para.2 Para.3 Para.4 Para.5 Para.6 Para.7 Para.8


Paragraph 1At some time or other, all of us have played the part of a hypochondriac, imagining that we have some terrible disease on the strength of very minor symptoms. Some people just have to hear about a new disease and they begin checking themselves to see if they may be suffering from it. But fear of disease is not our only fear, and neither is risk of disease the only risk we run. Modern life is full of all manner of threatsto our lives, our peace of mind, our families, and our future. And from these threats come questions that we must pose to ourselves: Is the food I buy safe? Are toys for my children likely to hurt them? Should my family avoid smoked meats? Am I likely to be robbed on vacations? Our uncertainties multiply indefinitely.112345


Paragraph 2Anxiety about the risks of life is a bit like hypochondria; in both, the fear or anxiety feeds on partial information. But one sharp difference exists between the two. The hypochondriac can usually turn to a physician to get a definitive clarification of the situationeither you have the suspected disease or you dont. It is much more difficult when anxiety about other forms of risk is concerned, because with many risks, the situation is not as simple.678


Paragraph 3Risks are almost always a matter of probability rather than certainty. You may ask, Should I wear a seat belt? If youre going to have a head-on collision, of course. But what if you get hit from the side and end up trapped inside the vehicle, unable to escape because of a damaged seat belt mechanism? So does this mean that you should spend the extra money for an air bag? Again, in head-on collisions, it may well save your life. But what if the bag accidentally inflates while you are driving down the highway, thus causing an accident that would never have occurred otherwise? 23910


Paragraph 4All of this is another way of saying that nothing we do is completely safe. There are risks, often potentially serious ones, associated with every hobby we have, every job we take, every food we eatin other words, with every action. But the fact that there are risks associated with everything we are going to do does not, or should not, reduce us to trembling neurotics. Some actions are riskier than others. The point is to inform ourselves about the relevant risks and then act accordingly.111213


Paragraph 5For example, larger cars are generally safer than small ones in collisions. But how much safer? The answer is that you are roughly twice as likely to die in a serious crash in a small car than in a large one. Yet larger cars generally cost more than small ones (and also use more gas, thus increasing the environmental risks!), so how do we decide when the reduced risks are worth the added costs? The ultimate risk avoider might, for instance, buy a tank or an armored car, thus minimizing the risk of death or injury in a collision. But is the added cost and inconvenience worth the difference in price, even supposing you could afford it?14


Paragraph 6-1We cannot begin to answer such questions until we have a feel for the level of risks in question. So how do we measure the level of a risk? Some people seem to think that the answer is a simple number. We know, for instance, that about 25,000 people per year die in automobile accidents. By contrast, only about 300 die per year in mine accidents and disasters. Does that mean that riding in a car is much riskier than mining? Not necessarily. The fact is that some 200 million Americans regularly ride in automobiles in the United States every year; perhaps 700,000 are involved in mining.15


Paragraph 6-2The relevant figure that we need to assess a risk is a ratio or fraction. The numerator of the fraction tells us how many people were killed or harmed as the result of a particular activity over a certain period of time; the denominator tells us how many people were involved in that activity during that time. All risk levels are thus ratios or fractions, with values between 0 (no risk) and 1 (totally risky).


Paragraph 7-1By reducing all risks to ratios or fractions of this sort, we can begin to compare different sorts of riskslike mining versus riding in a car. The larger this ratio, that is, the closer it is to 1, the riskier the activity in question. In the case just discussed, we would find the relative safety of car travel and coal mining by dividing the numbers of lives lost in each by the number of people participating in each. Here, it is clear that the riskiness of traveling by car is about 1 death per 10,000 passengers; with mining, the risk level is about 4 deaths per 10,000 miners. 1617


Paragraph 7-2So although far more people are killed in car accidents than in mining, the latter turns out to be four times riskier than the former. Those ratios enable us to compare the risks of activities or situations as different as apples and oranges. If you are opposed to risks, you will want to choose your activities by focusing on the small-ratio exposures. If you are reckless, then you are not likely to be afraid of higher ratios unless they get uncomfortably large.418


Paragraph 8Once we understand that risk can never be totally eliminated from any situation and that, therefore, nothing is completely safe, we will then see that the issue is not one of avoiding risks altogether but rather one of managing risks in a sensible way. Risk management requires two things: common sense and information about the character and degree of the risks we may be running.(963 words)


Note 1smoked meat It is known that artificially smoked meats like bacon () and ham () contain nitrates () which are carcinogenic () substances.


Note 2air bag ()


Note 3But what if the bag accidentally inflates while you are driving down the highway, thus causing an accident that would never have occurred otherwise? What if... means what would happen if... What if it rains when we cant get under shelter? Here otherwise means if you hadt placed an air bag in your car.


Note 4compare the risks of activities or situations as different as apples and oranges means compare two totally different things that seem to be not comparable".


Difficult Sentence 1At some time or other, all of us have played the part of a hypochondriac, imagining that we have some terrible disease on the strength of very minor symptoms.


Difficult Sentence 2Some people just have to hear about a new disease and they begin checking themselves to see if they may be suffering from it. have to


Difficult Sentence 3But fear of disease is not our only fear, and neither is risk of disease the only risk we run.


Difficult Sentence 4And from these threats come questions that we must pose to ourselves


Difficult Sentence 5Are toys for my children likely to hurt them?


Difficult Sentence 6Anxiety about the risks of life is a bit like hypochondria; in both, the fear or anxiety feeds on partial information.


Difficult Sentence 7The hypochondriac can usually turn to a physician to get a definitive clarification of the situationeither you have the suspected disease or you dont.


Difficult Sentence 8It is much more difficult when anxiety about other forms of risk is concerned, because with many risks, the situation is not as simple.


Difficult Sentence 9 But what if you get hit from the side and end up trapped inside the vehicle, unable to escape because of a damaged seat belt mechanism?


Difficult Sentence 10Again, in head-on collisions, it may well save your life.


Difficult Sentence 11There are risks, often potentially serious ones, associated with every hobby we have, every job we take, every food we eatin other words, with every action. often potentially serious ones/risksassociated with+that+withassociated


Difficult Sentence 12But the fact that there are risks associated with everything we are going to do does not, or should not, reduce us to trembling neurotics. the factthat there are risks associated with everything we are going to do we are going to doeverything


Difficult Sentence 13The point is to inform ourselves about the relevant risks and then act accordingly.


Difficult Sentence 14The answer is that you are roughly twice as likely to die in a serious crash in a small car than in a large one. that


Difficult Sentence 15By contrast, only about 300 die per year in mine accidents and disasters. by contrast


Difficult Sentence 16The larger this ratio, that is, the closer it is to 1, the riskier the activity in question. ,1,


Difficult Sentence 17In the case just discussed, we would find the relative safety of car travel and coal mining by dividing the numbers of lives lost in each by the number of people participating in each. by dividing lost in eachliveseach car travel miningin case


Difficult Sentence 18So although far more people are killed in car accidents than in mining, the latter turns out to be four times riskier than the former.


Summary of the textThis text mainly deals with the risks in our daily life. The author thinks that risks are almost always a matter of probability rather than certainty and nothing we do is completely safe. The author makes a comparison between hypochondria and anxiety about the risks of life. He explains how to measure the risk level of activities by means of ratio or fraction. At last the conclusion he draws is that the problem is not to avoid risks but to manage them in a sensible way, which includes two things: common sense and information about the character and degree of the risks we may be running.


Menu of Post-ReadingReading Comprehension

Understanding the Organization of the TextUnderstanding Specific InformationGroup Discussion


1. The Organization of the Text 3-11) Directions: Work in groups to answer the following questions based on the information you get from Paragraphs 13. A. What is the main idea of this part? Risks are always a matter of ___________ rather than _________. B. How does the author support this main idea? The author supports the main idea by means of a comparison between ____________and____________ _____________, and an analysis of injury prevention. certaintyprobabilityhypochondria anxiety about the risks of life


The Organization of the Text 3-22) Directions: Work in groups to complete the following diagram with the information you get from Paragraphs 47. Some boxes have been partly done for you.

* Risk level = number of casualties / total number of participants


The Organization of the Text 3-3We should inform ourselves about the ______________ before making any decision. (Para.4)Example 1We need to know the relative safety of __________ and __________ before our purchase.ProblemHow do we measure the _____ of a risk? (Para.6)Example 2Which activity is ____________________or _______? (Para.6)SolutionRisk levels can be expressed in ______ or _________. (Para.67)______ is four times riskier than _____________.(Para.7)relevant riskslarge carssmall carslevelriskier, riding in a carminingratiosfractionsMiningriding in a car


2. Understanding Specific Information 3-11) What Is Risk?Directions: Many times an idea is best understood when it is compared with something else. Often authors will intentionally compare one idea with another in order to clarify or emphasize a particular idea or point of view. Work in groups to make comparisons between hypochondria and anxiety about the risks of life.


Understanding Specific Information 3-2In both cases, the fear or anxiety feeds on partial information.The hypochondriac can turn to a physician to get a definitive clarification of the situation.Risks are a matter of probability rather than certainty.

SimilarityDifferenceHypochondriaAnxiety about the risks of life


Understanding Specific Information 3-3Directions: Fill in the blanks with the information from the passage. 2) How Do We Measure the Risk Level?25,000300200 million700,0001/10,0004/10,000

Total number of deathsPeople involved in the activityThe risk levelTraveling by carCoal mining


3.Group Discussion 2-1Directions: The following pie chart indicates the relative risks of different means of transportation in America. Work in groups to answer the following questions.1) Which means of transportation is safer, airplanes or cars? Samples:I think airplanes are safer because the relative risk level of airplanes is almost ten times lower than that of cars.


Group Discussion 2-22) Why do most people fear airplane accidents more than car accidents?Sample: Perhaps because airplane crashes are almost always fatal. And it seems unsafe to fly in the air, which causes psychological uneasiness in peoples mind. This is the end of Reading-Centered Activities.Click the return button to go back to the menu.


Home


Unit 6 Menu of Further Development

Case Study Sample Video:VolcanoPersonal Safety

Writing


1.Case StudySTEP ONEDirections: Read the following description of a real situation carefully.


A Real SituationOne afternoon you go for a long walk in the forest with your 10-year-old son and your 14-year-old nephew.The weather is pleasant but cool. The night temperature might drop to 0 or lower. You become lost.You have no equipment or food except some raisins () and chocolate bars.How can you get help or find your way again?


STEP TWODirections: Discuss the various risks involved in each of the following possibilities. Then choose the safest one and explain your choice.


Choice-1You leave the two children and swim across a lake where you think there might be houses.Possibility 1: Swimming across a lake in cold weather is extremely dangerous. Leaving two young children alone in the woods is unwisesomething unexpected could happen to them. And if you drown, they might never be found.


Choice-2You stay with the 10-year-old boy and send the 14-year-old boy to explore a path you think might lead to the main path.

Possibility 2: Letting the 14-year-old boy go alone to try to find the right path is very foolish. He could fall and hurt himself or he could get lost and get very frightened.


Choice-3You decide not to move and spend the night in the forest in the hope that someone will find you.Possibility 3: Not moving and spending the night in the forest is also risky. The temperature might drop, you might be very cold and you still might not be found the next day.


SuggestionAll three possibilities are full of risks. But, if you are a very good swimmer and you are fairly confident that there are houses on the other side of the lake, then Possibility 1 would be a fairly safe choice. If you are quite confident that people might start looking for you in daylight, then Possibility 3 might be a safe choice. If you huddle close together, you will be able to keep warm. Getting sleep or rest will help conserve your energy.


Sample videoVolcano


2.Personal SafetyDirections: Accidents are the major cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 44. The following picture shows the number of deaths caused by various types of accidents. Work in groups to do the following tasks.


The Picture


Task-1Describe the figure in your own words. e.g. Falls account for about 15 percent of all accidental deaths. Or: About 15 percent of all accidental deaths are caused by falls.


Task-2Describe the figure in your own words:

Motor vehicle accidents account for the largest number (59.0%) of all accidental deaths.Only about 2.5% of all accidental deaths are caused by firearms.


Task-3Suggest ways of preventing accidents.Suggested ways of preventing accidents: reduce the speed limit; make less powerful cars; never go swimming alone and be careful not to swim in dangerous areas; keep poisons out of reach of children; ban all firearms; never ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet and protective gear; wear a safety belt on the highway; wear a life jacket when swimming...


3.WritingDirections: Write a composition entitled Are Environmental Risks Worth Taking? based on the results of your discussion in Activity 1. Your article should be no less than 120 words. Remember to write neatly.


Sample 1 Yes, environmental risks are worth taking. China is a great nation and she must compete in the modern world. In order to do this, she has to take risks of all kinds. Pollution is one of the major consequences of technological and economic growth.


Sample 1-2If stricter controls are placed on companies and if laws are made to help limit pollution, we can reduce the risks on the environment. Unfortunately, installing anti-pollution devices on chimneys and cleaning up the rivers and lakes are very costly.


Sample 1-3It is too late to turn back. The market economy has brought many good changes that have improved peoples lives. Progress of any kind has always involved risks. We must be prepared to take risks in order to move ahead. However, we must not move blindly. We must remain vigilant with regard to the environmental consequences of our economic development. We must not proceed so quickly that we put the health of the population at risk. (160 words)


Sample 2 No, environmental risks are not worth taking. Man has already done too much damage to the planet. We will all suffer the consequences of increased global warming, massive pollution of rivers and oceans, and continued destruction of forests. We must start looking for more ways to improve the environment rather than continuing to damage it.


Sample 2-2Of course, we all want to have a more comfortable life. We want to be able to buy more and more things. But at what cost? If we produce more garbage, if we pollute the air, the land and the great rivers, we will suffer. We will not be able to breathe fresh air or drink clean water. Health risks will increase and our life span will decrease.


Sample 2-3The environmental risks we are taking today are not worth taking in the long run. The short-term gains are not worth the long-term pain and suffering. (165 words)


This is the end of Unit 6


Main Menu Risks in Jobs Risks in Jobs Discussion Sample Video Discussion Sample Video Discussion...

Documents

Transcript of Main Menu Risks in Jobs Risks in Jobs Discussion Sample Video Discussion Sample Video Discussion...