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1. How long have you been currently working at your company?
2. How do you normally prepare yourself before making a tough decision?
3. How do you normally start off your day?
4. Are there any types of perks offered for achievements at your company?
5. Do you feel that your team of employees are very dedicated to everyday tasks?
Imagine this scenario: Your Companys head honcho is in the conference room down the hall
for the big meeting on how well you're steering his investment. But with minutes to go, your
"numbers guy" says you're still in the red despite a great second quarter. What do you do?
Bosses across all industries face curveballs like this one every day--and a new study in PLoS
ONE suggests that they're better poised to make tough decisions than their subordinates.
German researchers administered hundreds of rapid-fire word pairs to 35 workers and asked
them to pick the more appealing one as they collected fMRI data and tracked their decision-
making process. It turns out managers and non-managers show dissimilar brain activity when
making decisions, but it's the managers who choose faster.
The struggle between deciding what's right and what's right now can be exhausting, so we
compiled seven scenarios on how to be the boss at, well...being the boss. Sort through your
work problems and deliver the best possible decision in a high-pressure situation with our
ultimate boss checklist.

1. Be in a Good Mood
You were speeding during your commute, and then wound up late with a traffic ticket and
unable to beat the guy who's after your gig. But don't fret--if you do, it might kill your job

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security. Starting out the work day pissed is dangerous because your mood influences the
decisions you make, says Don Moore, Ph.D., an associate management professor at the
University of California, Berkeley and coauthor of Judgment in Managerial Decision Making. "If
it's a question of 'should we take the risk?' you're more likely to say 'yes' if you're in an angry
mood," he says. So cheer up--it's just a citation.

2. Avoid Distractions
If your days fill up fast but you know there's a big decision looming, set aside enough time to
thoroughly mull it over. Better yet, designate 30 to 45 minutes for deliberations first thing in
the morning before your day gets away from you, suggests Mike Staver, author of Leadership
Isn't For Cowards and founder of The Staver Group, a performance-consulting firm for
businesses. The key, though, is to avoid interruptions--keep Outlook off--so you're only
focused on the decision at hand.

3. Start Early
After a long call with your supervisor in the morning, you learn that some of your best workers
may be let go tomorrow...and he's charged you with trimming them. Tough as it is, don't
procrastinate to avoid the axing, Moore says. "Hurrying through those complex decisions late
in the day when you're trying to get out and you're feeling stressed is not a good plan."

4. Call for Help
Being a boss has its perks, but constantly making a company's life and death decisions doesn't
seem like one of them. And when you're overtaxed but need to make snap choices based on
too little information, your intuition can bias you enough to make mistakes and get burnt out.
"Decision fatigue leads people to make worse decisions," Moore says. Your move: ask for help
and allocate the most stressful parts to empty your plate. When the time is right, you'll make a
more informed choice.

5. Assess the Aftermath
Now that your employees spent hours compiling more than enough information for you to
make the call, wade through it all with these questions in mind: What does it mean for the
company's bottom line? Does it empower you or weaken you within the firm? Is it legal, let
alone ethical? "It's when the decisions get divorced from your own values that you're more
likely to do something you regret later," Moore says. Try the wife test: If you can't go home
and explain to the Mrs. what's happening at work, speak up and lay out a case that's more
aligned with your values.



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6. Make Your Choice
After a long day and a quick glance around the office--your intern is dozing off and your papers
are scattered around Chinese takeout containers--it's judgment hour. If you have enough
information and feel like you're ready to make a decision, do it. If not, don't. "Say 'If you need
a decision from me now, the answer's no. If we can have more time, I would like to reflect on it
and gather more data," Moore says. There's nothing wrong with spending a little overtime to
get things right.

7. Thank the Supporting Cast
A few of your best employees stayed late with you at the office as your decision hit the "Yes,
we're doing this" or "No, we can't justify it" hour. You couldn't have done it without them, so
how can you recognize their hard work? Skip the email and actually write out a thank-you note
to each member of the team that specifically mentions how their contribution helped you out,
Staver says. They're likely to appreciate it more than a few slices of pizza or special parking
space.


1. What are your opinions after reading the text?
2. Do you think the same thing could be done in Rio de Janeiro?

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hFj3OXVL_wQ
QUESTIONS:
1. What does the man (Leonardo Dicaprio) want to do after he cashes his check?
He wants to get his money
He wants to fly to Paris
He wants to take the cashier out to dinner

2. He says he doesn't know which seat is the "jump seat" because:
he has amnesia
it's been a while since he has done this
he is not a pilot

3. According to the FBI agent, what happens in Vegas?:
The house (casino) always wins
People get caught
People lose a lot of money



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4. What is Dicaprio's character doing?
He's posing as a student
He's posing as a pilot
He's studying to be a pilot

5. According to the FBI agent, why doesn't Dicaprio's character have a record?:
Because he's smart
Because they can't catch him
Because he's a kid

Listening # 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=R_f1uCWKZQs
1. What city is the man in?
the emergency room
He can't remember
Philadelphia

2. What is the first question that the doctor asks the man?:
He asks him where he was sitting on the train
He asks him his name
He asks him why he was sitting on the train

3. The man is:
not certain he was in the passenger car
certain he was not a passenger

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certain he was in the passenger car

4. Why did the train derail?
It was raining
It took a turn (curve) too fast
It's engine was old

5. The doctor is surprised that the man:
scratched his way out of the train wreck
doesn't have a scratch on him
was not on the train

1. John ____________ (play) with the children after he_____________ (have) dinner.
2. The farmer___________ (harvest) the apples before he________________ (take) them to
his neighbor to make cider.
3. After it_______________ (stop) raining the tennis match___________ (can) start.
4. After George________________ (swallow) his medicine he______________ (begin) to feel
much better.
5. Before he______________ (become) president he__________________ (work) as an actor.
6. The tourists ________________(jump) into the pool as soon as they________________
(unpack) their suitcases.
7. They____________________ (sell) their flat before they______________________ (move)
to the Netherlands.
8. He__________________ (work) as a tourist agent after he ______________________
(finish) school.

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9. After he___________________ (call) the police he _________________ (call) the
ambulance.
10. We_________________ (leave) the cinema as soon as the movie_______________ (end).
11. After Mary_______________ (get) her new school uniform she_________ (be) very
happy.
12. He __________________ (meet) some friends after he ___________________ (study) for
the test.
13. When we _______________ (arrive) at home she______________ (already do) the
washing.

14. She_______________ (need) help because someone____________________ (steal) her
money.
15. She _______________ (do) her homework before she___________________ (visit) me.
. I am very ________ about going to Mexico.
Excited exciting excitable
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. One of my teeth is ________.
Lose loose loss
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

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Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

3. I always get ________ when I have to speak in front of a large crowd.
Embarrassed ashamed shame
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

4. I am an ________ person. I don't like to rely on others.
Independence independent dependent
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

5. This news might ________ the outcome of the election.
Inflict effect affect
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________


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6. I was very ________, but I pretended that I was interested.
Boredom boring bored
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

7. Can you ________ me one of your pens?
Lend borrowed borrow
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

8. James had ________ with his friend today.
the lunch lunch on lunch
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________



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9. My brother ________ know how to ski.
Not don't doesn't
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

10. ________ Polish people eat meat.
Most Almost The most
Meaning 1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Meaning 2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. This is such an ________ time for me.
Exciting excited excitable

2. I'd rather ________ a book than surfing the web.
Reading be reading read

3. She is very rich. She has ________ money.
a lot of much lots

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4. Sorry, I can't visit you on Saturday. ________ dinner with some friends.
I'll have I have I'm having

5. One of my two sisters is coming to visit tomorrow. ________ is staying at home.
Another one The other one Other one

6. P1: What language do you speak at home? P2: I ________ Korean at home.
am speaking do speak speak

7. When did she get married ________ him?
To with on

8. I'm reading ________.
the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times a Los Angeles Times

9. Why ________ tell me?
you not didn't you you didn't

10. You must ________ the book that you borrowed from the library.
return back return again return

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It was quite a send-off for Jim Davis, or so the people paying his funeral bills were led to
believe. They were told Davis was laid to rest at Abbey Memorial Park in Compton after being
placed in an ornate, top-of-the-line casket lined with elaborate floral arrangements.
Altogether, the bill to bury Davis at the palm-lined cemetery came to nearly $31,000.

But there was a problem: There was no Jim Davis. He was dreamed up by a group of scam
artists, authorities say. And prosecutors say the coffin that was lowered into the ground was
made out of cheap plywood or cardboard, filled with either rocks or animal bones, apparently
to convince those who handled it that there was a body inside.

Faye Shilling, 60, and Jean Crump, 67, were indicted last week on federal charges that they
scammed insurance companies and funeral-related businesses out of as much as $1 million by
taking out policies on fictitious people and then staging their funerals.

The participants went so far as to file phony death certificates, and bought a $3,354 burial plot
for "Jim Davis," investigators said. Davis was the only one "buried." The others were
supposedly cremated, evidently because that was easier to pull off.

The women were freed on $10,000 bail. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press,
Shilling said: "I am hurt, just hearing things that I know are not true. Someone is trying to
destroy me, but why?

STEP 2 - Answer these questions (choose the best answer):

1. Why was Jim Davis' funeral different from others?

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Jim Davis was a fictitious person
It cost nearly $31,000
He had a top-of-the-line casket

2. How did the scam consist of?
Taking out policies on people that didn't exist and then staging their funerals
Jim Davis
Buying burial plots

3. Why were the coffins filled with rocks or animal bones?
To comply with the policies of the funeral home.
To cremate the bodies.
To make it seem like there was a body inside.

4. How much money did the women scam the insurance companies and funeral-business out
of?
$31,000
Somewhere around one million dollars
$10,000

5. How does one of the accused women, Faye Schilling, feel about the accusations?
She feels sorry for what she did.
She says they're false.
She says that her partner, Jean Crump, forced her to do the scam.

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Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to
a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, U.S. researchers
said on Monday. In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate
cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or
hormone therapy.

The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking
for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.
As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health
improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared
prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes. After the three months, the
men had changes in activity in about 500 genes -- including 48 that were turned on and 453
genes that were turned off. The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number
of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer,
shut down, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.

The research was led by Dr. Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute
in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve
health."It's an exciting finding because so often people say, 'Oh, it's all in my genes, what can I
do?' Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the
University of California, San Francisco, said in a telephone interview. "'In just three months, I
can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?' That's pretty
exciting," Ornish said. "The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate
cancer."




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STEP 2 - Answer these questions (choose the best answer):

1. The article basically states that a healthy lifestyle:
can even alter your genes for the better.
has no effect on your genes.
is good for the environment.

2. Apart from eating healthy food and exercising, the men in the study:
were put under a lot of stress.
were taught stress management methods.
were given a lot of meat.

3. In total, how many genes changed as a result of the healthy lifestyle?
48
453
500

4. What happened to some of the disease-causing genes?
Their activity increased
Their activity decreased
There was very little change in their activity

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the article? - The men in the study:
complained about headaches
lost weight

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lowered their blood pressure



Agree or Disagree
Discuss the following Topics with your Teacher

Using animals in medical research helps people
Gay marriages are wrong
Women will never be equal to men in the workplace
You cant have a happy family life and a successful career at the same time
Marriage is outdated
The death penalty is acceptable in some cases
Foreigners shouldnt be allowed to vote
Celebrities earn too much money
Military service should be obligatory
War is never an option for solving international disputes
Torture can be acceptable in some cases
Curfews keep teens out of trouble
We are becoming too dependent on computers
Smoking should be banned worldwide
Single-sex schools are evil
Homework is harmful
A womans place is in the home
Commiting suicide should be made legal

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A man should have a wife for the family and a mistress for pleasure
Soft drugs should be legalized.
Those who can - do, those who cant teach
You will be happier if you stay unmarried
Software piracy is not really a crime
We do not really need religion
Your race affects your intelligence
Euthanasia should be legal
Obesity is a disease
Video games contribute to youth violence
Drinking age should be lowered
Steroids should be accepted in sports
Cloning has a lot of benefits
Prenuptial agreements make families stronger
Corporal punishment should be allowed in schools.

VOCABULARY | Weekend plans
REMEMBER: Several responses might be acceptable - choose the best one:
1. What are you doing __________ ?
a) this weekend b) on this weekend c) in this weekend
2. We always go __________ for the weekend.
a) outside of town b) out of town c) leave
3. My __________ ( = my wifes parents) are having a party.
a) brother-in-law b) mother-in-law c) in-laws
4. I __________ ( = spent time) with my friends.

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a) hanged b) hung out c) hung low
5. I cant make it this weekend. Ive got plans I __________. ( = cant cancel)
a) cant get b) cant go c) cant get out of

6. We took a long __________. ( = trip by car)
a) road trip b) road journey c) road excursion
7. We drove __________ to New Mexico and back.
a) whole distance b) all the way to c) entire way to
8. Disneyland is a huge __________.
a) amusement b) park c) amusement park
9. I really want to see that new movie __________ Anthony Hopkins.
a) stars b) with c) at the theater
10. We spent __________ money on popcorn and drinks as we did on the movie
tickets.
a) as much b) so much c) quite a bit of

VOCABULARY | Weekend plans -
REMEMBER: Several responses might be acceptable - choose the best one:
1. Lets stay in tonight. We can __________ a couple of DVDs.
a) rent b) take in c) lease
2. Theres a bit of an emergency at work this weekend. Im going to have to
__________ on Sunday.
a) go in b) appear c) show
3. I had so much fun! The birthday party was __________! ( = great)
a) a bomb b) best c) a blast

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4. This Saturday is my grandmothers __________ birthday.
a) 70 (seventy) b) 70s (seventies) c) 70 the (seventieth)


5. My friends and I went out __________ on Friday night. We got home at around
5:00 AM.
a) to clubbing b) clubbing c) club
6. I like to __________ on weekends. I usually dont do anything crazy.
a) take it simple b) take it easy c) relaxation
7. A couple of our friends __________ from Paris, so we hung out with them all
weekend.
a) were visitors b) were visiting c) visiting
8. I borrowed my parents car and my girlfriend and I went for a ___________ in the
mountains.
a) voyage b) drive c) ski
9. I spent the whole weekend at the beach - Swimming, surfing, ___________.
a) sunbathing/tanning b) sun tan c) getting sun tanning
10. Weekends just seem to _____________, ( = pass too quickly) dont they?
a) fly b) fly away c) fly by