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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

A NEW
YEAR’S
RESOLUTION
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1 Warm up

Have you made any resolutions for the New Year?

2 Key words

Match the terms on the left to the definitions on the right. Then put the words in the correct sentences
below and check with your partner.

1. resolution a. a firm decision to do or not to do something in the future

2. damage b. a person who takes part in something, e.g. a survey or study

3. binge-drink c. reduce in size, become smaller

4. addicted to d. to consume too much alcohol in a short time

5. decrease e. to make something worse

6. participant f. unable to stop taking (some drug)

1. Cigarettes can badly your skin and make it yellow.

2. Michael wanted to become a paid in the health study.
3. My New Year’s is to eat fewer sweets.
4. Michael is smoking and drinking wine.
5. Some people believe that drinking and smoking can seriously your intelligence.
6. Many students before going out to parties.

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A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

3 Before you read

Try to answer each question below. In pairs, compare and discuss your choices. Then read the
article to discover the impact of your and your partner’s drinking/smoking habits according to the
researchers.

1. How much alcohol do you drink in a week?

a. I don’t drink b. 1-2 drinks c. 3-5 drinks d. 6+ drinks

2. How often do you smoke cigarettes or other nicotine products?

a. every day b. 1-2 times/week c. hardly ever d. I don’t smoke

3. What do you think are the long-term effects of drinking and smoking too much?

a. loss of balance b. frequent flu c. a rash d. memory loss

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
Always forget to keep your New Year’s resolutions?
Smoking and drinking could be why
1.
The New Year is just around the corner and now
might be a good time to make a resolution to drink
less, or to stop smoking (or both). That is, if you don’t
have a problem with remembering, of course.
2.
Drinking too much of alcohol and smoking cigarettes
together could be having a negative effect on your
memory. In fact, the harm of using both of these
substances is bigger than the single use of each
substance. Earlier research has shown that drinking
too much (more than 14 units* a week, or binge
drinking six units for women and eight for men) and
smoking is connected to many health and memory
problems.
3.
One part of the memory that is negatively affected is
prospective memory. Prospective memory involves
planning and remembering future activities, such as
remembering to meet with friends at a specific place
or time, or remembering to take medication on time.
4.
Too much alcohol can damage your memory. In one
study, when participants were asked to do some
tasks, binge drinkers remembered to do fewer than
those who did not binge drink. A similar model is
seen in smokers. Daily smokers remember about
fewer actions, compared with those who have never
smoked.
5.
Drinking and smoking harm memory when used
separately; when used together, they strengthen the
effect. Those who both drink and smoke have more
memory issues, reduced ability to think quickly and
greater issues with problem solving.
6.
Also, those who are addicted to both alcohol and
cigarettes suffer more brain damage than those who
do not smoke. These people experience a decrease in
brain mass of the frontal part of the brain (responsible
for short- and long-term memory).
7.
Generally, people tend to drink alcohol and smoke,
so we checked the combined effect of these two
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substances on prospective memory. To do this, we
recruited four groups: heavy drinkers who do not
smoke, smokers who do not drink too much, people
who both smoke and drink too much, and a low-
alcohol, non-smoking control group.
8.
Participants were tested on how they could
remember six actions. For three of these, the
participant was asked to do a task at a specific time
(for example: "In seven minutes, I would like you to
change the pen you are using"). For the other three
actions, participants were asked to complete a task at
a specific moment (for example, "When you come to
a quiz question about ‘Eastenders’ (a popular TV show
in the UK), I would like you to give me this book").
9.
Our analysis of the results showed that the polydrug
group (people who both smoke and drink excessively)
had more problems than the excessive drinkers
and smokers combined. This suggests that there
is something that happens that negatively impacts
memory when using both of these substances.
10.
This finding is important because it highlights that
memory may be influenced by the combination of
excessive drinking and cigarette smoking. It is our
hope that the findings uncovered here will help to
improve our understanding about the dangers of
drinking and smoking to our memory, in this case
prospective memory.
11.
If you’re thinking what your New Year’s resolution
should be this year, why not quit booze or cigarettes
in the New Year. You might even want to consider
giving up both.
*A unit of alcohol (UK) is defined as 10ml of pure alcohol
Adapted from The Conversation January 2, 2017
by Anna-Marie Marshall, Colin Hamilton and Tom
Heffernan
3/5
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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

4 Checking understanding

Answer the questions.

1. According to the article, what is ‘prospective memory’ responsible for?

a. remembering things for a b. remembering people’s c. planning for the future

long time names

2. Which group of alcohol drinkers had the most memory problems?

a. teenage boys b. alcoholics c. binge drinkers

3. Which part of the brain manages long-term memory?

a. the back part b. the front part c. the middle section

4. The phrase ‘polydrug group’ refers to ...

a. people who drink too b. people who drink and c. people addicted to
much smoke a lot smoking

5. What is the conclusion of the research according to the author?

a. drinking and smoking can be dangerous to our memory

b. binge-drinking can cause death
c. heavy drinkers and smokers need to learn more about their brains

5 Find the words

Find words/phrases in the text which mean ...

1. very near (phrase, P1)

2. includes (verb, P3)
3. seven days a week (adverb, P4)
4. problems (plural noun, P5)
5. bigger (adjective, P5)
6. the ability to remember for a long time into the future (phrase, P6))
7. consisting of two or more things joined together (adjective, P7)
8. shows, stresses (verb, P10)
9. alcohol (informal noun, P11)

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A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

6 Talking point

Discuss the questions below in pairs or small groups.

1. How does alcohol change people’s behaviour?

2. What part do alcohol and cigarettes play in the culture of your country?
3. What kinds of social problems does alcohol cause in your country?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Key

1. Warm up

Encourage a short discussion.

2. Key words

1. a 2. e 3. d 4. f 5. c 6. b

1. damage
2. participant
3. resolution
4. addicted to
5. decrease
6. binge-drink

4. Checking understanding

1. c
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. a

5. Find the words

1. just around the corner 2. involves 3. daily

4. issues 5. greater 6. long-term memory
7. combined 8. highlights 9. booze

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