Phuong Nguyen English

Lesson 2: Mental and physical development The

body, the mind
A. The body
1. Answer the questions
 Which hormone is often called the "feel-good" hormone because it contributes to happiness and pleasure?
A) Estrogen
B) Testosterone
C) Serotonin
D) Insulin
 What hormone is responsible for the fight-or-flight response when we
feel threatened or stressed?
A) Cortisol
B) Oxytocin
C) Adrenaline (Epinephrine)
D) Melatonin
 What hormone is associated with feelings of love and attachment,
particularly in romantic relationships and during childbirth?
A) Estrogen
B) Testosterone
C) Oxytocin
D) Cortisol
 What activities can help increase oxytocin levels in the body?
A) Watching TV alone
B) Engaging in meaningful conversations with loved ones
C) Eating sugary snacks
D) Spending time in a noisy environment
 Which hormone regulates our sleep-wake cycle and is often called the "sleep hormone"?
A) Melatonin
B) Serotonin
C) Adrenaline (Epinephrine)
D) Insulin

1.1 2a You will hear a talk about early development in children. Listen and complete the table
below.
Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.
Stage Social and emotional Physical milestones Cognitive and
milestones communicative
milestones
Infant  likes to mimic  can sit and stand  can use basic words
 tries to see how parents without help and
react to their (1) (2) .....................
..........................  uses objects for their
intended purpose
Phuong Nguyen English

 is more is able to  greater understanding

(3)………………. (4)…………………..  run of language
 takes turns  (5).................things  uses (6)……………….
 ride a tricycle in play

Middle childhood
 the (7)…………  growth is not as  good reading and

has a greater impact on (9)……………….. writing (12)

as in earlier stages ………………
development
 (10)……………..
 some children appear
and
grown up, others are
(8)…………. (11)……………….
are the same size as
in adulthood

1.2 Listen to the talk again and find words that mean the same as the following.

1 learned (a skill) 1. ………………

2 copying people 2. ………………

3 without help 3. ………………

4 in a natural, unforced way 4. ………………
5 developed a skill to a high level 5. ………………
6 phase (2 words)
6. ………………

1.3 WORD BUILDING Complete the table

Verb Noun Adjective

Develop

Grow Fully-

Mature
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2.1. Read this text about development in adolescence. Then complete the following sentences with
words from the text.

The final stage before adulthood is adolescence. This is a period of transition for teenagers and there
are many crucial milestones. Socially and emotionally, teens worry that they may not be developing at
the same rate as their peers. They become extremely self-conscious and may be overly sensitive about
their appearance. Teens may rebel against their parents but are also more able to accept the
consequences of their actions.
This is also a period of enormous physical change and adolescents experience changes in their physical
development at a rate unparalleled since infancy. These changes include significant gains in height and
weight. Within a year, boys and girls can gain an average of 4.1 inches and 3.5 inches in height
respectively. This growth spurt typically occurs two years earlier for girls than for boys and can tend to
make both sexes go through a clumsy phase. In terms of their cognitive development, adolescents have
greater reasoning skills and have developed the ability to think logically and hypothetically. They are
also able to discuss more abstract concepts. They should also have developed strategies to help them
study.
1 First-year students often struggle with the .....transition ........ from high school to university.

2 The .................. at which a change occurs can cause problems for both the very young and the elderly.

3 It can be less stressful to make a presentation to your .................................. rather than to your teachers.

4 The increase in violence among young people may be a ...................................... of watching too much
violence on TV and in video games.

5 Petrol prices are increasing at a speed that is.............................................. since the oil crisis of the 70s.

6 Teenagers .................................... rebel against their parents between the ages of 14 and 16.

7 In part three of the speaking test you are expected to be able to talk about more ..........................topics.

8 Infinity is a very difficult........................................................ for children to grasp.

 Phuong Nguyen English

2.2 What stage would you associate

the following words and phrases
with? Write the words in the
correct column below.
crawling immature

irresponsible nurturing

overindulgent overprotective

patient rebellious

throw a tantrum tolerant

unsteady

Childhood Parenthood

Clumsy Mature
Phuong Nguyen English

2.3 Many words used to talk about human growth can also be used to talk about data and
statistics. Complete the sentences with a suitable word from the text in 2.1. You may need to
change the form of the words.

1 The p.................... of greatest stability occurred between 1985 and 1990.

2 The greatest period of g....................................... was in 2004.

3 The figures g................................................................... from 2,500 to 6,000 in 2007.

4 The company g ................................................................ an extra 2,000 employees in 2002.

5 Sales increased at a significant r. ............................................................ between 2001 and 2005.

6 The number of migrants rose s. .......................................................... from 1980 to 2000.

B. The mind

3 Match the phrases in A with the definitions in B.

A B

1 keep an open mind A increase your knowledge

2 bear in mind B I forgot

3 have something in mind C I couldn't remember a thing

4 have something on your mind D remember

5 my mind went blank E try not to judge before you know the facts

6 it slipped my mind F be worried about something

7 put your mind at ease G have an idea

8 broaden the mind H stop you from worrying

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4.1 Think about your answers to these questions.

1 What do you remember about your early childhood?

2 Do you think you have a good memory or a poor memory?

4.2 2b Now listen to a student answering the questions in

4.1 and make a note of all of the words and phrases connected with memory

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

…………………………………………………

4.3 Correct the vocabulary mistakes in these

sentences.

1 I will always memory how beautiful the sunset was

on that day. ……..remember……………..

2 I have very fond reminders of my school days.

………………………………

3 Could you remember me to buy some bread on the

way home? ………………………………

4 At school we always had to memory long lists of

vocabulary. ………………………………

5 I remind how happy our childhood was.

………………………….………