Academic English

PHOTO Chinese lanterns for New Year Festival in Auckland ACADEMIC WORD Transition is the process of adjustment and adaptation to a new environment. For example, if the situation in a country has changed, people talk about a society in transition. If there are no problems during the process, it’s a smooth transition – but that’s rare. Usually, people find it difficult to make the transition to a new role or situation. Transition is sometimes used as a verb too, especially in business. For example, the firm is transitioning to a new accounting system. TEST Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? The transition between childhood and adolescence can be a troubling one. The process of adaptation needs to be fully transitioned before the new system can be used. We support students during their crucial transition into university study. Her novels depict communities in transition from traditional lifestyles. QUIZ Which of these is NOT a public holiday in New Zealand? Labour Day Queen’s Birthday Thanksgiving VIDEO This is a presentation by Professor Steven Chew from Samford University in the United States. He discusses the beliefs which students have about learning and how these can help or hinder them in achieving their goals at university. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end. Click or copy and paste this address into your browser and press ‘start’ to see the video with the questions and answers included. https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56c1287807e75e1a02f01f0f

PHOTO Chinese lanterns for New Year Festival in Auckland ACADEMIC WORD Transition is the process of adjustment and adaptation to a new environment. For example, if the situation in a country has changed, people talk about a society in transition. If there are no problems during the process, it’s a smooth transition – but that’s rare. Usually, people find it difficult to make the transition to a new role or situation. Transition is sometimes used as a verb too, especially in business. For example, the firm is transitioning to a new accounting system. TEST Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? The transition between childhood and adolescence can be a troubling one. The process of adaptation needs to be fully transitioned before the new system can be used. We support students during their crucial transition into university study. Her novels depict communities in transition from traditional lifestyles. QUIZ Which of these is NOT a public holiday in New Zealand? Labour Day Queen’s Birthday Thanksgiving VIDEO This is a presentation by Professor Steven Chew from Samford University in the United States. He discusses the beliefs which students have about learning and how these can help or hinder them in achieving their goals at university. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end. Click or copy and paste this address into your browser and press ‘start’ to see the video with the questions and answers included. https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56c1287807e75e1a02f01f0f

PHOTO Scene from the Summer 2016 production of King Lear at the Pumphouse, Takapuna. Edgar asks his (now blind) father Gloucester to visualise Dover Cliff. ACADEMIC WORD Visualise means to be able to imagine or understand something visually. Sometimes lecturers ask the audience to visualise a real or imaginary scene which they are describing. Charts and models are important ways of allowing readers to visualise data and theories. One example of this is the way that important concepts in a subject are organised into a taxonomy, which shows the relationship between the different elements in a system – these are typically represented in visual form as a tree diagram or a network. This is the topic of today’s online lecture. TEST Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? Can you visualise Donald Trump as US President? I’d like you to visualise the scene as the emergency services arrivde at the site. The following slide visualises the structure of dna. The traditional organizational chart may distort the way we visualise relations between team members. KIWI QUIZ QUESTION Which of the following is an important visual symbol of Maori culture? the koru the haiku the torah VIDEO https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56b1239290e8a46b7bd1ca87 This is a TED talk by Manuel Lima about the changing ways in which we have visualised knowledge. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end.

PHOTO Scene from the Summer 2016 production of King Lear at the Pumphouse, Takapuna. Edgar asks his (now blind) father Gloucester to visualise Dover Cliff. ACADEMIC WORD Visualise means to be able to imagine or understand something visually. Sometimes lecturers ask the audience to visualise a real or imaginary scene which they are describing. Charts and models are important ways of allowing readers to visualise data and theories. One example of this is the way that important concepts in a subject are organised into a taxonomy, which shows the relationship between the different elements in a system – these are typically represented in visual form as a tree diagram or a network. This is the topic of today’s online lecture. TEST Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? Can you visualise Donald Trump as US President? I’d like you to visualise the scene as the emergency services arrivde at the site. The following slide visualises the structure of dna. The traditional organizational chart may distort the way we visualise relations between team members. KIWI QUIZ QUESTION Which of the following is an important visual symbol of Maori culture? the koru the haiku the torah VIDEO https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56b1239290e8a46b7bd1ca87 This is a TED talk by Manuel Lima about the changing ways in which we have visualised knowledge. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end.

PHOTO Next to Milford Beach, Auckland, New Zealand ACADEMIC WORD Oblique means indirect. The word oblique comes from mathematics, where it refers to angles which are not 90, 180 or 360 degrees. But it is also used to describe a message that is deliberately indirect. She made an oblique reference to my lack of experience. QUIZ Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? His speech was widely interpreted as an oblique criticism of Government policy. I prefer to set my desk at an oblique angle to the window. We are taking an oblique route to avoid the traffic. The film makes several oblique references to contemporary politics. VIDEO This is a TED talk by Tim Harford about the advantages of messy problems - problems and situations that seem uncomfortable and disorganised but can stimulate people to find more creative and successful solutions. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end. To see the lecture, click on the url below (or copy and paste it into your browser) and click on 'Start'. https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56a301122c6afb1079034ec5

PHOTO Next to Milford Beach, Auckland, New Zealand ACADEMIC WORD Oblique means indirect. The word oblique comes from mathematics, where it refers to angles which are not 90, 180 or 360 degrees. But it is also used to describe a message that is deliberately indirect. She made an oblique reference to my lack of experience. QUIZ Which one of these sentences is NOT correct? His speech was widely interpreted as an oblique criticism of Government policy. I prefer to set my desk at an oblique angle to the window. We are taking an oblique route to avoid the traffic. The film makes several oblique references to contemporary politics. VIDEO This is a TED talk by Tim Harford about the advantages of messy problems - problems and situations that seem uncomfortable and disorganised but can stimulate people to find more creative and successful solutions. I have inserted comprehension questions in the video and added a list of interesting vocabulary at the end. To see the lecture, click on the url below (or copy and paste it into your browser) and click on 'Start'. https://www.zaption.com/lessons/56a301122c6afb1079034ec5

ACADEMIC WORD OF THE DAY A stereotype is an inaccurate, exaggerated (and usually negative) image of people or places. So, for example, a stereotypical English person is supposed to be punctual and to enjoy queuing and talking about the weather. Of course, there is sometimes ‘a grain of truth’ in a stereotype! But stereotypes can be dangerous when they stop people from appreciating diversity and individuality or when they are used as an excuse to look down on people from a particular culture because of unfair and exaggerated prejudices. TEST Here are four sentences with the word of the day. Three of them are correct – which is the odd one out? Our research project aims to develop an evidence-based stereotype of kiwi culture. She was red-haired and quick-tempered and seemed to fit the stereotype of a celtic woman, though she was, in fact, Italian. Children need to hear stories of strong, successful women that challenge the stereotypes that they may have picked up from popular culture. A liking for gossip has long been seen as a stereotypical female trait. PRACTICE What national stereotypes do you know? Where do you think these stereotypes come from? Is there ‘a grain of truth’ in any of them? Have you met people who do not fit the stereotype at all? KIWI QUIZ QUESTION Brown’s Bay on the North Shore of Auckland is as especially popular place to live for migrants from which country? China / Korea / South Africa ONLINE VIDEO (Copy and paste this url into your web browser to see the video on the TED site. There you can click on 'view interactive transcript' to read at the same time as listening) https://www.ted.com/talks/rosie_king_how_autism_freed_me_to_be_myself?language=en This is a short presentation by a 16-year old girl called Rosie King from England. She challenges the stereotype about what people with autism are like. Pause the podcast and try to answer the questions below while you watch and listen. Afterwards, you can play the end of the podcast to check your answers. 1) Rosie argues that autism is more __________ than most people think. SERIOUS / VARIED / DIFFICULT 2) Which character from a Hollywood film do most people think of in relation to autism? BIRDMAN / SPIDERMAN / RAINMAN 3) At school, Rosie found it difficult to ____________ PAY ATTENTION TO THE LESSON / USE HER IMAGINATION / REMEMBER FACTS AND FIGURES 4) Rosie finds it hard to understand why a lot of people work hard to be _____ NORMAL / SUCCESSFUL / DIFFERENT 5) In what way are Rosie’s younger brother and sister different from her? THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTISM / THEY DO NOT SPEAK / THEY DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL  

ACADEMIC WORD OF THE DAY A stereotype is an inaccurate, exaggerated (and usually negative) image of people or places. So, for example, a stereotypical English person is supposed to be punctual and to enjoy queuing and talking about the weather. Of course, there is sometimes ‘a grain of truth’ in a stereotype! But stereotypes can be dangerous when they stop people from appreciating diversity and individuality or when they are used as an excuse to look down on people from a particular culture because of unfair and exaggerated prejudices. TEST Here are four sentences with the word of the day. Three of them are correct – which is the odd one out? Our research project aims to develop an evidence-based stereotype of kiwi culture. She was red-haired and quick-tempered and seemed to fit the stereotype of a celtic woman, though she was, in fact, Italian. Children need to hear stories of strong, successful women that challenge the stereotypes that they may have picked up from popular culture. A liking for gossip has long been seen as a stereotypical female trait. PRACTICE What national stereotypes do you know? Where do you think these stereotypes come from? Is there ‘a grain of truth’ in any of them? Have you met people who do not fit the stereotype at all? KIWI QUIZ QUESTION Brown’s Bay on the North Shore of Auckland is as especially popular place to live for migrants from which country? China / Korea / South Africa ONLINE VIDEO (Copy and paste this url into your web browser to see the video on the TED site. There you can click on 'view interactive transcript' to read at the same time as listening) https://www.ted.com/talks/rosie_king_how_autism_freed_me_to_be_myself?language=en This is a short presentation by a 16-year old girl called Rosie King from England. She challenges the stereotype about what people with autism are like. Pause the podcast and try to answer the questions below while you watch and listen. Afterwards, you can play the end of the podcast to check your answers. 1) Rosie argues that autism is more __________ than most people think. SERIOUS / VARIED / DIFFICULT 2) Which character from a Hollywood film do most people think of in relation to autism? BIRDMAN / SPIDERMAN / RAINMAN 3) At school, Rosie found it difficult to ____________ PAY ATTENTION TO THE LESSON / USE HER IMAGINATION / REMEMBER FACTS AND FIGURES 4) Rosie finds it hard to understand why a lot of people work hard to be _____ NORMAL / SUCCESSFUL / DIFFERENT 5) In what way are Rosie’s younger brother and sister different from her? THEY DO NOT HAVE AUTISM / THEY DO NOT SPEAK / THEY DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL  

ACADEMIC WORD If something is versatile, it means that it can be used successfully in different ways. Versatility is important for people as well, especially in the modern, changeable society we live in. Companies look for versatile employees who can deal with a wide range of different and complex tasks. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? Her versatility is apparent from her appearance in both comic and serious roles in major films this year. The off-road performance of the new model adds a new level of versatility to a well-known and dependable brand. Carrots are among the most versatile of vegetables, featuring in salads, soups, main courses and cakes. The programme is intended for a versatile audience, ranging from young children to the elderly. PRACTICE Does your profession require more specialisation or more versatility? Can you think of any examples of versatile tools, furniture or clothing? KIWI QUIZ What proportion of New Zealanders have Korean ethnicity? one in ten / one in a hundred / one in a thousand VIDEO http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_howard_let_s_go_all_in_on_selling_sustainability1)    Which kinds of organisation did Steve Howard work in prior to joining IKEA? commercial                non-Governmental             Ministry of the Environment 2)    How many cities of more than 1m inhabitants are there in the world? 100 – 200                  200 – 500                  more than 500 3)    Because of the growth in urbanisation and prosperity, Steve Howard describes sustainability as  ________ desirable                    optional                      essential 4)    Earlier sustainable products were of poor quality because they were based on __________ cost savings              experiment                compromise 5)    LEDs are an example of a sustainable product that is ______ fit for purpose         multifunctional         demand-led 6)    In order to make sustainable products competitive in the marketplace, companies need to show 100% _____ commitment             versatility       diversity 7)    The environmental problems associated with cotton derive from the conditions of its ______ production               manufacture             modification 8)    Steve Howard feel that 100% targets provide greater ____ complexity                 clarity             ambiguity 9)    Steve Howard argues that deriving 100% of their energy from renewable resources will create ____ for IKEA technical challenges           financial gains         marketing opportunities 10)  IKEA has 80 auditors worldwide who(continued)

KIWI PHOTO Matariki Display at Massey University Albany Campus library ACADEMIC WORD A critique is a well-informed, fair and logical summary of the value of something. In news reporting, the word critique is often used to describe films, books or television programmes which explore ethical issues and contradictions in public life. For instance, a play produced at Massey University, called ‘The Invisible Foot’ is described as ‘a critique of contemporary business practices’. In academic writing, if you are asked to critique a journal article, theory, policy etc, it means you have to summarise the strengths and weaknesses of the article, so that you can assess its contribution to knowledge. This is quite a common university assignment, especially at postgraduate level. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? The movie presents an unbalanced critique on the politicians whose selfish and corrupt practices caused the current crisis. The assignment question is asking you to critique ONE of the following social policy initiatives with reference to at least TWO different ideological positions (e.g. neo-liberalism / social democracy / Marxism / Feminism etc). Post-modernism can be understood as a critique of the narrowness and contradictions of rationalism in both the Arts and Society. In writing your critique, I advise you to keep your descriptive summary of the original research study to a minimum and to ensure that more than half of what you write is an analysis of the research methodology and conclusions of the article you have chosen. PRACTICE The film ‘Avatar’ has been described as a critique of multinational exploitation of natural resources and indigenous peoples. What other famous movies have you seen which critique social, ethical or political practices? KIWI QUIZ Why are Whakapapa and Turoa popular places for Kiwis to visit at this time of the year? VIDEO 1) What was Lisa Bu’s childhood ambition? Gymnastics               Opera                         Engineering 2) Lisa found in books an alternative to which aspect of Confucian culture? Obedience                Diligence                   Modesty 3) Which academic practice did Lisa adopt in her general reading? Comparison              Research                   Citation 4) Which religious figure experienced three psychological temptations? Jesus                         Buddha                      Moses 5) Which of these practices has allowed Lisa to critique concepts in Chinese language and culture? Speed-reading         Reading aloud         Translation 6) Overall, Lisa views reading as an ____________ practice. Empowering             Intellectual                Abstract _____________________________________________________  

 KIWI PHOTO Sculpture at Waterworks, Coromandel, New Zealand ACADEMIC WORD A futile action is a waste of time, because it has no real value. For example, spending time in the university library is futile, if all you do there is chat to your friends and look at Facebook! There have been many books, films and songs about the futility of war – in other words, arguing that war is a waste of time. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? He should have known it was futile to argue with the referee. He just got a yellow card for his trouble. There’s nothing worse than working for a futile manager, who lacks the basic skills and motivation for the job. Speculation regarding the reasons for his decision is futile, as he is unable to discuss these for legal reasons. Her complaints were no more than a futile gesture, as it was already clear that she would lose the game. PRACTICE Are there any aspects of your work or study which you regard as futile? Are there any situations in which speculation, war or anxiety might NOT be futile? KIWI QUIZ Tomorrow, April 25th is Anzac Day, a public holiday in New Zealand and Australia, in which people remember those who served – and especially those who gave their lives – in wars. In which country, between Europe and Asia, is there an especially large celebration of Anzac Day? VIDEO  Today’s video (from TED) features the behavioural economist, Dan Ariely, talking about what makes us feel good at work. 1) How does Dan Ariely characterise the traditional view of human behaviour in Economic theory? simplistic / animalistic / irrational 2) Dan Ariely uses the example of mountain climbing to illustrate the ___________ of human motivation. unpleasantness/ simplicity/ complexity 3) Dan Ariely describes the Greek story of Sisyphus as ‘the essence of doing futile work’ because it involves ____________ a job that is never started a project whose value continues to declinea task that can never be completed 4) The difference between the two groups of participants in the first experiment was whether or not __________ they received less money for each new model they built they saw their models being taken apart they could create their own unique designs 5) When people were asked to predict the results of this experiment, they _________ correctly identified the condition in which participants would produce more exaggerated the difference between the two conditions were unable to distinguish between the two conditions 6) They also found that people’s enjoyment in the activity was dependent on how ______________ it was.  meaningful / useful / achievable 7) The second experiment suggested that ignoring people’s achievements is _____________ destroying their achievements before their eyes. much worse than /  nearly as bad as / the same as   8) Early cake mixes were unsuccessful because the instructions were too ________ complicated /  undemanding / unclear 9) The origami experiment showed a correlation between the amount people were willing to pay for an object and _______ the effort they put into making it the objective beauty of the creation the clarity of the instructions for making it 10) Dan Ariely believes that traditional, industrial economic theory, first formulated by the Scottish economist Adam Smith, puts a higher value on the  __________ of work than on its meaning. value / efficiency / complexity A Poem: Futility by Wilfred Owen (1915) Move him into the sun— Gently its touch awoke him once, At home, whispering of fields unsown. Always it awoke him, even in France, Until this morning and this snow. If anything might rouse him now The kind old sun will know. Think how it wakes the seeds— Woke, once, the clays of a cold star. Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sides Full-nerved,—sti(continued)

 KIWI PHOTO View over Auckland from the West ACADEMIC WORD If people, policies or attitudes are consistent, it means they follow the same basic patterns and values over a period of time. You can also use the word ‘consistent’ to compare actions and values. If an action is consistent with a value, it means that it follows that value, with no contradiction. For example, you would expect a person who tells you they are a vegetarian to say no to a kebab, because eating meat is inconsistent with their beliefs. It’s important in research to consider whether the findings of a new study are consistent with those of previous research, because any inconsistencies will need to be explained – and this may mean that existing theories need to be challenged. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? Although we sometimes disagreed with the manager, at least he was consistent in his approach to thegame, which meant that everyone knew what they were supposed to do. It’s encouraging to report that, despite a challenging competitive environment, the firm’s market position has improved consistently over the last year. Although never exactly a star, she was one of the team’s most consistent performers over a number of years. The findings of previous research were not consistent with those which have emerged from this study, which may be attributed to measurement error. PRACTICE How important do you believe it is that these people behave consistently? parents / lecturers / entertainers KIWI QUIZ In which sport is New Zealand’s national team known as ‘The Black Caps’?  Cricket / Netball / Rugby VIDEO This is the opening lecture in a course about moral philosophy at Harvard University in the USA. The lecturer is Michael Sandell. He first presents his students with four ethical dilemmas and then talks about the value of philosophy and what students might hope to gain by studying it. 1) The first dilemma involves a trolley car (a kind of vehicle used to repair railway tracks) which is out of control and going to hit five people. But you can turn it onto another track where it will only kill one person. How many of the students would turn the trolley car? all / most / few / one / none 2) In the second dilemma, instead of turning the wheel to save the five people, they have to push a fat man in front of the trolley car. How many of the students would push the man? all / most / few / one / none 3) In the third dilemma, they are a doctor who can choose to keep one badly-injured patient alive, or to let them die in order to save five other less badly-injured people. How many of the students would save the one badly-injured patient? all / most / few / one / none 4) In the fourth dilemma, they are a surgeon who could remove organs from one healthy person (who would die) in order to save five other people who need organ transplants. How many of the students would remove the organs from the healthy man? all / most / few / one / none 5) The majority decision in the first dilemma (to turn the car so that only one person dies and five live) is consistent with: Consequentialist Ethics / Categorical Ethics / Egoism 6) The majority decisions in the second and fourth dilemmas (refusing to push the fat man or remove organs from the healthy man) are consistent with: Consequentialist Ethics / Categorical Ethics / Egoism 7) Which approach to Ethics, did Immanuel Kant contribute to? Consequentialist Ethics / Categorical Ethics / Egoism 8) What is the main reason Michael Sandell gives for why philosophy is difficult? It involves reading a lot of historical books It means you have to deal with abstract concepts It makes you question your values and knowledge 9) How does Michael Sandell describe the argument that studying philosophy makes students better citizens? (continued)

ACADEMIC WORD Conventional ideas or ways of doing things are accepted, common and familiar. Unconventional ideas can be new, unfamiliar and disturbing, but can allow for critical understanding and change. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? Theirs was a highly unconventional home life, in which parental responsibilities were shared among several adults. Her approach to design was unconventional and difficult for her colleagues to understand but no one could argue with her results. His dress sense was, to say the least, unconventional, which certainly made him stand out in a crowd. The introduction of new, unconventional laws led to widespread resistance and anger among the wider population.  PRACTICE Would you describe yourself as unconventional in your _________  daily routine? dress sense? taste in music? religious beliefs? KIWI QUIZ Rhythm and Vines is a popular _________ festival which takes place at New Year in Gisborne, New Zealand. Music / Food and Wine / Religious VIDEOhttp://www.ted.com/talks/martin_jacques_understanding_the_rise_of_china 1) According to 2010 estimates, in which year is China expected to become the world’s largest economy? 2020 2025 2027 2) Martin Jacques believes that it is mistaken to assume that modernisation is ________________ westernisation. independent of dependent on associated with 3) Martin Jacques argues that the Chinese concept of the state is different from that in the West because it is based on ______ nation progress civilisation 4) What does Martin Jacques see as the disadvantage of the strong Han identity in China? it has led to a lack of appreciation for diversity it has kept China together as a single state it has led to unsustainable centralisation of power 5) One reason Martin Jacques thinks that the Chinese state has legitimacy and authority is its ___________ democratic roots long history efficiency 6) Martin Jacques believes that the Chinese identify the role of the state as similar to _________ the head of the family an unwelcome intruder a constraint on decision-making 7) What two major flaws does Martin Jacques identify in the conventional Western view of China? laziness and superficiality greed and hypocrisy arrogance and ignorance 8) Martin Jacques argues that, compared to Europe, East Asian countries have a stronger sense of the ______ past present future 9) Martin Jacques believes that the global shift of power away from Europe and North America is generally  ______ positive uncertain unbalanced GRAMMAR SPOT Sentence Inversion. Sometimes, for extra emphasis, we put a negative phrase (Never ____, Only ____, Not only __, No sooner ______) at the beginning of a sentence. When we do that, we need to use the question form of the main verb. Here is an example from the lecture: Never before, in the history of the modern world, has the world’s largest economy been that of a developing country, rather than a developed country. Do the same with these sentences. Start the sentence with the negative phrase and make the necessary changes to the sentence, keeping the same meaning. Sicily is the only place where you can only ski and sunbathe in the same afternoon. Only in ___________________________________________ The new model is not only more powerful than the existing one; it is also cheaper. Not only _________________________________________ I’ve never seen such maturity in one so young. Never ___________________________________________ As soon as we had completed our exams, we started preparing for summer school. No sooner ________________________________________

ACADEMIC WORD Simulate means to to create a situation which has the main features of a real situation, in order to understand or experience it. Simulations are often used in training, because it’s too expensive or dangerous to expose trainees to the real situations they need to be able to deal with. So, for example, when pilots are learning how to fly planes, they spend many hours in a flight simulator, which allows them to experience different simulations of taking off, landing, dealing with emergencies etc. Computer simulations are very commonly used in order to test economic or scientific models. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? All managers participated in an emergency response training day which included simulations of two major incidents on campus. The laboratory results need to be confirmed through a real-life simulation in naturalistic conditions. The engineering department uses state-of-the-art crash simulation equipment to test its prototypes to industry standards. The program allows for dynamic, three-dimensional simulations of the operating environment, allowing engineers to identify design issues at the earliest stage. PRACTICE What are the limitations of simulations as training exercises? What models are used in your subject area to simulate the behaviour of systems in the real world? KIWI QUIZ In which of these regions of New Zealand can you visit Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers?  Northland / Southland / West Coast VIDEO 1) Why were the brains of ancestors of modern humans less able to simulate future situations? They were too small They lacked a certain structure They were unable to visualise 2) The example of a disgusting ice-cream flavour shows the _________ of humans’ ability to simulate experiences. limitations effectiveness strangeness 3) The example of lottery winners and paraplegics (people with physical disabilities, for instance, as the result of a serious accident) shows the _________ of humans’ ability to simulate experiences. limitations effectiveness strangeness 4) In our simulations, we tend to __________ the impact of future events on our happiness. predict exaggerate minimise 5) Dan Gilbert gives four  examples of newspaper interviews to show how people are able to feel happy despite ________ misfortune fame depression 6) According to Dan Gilbert, synthetic happiness is thought to be inferior to ‘natural happiness’ because _______ it is associated with Zen Buddhism it depends on economic benefits it is non-materialistic 7) The ‘free choice’ experiment (in which participants are asked to rank Monet prints, choose one and then rank them again two weeks later) shows how people tend to _______ feel their choice was the best of all develop a strong dislike for the item they rejected feel a stronger preference for their choice 8) What was interesting about the results of the same experiment with participants who have lost their short-termmemory? They also felt more positive about the print they had previously chosen They could not remember which print they had chosen They were unable to express any preference regarding the print 9) Dan Gilbert describes synthetic happiness (our ability to simulate feelings of happiness even when our situation has not become objectively better) as our psychological __________ system. immune cognitive selective 10) The experiment in which participants had to choose one photo to keep showed that those who were not allowed to change their minds were ______ satisfied with their photo. more equally less 11) Most people express preferences for situations where they will ______ be happier have freedom of choice make an irreversible decision 12) Dan Gilbert agrees with Adam Smith that people should avoid ______ simulating either pain or(continued)

KIWI PHOTO Ceilidh in St Matthew’s Church, Auckland, October 2012 ACADEMIC WORD When you are inspired, it means that someone or something gave you a feeling of energy and creativity. Sometimes dreams, relationships and nature have been the source of inspiration for many artists, composers and writers. However, there is a famous saying by the American inventor Thomas Edison that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, which means that even if you are inspired, you still need to work hard. TEST Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out? The idea for the slogan came in a sudden flash of inspiration, after I’d almost given up on the project. I think I need to leave this report aside for a few days; I’m just lacking the inspiration to come up with anything interesting to say. Our team has drawn inspiration from traditional Māori carvings as well as from classic modernist themes. We’ve worked hard to build the inspiration which is one of the core brand values of this organisation. PRACTICE What are the most important sources of inspiration for your work? Have you ever managed to inspire others? KIWI QUIZ Which New Zealand director has completed filming of ‘The Hobbit’ in Wellington this year? Sir Peter Jackson / Hugh Jackman / Jack Sparrow VIDEO This is a short presentation from the TED site by a German marketing director, Tim Leberecht. He talks about the risks and opportunities of a more open approach to brands. You can see the video by clicking on this link. Pause the podcast so that you can listen to the video and answer the questions below. Then play the podcast again to hear the answers to the questions. 1) What percentage of employees agreed that they felt inspired by the firm they worked for? less than one in twenty approximately a quarter more than half 2) A traditional definition of a brand is what customers say about you ____ to your face behind your back at the top of their voice 3) Social media has given organisations control over _______ customer loyalty in an online environment transparent communications between customers the loss of control of their brand 4) A rock band, a chocolate company and a global IT company are used as examples of giving customers ________ control restrictions surprises 5) The innovative campaigns by the outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, were designed to increase _______ advertising brand value sales 6) Restricting choice can be a way of making work, products or services more ______ abundant traditional meaningful 7) A travel company, an airline and a florist are examples of companies which give customers _________ surprises control discounts 8) The innovation at Tim’s company, frog, has a _______ purpose. charitable marketing social 9) Tim feels that in an increasingly open environment, companies need to focus more strongly on their ________ competitive advantage sustainable energy core values 10) Which gesture does Tim feel best represents the attitude that organisations should adopt towards the external environment? a smile a shrug a handshake