1 Vincent Almeroth tried gymnastics. He tried soccer, basketball, and baseball too. But the 11-year-old has dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to focus on the playing field. There was too much unanticipated movement and interaction with other kids, says his mother, Lisa Terranova. Then three years ago Vincent tried karate. It was an instant hit. His agility and self-confidence improved almost immediately, and his reading has progressed as well. Now he is a blue belt. Karate has “given him a greater ability to focus and to struggle with things that are difficult,” says Terranova. Vincent puts it more simply: “Karate makes me feel strong and good and happy.”
2 Vincent is one of a growing number of kids who are finding success through karate. In fact, the number of martial arts students under 12 has grown 15 percent a year for the past five years, says Katherine Thiry of the National Karate-do Federation. “Martial arts is everywhere - rec centers, churches, the inner city and suburbs,” says Joe Corley, who founded a chain of karate schools.
3 For kids, the appeal lies in the sport’s tangible rewards: different colored belts and respect on the playground. Those things are especially meaningful to children who are on the social fringe, unaccustomed to athletic achievement or who may be the targets of bullies. Karate - literally “empty hand” in Japanese - and its cousins judo, jujitsu, and tae kwon do develop strength and coordination while teaching children how to avoid conflict and defend themselves if attacked. Its individualistic bent is especially attractive to the children who are regularly picked last for the soccer team. “In soccer, unless children have a modicum of talent, they’re relegated to the sidelines,” says Thiry “[In karate], even the most uncoordinated, unfocused person can achieve.”
4 Parents often notice a rise in their children’s self-esteem when they start karate. And with good reason: A study by Bob Schleser, a sports psychologist, found that children between 7 and 18 who took karate dramatically increased their “perceived competence” in areas ranging
from social and cognitive s kills to maternal acceptance. “Karate gives a general sense of confidence and personal control,” says Schleser.
5 That’s especially beneficial to children with learning or developmental disabilities. At the martial arts academy where Vincent studies, nearly half of director Jeff Kohn’s 110 students have special needs. For six-year-old James Fuller, who has spina bifida, karate has “really changed his life,” says his mom, Joanne. Because of his disorder, James has to wear braces and shoes rather than go barefoot. But the experience has helped him learn to cope with his disability.
6 Parents agree that the exact nature of the training is less important than the quality of the teacher. “You shouldn’t be too concerned with the [martial arts] style but with how the instructor works with children,” says Rob Colasanti, vice president of the National Association of Professional Martial Artists. Good karate instructors - though they might be strict - should also offer plenty of praise and encouragement, he says.
7 Indeed, Lisa Terranova is quick to credit Kohn for her son’s achievement. Vincent has made so much academic progress that he is being moved from a special school for learning- disabled kids to a regular school.
Adapted from Newsweek.
Relating to the topic
Check (%/) the statements you agree with.
1. Kids who aren’t athletic can be good at martial arts.
2. Bullies don’t bother kids who practice martial arts.
3. As martial arts become popular, more kids are practicing meditation.
4. Martial arts teach kids how to avoid conflict and defend themselves.
5. Even uncoordinated, unfocused people can succeed in karate.
6. People with physical disabilities can’t do martial arts.
Scanning
Scan the text to find out which statements above are true. Then read the whole text.
Understanding main ideas
Write the number of each paragraph next to its main idea.
4 a. Karate helps improve children’s self-esteem.
b. The teacher is very important in martial arts training.
c. More and more children are taking martial arts classes.
d. All children can succeed at karate.
e. Karate can help children become better students.
_ f. Karate benefits children in many ways.
g. Karate can help children who have special problems.
Guessing meaning from context
B
Find the words and phrases in the reading that match these definitions. Write one word on each line.
1. difficulty with reading and writing
2. started an organization
3. achievements that can be touched or felt
4. not accepted by many people
dyslexia . (par. 1)
_(par. 2)
(par. 3)
(par. 3)
5. not participating actively, as in a game
6. what people think they’re good at
(par. 3)
(par. 4)
Relating reading to personal experience
Answer these questions.
1. Do you think it’s better to learn martial arts as a child or as an adult? Why?
2. Do young people in your country find martial arts appealing? Why or why not?
3. What are the less “tangible rewards” that children get from sports?
Unit 12 • Martial arts
READING 3
Iron and Silk
For some reason I always had bad luck in Canton. In August 1984, on my way out of China after two years in Hunan Province, I was delayed at the Canton train station for half a day because of the seven-foot leather bag I carried. It contained five swords, four sabers, a staff, two hooked swords, and some knives. I had receipts and photos and a manila folder full of Foreign Affairs Bureau correspondence to prove that the weapons were all either gifts from my teachers or had been purchased in local stores, that none of them was an antique, and that I was the legitimate student of a well- known martial artist residing in Hunan, but the officials right away saw an opportunity to play their favorite game,
Let’s Make a Regulation.
2 “This bag is too long. You can’t take it on the train. There’s a regulation.’’
We discussed this point for a while, and eventually the regulation was waived. “But these weapons are Chinese cultural artifacts. They cannot leave China, that’s a regulation. You can take the bag, though.’’ In time it was determined that the weapons might conceivably leave China, but I would need special permission from a certain office which would require a certain period of time to secure, so wouldn’t I stay in Canton for a few days and come back with the proper documentation: 1 My Right from Hong Kong to New York left in two days; I was desperate not to miss it. As I walked around the train station trying to think up a new strategy, I happened to bump into a Cantonese policeman I had met a year before. When I told him my problem he took me by the arm and led me back to the train station, where he began arguing on my behalf. He talked with the officials for over an hour about this and that, occasionally touching on the subject of my bag and its contents, then gently retreating to other matters. He eventually suggested that I give a short martial arts demonstration there in the train station — “Wouldn’t that be fun?" He asked the people sitting on the long wooden benches in the station to make room for a performance, then helped them move the benches out of the way. I warmed up lor a few minutes, took off my shoes, and began a routine. Somewhere in mid-air, my pants split wide open in the back. A crowd of giggling ladies rushed forward with needles and thread ready, followed by an equal number of old men with incurable illnesses who believed that I must have learned traditional medicine as part of my martial arts training, convincing the officials to let me through without further delay. The policeman helped me get on the train, then sat with me until it began to move. He hopped off, wished me well, then saluted as the train left the station.
Adapted from Iron and Silk.
«« ««
Predicting
Look at the picture on the opposite page and these phrases from the text. What do you think happens in the story?
Scanning
delayed at the Canton train station proper documentation
five swords, four sabers give a short martial arts demonstration
student of a well-known martial artist my pants split
Scan the text to check your prediction. Then read the whole text.
Recognizing
sources
The text is from a book. What do you think the book is about?
Check (%/) the correct answer.
1. how to travel by train in China
2. the rise of a powerful martial arts master
3. an American’s experiences living in China
Find and correct the eight mistakes in the following report. (Note: The first mistake has been corrected.)
A young American at the train station wanted to epttr China with weapons he had illegally purchased. He was told the only way for him to leave was to go back to Hunan and return with the proper documentation. A couple of days later, he came back with a
policeman from Hunan. This policeman gave a martial arts demonstration. The policeman finally convinced the officials to let him get on the train without the weapons.
Making
inferences
Check (✓) the statements that are true.
1. The writer speaks Chinese.
2. The writer didn’t think anybody would question him about his weapons.
3. The writer respects officials in China.
4. The writer had been in Canton the year before.
5. The people at the train station didn’t want to watch an American.
6. Martial arts training in China includes learning how to treat illnesses.
Relating reading to personal experience
Answer these questions.
1. Is there any place where you’ve always had bad luck? If so, where?
2. Have you ever been stopped and questioned by a travel official? If so, what happened?
3. What aspect(s) of your culture would be difficult for a foreigner to master or understand?
Unit 12 • Martial arts
WRAP-UP
Vocabulary expansion
A
Read the definitions. Then write the second half of each hyphenated word. Use the words in the box.
control importance image interest portrait
discipline reliance" improvement pity taught
1. self- reliance n depending on yourself rather than other people
2. self- n sadness about your own problems
3. self- n learned without a teacher or trainer
4. self- n making yourself a better-skilled person
5. self- n power over your emotions and actions when upset or excited
6. self- n the ability to do things that you don’t want to do
7. self- n a picture you paint of yourself
8. self- n the belief that you are more valuable than other people
9. self- n thinking of what is best for yourself rather than for others
10. self- n your opinion of how you appear to other people
Write the words in exercise A in the correct column. Then add three other nouns that begin with self-.
Positive Negative meaning meaning | Neutral meaning | |
self-reliance | ||
^ - | ||
Martial arts and you
Work in small groups. Do a survey of people’s interest in martial arts. First, come up with five questions.
Example: Do you practice any form of martial arts?
Do you like movies that feature martial arts?
Then ask five classmates, friends, or family members. Report your findings to the class.
96
Unit 12 • Martial arts
PREVIEW
You are going to read three texts about fashion. First, answer the questions in the boxes.
Read about technological innovations in clothing in this article from a website.
1. How do you think technology will change the clothing of the future?
2. Do you have a laptop or PDA? If so, how do you carry it?
3. How do you think computer chips could be used in clothing?
This Japanese newspaper article explores the role of dogs in today’s fashion world.
1. Do you have a dog? If so, what have you bought for it recently?
2. What things do people usually buy for their pets?
3. What kinds of things do dogs like? Are they expensive?
This magazine article explains why some products and services disappear quickly while others last for years.
1. What things are popular now? How long have they been popular?
2. Do you wear clothes similar to those worn by the mainstream?
3. What new products have taken off? Would you buy any of them?
of the words in italics. Then answer the questions.
1. How much attention do you pay to accessories ?
2. Who are the best-dressed people you know?
3. What attire do you wear on special occasions?
4. What styles do you think are avant-garde ?
5. Are jeans an indispensable part of your wardrobe?
6. Are your parents’ ideas about fashion in sync or out of sync with your ideas?
7. Do you pay attention to what the trendsetters are wearing?
8. Do you think that you are trendy ?
READING 1
READING 2
mg?
Vocabulary
Find out the meanings
97
Unit 13 Fashion
READING 1
1 You may soon see some truly avant-garde fashions on the street, but you won't find them in Vogue or GQ. "Smart clothes" — attire containing portable computers, sensors, and wireless transmitters — will definitely not get you on People magazine's best-dressed list. But it may get you out from behind your desk.
2 Wearable computers represent one of the latest technological advancements. Surgical circuit implants - enabling image processing, rapid data retrieval and storage, wireless communication, and environmental sensor feedback - aren't technically possible yet. However, people can still wear their computers as attire. Laptops and PDAs have allowed people to take their computers on the road, but they still have to stop whatever they're doing to use them. Wearable computers, in contrast, are designed to always be on, always sensing the environment, ready to tell the "wearer" about incoming data as necessary. Also, the equipment is generally hands-free.
3 A typical set of smart clothes might include:
• A CPU with hard-disk, worn in a backpack or waist pocket.
• A wireless modem.
• A display worn over one eye that allows the wearer to view real and virtual worlds simultaneously. For instance, one device uses LCDs (liquid crystal displays) and mirrors to display a full-screen-sized image. There are also eyeglasses that superimpose data on top of the lens.
• One-handed input devices such as keyboards or joysticks.
One, for example, forms characters with a combination of twelve finger buttons. It includes a tilt sensor that imitates a computer mouse.
• A head-mounted camera.
4 Additional accessories might include a wireless fax machine, a GPS (global positioning system) transmitter, a microphone, and an environmental sensor for temperature and air quality readings.
5 It's likely that wearable computers and their accessories will soon be smoothly integrated into normal-looking clothing, but for now these styles are definitely awkward and bizarre.
6 This doesn't seem to bother fans, who talk about advantages such as data-on- demand from a hard disk or the Web, the ability to read and send e-mail while walking (safely) down the street, or the convenience of viewing a manual (handsfree) while repairing a motorcycle. According to the Boston Globe, one creative user replaced his apartment thermostat with a radio receiver that picks up signals from sensors in his clothes. When he's cold, the heater automatically comes on.
7 Smart clothing is a high-interest area. The first International Symposium on Wearable Computers drew academic and industry researchers, vendors and research sponsors. Considering all the interest they have been generating, the future looks bright for smart clothes.
Adapted from Networker.
Acronyms are created from the first letter
of each word in a series. Writers use them because they are shorter than the words they replace. For example, a PDA (par. 2) is a "personal digital assistant." Also, CPU (par. 3) is the acronym for "central processing unit."
Relating to the topic
Scanning
Guessing meaning from context
Restating
Relating reading to personal experience
B
Check (»/) the features you think the clothing of the future will have.
1. portable computers 4. cameras
_2. wireless fax machines 5. microphones
3. environmental sensors 6. compact disc players
Scan the text to find out which clothing above the writer mentions. Then read the whole text.
Find the words in italics in the reading. Circle the meaning of each word.
1. If something gets you out from somewhere, it helps you escape / helps you understand / helps you find it. (par. 1)
2. Something that enables something else makes it difficult / makes it impossible / makes it possible, (par. 2)
3. If equipment is hands-free, you don’t have to pay for / don’t have to touch / don’t need special skill to use it. (par. 2)
4. If you do things simultaneously, you do them with difficulty / at the same time / fashionably, fpar. 3)
5. If something is awkward, it is uncomfortable / fashionable / innovative, (par. 5)
6. Data-on-demand is information that is hard to understand / very specific information / information when you want it. (par. 6)
Complete the meaning of each pair of sentences. Write same (S) or different (0).
1. Surgical circuit implants aren’t technically possible yet.
We do not currently have the technology for surgical circuit implants.
2. Laptops and PDAs have allowed people to take their computers on the road. People can use laptops and PDAs to do computer work when they travel.
3. Wearable computers, in contrast, are designed to be always on.
People who have wearable computers must always wear them.
4. It’s likely that wearable computers and their accessories will soon be smoothly integrated into normal-looking clothes.
Wearable computers and accessories will probably soon be a part of regular clothing.
Answer these questions.
1. In what ways are wearable computers practical? If what ways are they impractical?
2. Would you want to wear smart clothes? Why or why not?
3. Do you think wearable computers will be popular in the future? Why or why not?
Unit 13 • Fashion
1 It seems that ever since fashion models in Japan started revealing their love for their dogs in magazines and on television, the meaning of “man’s best friend” has taken a new turn. Dogs have become an almost indispensable accessory for young people trying to lead a trendy life. One women’s magazine even wrote in a recent issue featuring dog accessories: “The cute combination of a collar and a silver necklace is something we must imitate!”
2 Dog lovers have long considered their canine counterparts as equals, but recent trends show that, at times, dogs are more equal than humans. Raincoats and sweaters for dogs, pet hotels, and colorful collars are nothing new. But the notable feature among dogs in Japan, as is the case with their human counterparts, is the brand craze. The Hermes’ O’Kelly collar, from which dangles a lock similar to the ones found on the brand’s famous Kelly handbags, is one of the most sought-after items. Burberry’s checked raincoat would go nicely with young girls sporting Burberry skirts and scarves. Kate Spade’s dog carriers are just as expensive as the popular designer’s colorful tote bags; and Gucci’s dog Frisbees have proven so popular, they are now out of stock.
3 We have more in common with our canine friends than just luxury goods, though. Many people take their dogs’ mental and physical well-being seriously, and manufacturers have been ready to meet this new demand. A magnetized collar that is said to increase a dog’s circulation, stimulate the appetite and
metabolism, and ease stress and fatigue is now on sale. There are also fragrances, bath salts, and aromatherapy shampoos for dogs, while public baths - or sinks, rather - and aromatherapy salons that are exclusively for dogs are opening up around Tokyo. Classes offered by community centers that teach owners how to cook and knit for their dogs also have been gaining attention recently.
4 Toy manufacturer Takara Co., in February, will market Bowlingual, a gadget that recognizes, analyzes, and categorizes a dog’s voice according to “levels of emotion.” Consisting of a tiny microphone that hangs around the neck of the animal and a Tamagotchi-like display that can be monitored, the device allows owners to identify how their dog is feeling from a selection of six different emotions.
5 Mayumi Yokoyama, director of a Japanese branch of United States-based Three Dog Bakery,
says attitudes toward dogs have definitely changed in the past decade or so. Biscuits and cakes from the bakery are all made from vegetable-based ingredients, and are free of salt, sugar, preservatives, and chemical substances. The Japanese branch opened its doors three months ago in Daikanyama, Tokyo, where many wealthy, fashionable people live with their dogs. To help meet the needs of these people, an increasing number of cafes and restaurants in the area have been allowing dogs onto their premises.
6 “People used to think that dogs should be kept outside, but today many look at them as part of their families, or even partners,” Yokoyama said. The delicacies available at the bakery all look exquisite even by human standards - take for instance, the decorated cakes for special occasions - befitting the status of a human’s “partner.”
Adapted from The Daily Yomiuri.
Thinking
about
personal
experience
Scanning
Understanding
complex
sentences
Understanding
details
Relating reading to personal experience
Who uses these things? Mark each item dogs (£)), people ( P), or both (B).
_ 1. raincoats 5. frisbees
2. sweaters _ 6. fragrances
3. hotels _ 7. shampoo
4. collars 8. cakes
Scan the text to check your answers. Then read the whole text.
Find and underline the answers to these questions in the text.
1. When did the meaning of man’s best friend change? (par. 1,18 words)
2. What is the notable feature among dogs in Japan? (par. 2, 3 words)
3. What is one of the most desired items? (par. 2, 4 words)
4. What hangs from the Hermes’ O’Kelly collar? (par. 2, 13 words)
5. What is now on sale? (par. 3, 3 words)
6. What two places for dogs are opening up around Tokyo? (par. 3, 2 words; par. 3, 2 words)
7. What does Bowlingual consist of? (par. 4, 19 words)
8. What delicacies are sold at the bakery? (par. 6, 5 words)
Write the products from the text that this dog should use.
: smell very i
Answer these questions.
1. Do people in your country have dogs as pets? If so, how do they treat them?
2. Would you buy any of the products in the text for a dog? If so, which ones?
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for owners to buy luxury items for their pets? Which of the products do you think are most wasteful?
Unit 13 • Fashion
How to separate