1.1. WHAT SORT OF PERSON ARE YOU?

 

1.1.1. Vocabulary

Read these brief character descriptions. Which of these four people sounds most like you?

 

Amrita:

‘I’m an active and energetic person – I can’t bear just sitting around doing nothing. It  just makes me impatient and restless. But I know what I want, and I think I’ve got what it takes to achieve my goals. Does that make me sound horribly ambitious and  selfish? I hope not!’

Kevin:

‘I’m the kind of person who knows how to have a good time. I suppose you would call me fun-loving, but it’s more than that. I actually believe in a calm, cool, easy-going approach to life and I can’t bear unnecessary anxiety and pressure. I believe in being sociable and taking life as it comes…’

Larry:

‘My problem can be summarized in one word: self-confidence. I just don’t have enough. I’m shy with other people, who must think I’m boring and stupid sometimes.Lack of confidence also makes me indecisive: I spend days trying to make up my mind what to do about quite simple things. I’m told I sometimes look moody, but in fact I like being with other people …’

Cathy:

‘How I see myself? Well, I’m forgetful and disorganized – some would say absent- minded! But I’ve got quite a lot of willpower, really, and I’ve got ideas. I’m a hard worker too when I’m doing something I’m interested in. I’m not very articulate when it comes to public speaking but I quite enjoy being the center of attention, and I don’t get in the least bit nervous.’

 

1.1.2 Connotation

A

The words below are taken from the descriptions above. Which of them are positive, negative or neutral?

 

positive

negative

neutral

 

Word Form	B	Find nouns to correspond to as many of the adjectives above as possible. Use the appropriate ending to form each word.

Opposites

C

Find opposites for the words in the box

 

lethargi             cconfident             clever             magnanimous             excitable             lazy

                      

      What are the opposites for other words from 1.1.2 A?

 

1.1.3         Practice

Which of the following characteristics would you like to  have and which – cannot accept in people? Why / why not?

 

Negative characteristics:	vanity, hypocrisy, pomposity, stubbornness, shyness, obstinacy, selfishness, dishonesty, pettiness, rashness, arrogance, snobbishness, timidity, possessiveness, meanness, aggressiveness,

Positive characteristics:	compassion, vivacity, frankness, self-assurance, tolerance, patience, generosity, ambition, sincerity, imagination, passion, humility, modesty, courage, sensitivity, creativity

1.1.4  Word Choice

Choose the right option and explain your choice.

 

1. People who are generally too concerned with their own thoughts to notice what is happening round them can be described as ___________.

a. abstracted     b. absent-minded     c. distracted

2. A person whom other people admire has __________.

a. great fame     b. an excellent reputation     c. good rumour     d. character

3. A person who works seriously and with care ________.

a. is conscious     b. is conscientious     c. has conscience     d. has consciousness

4. A person who is well-known and has a good reputation is __________.

a. notorious     b. famous     c. infamous

5. People who think only of themselves are __________.

a. egoist     b. selfish     c. egotist

6. A person who is not distinguished in any way is ________.

a. vulgar     b. common     c. ordinary

7. A person who reads and thinks a lot is _______.

a. intellectual     b. spiritual     c. witty

8. A person who is easily annoyed or often in a bad mood is ______.

a. nervous     b. tense     c. irritable

9. People who apply themselves seriously to their work are _______.

a. hardworking     b. laborious

10. People who are ‘full of life’ have a lot of ______.

a. liveliness     b. temperament

11. People who have had a lot of practice at doing something are _____.

a. practical     b. practicable     c. practised

12. A person who is not very nice or friendly is _______.

a. disagreeable     b. unsympathetic

13. A person who has good sense and judgment is _________.

a. sensible     b. sensitive     c. conscious

14. We can describe someone who is fond of sport as _____.

a. sporting     b. sportive     c. sporty

15. Beethoven was ____.

a. a genie     b. a genius     c. genial

 

1.1.5 Reading	A	Translate the text. Find the words and phrases you would choose to speak about yourself.

Revealing faces

The shape of your face can give a clue to your personality.

What does yours say about you?

 

Small face  You don’t enjoy people intruding into your personal life and invading your  privacy and can be rather secretive. Reflective and intelligent, yours is a passionate but firm personality, although you find these two traits in conflict at times. A tendency to be cautious means you don’t trust too easily, but you do value a circle of close friends and family members.   

Oval face  A good decision-maker, you have strength of character, lots of energy, and usually finish what you start. Affectionate and outgoing by nature, you can be a bit gullible.

Square face  You expect a lot from other people, but give as much in return. You’re stubborn, strong-willed and quick to learn, but your staying power runs out when you lose interest. Highly sensitive to criticism, you’re aggressive under pressure.

Thin face  You don’t suffer fools gladly and have an offbeat sense of humour. Energetic but able to balance action with thought, you’re not one who follows the crowd. You enjoy competition in the love stakes and opt for a partner who’s companionable as well as attractive.

Heart-shaped  Practical rather than a thinker, you have a degree of charm that can be devastating. Your romantic judgment can sometimes let you down, though. You appear placid and cool in most situations, but this hides a quick temper when crossed. Relationships may suffer if your partner can’t live up to your high expectations.

Broad face  A strong sense of your own importance means you like to be taken seriously by friends. You can be kind and sympathetic, but won’t waste it on those you feel don’t deserve it. Affectionate and loving rather than passionate, yours is an energetic and intelligent nature with optimism high on your list of the important things in life. 

 

Interaction

B

Answer the questions:

 

1. Do you enjoy people intruding into your personal life? What do you think an intrusion is?   

2. Are there any traits in conflict in your character?

3. Very few people will admit that they are aggressive. But can you deny that you  can become aggressive under pressure?

4. Do you suffer fools gladly?

5. How long does your staying power last when you lose interest?

6. What qualities are the highest on your list of priorities?

 

1.1.6 Opinion

Read and translate the mini text below. Say whether it is normal to love yourself, and why.

Reflecting upon love

 

Zach turned to face the person he knew was there, waiting for him. Slowly, he stood and walked towards the beautiful face, smiling. Their lips brushed, he delighted in the smooth, cold response from those familiar lips, which he knew and loved so well.

Eventually Zach drew away, sighing … It was always the same. This silent but beautiful, responding figure, whom he loved so much, could never be with him for long, their relationship could never go any further, it was impossible, people would not accept them …

Zach turned reluctantly away from the mirror and went back to his desk. 

 

1.1.7 Interaction

Make up a dialogue about a person you would like to make riends with. Talk about the differences in your descriptions of such a person.

Some more words to be used:

 

modest	proud	vain	creative	artistic	eccentric	narrow-minded
broad-minded		kind		considerate		cautious

 

1.1.8  Speaking

Scan the text and learn the words in bold. Answer the questions below.

 

Are you a Doer or a Thinker?

 

Although there are over 4,000 words in the English language, which describe different aspects of personality, psychologists have managed to narrow down the really significant ways in which people differ from each other to a tiny fraction of this number. For practical purposes, the most important thing to find out about someone – whether it’s yourself or somebody else – is where they fall on the personality dimension known as introversion-extroversion, because this will affect virtually every aspect of their life.

Once you know someone’s extroversion quotient, you can make a shrewd guess about what clothes they are likely to wear, how promiscuous they are, what time of day they function best, how they will be affected by drugs, what they feel about the prospect of a trip to the dentist, even whether they’re more likely to have an accident at a junction or driving on the open road.

The list of ways in which introverts and extroverts differ from each other goes on almost indefinitely, but why are they so different? The answer lies in the chemistry of the brain. Scientists have found that the more introverted a person is, the more active and aroused their brain is naturally, that is regardless of what’s going on around them. If you are an extreme extrovert, on the other hand, this means there is relatively little spontaneous activity in your nervous system. If we assume there is an ideal level of activity at which the human brain functions best, then it becomes obvious why introverts and extroverts behave so differently. They are trying to reach this ideal state of affairs in the brain from opposite directions.

So extroverts go in for wild parties, fast cars, and plenty of variety in their sex lives because they need all the extra stimulation they can get from the world to make up for their lack of natural internal excitement.

Introverts, on the other hand, have quite enough going on inside their skulls without artificial excitement, so they’re happier at home in front of the TV than out at the disco, and risky situations or flamboyant clothes make them feel positively twitchy, because they become over aroused.

This basic psychological difference between the introvert and extrovert brain also explains why introverts are more susceptible to pain and better at hearing quiet sounds (high internal arousal magnifies all stimulation from the outside world), but less affected by alcohol and in need of larger dose of sedatives to put them to sleep.

 

1. Do you agree with the ideas expressed in this text? Why / Why not?
2. Where are you situated on an extrovert-introvert line?
3. How does your being extrovert or introvert affect your way of life?
4. What kind of people do you prefer to spend your time with? Why?
5. Can your name positive and negative sides of being either an extrovert or an introvert?

 

1.1.9                               

Quiz    

 

 Do you see yourself as others see you?   

 

It is no good looking into a mirror if you wish to see the person who is really you. The only real test is to see yourself in the same way as other people see you. The following quiz has been psychologically developed to help you to do exactly that … 

 

1. When do you feel your best:

a. soon after waking up?    b. during the afternoon and early evening?    c. before you go to bed?

2. Do you usually walk:

a. quite fast, with long, swinging steps?  

b. quite fast, but with short, quick steps?

c. not very fast, with your head up, looking at the world?

d. not very fast, with your head down?

e. very slowly?

3. When you are talking to people, do you:

a. stand with your arms folded?

b. stand with your hands together in front of you?

c. stand with one or both hands on your hips?

d. touch the person you are talking to?

e. touch your ear or chin or smooth your hair?

f. have something like a pencil or a cigarette in your hands?

4. When you are relaxing, do you sit with:

a. your knees bent and your legs together?

b. your legs crossed or wrapped round each other?

c. your legs stretched straight out in front of you?

d. with one leg curled up underneath you?

5. When you find something very funny, how do you react? Do you:

a. give a loud, appreciative laugh?

b. laugh, but not very loudly?

c. laugh softly, under your breath?

d. give a very big smile?

e. smile slowly?

6. When you go to a party, do you:

a. make so much noise as you enter that everybody notices you?

b. walk in quietly, looking for someone you know?

c. hope that nobody will see you walking in, so you can remain unnoticed?

7. When you are interrupted while you are working hard, concentrating on something, do you:

a. feel pleased to be interrupted?                            

b. feel very irritated?

c. or do you feel neither of these reactions very strongly?

8. Which of the following colours do you like most?

a. red or orange     b. white     c. black     d. dark blue or purple

e. yellow or light blue     f. brown, grey or violet     g. green

9. Just before you go to sleep, when you are lying in bed, do you lie:

a.  flat out on your back?     b. stretched out on your front?  

c.  on your side?     d. with your head under one arm?      e. with your head under the bedclothes?

10. Do you often dream that you are:

a. falling?     e.  flying or floating?     b. involved in a fight?     f.  do you dream rarely?

c.  looking for someone or something?     g.  do you have nice, pleasant dreams?

d.  taking your clothes off or with nothing on at all?

 

Check your score:

1. a-2 b-4 c-6 2. a-6 b-4 c-7 d-2 e-1 3. a-4 b-2 c-5 d-7 e-6 f-1 4. a-4 b-6 c-2 d-1 5. a-6 b-4 c-3 d-5 e-2

6. a-6 b-4 c-2 7. a-6 b-2 c-4 8. a-6 b-2 c-7 d-3 e-5 f-1 g-4     9. a-7 b-6 c-4 d-2 e-1           10. a-4 b-2 c-3 d-7 e-5 f-6 g-1

                                                      

What it means:

Over 60: Others see you as someone they should ‘handle with care’ – vain, self-centered and extremely dominant. They may admire you and wish they could be more like you, are certainly in awe of you, but they don’t always trust you and hesitate to become too deeply involved with you.

From 51 to 60: Your friends see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, quick to make decisions (though not always the right ones). They see you as bold and venturesome, someone who will try anything – well, almost anything – once; someone who takes a chance and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

From 41 to 50: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing and always interesting; someone who is constantly the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to your head. They see you also as kind, considerate and understanding, someone who will cheer them up or help them out as the situation requires.

From 31 to 40: Other people see you as sensible, cautious, careful and practical. They see you as clever, gifted or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or too easily, but someone who is extremely loyal to the friends you do make and who expects the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize that it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but, equally, that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is shaken.

From 21 to 30: Your friends see you as meticulous and painstaking, perhaps a bit too fussy at times, ultra-cautious and ultra-careful, a slow, steady plodder. It would surprise them tremendously if you were ever to behave impulsively or do something on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything very carefully from every conceivable angle and then, usually, decide against it. They see this sort of reaction on your part as being partly due to your careful nature and partly to indolence.

Under 21: You are seen to be shy, nervous and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always leaves it to someone else to make the decisions and prefers never to get too involved with anyone or anything. They see you as something of a worrier, seeing problems, which don’t exist and crossing bridges long before you come to them. Some people tend to regard you as dull and boring and it takes someone who knows you well to know that you are not. The trouble is that you permit very few people to get that close to you.

 

1.1.10  Translation

Translate the following extracts from fiction books. Add to each passage two or three sentences about the  impression the people create.

 

1. That bureaucratic thumbnail description wouldn’t be of much help when Spencer needed to describe her to someone. It was insufficient to conjure an image that included the things that truly distinguished her: the direct and clear-eyed stare, the slightly lopsided smile, the dimple in her right cheek, the delicate line of her jaw.

 

2. She looked at Napier. He wasn’t good-looking in any conventional sense. But she liked the firm line on his nose and forehead, the way his eyes smiled when he talked. There was a strength to him, an assurance, but held in reserve. Napier made no open display of masculinity.

 

3. Toby was heavier than Andrew Miles, better dressed, rounder-faced, richer all over with the smooth glossiness of a well-serviced urban man. But beside the beaky farmer he looked strangely unsubstantial.

                  

1.1.11 Speaking

Do others see you as the person you think you really are? Prepare a list of questions about the impression you make to ask your friends and relatives. Say whether you find their opinion different from your own.

 

1.1.12  Writing

Write about how your character has changed or developed over the years. Are there any aspects of your personality you still don’t like?