Trabajo Práctico alumnos Prof. Candela (PUEF y HUMA)

Chicos,

Les dejo el siguiente trabajo práctico para que resuelvan esta semana. En el transcurso de la misma, publicaré las respuestas.

Saludos,

Candela

LIFE EXPECTANCY

A. You are going to read a newspaper article about longevity. What do you think the underlined words in the sentences below mean? Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.

Tip: It is not necessary to know the meaning of every word in a reading passage. If you come across a word you do not know, use the other words in the sentence to help you guess the meaning.

1 I guess it’s not enough to live a healthy life. Longevity is what really matters these days!

2 I’m convinced that regular medical check-ups guarantee increased life expectancy.

3 The life of a centenarian in contemporary society is not a happy one.

4 I’d really like to outlive my peers even if my health condition isn’t going to be perfect.

B.  Think about the opinions in the sentences above. To what extent do you agree with them? Why?

C. Read the first paragraph (in bold) and make notes of the key points in the paragraph. Then complete the sentences using your own words.

1 Costa Rica is _____________________ where ______________________ .

2 The Blue Zones are _____________________ where _____________________ .

3 Dan Buettner has _____________________the effect of _____________________ on longevity.

LONGEVITY HOTSPOTS

Although Costa Rica spends only 15% of what the USA does on health care, a Costa Rican man aged 60 has about twice the chance of reaching 90 as does a man living in the USA. Trying to uncover the secrets of extraordinary longevity, world-famous researcher Dan Buettner has explored Costa Rica and four other geographic regions – called the Blue Zones – where small populations outlive their more technologically advanced peers. While interviewing the oldest people in the Blue Zones, the researcher analysed how their lifestyle is reflected by their increased life expectancy. As a consequence, Buettner has figured out the ways in which we can re-organise our local communities so as to enhance our health and well-being.

As regards a healthy lifestyle, Buettner suggests that we make our daily habits less convenient.
The Blue Zone inhabitants don’t need extreme gym workouts. Instead, they have to move around a lot doing daily errands – walking to a shop, a friend’s house, or simply climbing stairs instead of using lifts. Similarly, we should be more demanding about our diets. To live longer and healthier lives, it is advisable to eat plenty of nuts and beans, and to stop eating when our stomach is 80% full. No pain, no gain, as the saying goes.

Our mental hygiene is no less significant. To gain 7 years of increased life expectancy, you should find and articulate your personal reason to live, your sense of purpose. This could, for example, be a religion you choose to practise. It is believed that attending faith-based services on a weekly basis will give you between 4 and 14 years of increased life expectancy. Additionally, it turns out that the healthiest centenarians in the Blue Zones put their families and friends first. They live in positive, committed relationships which support and promote healthy behaviour. Thanks to this, their lifespan can be prolonged by up to three years. Research from the Framingham Studies shows that both addictions (e.g. smoking) and positive habits (e.g. happiness) are contagious. That’s why it’s important to be surrounded by friends you have chosen wisely in order to maintain good mental health. It is a widely known fact that stressful situations do not contribute positively to a healthy lifestyle. Although stressful situations never disappear altogether from our lives, we should follow in the footsteps of the Blue Zone community members, and figure out some daily routines to help us chill out – be it remembering our loved ones, praying or simply sleeping. People who take regular naps have a 35% lower incidence of heart-related disease, since the heart rate drops and stress hormones diminish during sleep.

Interestingly, a prototype Blue Zone community was established in the North American town of Albert Lea in 2009. The results of the experiment have been analysed by scientists and proved extremely positive, as life expectancy increased by an average of 3.2 years. The research carried out among working people in the zone showed an almost 50% decrease in their health care costs. Consequently, there are plans to create another Blue Zone community in the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

D. Read the rest of the reading passage and make notes about factors that contribute to a long and healthy life.

E. Translate the text.

Retrieved and adapted from: http://www.onestopenglish.com/cambridge-english-first-reading-and-use-of-english-part-6-life-expectancy-lesson-plan/555558.article