An
Activity sent by Paco Acuña
WHAT IS LOVE?
What is love ? And what causes it ? An American professor, Charles Zastrow, offers
an interesting answer, particularly to the second question. He argues that there
are many kinds of love and that particularly in one kind, which he calls "romantic
love", we are strongly influenced not so much by what we actually feel but
by what we tell ourselves about the way we feel. He calls this "self?talk".
For example, say a woman is strongly attracted to a man. She tells herself things
like "He is all I have ever wanted in a man!". But when she discovers
that he is just an ordinary human being with both strong and weak points, she
is bitterly dissapointed.
Zastrow says that particularly in romantic love,
our self-talk comes from "intense, unsatisfied desires and frustrations",
and that this kind of love often requires distance. "The more forbidden the
love, the stronger it becomes". He points out that this kind of love begins
to fade and die as soon as a normal relationship begins.
He contrasts romantic
love with what he calls "rational love". This is based, among others,
on such things as the ability to communicate with each other openly, so that you
can deal with problems as they appear, and a clear knowledge of your own goals
in life. This kind of love leads to a lasting, satisfying relationship, but it
is much more difficult to achieve, and is not as frequent as romantic love.
A. COMPREHENSION (1 point per question)
1. What is "romantic
love"?
2. According to Zastrow, why cannot "romantic love"
last ?
3. Which are the main differences between "romantic and rational
love" ?
B.
VOCABULARY (1 point per question)
4. a) SYNONYMS: a. Types b. In
fact c. Common d. Demand
b) ANTONYMS: a. Dull b. Permitted c. Short d. Rare.
5. a) Explain the meaning of: "a clear knowledge of your own goals in life."
b) Give the English word for this definition: "talent, sufficient power,
cleverness, mental power."
C.
STRUCTURES (1 point per question)
Rewrite these sentences using the
words given:
6. I went to see her flat. She lived in it when she was a student.
I ...
7. I didn't put any sugar in the coffee and it was bitter.
If I ...
D.
COMPOSITION (3 points)
Write a composition (90-100 words) about LOVE
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