Topic: The Science of Habits

Exercise I. Answer in full sentences:

1. Do you think habits control our lives? Why or why not?
Yes, I think habits control our lives because we do many things without thinking. Habits help us decide what we do every day.
2. Is it harder to build a good habit or break a bad one?
I think it is harder to break a bad habit because we are used to it. It is difficult to stop something we do often.
3. What strategies have you used to change a habit?
I try to change a habit by doing it little by little. I also remind myself why I want to change and try to stay strong.

Reading Text: How Habits Shape Our Lives

Human behavior is largely driven by habits—automatic actions that are repeated over time. Although we often believe that our decisions are the result of careful thinking, research suggests that a significant portion of our daily activities is habitual.

Habits are formed through a psychological process known as the “habit loop,” which consists of three stages: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue triggers a behavior, the routine is the action itself, and the reward reinforces the habit, making it more likely to be repeated in the future. For example, feeling stressed (cue) may lead someone to scroll through social media (routine), which provides temporary relief (reward).

One reason habits are so powerful is that they reduce the need for conscious decision-making. This allows the brain to conserve energy and focus on more complex tasks. However, this efficiency comes at a cost. Once established, habits can be extremely difficult to change, even when they have negative consequences.

Despite this challenge, psychologists argue that habits are not fixed. By identifying the cue and reward, individuals can modify the routine while maintaining the same underlying need. For instance, instead of checking a phone when bored, a person might choose to take a short walk or read a few pages of a book.

Ultimately, developing awareness of our habits is the first step toward meaningful change. By making small but consistent adjustments, individuals can gradually transform their behavior and improve their overall well-being.

Exercise II. Match the words with their definitions:

1. Reinforce-b. To make something stronger or more likely to continue
2. Cue-a. A signal that triggers an action
3. Routine-c. Regular behavior or way of doing something
4. Conserve-d. To protect something from being wasted or lost
5. Awareness-e. Knowledge or understanding of a situation

Exercise III. Reading Comprehension: Answer in full sentences:

1. Do you agree that habits are more powerful than conscious decisions? Why?
Yes, I agree that habits are more powerful than conscious decisions because many of our actions happen automatically without thinking. Habits guide our daily behavior and save mental energy.
2. Can technology make our habits better or worse? Give examples.
Yes, technology can make habits both better and worse. For example, fitness apps can help people build healthy exercise habits, but social media can also create addictive scrolling habits that waste time.
3. Is it possible to completely eliminate bad habits?
It is very difficult to completely eliminate bad habits, but it is possible to replace them with better ones by changing routines and cues.

Exercise IV. A. Find examples in the text of:

1. A sentence with a relative clause
“a habit loop, which consists of three stages”
2. A sentence with a conditional idea
“By identifying the cue and reward, individuals can modify the routine…”
3. A sentence with a linking word (e.g., however, although, ultimately)
“However, this efficiency comes at a cost.”

B. Combine the sentences using appropriate connectors:

1. Habits are automatic. They can be changed.
Habits are automatic, but they can be changed.
2. He felt tired. He continued working.
Although he felt tired, he continued working.
3. You identify the problem. You can solve it
If you identify the problem, you can solve it.

Exercise V. Write a 200–250 word essay: Topic: «Are habits more powerful than motivation?»

Include:

1. A clear opinion
2. At least two supporting arguments
3. An example from real life
4. A concluding sentence

Habits are more powerful than motivation because they control our actions every day. Motivation can help us start something, but it does not last long. Habits, however, are automatic and continue even when we do not feel like doing something. For example, a student may feel motivated to study at the beginning, but only a habit of studying daily will help them succeed in the long term. Habits save time and energy because we do not need to think before acting. In conclusion, motivation is important, but habits are stronger and more useful for long-term success.

Choose the most appropriate answer.

1. Don’t forget  …     some bread. We don’t have any left. 

buy,  buying,  having bought,  to buy

2. My doctor recommends  …     to a mountain resort. 

go, going, having gone, to go

3. I regret …      her about it. She told everyone. 

telling,  to have told, to tell, to be telling

4. He seemed  …     his job. Why did he quit?

 liking, having liked, to be liking, to like

5. I didn’t mean  …     you. Please forgive me. 

hurt, hurting, to have hur,t to hurt

6. He couldn’t help  …     at their suggestion. 

laughing, having laughed, to laugh, to be laughing

7. You were supposed …      the dishes. 

wash, washing, to be washed, to wash

8. Their house looks a little shabby. I think it needs  …     . 

paint, painting, having painted, to paint

9. Allow me  …     you. 

help, helping, to have been helping

 to help

10. He avoided …      their questions. 

answer, answering, having answered, to answer

1. how can
2. I help if you could check
3. have
4. more details
5. was wondering if
6. anything else
7. appreciate it

1. the evening
2. cricket
3. the bus
4. a headache
5. prison
6. a waiter
7. a taxi
8. music
9. chemistry
10. in the 1920s

1. A
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. A
8. C
9. D
10. D

1. the
2. a
3. an
4. the
5. a
6. the
7. a
8. the
9. an
10. the

1. are
2. was
3. are
4. takes
5. looks
6. wasn’t
7. is

1. an-some
2. informations-information
3. glasses-glass
4. was-were
5. hairs-hair
6. a jean-jeans
7. much-many
8. knowledges-knowledges
9. are-is
10. another-more

1. were only a few
2. gave the police a description
3. is only a little
4. joining the fire brigade
5. was shocking and we
6. are only a few
7. only ate
8. a lot of hats

1. H
2. F
3. G
4. B
5. D
6. A
7. E
8. C

1. D
2. B
3. D
4. D
5. A
6. D
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. A
11. B
12. C

1. —
2. the
3. a
4. the
5. the
6. the
7. —
8. —
9. —
10. the
11. the
12. —
13. an
14. —
15. a
16. the
17. the
18. the
19. an
20. the
21. the
22. —

1. We went to the theatre last night and saw a great play, although some of the acting was a bit poor.
2. Give me a ring tomorrow before I go to work and we’ll arrange to meet at the office.
3. The prime minister told a reporter that the government wanted to pas a law banning hunting.
4. I asked the hotel manager where the pool was and she directed me to the seventh floor.
5. They said on the news on the radio that Mount Vesuvius the volcano that destroyed Pompeii, could erupt again.
6. The car has revolutionised transport and is absolutely vital to the economy of most countries.
7. The judge read the jury’s verdict aloud and then sentenced the accused to five years in prison.
8. A job in the media can be quite stressful because of the pressure you are under to do things on time.
9. Very few people in the 19th century went to school or university and most started work at a very young age.
10. I have a little free time since I gave up karate, so I’m thinking of trying a new hobby, like learning a musical instrument.

1) Explanation
2) Introduction
3) Scientists
4) Possibillity
5) Building
6) Revolutionary
7) Discovery
8) Appearance
9) researcher
10) Importance

11-D
12-A
13-F
14-C
15-H
16-E
17-B
18-G

19. Looking forward to doing
20. With the introduction of
21. Finally managed to bring
22. I find it impossible to understand
23. Resulted in Fleming’s discovery of
24. Are sometimes known as
25. Reached the conclusion
26. Made an attempt to
27. As soon as we have

28-C
29-B
30-B
31-A
32-D
33-C
34-A

35-C
36-A
37-C
38-D
39-D
40-B
41-D

Directions: 1. Read the following passage and answer the questions.

Many plants and animals went extinct due to human activity. Few are as well known as the dodo. What stories have you heard about the dodo? You may have heard that they were fat, slow, and stupid. You may have heard that humans hunted them to the point of extinction. Legends and folktales do not tell the whole story. The only place the dodo ever lived was the island of Mauritius (pronounced like “more-ish us”). Mauritius is smaller than Rhode Island. It is off the coast of Madagascar, a much larger island east of
Africa. There were no mammals on Mauritius before humans arrived.The dodo descended from pigeons that had flown to Mauritius. These pigeons found that this island had clean water and lots of fruit. Also, no predators lived there. They could relax and live in peace. Over millions of years, they evolved to become big and flightless. They became dodos. Humans discovered Mauritius during the Age of Exploration. The Dutch colonized the island in 1638. They tried to farm and settle the land. They
wanted to produce exports. They wanted the island to be more like their homes in the Netherlands.
They brought pigs, chickens, cats, and other animals, even deer. They also brought the rats that hid on their ships. The colonists hunted and ate many dodos. The birds had never faced predators. They were not stupid though. They learned to run from humans. They might have even adapted and survived, if it
weren’t for the other new mammals on Mauritius.
The cats and rats ate the dodos’ eggs. Since dodos could not fly, they were unable to hide their eggs in trees like other birds. The new pigs, chickens, and livestock on the island now competed with the dodos for food. The dodos had to go deeper and deeper into the forests of Mauritius to survive. At the same time, the colonists were clearing the forests to make farmland. This total ecological attack was too much for these great birds.
The last recorded encounter with a dodo happened in 1662. A shipwrecked sailor wrote that he and
his friends had caught a dodo. He said that the bird made a great noise and all the bird’s friends ran to
assist it. The men then captured them all. Truly this bird was too noble for this world.
No one noticed the extinction of the dodo when it happened. The concept didn’t even exist at the time. The word “extinction” wouldn’t even be used in that way for another 100 years. People just weren’t aware of their impact on the environment. They didn’t know about the delicate balance of life. In 1833, a study of the dodo helped to prove the concept of human-induced extinction.
To make things worse, the Dutch colonies failed. The Dutch abandoned Mauritius in 1710. Sadly, the dodo was not the only animal that was wiped out. It was only the most popular. Hundreds of plants and animals from Mauritius are now gone forever due to human activity.

1. Which statement is FALSE?
a) Mauritius had a lot of fruit trees in the past.
b) Mauritius is off the coast of Rhode Island.
c) Mauritius is a very small island.
d) Mauritius had no mammals on it for most of time.

2. Which bird is an ancestor of the dodo?
a) the penguin
b) the pigeon
c) the ostrich
d) the turkey

3. Which best explains WHY dodos lost the ability to fly?
a) The forest was so dense in Mauritius that birds couldn’t fly.
b) Dodo wings adapted to swimming, like penguins.
c) The dodos had no predators on Mauritius.
d) Mauritius was too windy and flying there was dangerous.

4. Which best describes the author’s purpose in writing the FOURTH paragraph?
a) He is explaining how and why the Dutch came to Mauritius.
b) He is describing what the Netherlands was like in the 1600s.
c) He is informing readers about how farms work and what they do.
d) He is persuading readers to learn more about history and geography.

5. Which event happened LAST?
a) The Dutch brought mammals to Mauritius.
b) A sailor had the last recorded encounter with a dodo.
c) The Dutch abandoned Mauritius.
d) The concept of human-induced extinction was proven.

6. Which was NOT a factor in the extinction of the dodo?
a) Pigs and chickens out-competed the dodo for food.
b) Cats and rats ate the dodos’ eggs.
c) Humans cleared forestland to make farmland.
d) Pollution spoiled the dodos’ ancient mating grounds.

7. How did people feel about the extinction of the dodo when it happened?
a) Many people were really upset.
b) Animal protection groups were formed.
c) Most people didn’t notice or care.
d) Governments started preserving wildlife.

8. Which event happened FIRST?
a) Humans discovered the island of Mauritius.
b) The Dutch colonists left Mauritius.
c) The last recorded encounter with a dodo occurred.
d) A study of the dodo helped prove the concept of extinction.

9. Which statement is TRUE based on information from the text?
a) Overhunting was the sole cause of the dodo’s extinction.
b) The Dutch colonies on Mauritius were a great success.
c) The case of the dodo helped to prove the idea of extinction.
d) The dodo was the only species extinguished by the colonists.

10. With which statement would the author most likely AGREE?
a) Nature always bounces back no matter how much damage we cause.
b) Our actions can have severe, unintended effects on the environment.
c) We should not explore the planet because it is too dangerous.
d) It is arrogant to think that humans can permanently change the planet.

1. If the island of Mauritius were discovered today, would people treat the dodo and its
habitat differently? Why or why not? (100-150 words)
If people found Mauritius today, they would treat the dodo very differently. Today, people know that animals can become extinct because of human actions. Scientists understand that bringing new animals and cutting forests can destroy nature. In the past, people did not know this, but now they try to protect animals and their homes. For example, laws and parks are made to keep animals safe. People would not hunt the dodo so much, and they would stop other animals like rats and pigs from harming them. These animals ate dodo eggs and caused big problems . Because of this knowledge, the dodo might survive today. People would try to protect it and keep nature balanced.

2. What lesson can readers learn from this text? What can the dodo and the island of
Mauritius teach readers about ecology and our environment? Refer to the text in your
response. (100-150 words)
This text teaches us that human actions can harm nature. The dodo became extinct because people hunted it, brought new animals, and destroyed forests. Animals like rats and pigs ate the dodo’s eggs, so fewer baby birds survived . This shows that nature is very delicate. When one thing changes, many other things are affected. The dodo also shows that extinction is real and can happen because of humans. Today, people understand this better and try to protect animals and the environment. The main lesson is that we must be careful with nature. If we are not careful, other animals can disappear just like the dodo. We should respect and protect the environment.

1. B
2. D
3. C
4. C
5. D
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. D
10. A

1. false
2. electric
3. motor
4. industry
5. taking place
6. modern
7. engine

1. broken
2. narrowed
3. turn
4. work
5. carrying
6. came
7. put
8. plugged

1. A
2. E
3. C
4. F
5. B
6. D

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1. are going to visit
2. will be
3. am going to take
4. will be able to
5. will stay
6. will technology have
7. am going to take