How to beat loneliness

Loneliness is a subjective feeling. You may be surrounded by other people, friends, family, workmates — yet still feel emotionally or socially disconnected from those around you. Other people are not guaranteed to shield us against the raw emotional pain that loneliness inflicts.

But raw emotional pain is only the beginning of the damage loneliness can cause. It has a huge impact on our physical health as well. Loneliness activates our physical and psychological stress responses and suppresses the function of our immune systems. This puts us at increased risk for developing all kinds of illness and diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Shockingly, the longterm risk chronic loneliness poses to our health and longevity is so severe, it actually increases risk of an early death by 26%.

There are many paths to loneliness. Some enter loneliness gradually. A friend moves away, another has a child, a third works a seventy-hour work week, and before we know it our social circle, the one we had relied upon for years, ceases to exist. Others enter loneliness more suddenly, when they leave for college or the military, lose a partner to death or divorce, start a new job, or move to a new town or country. And for some, chronic illness, disability or other limiting conditions have made loneliness a lifelong companion.

Unfortunately, emerging from loneliness is far more challenging than we realize, as the psychological wounds it inflicts create a trap from which it is difficult to break free. Loneliness distorts our perceptions, making us believe the people around us care much less than they actually do, and it makes us view our existing relationships more negatively, such that we see them as less meaningful and important than we would if we were not lonely.

These distorted perceptions have a huge ripple effect, creating self-fulfilling prophecies that ensnare many. Feeling emotionally raw and convinced of our own undesirability and of the diminished caring of others, we hesitate to reach out even as we are likely to respond to overtures from others with hesitance, resentment, skepticism or desperation, effectively pushing away the very people who could alleviate our condition.

As a result, many lonely people withdraw and isolate themselves to avoid risking further rejection or disappointment. And when they do venture into the world, their hesitance and doubts are likely to create the very reaction they fear. They will force themselves to attend a party but feel so convinced others won’t talk to them, they spend the entire evening parked by the hummus and vegetable dip with a scowl on their face, and indeed, no one dares approach — which for them only verifies their fundamental undesirability. […] 

(Source: Guy Winch, at TED Ideas. Retrieved at: http://ideas.ted.com/how-tobeat-loneliness/) 

How to beat loneliness

Loneliness is a subjective feeling. You may be surrounded by other people, friends, family, workmates — yet still feel emotionally or socially disconnected from those around you. Other people are not guaranteed to shield us against the raw emotional pain that loneliness inflicts.

But raw emotional pain is only the beginning of the damage loneliness can cause. It has a huge impact on our physical health as well. Loneliness activates our physical and psychological stress responses and suppresses the function of our immune systems. This puts us at increased risk for developing all kinds of illness and diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Shockingly, the longterm risk chronic loneliness poses to our health and longevity is so severe, it actually increases risk of an early death by 26%.

There are many paths to loneliness. Some enter loneliness gradually. A friend moves away, another has a child, a third works a seventy-hour work week, and before we know it our social circle, the one we had relied upon for years, ceases to exist. Others enter loneliness more suddenly, when they leave for college or the military, lose a partner to death or divorce, start a new job, or move to a new town or country. And for some, chronic illness, disability or other limiting conditions have made loneliness a lifelong companion.

Unfortunately, emerging from loneliness is far more challenging than we realize, as the psychological wounds it inflicts create a trap from which it is difficult to break free. Loneliness distorts our perceptions, making us believe the people around us care much less than they actually do, and it makes us view our existing relationships more negatively, such that we see them as less meaningful and important than we would if we were not lonely.

These distorted perceptions have a huge ripple effect, creating self-fulfilling prophecies that ensnare many. Feeling emotionally raw and convinced of our own undesirability and of the diminished caring of others, we hesitate to reach out even as we are likely to respond to overtures from others with hesitance, resentment, skepticism or desperation, effectively pushing away the very people who could alleviate our condition.

As a result, many lonely people withdraw and isolate themselves to avoid risking further rejection or disappointment. And when they do venture into the world, their hesitance and doubts are likely to create the very reaction they fear. They will force themselves to attend a party but feel so convinced others won’t talk to them, they spend the entire evening parked by the hummus and vegetable dip with a scowl on their face, and indeed, no one dares approach — which for them only verifies their fundamental undesirability. […] 

(Source: Guy Winch, at TED Ideas. Retrieved at: http://ideas.ted.com/how-tobeat-loneliness/) 

How to beat loneliness

Loneliness is a subjective feeling. You may be surrounded by other people, friends, family, workmates — yet still feel emotionally or socially disconnected from those around you. Other people are not guaranteed to shield us against the raw emotional pain that loneliness inflicts.

But raw emotional pain is only the beginning of the damage loneliness can cause. It has a huge impact on our physical health as well. Loneliness activates our physical and psychological stress responses and suppresses the function of our immune systems. This puts us at increased risk for developing all kinds of illness and diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Shockingly, the longterm risk chronic loneliness poses to our health and longevity is so severe, it actually increases risk of an early death by 26%.

There are many paths to loneliness. Some enter loneliness gradually. A friend moves away, another has a child, a third works a seventy-hour work week, and before we know it our social circle, the one we had relied upon for years, ceases to exist. Others enter loneliness more suddenly, when they leave for college or the military, lose a partner to death or divorce, start a new job, or move to a new town or country. And for some, chronic illness, disability or other limiting conditions have made loneliness a lifelong companion.

Unfortunately, emerging from loneliness is far more challenging than we realize, as the psychological wounds it inflicts create a trap from which it is difficult to break free. Loneliness distorts our perceptions, making us believe the people around us care much less than they actually do, and it makes us view our existing relationships more negatively, such that we see them as less meaningful and important than we would if we were not lonely.

These distorted perceptions have a huge ripple effect, creating self-fulfilling prophecies that ensnare many. Feeling emotionally raw and convinced of our own undesirability and of the diminished caring of others, we hesitate to reach out even as we are likely to respond to overtures from others with hesitance, resentment, skepticism or desperation, effectively pushing away the very people who could alleviate our condition.

As a result, many lonely people withdraw and isolate themselves to avoid risking further rejection or disappointment. And when they do venture into the world, their hesitance and doubts are likely to create the very reaction they fear. They will force themselves to attend a party but feel so convinced others won’t talk to them, they spend the entire evening parked by the hummus and vegetable dip with a scowl on their face, and indeed, no one dares approach — which for them only verifies their fundamental undesirability. […] 

(Source: Guy Winch, at TED Ideas. Retrieved at: http://ideas.ted.com/how-tobeat-loneliness/) 

Read the text and mark the CORRECT alternative form question:

Windsurfing around Britain

   Kevin Cookston, a 23-year-old engineering student, has been keen on windsurfing for many years. Recently, he set a new record for travelling all the way round the coast of Great Britain on a windsurf board.

   'I don‟t really know why I did it,‟ says Kevin, ‟just for the fun of it, I suppose. It was there to be done, that was all.‟ Despite lacking both the obsessive ambition and the funds that normally go with attempts to break records, Kevin made the journey in eight weeks and six days, knocking one week off the previous record set in 1984.

   Leaving from Exmouth in the south-west of England, Kevin travelled up the west coast of England and Wales, before going round the top of Scotland and then coming back down the other side. The journey officially covered 2.896 kilometres, although given the changes of direction to find the right wind paths, the actual distance Kevin travelled is probably closer to 4.000 km.

    Kevin fitted his fitness training in around his final year university examinations. ‟I didn‟t have that much time to prepare,‟ he explains. ‟But I went running often and supplemented that with trips to the gym to do weight training. I found I got a lot better during the trip itself actually. At the start, I was tired and needed a rest after four hours, but by the end I found I could do ten hours in a row no trouble.‟

   Kevin had a budget of £7.000 to cover the whole expedition. The previous record had been set with a budget twice that size, while a recent unsuccessful attempt had cost £40.000. Budgets have to meet the cost of fuel, food and accommodation for the support team, as well as the windsurfer's own equipment and expenses.

   Previous contenders had been accompanied by a boat on which they slept at night, as well as a fleet of vehicles on land to carry their supplies. Kevin made do with an inflatable rubber boat and an old van manned by four friends who followed his progress. Overnight arrangements had to be found along the way. Apart from the odd occasion when they enjoyed the hospitality of friends, the team made use of the camping equipment carried in the van, and slept on the beach.

   When asked if his athlete‟s diet was a closely kept secret, Kevin replied that he ate a lot of pasta and added the odd tin of tuna to keep up his energy. ‟Basically, we had anything that was on special offer in the nearest supermarket, he confided.

  Such a prolongued period of gruelling windsurfing made relaxation important however, and for this, Kevin favoured the pub method. This also provided social opportunities.“The people we met were really encouraging he recalls“. 'They thought what we were doing was really great. It was hard work, but we had a lot of fun along the way“. 

   Kevin has been windsurfing since he was thirteen years old and he is also a highly-ranked competitor at national level. ‟I don‟t know where I‟m ranked now,‟ he says, `because I‟ve missed a lot of important competitions this year. But what I did has more than made up for that and I‟ll be doing my best to be up there amongst the winners once I get back into the competitive sport next season‟. Given his unique achievement this year, Kevin seems well-placed to take on the world‟s top windsurfers. 

Fonte: First Certificate Practice Tests Plus 1, pg 116 Kenny/ Luque-Mortimer, Ed. Longman

Read the text and mark the CORRECT alternative form question:

Windsurfing around Britain

   Kevin Cookston, a 23-year-old engineering student, has been keen on windsurfing for many years. Recently, he set a new record for travelling all the way round the coast of Great Britain on a windsurf board.

   'I don‟t really know why I did it,‟ says Kevin, ‟just for the fun of it, I suppose. It was there to be done, that was all.‟ Despite lacking both the obsessive ambition and the funds that normally go with attempts to break records, Kevin made the journey in eight weeks and six days, knocking one week off the previous record set in 1984.

   Leaving from Exmouth in the south-west of England, Kevin travelled up the west coast of England and Wales, before going round the top of Scotland and then coming back down the other side. The journey officially covered 2.896 kilometres, although given the changes of direction to find the right wind paths, the actual distance Kevin travelled is probably closer to 4.000 km.

    Kevin fitted his fitness training in around his final year university examinations. ‟I didn‟t have that much time to prepare,‟ he explains. ‟But I went running often and supplemented that with trips to the gym to do weight training. I found I got a lot better during the trip itself actually. At the start, I was tired and needed a rest after four hours, but by the end I found I could do ten hours in a row no trouble.‟

   Kevin had a budget of £7.000 to cover the whole expedition. The previous record had been set with a budget twice that size, while a recent unsuccessful attempt had cost £40.000. Budgets have to meet the cost of fuel, food and accommodation for the support team, as well as the windsurfer's own equipment and expenses.

   Previous contenders had been accompanied by a boat on which they slept at night, as well as a fleet of vehicles on land to carry their supplies. Kevin made do with an inflatable rubber boat and an old van manned by four friends who followed his progress. Overnight arrangements had to be found along the way. Apart from the odd occasion when they enjoyed the hospitality of friends, the team made use of the camping equipment carried in the van, and slept on the beach.

   When asked if his athlete‟s diet was a closely kept secret, Kevin replied that he ate a lot of pasta and added the odd tin of tuna to keep up his energy. ‟Basically, we had anything that was on special offer in the nearest supermarket, he confided.

  Such a prolongued period of gruelling windsurfing made relaxation important however, and for this, Kevin favoured the pub method. This also provided social opportunities.“The people we met were really encouraging he recalls“. 'They thought what we were doing was really great. It was hard work, but we had a lot of fun along the way“. 

   Kevin has been windsurfing since he was thirteen years old and he is also a highly-ranked competitor at national level. ‟I don‟t know where I‟m ranked now,‟ he says, `because I‟ve missed a lot of important competitions this year. But what I did has more than made up for that and I‟ll be doing my best to be up there amongst the winners once I get back into the competitive sport next season‟. Given his unique achievement this year, Kevin seems well-placed to take on the world‟s top windsurfers. 

Fonte: First Certificate Practice Tests Plus 1, pg 116 Kenny/ Luque-Mortimer, Ed. Longman

Read the text and mark the CORRECT alternative form question:

Windsurfing around Britain

   Kevin Cookston, a 23-year-old engineering student, has been keen on windsurfing for many years. Recently, he set a new record for travelling all the way round the coast of Great Britain on a windsurf board.

   'I don‟t really know why I did it,‟ says Kevin, ‟just for the fun of it, I suppose. It was there to be done, that was all.‟ Despite lacking both the obsessive ambition and the funds that normally go with attempts to break records, Kevin made the journey in eight weeks and six days, knocking one week off the previous record set in 1984.

   Leaving from Exmouth in the south-west of England, Kevin travelled up the west coast of England and Wales, before going round the top of Scotland and then coming back down the other side. The journey officially covered 2.896 kilometres, although given the changes of direction to find the right wind paths, the actual distance Kevin travelled is probably closer to 4.000 km.

    Kevin fitted his fitness training in around his final year university examinations. ‟I didn‟t have that much time to prepare,‟ he explains. ‟But I went running often and supplemented that with trips to the gym to do weight training. I found I got a lot better during the trip itself actually. At the start, I was tired and needed a rest after four hours, but by the end I found I could do ten hours in a row no trouble.‟

   Kevin had a budget of £7.000 to cover the whole expedition. The previous record had been set with a budget twice that size, while a recent unsuccessful attempt had cost £40.000. Budgets have to meet the cost of fuel, food and accommodation for the support team, as well as the windsurfer's own equipment and expenses.

   Previous contenders had been accompanied by a boat on which they slept at night, as well as a fleet of vehicles on land to carry their supplies. Kevin made do with an inflatable rubber boat and an old van manned by four friends who followed his progress. Overnight arrangements had to be found along the way. Apart from the odd occasion when they enjoyed the hospitality of friends, the team made use of the camping equipment carried in the van, and slept on the beach.

   When asked if his athlete‟s diet was a closely kept secret, Kevin replied that he ate a lot of pasta and added the odd tin of tuna to keep up his energy. ‟Basically, we had anything that was on special offer in the nearest supermarket, he confided.

  Such a prolongued period of gruelling windsurfing made relaxation important however, and for this, Kevin favoured the pub method. This also provided social opportunities.“The people we met were really encouraging he recalls“. 'They thought what we were doing was really great. It was hard work, but we had a lot of fun along the way“. 

   Kevin has been windsurfing since he was thirteen years old and he is also a highly-ranked competitor at national level. ‟I don‟t know where I‟m ranked now,‟ he says, `because I‟ve missed a lot of important competitions this year. But what I did has more than made up for that and I‟ll be doing my best to be up there amongst the winners once I get back into the competitive sport next season‟. Given his unique achievement this year, Kevin seems well-placed to take on the world‟s top windsurfers. 

Fonte: First Certificate Practice Tests Plus 1, pg 116 Kenny/ Luque-Mortimer, Ed. Longman