reading practice

Read and complete, use the clues below

You are standing in a 0) public area. Suddenly there is a disturbance, and even though you can’t see what’s going on, you, and those near you, immediately feel 1) ........................ and quickly move away.

Scientists have long known about animal 2) ................................... to danger. For instance, if

one animal begins to run away, then all the other animals in the group will 3) ................. . But scientists have been baffled by what causes 4) ............................... behaviour in humans. What is it that causes fear to 5) .............................. so quickly through a group of people?

Researchers at Harvard believe they may have begun to unravel the mystery. In the past it was accepted that people judged emotional situations 6) ............................. by looking at faces. What this new study has 7) ........ is that the position of the body is also very important.

To test their theory, the scientists showed pictures of people 8) .................................. in different poses but with their faces rubbed out. The pictures showed people in happy, neutral and fearful positions. While the test subjects 9) ………………........ at the pictures, their brains were scanned to see how they reacted. The researchers found that the fearful position caused a very 10) .............................. reaction despite the lack of any facial expression in the pictures. The effects suggest that humans react instinctively to a position of fear in other people and that this 11) ................................ in our behaviour has helped humans to 12) ................................. in dangerous situations throughout our evolution.

0) A filled                     B jammed                   C packed                    D public

1) A irritable                B nervous                   C impatient                  D doubtful

2) A replies                  B explanations            C answers                   D responses

3) A proceed               B go                            C come                       D follow

4) A same                   B equal                        C like                           D similar

5) A spread                 B expand                    C widen                       D open

6) A naturally              B clearly                      C simply                      D plainly

7) A founded               B realised                    C exposed                   D discovered

8) A forming                B having                      C standing                   D taking

9) A glared                  B noticed                     C looked                      D watched

10) A hard                   B strong                      C tough                       D strict

11) A effect                 B development           C result                        D conclusion

12) A remain               B keep                        C survive                     D live