What Does Your Face Say
What Does Your Face Say
– exercises
Do the preparation task first to help you with the difficult vocabulary. Then read the article and do the
exercises to check your understanding.
Preparation
Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–h next to the number 1–8.
The scientists from the University of Glasgow believe there are six basic
1. True False
emotions that we can recognise from facial expressions.
The emotions that are expressed on your face can be interpreted in different
2. True False
ways.
People from different places may have a different concept of what a disgust
3. True False
face looks like.
The scientists in Glasgow discovered that all cultures could recognise the
4. True False
difference between fear and surprise.
This research could be used to help people understand each other better
8. True False
when using new technologies.
2. Check your vocabulary: gap fill
Read the text and write the correct form of the word in brackets to complete the gaps. Look at the example
at the beginning of the text.
The various EXPRESSIONS (EXPRESS) which we make on our faces communicate different emotions.
However, it seems that there are different _______________ (INTERPRET) of what emotions are being
expressed in different parts of the world.
A team of scientists from Glasgow University has done research into understanding how facial expressions
are interpreted across cultures. When an observer makes a _______________ (DECIDE) about what
emotion a face is expressing, it seems that people from the East and West actually look at different parts of
the face. This could even lead to an unfortunate _______________ (UNDERSTAND) when two people
from different cultures are communicating. The research from the Glasgow University team may have an
important _______________ (APPLY) in the world of social media when people from different cultures are
communicating. One future _______________ (POSSIBLE) is that people talking on Skype may have an
on-screen avatar which could translate the speaker’s facial expression so that the other person can
understand how they feel. This would certainly avoid a lot of _______________ (CONFUSE) and help
people from different cultures understand each other.
Discussion
What did you find most surprising or interesting about this new research?
Vocabulary Box Write any new words you have learnt in this lesson.