• Today we are going to read the article

with the title “Set in Our Ways: Why

Change is So Hard?” by Nicolas
Westerhoff.
• This article begins with a short synopsis of
the life of Christopher McCandless as an
example of someone who changed his life,
albeit with fatal consequences.
• In reality, nothing is more dangerous to the
adventurous spirit within a man than a
secure future. 1
• If you could change any aspect of
your personality, what would it be?
How would this improve your
life??
• Your answers will vary.

2
• Have you ever changed or
wanted to change your
physical appearance? What
did you change or want to
change?
• Your answers may vary.

3
• You are asked to look at the
photos (on pages 193 and 194) and
answer these questions. What is
the man changing? Why do you
think he wants to change?
• The possible answer is: The man
might want a facelift to look younger.
Maybe he is job hunting, and he
thinks he needs to look more youthful
to compete with younger candidates. 4
• WHILE-READING
• Now we do exercise on vocabulary
on pages 195 and 195 (10 minutes).

5
1. Some people read self-help books
because they are not happy with
their lives and are looking for
transformation
personal ________________.

6
2. The researchers are responsible
for organizing the experiments, but
conduct
their assistants actually _________
them.

7
3. People don’t like too much change
because familiar experiences give
them a feeling of _____________
consistency
and control over their lives.

8
4. Many people start a diet with the
intention of achieving a
best __________
healthy weight, but they find it
difficult to change their behavior.

9
5. Some scientists believe
personality characteristics are
the jury is still out
genetic, but ___________________
on this issue because no research
has proved this to be true.

10
6. As a person gets older, he may
lose his appetite for
start to _________________
change and adventure, instead
preferring to be comfortable and
safe.

11
 conscientious
7. Some people are ______________
workers and always try to do a
good job.

12
8. Many young people are
impulsive and make quick
__________
decisions that are not based on a
lot of thought.

13
9. Some people think that their hair
needs to look different, so they
conceivable
style it in every _____________
way.

14
 undertake a diet or
10. When you ___________
exercise program, you are also
responsible for making a long-term
change in behavior.

15
11. A person’s ability to
communicate information and
ideas in a foreign language is
called communicative
competence
_____________.

16
 novelty of visiting a
12. The ________
foreign country and experiencing a
lot of new things can be very
exciting.

17
WHILE-READING
• Now read the article and do
exercise on main ideas on
pages 199 and 200 (15 minutes).

+ Match each section of the article

with its main ideas.
18
a. Introduction (Paragraphs 1-5)
→ 3. While young people are usually
open to new experiences, older
people are less interested in new
experiences and are more
unwilling to change.

19
b. Nature or Nurture? (Paragraphs 6-
12)
→ 2. As people become older, they
are less open to change. This is
true around the world and in all
cultures, suggesting that
resistance to change has a genetic
basis. However, it may also indicate
that people all over the world
simply have similar life demands
and societal expectations.
20
c. False Hope Springs Eternal
(Paragraphs 12 - 14)
→ 4. People who try to make big
changes in their lives often end up
failing to make even small
changes. Their hopes are too high.
Their desire for change is
unrealistic.

21
d. Conclusion (Paragraphs 15 -16)
→ 1. People need to set reasonable
goals, as even small changes are
difficult. It is more important to be
happy with who you are.

22
Main idea of the whole reading
→ The older people get, the more
difficult it is for them to change.

23
• WHILE – READING
• Now we do exercise on details on
pages 200 and 201 (15 minutes).

24
1. What did Christopher McCandless do
that is an extreme example of the
impulsiveness and restlessness of
youth?
→ Christopher McCandless left his family
and friends, gave up his career plans, gave
away all his money, hitchhiked around the
U.S., and ended up in Alaska, where he
lived for about four months in the
wilderness before dying of starvation.
(Paragraph 2)
25
2. How do the examples of voters,
dieters, and consumers show that
people continue to claim a passion
for novelty as they get older?
→ Voters, dieters, and consumers all
like things that promise change
(politicians, nutritional programs,
or self-help books).
(paragraph 3 + paragraph 4)
26
3. What evidence is there for a
genetic basis to declining
openness in adulthood?
→ There is an age-dependent
pattern of decreasing openness
that appears all around the world
and in all cultures.
Paragraph 6

27
4. What is the argument that there isn’t a
genetic basis to declining openness in
adulthood?
→ People around the world face similar
life demands and societal
expectations, such as finding a
partner, earning a living , and caring
for children and grandchildren.
Because these tasks require
commitment and consistency, they
may cause personality change.
Paragraph 7 28
5. According to the article, when are
people able to become open to new
experiences again?
→ According to the article, people are
able to become open to new
experiences again after age 60,
when they have fulfilled their life
obligations (when they have retired
and their children have grown up
and left home). Paragraph 12
29
6. What is false hope syndrome?
→ False hope syndrome is the idea
that most of the changes, big and
small, that people try to make in
their lives will fail because their
expectations are too high.

paragraph. 13
30
7. Why will the woman who believes that
if she loses 20 pounds, she’ll meet the
man of her dreams and be happy
probably not succeed?
→ She probably won’t succeed because
it is hard to keep the weight off in long
term and finding a partner often
depends on luck. Even if she loses
weight, the other goals may not be
achieved.
Paragraph 14 31
8. What advice does the article give to
people over the age of 30 who might
want to change?
→ The article advises people over age 30
who might want to change to start right
away because they are becoming less
open to new experiences. They should
also appreciate who they already are
and the things they already have. p,.15

32
POST – READING
• You have just read the article with the
title “Set in Our Ways: Why Change is So
Hard?”, and now you are asked to
express your opinions about the topic.
• In this part, there are three items on
page 201. Choose one item and give
answers to those questions. Write freely
for five to ten minutes in response.
33
Question 1: How open to new
experiences are you? What are
some examples of new
experiences you have had?

34
Question 2: Do you agree that the
older people become the harder
it is for them to change? How
does this idea compare with the
experiences of people you
know?

35
Question 3: Based on what you
have read and your own
experiences, do you feel that the
global pattern of being less open
to change is genetic or because
of the societal pressures
everyone faces?

36
• Now, for further practice, you are
asked to choose the correct answers
to reading section questions in
TOEFL tests - SUPPLEMENTARY
EXERCISE 5.
• In this exercise, you are asked to read the
passage and answer 10 questions based
on what is stated or implied in the
passage (10 minutes)
37
Question 1: With which of the
following topics is the passage
primarily concerned?
A: The Black Acacia.
B: Characteristics and varieties of the
Acacia.
C: Australian varieties of the Acacia.
D: The use of Acacia wood in
ornamental furniture.
Answer: B 38
Question 2: How many species of
acacia grow well in the southern
United States?
A: Five hundred.
B: Three hundred.
C: Twelve.
D: Three.
Answer: C

39
Question 3: The underlined word
“these” in paragraph 1 refers to___
A: United States
B: varieties
C: species
D: trees and shrubs
Answer: B

40
Question 4: According to this passage,
the Silver Wattle _________.

A: is squat and bushy

B: has unobtrusive blossoms
C: is taller than the Bailey Acacia
D: is used for making furniture
Answer: C
41
Question 5: In paragraph 1, the
underlined word “flat” most nearly
means _____________.

A: smooth
B: pretty
C: pointed
D: short
Answer: A

42
Question 6: The underlined word
“showy” in paragraph 1 could best be
replaced by ___________.

A: strange
B: elaborate
C: huge
D: fragile
Answer: B
43
Question 7: Which of the following
Acacia has the least colorful
blossoms?

A: Bailey Acacia.
B: Sydney Golden Wattle.
C: Silver Acacia.
D: Black Acacia.
Answer: D
44
Question 8: Which of the following
would most probably be made from a
black acacia tree?

A: A flower arrangement.
B: A table.
C: A pie.
D: Paper.
Answer: B
45
Question 9: The underlined phrase
“highly prized” in paragraph 1 is
closest in meaning to ____________.

A: valuable
B: unique
C: stylish
D: attractive
Answer: A 46
Question 10: When do Acacia trees
bloom in Australia?

A: February.
B: Summer.
C: August.
D: Spring.
Answer: C
47
Now you do this exercise which
measures your ability to read and
understand written English.
+ In this exercise, EXERCISE 5 , you will
read TWO passages. Each one is
followed by ten questions. Choose the
one best answer (A, B, C or D ) to each
question.
48