CAE Reading and Use of English Part 8
You are going to read an article about phobias. For questions 47-56, choose from the contributors (A-D). The sections may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.
Which academic …
47 refer to a general coping strategy employed by many phobic people?
48 mention different types of phobias when pointing out their possible impacts?
49 describe how the results of giving in to a fear has been minimised?
50 use a personal example to preface a theory?
51 detail some common physical symptoms of phobias?
52 express an admiration for a particular solution to overcoming phobias?
53 wonder whether some phobias might subconsciously be copied from others?
54 suggest that our mental development has not kept up with the changes in the world around us?
55 explain that having a phobia is not as inexplicable as we tend to think?
56 exemplify an extreme effect of a particular phobia?
Evolutionary hangover
Many of our hobbies are believed to be evolutionary hangover from ancient survival instincts.
A
It sounds like a dream: you’re in a theatre and you’re the star of the show. Except that it’s an operating theatre, you’re the patient, and you’re still awake, but you can’t speak. Now it’s a nightmare! A surprising number of people have a phobia about being conscious under anaesthetic. But where does this fear come from? Surely not from experience! Phobias can be crippling in the effect they have on people, whether it’s a fear of something that others view as innocent – like ants or clouds – or perceived dangers that can be potentially serious such as heights or, as above – anaesthetics. And scientists have long been intrigued by where these often deep-seated and long-held fears come from. Do we take on our parents’ fears or are we perhaps influenced by films or stories we encounter as children? Maybe some fears are reactions to personal experiences.
B
In fact, the more we learn about our supposedly irrational fears, the more rational they seem to become. Phobias are a persistent feature of the human psyche – and many of the most common ones are thought to serve a survival purpose. For the past week, I have been making detours in my garden to get to my rubbish bins, so as not to disturb the enormous spider’s web stretching between the bins and the hedge. This is cowardice rather than respect for the spider’s skill at engineering; the idea of seeing the occupant as I dispose of the rubbish inspires an uncontrollable shiver. Arachnophobia, which is one of the 10 most common phobias listed on anxiety websites, is among those suspected of having an evolutionary origin.
C
The argument goes like this: as we evolved, the humans who enjoyed the best chance of survival were those who were most aware of threats. Poisonous spiders and snakes represented real dangers – only those who dodged them survived to pass on their genes. Our fearful ancestors thus won the battle for survival – and we inherited their brain patterns. Our environments, meanwhile, have changed far faster than the pace of evolution can keep up with: even though these natural threats have largely disappeared, our neurological circuits remain pretty much prehistoric. And so, to this day, certain objects or situations – spiders, snakes, the dark, strangers – continue to stir a terror in the soul. That terror triggers physiological changes, such as sweating and an increased heart rate. We continue this tradition of fearfulness when we become parents. I have yet to meet a parent who didn’t peer anxiously into the cot at night to establish that the baby was still alive. A doctor friend even used to use a feather to help detect breathing, to keep her nocturnal investigations brief.
D
So, what, if anything, can be done to help those sufferers of phobias whose symptoms prove life-changing? A simple avoidance method used by many works when there is an alternative, such as using stairs instead of the lift, or keeping a fair distance from the windows of high buildings – maybe forgoing the opportunity to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower. But these techniques do not get to the heart of the problem and for those with serious phobias it doesn’t work at all; avoidance for an agoraphobe would be never to leave their house. Therapists encourage people to confront their phobias, but this can prove too distressing for some to continue. However, there is a glimmer of hope, which lies in the use of VR. With avatars, patients can confront their fears in the virtual world and some results have been spectacular. In one trial, all arachnophobes who participated found themselves later able to approach spiders in the real world with up to 68 percent reduced levels of fear. There is hope that in future VR units with apps for different scenarios will be available to buy and people will be able to treat themselves. I gain a lot of satisfaction from the thought that there is a very modern answer to a possibly very old problem! However, until this effective form of treatment becomes more widely available, I shall bravely continue to put the rubbish out, defying the enemy that has taken up residence outside my house.
For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary