Name ______Date ______Hour ______
English Skills Exercise – “The Effects of Fear”Focus: Comma rules 1-5: Items in a series, Adjectives, FANBOYS/Run-On Sentences, Interrupters, Introductory Elements/Subordinating Conjunctions
Directions: Read the passage on the left. Circle the response on the right that best answers each question. After each question, briefly write why the answer you chose is correct. Be ready to discuss.
Text / Questions
Imagine you are home alone at night. Suddenly you see and hear the front door burst open. You jump up, your heart begins to (1) race and you break out in a cold sweat. Your first instinct might be to run to safety or call 911. You might scream and prepare to defend yourself. These physical responses will most likely happen in a split second, all before you even realize that the wind, not an intruder, forced the door open.
In a situation like this, you might react as if your life is in danger, even when it is not. Before you have time to fully comprehend the situation, your brain has signaled your body to respond. All humans and animals have this instinctive reaction. While it can save (2) your life, it can also cause stress and make everyday life difficult for some people. Many times the reaction is in response to a situation where it is not needed.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
The way the body reacts automatically to dangerous situations is known as the “fight-or-flight response.” Instinctively, your brain prepares your body to confront danger or to flee from it. For example, you might think you see a snake on the ground. Before you have time to realize that it is really just a stick, you may have jumped away or even run the length of a football field in the opposite direction. If you get the feeling an insect is crawling on your skin, you might slap at it or let out a yelp of fear before you realize it was a thread. Information from your other (3) senses like the smell of smoke, can also trigger the fight-or-flight response.
Whether the source is real or imagined, the fight-or-flight response will produce a chain reaction. The brain tells the nervous system to speed up your heart rate and raise your blood pressure. Your blood sugar level increases. All these changes give your muscles the energy to react quickly. Fear also stimulates the (4) production and release of hormones that make you more alert.
You may be familiar with other sensations triggered by fear, such as a dry mouth, goose bumps, or your hair standing on end. Your mouth dries because your brain puts a halt to the production of saliva. It interrupts digestion so you can get moving quickly. Goose bumps are caused by tiny hair follicles in your skin tightening up. Your hair stands on end to make you look larger and scarier to an attacker. At a time when humans had more hair covering their bodies, this response would have been much more noticeable than it is now.
THE FEAR FACTOR
In 2006, Tom Boyle of Tucson, Arizona, witnessed (5) a horrible frightening accident. A young man was hit by a car and trapped beneath it. Amazingly, Boyle responded by lifting the full-sized sedan until the boy could be pulled to safety.
In the Canadian Arctic, Lydia Angyiou’s son and some friends were playing outdoors. Angyiou saw a polar bear approaching the children and knew she had to act fast to protect them. Unarmed, she fought off the bear until help arrived.
These extreme cases show that a fear response can help people do things that seem beyond comprehension. Scientists say that while the brain may make the body (6) respond people can also teach themselves how to respond to scary situations.
FEAR OF FEAR
The fight-or-flight response may be outdated. This response pattern developed in animals and people who faced serious stress only occasionally. According to experts at the Howard Hughes Medical (7) Institute, however, it “may not be very good for humans living in today’s society. We are not well adapted to the way our society constantly imposes stress on us, resulting in constant fight-or-flight reaction.”
Being constantly stressed can have bad effects. When stress occurs over a long period of time, the body can “forget” to switch out of fear mode. Blood pressure will (8) increase, and blood sugar will stay elevated. The heart beats too quickly. Digestion suffers, leading to ulcers and other problems. When people face danger on a regular basis, or experience intensely fearful situations, they can suffer long-term effects. Soldiers and people who have experienced natural disasters may find that the symptoms of fear remain long after the danger has passed.
GOOD FEAR
Still, a little bit of stress can help. When you take an (9) exam for example the brain’s response can make your mind more alert and may help your performance. Athletes can also benefit from the stress of competition.
Some people today even seek out danger to challenge themselves. Fear released chemicals that some find thrilling. This helps explain why some people like scary movies. Other people seek thrills by doing (10) dangerous and extreme sports like skydiving or bungee jumping.
Remember that while fear can hold you back, it can also help you do amazing things when managed carefully. / 1. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. race; and
C. race, and
D. race and then
2. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. your life it, can
C. your life, it can;
D. your life it can
3. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. senses, like
C. senses; like
D. sense – like
4. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. production, and release
C. production, release
D. production; release
5. Which is the best choice? Why
A. NO CHANGE
B. a, horrible frightening, accident
C. a horrible, frightening accident
D. a horrible, frightening, accident
6. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. respond so people
C. respond, people
D. respond. People
7. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Institute; however, it
C. Institute however it
D. Institute however, it
8. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. increase and so
C. increase; and
D. increase and
9. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. exam; for example, the
C. exam for example, the
D. exam, for example, the
10. Which is the best choice? Why?
A. NO CHANGE
B. dangerous, and extreme sports
C. dangerous and extreme, sports
D. dangerous; and extreme sports
Adapted from Reality Central. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2010. (p. 133-135)
Name ______Date ______Hour ______
Writing Application – “The Effects of Fear”
Directions: Respond to the following prompt in the space provided. Your response must be at least 10 sentences and include NO RUN-ON SENTENCES. See the rubric for specific requirements.
Prompt: Some of us enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with being scared, whether it happens while watching a scary movie or participating in an extreme sport or activity. On the other hand, some of us prefer to avoid that feeling. Regardless, each of us has felt the effects of fear. Think of a time when you saw or experienced something really scary, whether in real life or in a dream. Describe it in detail (lots of adjectives and adverbs)! Where was this? Did you put yourself in this situation, or was this something that just happened? How did you feel?
Write response here:
______
GRADING RUBRIC
Requirements: Writer uses at least two sentences with correct use of commas. At least one should be non-essential.
15 / 0(10 points after correction) / No Grade
(10 points after correction & re-write)
Comma Splices
Writer includes NO unnecessary commas. / Comma Splices
Writer includes ONE unnecessary comma – must complete correction exercise. / Comma Splices
Writer includes 2+ unnecessary commas – must complete correction exercise and re-write.
Run-On Sentences
(fanboys/abbi/non-essential)
Writer includes NO run-on sentences. / Run-On Sentences
(fanboys/abbi/non-essential)
Writer includes ONE run-on – must complete a correction exercise. / Run-On Sentences
(fanboys/abbi/non-essential)
Writer includes 2+ run-on sentences – must complete correction exercise and re-rewrite.