International Students NZ

Today’s picture: A podcaster reaches the end of the Auckland half-marathon, undeterred by aching legs!

Part 1: Today's word

If you deter someone from doing something, you make them less likely to do it because they know that they’ll suffer. For instance, prison is supposed to have a deterrent effect because people should be less likely to commit crimes if they think they might go to prison. Deterrence is only an effective strategy of course if people are able to control their behaviour and know about its possible consequences.

Click here
for interactive exercises on academic vocabulary and writing.

Part 2: Test

Here are FOUR sentences with the word of the day. But only THREE are correct. Which is the Odd One Out?

The possibility of completing their degree courses several months early acts as a major deterrent for students to continue studying during summer school.

High taxation and uncertainties about government policy act as a deterrent to foreign investors.

A highly visible burglar alarm box should act as an effective deterrent to any potential intruders.

Such an insignificant penalty acts as no real deterrent to those youngsters attracted by the excitement of wrongdoing.

Part 3: Practice Questions:

Do you believe that longer prison sentences are necessary to act as a deterrent to criminals?

What kinds of deterrents exist to control cheating in university exams?

Part 4: Vocabulary Focus

Collocation is a very important part of vocabulary. It means which words go together. Here is some practice based on the vocabulary in today’s listening. Match the verbs with the nouns the go with.
collocations

infringe
deplete
act as
raise
commit

a question
your rights
a crime
resources
a deterrent

Part 5: Kiwi Quiz Question

How many glasses of wine are recommended as the safe weekly limit for women in New Zealand?

For more information see National Addiction Centre Report

Part 6: Today’s online listening

This is a very interesting discussion from ABC Radio (Australia) about addiction. It features a High Court judge, a neuroscientist and a moral philosopher.

Vocabulary for the article:

a double-edged sword
retribution
autonomy
abstinence
impaired
robust
rehabilitate

Questions for the listening:

1) What proportion of cannabis users will become addicted?

just under one in ten
over a quarter
one in twenty-five

2) Dan Lubman describes addiction as ...

a frightening social disease
a preoccupation with a failure to change
a self-destructive pattern behaviour

3) David Hodgson believes the view of addiction as a brain disease can be taken into account by judges when deciding

if a crime has been committed
if a person is responsible for the crime
if a criminal is to be punished

4) David Hodgson believes that punishment

should be given to those who deserve it
is a dangerous idea
must be used only to achieve good ends

5) Jeanette Kennett points out that people’s autonomy is limited by ..

criminal responsibility
social contingencies
individual achievement

6) Dan Lubman explains that drug addiction reduces the brain’s response to ..

everyday pleasures
dopamine overdrive
long-term abstinence

7) One serious psychological consequence for drug users is ..

complete loss of self-control
failure to focus on short-term goals
damage to the front part of the brain

8) David Hodgson believes that ..

people still have a free will despite all contingencies
criminal actions should be viewed only in terms of their consequences
the ability to act rationally is not affected by drug use

9) Dan Lubman refers to research which shows that addicts ..

are unable to regulate their behaviour
can only operate under stress-free conditions
need to use more brainpower to perform tasks

10) Jeanette Kennett argues that deterrence is ineffective in controlling drug addiction because drug addicts

are unable to think rationally
believe they will never get caught
already know the negative consequences of their actions

11) Dan Lubman argues that an effective treatment for drug addiction depends on putting addicts in ...

an environment with limited stimulation
an environment where access to drugs is strictly controlled
an environment where they experience other rewards

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Today’s news story:
heroin supply clinic cuts crime

Today’s Video suggestion:
I get a kick out of you by Cole Porter (performed by Frank Sinatra)
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