EOI Topic area: Personal and Social Relationships

Reading
1. Theories of Love
Doing Multiple Choice Lexical Cloze exercises
These exercises test your knowledge of individual words, verb patterns, prepositions, phrasal verbs collocations
and fixed phrases. To do them you should follow the advice below:
Read each text quickly to get a general idea of the meaning.
Read again and carefully consider the options for each gap.
The word you choose must fit both the meaning of the text and the grammar of the sentence.

Liking vs. Loving

While most of us regard liking as a less intense form of loving, Zick Rubin maintains that the two
concepts are qualitatively different.
According to Rubin romantic love is made up (1) .............. three elements: attachment,
caring, and intimacy. Attachment means not just the (2) .............. -pervasive desire to be
with another person but also a strong need to be cared for and approved of by them. Intimacy is
characterized by the willingness to (3) .............. the other person know your thoughts,
desires, and feelings . Caring involves (4) .............. the same importance to another
persons needs and happiness as to your own.
Liking on the other hand refers to the (5) .............. to which one person admires, respects
and trusts another one. While Rubin believes that liking is a pre-requisite for loving for most people,
he recognizes that this is not always the case. This may (6) .............. for the existence of
love-hate relationships!
1 A by

B of

C with

D from

2 A in

B through

C everything

D all

3 A get

B make

C let

D allow

4 A detaching

B providing

C attaching

D adjoining

5 A amount

B extent

C grade

D length

6 A account

B explain

C stand

D contribute

Compassionate vs. Passionate Love

Elaine Hatfield divides love into two basic categories: compassionate love and passionate love.
Passionate love refers to a mixture of intense emotions, sexual attraction, anxiety, and affection
and, (7) .............. a few exceptions, tends to be transitory rather than (8)

Hatfield claims it usually lasts between 6 and 30 months. After this period, passionate love generally
(9) .............. way to its longer-lasting counterpart, compassionate love. Compassionate
love usually (10) .............. from mutual understanding and shared respect and leads to
attachment, affection and trust.
1

7 A however

B notwithstanding

C over

D regardless

8 A during

B endurable

C endured

D enduring

9 A makes

B has

C leads

D gives

10 A stems

B steams

C crops

D harvests

The Colour Wheel Model of Love

John Lee uses the colour wheel as a (11) .............. of understanding the concept of love.
(12) .............. as there are three primary colours, Lee claims that there are three primary
styles of love-Eros-love for an ideal person Ludos-love as a game and Storge-love as a friendship.
These basic categories can be combined, just like colours, to create secondary or complementary
types. For example, if Eros and Ludos are present and Storge is (13) .............. this will
produce Mania, or obsessive love.
11

A mean B road

C means

D middle

C exactly

D while

13 A lacked B missed C lacking

D away

12 A same

B just

Sternbergs Theory
Sternberg proposes a theory of love in which the three main components-intimacy, passion and
commitment -can be combined to create 8 further subtypes. One common subtype is companionate
love which (14) .............. from a combination of intimacy and commitment. Many longterm relationships (15) .............. this category as passion has inevitably been eroded by
time. Fatuous love on the other hand is based exclusively on commitment and passion. If intimacy
does not develop over time, relationships which start off as fatuous love are (16)
..............to failure.
14 A arises B rises

C raises

D produces

15 A fall

B come

C fit

D correspond

16 A sent

B fallen

C primed

D doomed

2. Read the text below, from which 11 sentences have been removed. Match the missing
sentences to the gaps. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Matching missing sentences to a gapped text
Read through the text once for general meaning then read the sentences carefully.
Read the text more carefully and try to find the sentence for each gap.
Check that the sentence fits by reading the sentences before and after it.
Use grammatical clues as well as the meaning to help you.
Make sure you do not use the extra sentence, as this will lead to you getting at least two
answers wrong.
When you have all the answers, reread the text at the end to make sure that it makes
sense.
2

The drugs that make us love

When we think of ways of explaining love we tend to look to the representations that writers, singers
and film directors have offered us over the centuries. In their totally different ways, the flowing
language and glowing metaphors of Goethe or Garca Lorca, the heart- rending verses of Aretha
Franklin and Elton John, and the tear-jerking scenes of Casablanca and Gone with the Wind have all
contributed enormously to our understanding of what makes us fall and stay in love. Or have they?
(1)
We have known for some time that the sex-drive hormones testosterone and oestrogen, along with
our in-built need to reproduce, are what lie behind our initial quest for love.
(2) .
What we have not known is the role played by other neurotransmitting chemicals in the processes of
attraction-falling head over heels in love- and attachment- shoring up our love once the initial
passion subsides.
A number of studies now confirm that during the attraction stage adrenalin, dopamine and serotonin
all come into play. When you are on the point of falling for someone, your levels of adrenalin
increase dramatically.

(3) Dopamine and Serotonin kick in once

the initial attraction dies down. A study by Neurologist Helen Fisher found that love-smitten couples
had high levels of dopamine, the chemical that activates pleasure pathways in the brain.
(4)
The signs included enhanced energy levels, reduced sleep and food intake and increased anxiety.
Research by Donatella Marazziti showed that people who have been struck by cupids arrow have the
same low levels of serotonin as people with obsessive-compulsive disorders.
(5)
Other research has shown that the process of falling in love activates and deactivates certain areas
of our brain. It switches on the same areas that are active during processes of drug addiction, thus
lending support to the common notion that people can become addicted to love. It suppresses the
regions involved in fear, anger and making moral judgements.
(6)
However, we do not yet know the chemicals that are involved in this type of cerebral deactivation.
Scent-signalling chemicals called pheromones are clearly involved in the attraction process, but
scientists are still trying to tie down the exact role they play. Research has shown that the behaviour
of many males is affected by the pheromones given out when their partner is ovulating. They become
more affectionate and attentive but also much more jealous!
(7)
It seems reasonable to assume that pheromones are involved here as well, but we as yet have no
data to confirm it. Scent also helps men and women to select partners with the right genetic makeup. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a set of genes that control our immune system
and thus help determine the success or failure of pregnancies.
3

(8)
To test the role of smell in selecting the right MHC, Swiss scientists asked women to smell T shirts
belonging to anonymous men and say which one smelt the most appealing. They regularly chose one
from a man whose MHC was substantially different from their own.
(9)
Oxytocin, a hormone best known for its role during childbirth, is released by both men and women
when they make love. It is believed to strengthen the bond between couples. Lovemaking also
stimulates the production of Vasopressin, a hormone that helps our kidneys to regulate water
retention.

(10)
The romantics among us will be pleased to hear that no one is yet claiming that the story of
love can be told by chemicals alone. Oxytocin, vasopressin and so on cant be expected to do
all the work for us.
(11)
As the saying goes, No pain no gain.
A It was found to have a similar effect on their behaviour to taking cocaine.
B This may help explain why we just cant stop thinking about our lover during the early
stages of a relationship.
C So, if we want our relationship to work, we are going to have to work hard at it.
D Some studies have shown that men generally find women more attractive when they are
ovulating
E Some scientists call it the monogamy hormone, as it is thought to suppress the desire
to look for other partners.
F Recent studies in neurology suggest that the reality of love may prove to be much more
prosaic and, well, chemical than we would like to think.
G However, we cant always rely on our body producing the amount that we need.
H Without them, we would lack the chemical stimulus to search for a partner.
I This sets off a range of physiological reactions, including profuse sweating, a raised
heartbeat and a dry mouth.
J The greater the difference between the male and female partners the greater the
chance of conceiving.
K Once the intense passion wears off, chemistry is actively involved in keeping the
relationship alive.
L This fits in nicely with the common wisdom that love is blind.

Grammar

Find more grammar exercises like this in Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced.
Phrasal verbs
1. Using a dictionary if necessary, rewrite these sentences in a more informal style, using
appropriate forms of these phrasal verbs.
cut back on
do away with

fill in
find out

give up
go along with

go in
go up

send back
take off

1 You should complete this form and return it with your payment.
You have to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 My father has abandoned his attempt to get the university to abolish tuition fees.
My dad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 It was necessary to reduce our spending after we discovered that our rent was increasing.
We had to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Please observe local customs at the temple and remove your shoes before entering.
Please . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Complete this text with appropriate phrasal verbs using these verbs and particles.
bend
away

breathe (2) go
back down in

lift
out

push raise
up (3)

stand

When you have to spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, it is important to take short breaks and
stretch your neck and back. You can use this exercise to help you stretch.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . your chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to the side and stand up,
making sure there is some space in front of you. (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . straight, with
your arms hanging loosely by your side.

Breathe in deeply as you (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . your arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

over your head. Pause a moment. Then (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . slowly as you swing your
arms forward, letting them fall as you (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . your whole body . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . until your hands are near your feet. Pause a moment. Then, (6) . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . as you (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
your body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . very slowly, beginning with your hips, then your upper
body, followed by your head and arms. Repeat the exercise at least once before you (8) . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . to your desk again.