Close-up p 10. Keep Your Distance. Cloze

New psychological research suggests 1__________ air rage, road rage and other seemingly irrational 2__________ of wild-3______, foaming-at-the-4_______ fury could be extreme responses 5_______  the violation of a set of unwritten rules 6________ choreographs our every waking 7__________ without our even realising it. Apparently, we walk around in a sort of invisible bubble which is egg-shaped- this is because we 8___________ people to come closer from in front than from behind- an entire language is expressed via the amount of distance we choose to keep between 9_________ other.
In Northern Europe and North America (lovers, close friends and wrestling partners 10________) the average depth of the bubble is about a metre. When it's 11_________ upon, the physiological responses can range from feelings of mild annoyance and tension to a pounding 12_______, raised blood 13___________ , sweating and severe anxiety. Tension levels increase hugely when someone comes too close and you get a feeling of being invaded, and responses fall 14______ two categories. The first kind are blocking tactics when you 15_________ your gaze, put your hand up at the side of your head or just make 16___________ immobile; then there are the tension and anxiety-reduction responses, hair-pulling, 17_________-tapping, getting red in the face and ultimately leaving the scene.

KEY
1. that
Rage: (in compounds) anger and violent behaviour caused by a particular situation. E.g. A case of trolley rage in the supermarket. Road rage (a situation in which a driver becomes extremely angry or violent with the driver of another car because of the way they are driving). Air rage (disruptive and/or violent behaviour perpetrated by passengers and crew of aircraft, typically during flight).







2. outbursts
Outburst: a sudden strong expression of an emotion. E.g. An outburst of anger. She was alarmed by his violent outburst.





3. eyed
Wild-eyed:  glaring in or as if in anger, terror, or madness. E.g. Outbursts of wild-eyed, foaming-at-the mouth fury.
Glare: to look at somebody/something in an angry way. E.g. He didn't shout, he just glared at me silently.I looked at her and she glared furiously back.




4. mouth
Foam at the mouth: to be extraordinarily angry. E.g. She was almost foaming at the mouth when she heard about the cost of the car repairs. Walter was foaming at the mouth with rage. 



5. to





6. that/ which
Choreograph something: /ˈkɒriəɡrɑːf/ to design and arrange the steps and movements for dancers in a ballet or a show: (figurative) There was some carefully choreographed flag-waving as the President drove by. A set of rules that choreographs our every waking moment.

 



7. moment/ hour
Waking: used to describe time when you are awake. E.g. She spends all her waking hours caring for her mother. He thought of her every waking moment. 



8. allow




9. each



10. aside



11. intruded
Intrude: to go or be somewhere where you are not wanted or are not supposed to be. E.g. I'm sorry to intrude, but I need to talk to someone. Intrude into/on/upon somebody/something: E.g. Legislation to stop newspapers from intruding on people's private lives.


  
12. heart
Pound: to beat quickly and loudly. E.g. Her heart was pounding with excitement. The blood was pounding (= making a beating noise) in his ears. Her head began to pound. A pounding headache. A pounding heart.




13. pressure



14. into
fall into something: to be able to be divided into something. E.g. My talk falls naturally into three parts.



15. avert 
Avert: /əˈvɜːt/ 1. Avert something: to prevent something bad or dangerous from happening. E.g. A disaster was narrowly averted. He did his best to avert suspicion. Talks are taking place in an attempt to avert a strike. 2. Avert your eyes/gaze/face (from something): to turn your eyes, etc. away from something that you do not want to see. Sp. Apartar. E.g. She averted her eyes from the terrible scene in front of her.





16. yourself



17. foot
Tap (something): if you tap your fingers, feet, etc. or they tap, you hit them gently against a table, the floor, etc, for example to the rhythm of music. E.g. He kept tapping his fingers on the table. The music set everyone's feet tapping. E.g. There are the tension and anxiety-reduction responses, hair-pulling, foot-tapping, getting red in the face and ultimately leaving the scene.


Full text:

New psychological research suggests that air rage, road rage and other seemingly irrational outbursts of wild-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth fury could be extreme responses to the violation of a set of unwritten rules that choreographs our every waking moment without our even realising it. Apparently, we walk around in a sort of invisible bubble which is egg-shaped- this is because we allow people to come closer from in front than from behind- an entire language is expressed via the amount of distance we choose to keep between each other.
In Northern Europe and North America (lovers, close friends and wrestling partners aside) the average depth of the bubble is about a metre. When it's intruded upon, the physiological responses can range from feelings of mild annoyance and tension to a pounding heart, raised blood pressure, sweating and severe anxiety. Tension levels increase hugely when someone comes too close and you get a feeling of being invaded, and responses fall into two categories. The first kind are blocking tactics when you avert your gaze, put your hand up at the side of your head or just make yourself immobile; then there are the tension and anxiety-reduction responses, hair-pulling, foot-tapping, getting red in the face and ultimately leaving the scene.

Adapted from The Guardian

Extra reading comprehension