Advanced 5B WB

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the mini-dialogues with the correct form of the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using the words in brackets.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Complete the missing words.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Order the letters to make synonyms of rich or poor choose R (rich) or P (poor) after each one.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use an idiom with the bold words.

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Can you tell the difference between US and UK accents? Listen and choose US (US accent) or UK (UK accent).

Listen to a radio phone-in programme about saving money. Answer the questions with the names in the list.

Listen again and answer the questions.

Read the article once. Choose the sentence which best summarizes the results of the research.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article again and match the missing sentences A-F to the gaps 1-5. There is one sentence you do not need to use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article again and match the missing sentences A-F to the gaps 1-5. There is one sentence you do not need to use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article again and match the missing sentences A-F to the gaps 1-5. There is one sentence you do not need to use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article again and match the missing sentences A-F to the gaps 1-5. There is one sentence you do not need to use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article again and match the missing sentences A-F to the gaps 1-5. There is one sentence you do not need to use.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Does money make you happy?

The unhappy answer to whether or not your happiness expands in line with your wealth is ‘yes, but – no, but’. It seems it does if your riches rise relative to that of the Joneses, but not if you all rise together. ‘What we actually care about is our income compared with other people,’ says Lord Layard, one of the founders of ‘happiness studies’. ‘But if over time everybody is becoming richer, then people don’t on average feel any better than they did before.’
Lord Layard bases the conclusion on studies and surveys that have been conducted over the past half a century or so in the world’s richer countries. What the studies reveal is a paradox. 1______
We like to look out at the neighbours’ drive and see a smaller car. This is partly because aspirations rise with incomes. ‘You rather quickly get adapted to more money so you don’t get the pleasure out of it that you expected to get,’ explains Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University and author of The Politics of Happiness.2________
3____But they are not even certain that it is the money that does it. ‘Happier people on the whole tend to be richer, but we’re not quite sure why that is so,’ says Mr Bok. ‘It may not be the money. It may be that richer people command more respect or they have the freedom to do more things. 4____Or they have more doesn’t always follow that giving more money if you don’t change those other things is really going to improve their happiness.’ So if money is not all it is cracked up to be, then what should people and governments do? For starters, believes Lord Layard, a break-neck chase after economic growth is misplaced. ‘This competition to get richer than other people; it can’t be achieved at the level of society,’ he says. ‘What we should do is have a positive sum. 5_____
Rather than going for high growth, smoother growth might produce more happiness by producing less disruption and the uncertainty that comes with the ups and down of the economy, according to Lord Layard. ‘I certainly think that the relief of poverty is an incredibly important objective, but it shouldn’t be done at any cost. We shouldn’t just go for economic development even if it leads to the complete fragmentation of society…and a decline in happiness.’
autonomy in what they do. So it

Read the article. Choose the right answers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

De-stressing with dog therapy

Visitors to Seton Hall University, New Jersey, may be forgiven for thinking they have turned up at the wrong place. Instead of encountering students rushing off to lectures or studying diligently in the library, they will see large numbers of them milling around in a hall in the company of several dogs. But these are no ordinary canines. They are therapy dogs, brought in by the Counselling and Psychology Services Department of the university to de-stress students. And by the looks on the students’ faces, the therapy seems to be working.
The first recorded instance of a dog having an impact on our mood occurred during World War II. A soldier, William Wynne, had come across a stray dog on the battlefield that he befriended and named Smoky. Later, when Wynne was admitted to hospital suffering from a tropical disease, his friends took Smoky to visit him. Not only did the animal cheer Wynne up, but it became a big hit with all of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. Noting the positive effect that Smoky had on the men, the doctors allowed the dog to continue doing rounds and sleep on Wynne’s bed. Thus Smoky became the first therapy dog, although the term had not yet been coined.
It wasn’t until some 30 years later that the concept of therapy dogs really took off. In the mid-1970s, nurse Elaine Smith noticed how well patients responded to a golden retriever brought into hospital by a regular visitor. She decided that there should be more dogs like this in places of healing and so in 1976, she founded Therapy Dogs International, an organization that trained dogs to visit institutions. The first TDI visit took place that year, when five German shepherds and a collie accompanied their handlers to a therapy session in New Jersey. The day was a complete success and since then, TDI has grown to include over 24,000 registered teams of dogs and their handlers.
So how is it that these animals can lead to such a marked improvement in our moods? Research has shown that being around dogs affects various chemicals released by the brain. The amount of the feel-good chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, increases while the level of stress- inducing substances like cortisol goes down. These variations result in a lowering of the blood pressure, a relief of stress and an improvement in the mood. The dogs experience similar chemical changes as well, and so it’s a win-win situation.
The lift in spirits is certainly evident among the students of Seton Hall and other universities with a similar scheme. The students generally reach out and touch the animals as soon as the team from TDI gets through the door. Test-weary faces begin to relax as their worries fade away, and soon everyone is smiling. Of course, the therapy dogs are not able to determine the final grades awarded to the students, but the experience is bound to make the revision process much more bearable.

Question:

Students at Seton Hall…

Read the article. Choose the right answers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

De-stressing with dog therapy

Visitors to Seton Hall University, New Jersey, may be forgiven for thinking they have turned up at the wrong place. Instead of encountering students rushing off to lectures or studying diligently in the library, they will see large numbers of them milling around in a hall in the company of several dogs. But these are no ordinary canines. They are therapy dogs, brought in by the Counselling and Psychology Services Department of the university to de-stress students. And by the looks on the students’ faces, the therapy seems to be working.
The first recorded instance of a dog having an impact on our mood occurred during World War II. A soldier, William Wynne, had come across a stray dog on the battlefield that he befriended and named Smoky. Later, when Wynne was admitted to hospital suffering from a tropical disease, his friends took Smoky to visit him. Not only did the animal cheer Wynne up, but it became a big hit with all of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. Noting the positive effect that Smoky had on the men, the doctors allowed the dog to continue doing rounds and sleep on Wynne’s bed. Thus Smoky became the first therapy dog, although the term had not yet been coined.
It wasn’t until some 30 years later that the concept of therapy dogs really took off. In the mid-1970s, nurse Elaine Smith noticed how well patients responded to a golden retriever brought into hospital by a regular visitor. She decided that there should be more dogs like this in places of healing and so in 1976, she founded Therapy Dogs International, an organization that trained dogs to visit institutions. The first TDI visit took place that year, when five German shepherds and a collie accompanied their handlers to a therapy session in New Jersey. The day was a complete success and since then, TDI has grown to include over 24,000 registered teams of dogs and their handlers.
So how is it that these animals can lead to such a marked improvement in our moods? Research has shown that being around dogs affects various chemicals released by the brain. The amount of the feel-good chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, increases while the level of stress- inducing substances like cortisol goes down. These variations result in a lowering of the blood pressure, a relief of stress and an improvement in the mood. The dogs experience similar chemical changes as well, and so it’s a win-win situation.
The lift in spirits is certainly evident among the students of Seton Hall and other universities with a similar scheme. The students generally reach out and touch the animals as soon as the team from TDI gets through the door. Test-weary faces begin to relax as their worries fade away, and soon everyone is smiling. Of course, the therapy dogs are not able to determine the final grades awarded to the students, but the experience is bound to make the revision process much more bearable.

Question:

The remarkable thing about William Wynne’s dog was…

Read the article. Choose the right answers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

De-stressing with dog therapy

Visitors to Seton Hall University, New Jersey, may be forgiven for thinking they have turned up at the wrong place. Instead of encountering students rushing off to lectures or studying diligently in the library, they will see large numbers of them milling around in a hall in the company of several dogs. But these are no ordinary canines. They are therapy dogs, brought in by the Counselling and Psychology Services Department of the university to de-stress students. And by the looks on the students’ faces, the therapy seems to be working.
The first recorded instance of a dog having an impact on our mood occurred during World War II. A soldier, William Wynne, had come across a stray dog on the battlefield that he befriended and named Smoky. Later, when Wynne was admitted to hospital suffering from a tropical disease, his friends took Smoky to visit him. Not only did the animal cheer Wynne up, but it became a big hit with all of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. Noting the positive effect that Smoky had on the men, the doctors allowed the dog to continue doing rounds and sleep on Wynne’s bed. Thus Smoky became the first therapy dog, although the term had not yet been coined.
It wasn’t until some 30 years later that the concept of therapy dogs really took off. In the mid-1970s, nurse Elaine Smith noticed how well patients responded to a golden retriever brought into hospital by a regular visitor. She decided that there should be more dogs like this in places of healing and so in 1976, she founded Therapy Dogs International, an organization that trained dogs to visit institutions. The first TDI visit took place that year, when five German shepherds and a collie accompanied their handlers to a therapy session in New Jersey. The day was a complete success and since then, TDI has grown to include over 24,000 registered teams of dogs and their handlers.
So how is it that these animals can lead to such a marked improvement in our moods? Research has shown that being around dogs affects various chemicals released by the brain. The amount of the feel-good chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, increases while the level of stress- inducing substances like cortisol goes down. These variations result in a lowering of the blood pressure, a relief of stress and an improvement in the mood. The dogs experience similar chemical changes as well, and so it’s a win-win situation.
The lift in spirits is certainly evident among the students of Seton Hall and other universities with a similar scheme. The students generally reach out and touch the animals as soon as the team from TDI gets through the door. Test-weary faces begin to relax as their worries fade away, and soon everyone is smiling. Of course, the therapy dogs are not able to determine the final grades awarded to the students, but the experience is bound to make the revision process much more bearable.

Question:

Therapy Dogs International…

Read the article. Choose the right answers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

De-stressing with dog therapy

Visitors to Seton Hall University, New Jersey, may be forgiven for thinking they have turned up at the wrong place. Instead of encountering students rushing off to lectures or studying diligently in the library, they will see large numbers of them milling around in a hall in the company of several dogs. But these are no ordinary canines. They are therapy dogs, brought in by the Counselling and Psychology Services Department of the university to de-stress students. And by the looks on the students’ faces, the therapy seems to be working.
The first recorded instance of a dog having an impact on our mood occurred during World War II. A soldier, William Wynne, had come across a stray dog on the battlefield that he befriended and named Smoky. Later, when Wynne was admitted to hospital suffering from a tropical disease, his friends took Smoky to visit him. Not only did the animal cheer Wynne up, but it became a big hit with all of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. Noting the positive effect that Smoky had on the men, the doctors allowed the dog to continue doing rounds and sleep on Wynne’s bed. Thus Smoky became the first therapy dog, although the term had not yet been coined.
It wasn’t until some 30 years later that the concept of therapy dogs really took off. In the mid-1970s, nurse Elaine Smith noticed how well patients responded to a golden retriever brought into hospital by a regular visitor. She decided that there should be more dogs like this in places of healing and so in 1976, she founded Therapy Dogs International, an organization that trained dogs to visit institutions. The first TDI visit took place that year, when five German shepherds and a collie accompanied their handlers to a therapy session in New Jersey. The day was a complete success and since then, TDI has grown to include over 24,000 registered teams of dogs and their handlers.
So how is it that these animals can lead to such a marked improvement in our moods? Research has shown that being around dogs affects various chemicals released by the brain. The amount of the feel-good chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, increases while the level of stress- inducing substances like cortisol goes down. These variations result in a lowering of the blood pressure, a relief of stress and an improvement in the mood. The dogs experience similar chemical changes as well, and so it’s a win-win situation.
The lift in spirits is certainly evident among the students of Seton Hall and other universities with a similar scheme. The students generally reach out and touch the animals as soon as the team from TDI gets through the door. Test-weary faces begin to relax as their worries fade away, and soon everyone is smiling. Of course, the therapy dogs are not able to determine the final grades awarded to the students, but the experience is bound to make the revision process much more bearable.

Question:

The article describes dog therapy as a ‘win-win situation’ because..

Read the article. Choose the right answers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

De-stressing with dog therapy

Visitors to Seton Hall University, New Jersey, may be forgiven for thinking they have turned up at the wrong place. Instead of encountering students rushing off to lectures or studying diligently in the library, they will see large numbers of them milling around in a hall in the company of several dogs. But these are no ordinary canines. They are therapy dogs, brought in by the Counselling and Psychology Services Department of the university to de-stress students. And by the looks on the students’ faces, the therapy seems to be working.
The first recorded instance of a dog having an impact on our mood occurred during World War II. A soldier, William Wynne, had come across a stray dog on the battlefield that he befriended and named Smoky. Later, when Wynne was admitted to hospital suffering from a tropical disease, his friends took Smoky to visit him. Not only did the animal cheer Wynne up, but it became a big hit with all of the other wounded soldiers on the ward. Noting the positive effect that Smoky had on the men, the doctors allowed the dog to continue doing rounds and sleep on Wynne’s bed. Thus Smoky became the first therapy dog, although the term had not yet been coined.
It wasn’t until some 30 years later that the concept of therapy dogs really took off. In the mid-1970s, nurse Elaine Smith noticed how well patients responded to a golden retriever brought into hospital by a regular visitor. She decided that there should be more dogs like this in places of healing and so in 1976, she founded Therapy Dogs International, an organization that trained dogs to visit institutions. The first TDI visit took place that year, when five German shepherds and a collie accompanied their handlers to a therapy session in New Jersey. The day was a complete success and since then, TDI has grown to include over 24,000 registered teams of dogs and their handlers.
So how is it that these animals can lead to such a marked improvement in our moods? Research has shown that being around dogs affects various chemicals released by the brain. The amount of the feel-good chemicals, oxytocin and dopamine, increases while the level of stress- inducing substances like cortisol goes down. These variations result in a lowering of the blood pressure, a relief of stress and an improvement in the mood. The dogs experience similar chemical changes as well, and so it’s a win-win situation.
The lift in spirits is certainly evident among the students of Seton Hall and other universities with a similar scheme. The students generally reach out and touch the animals as soon as the team from TDI gets through the door. Test-weary faces begin to relax as their worries fade away, and soon everyone is smiling. Of course, the therapy dogs are not able to determine the final grades awarded to the students, but the experience is bound to make the revision process much more bearable.

Question:

In general, how do students feel about the therapy dogs?