The concept of silent reading began in Seattle, USA.
Devised as a literary meeting place for people (6)__________ don’t like
book discussion groups, the idea was simple: show up, shut up,
and read. Readers bring their books and meet in
a bar, (7)____________ they read together in silence for an hour or two,
then put the books away (8)___________ chat and have a drink. ‘When the
reading starts, everything goes quiet,’ says Symeonidou. ‘There
is something special about sharing silence with others. An event
like this gives people the opportunity to escape the hubbub (9)____________ their lives for a while.’
London’s silent speed dating event organizers, Shhh!, say
that we are ‘instinctively better (10)_____________ choosing the right partner
when we have the chance to put aside words and see (11)______________ other
as we really are’. Shhh! hosts regular singles events (12)___________ are
very popular with creative professionals (13)____________ their 20s and 30s. The
sessions begin with games to break the (14)____________. Then you are paired
off for a limited time, when you are allowed to communicate only
with gestures, before engaging in 60 seconds of uninterrupted
eye (15)_____________. Afterwards, you are given the contact details
of people who are interested (16)_____________ you. A second date might be
something like a silent dinner date or a mute trip to the pictures.
Honi Ryan, from Berlin, began hosting silent dinners over
ten years ago. The rules of the dinner are: no talking, no using
your voice, no reading or writing, try to make as little noise as
possible, do not interact with technology, and stay for at (17)___________ two hours. So (18)___________, Ryan has hosted silent dinners in Mexico, the
USA, Australia, Lebanon, and China. ‘It’s evident that the age‑old
connections we make over food do not depend (19)____________ the words
around it,’ she says. ‘Silence strips away our rehearsed social
behaviours.’
Perhaps the most well‑known event is the silent retreat.
These often have a religious or spiritual element. They can last (20)_______________ between a couple of days to a few weeks, and are
usually held in remote locations.
Silence is taking (21)_____________ a new meaning in an era in which we are
consuming information and engaging in conversation with
each other endlessly on social media, without ever opening our
mouths. (22)_______________, while we might cherish rare moments of peace
and quiet, when it comes to embracing silence and stillness, the
real question is, can we actually muster (23)____________ the self‑restraint?
KEY
1. on
on the rise: increasing
E.g.
Police say that youth crime is on the rise again.
2. up
spring up: to appear or develop quickly and/or suddenly.
E.g.
Play areas for children are springing up all over the place. Opposition groups are springing up like mushrooms.
3. from
4. even
5. so
6. who
7. where
8. to
9. of
hubbub: /ˈhʌbʌb/
1. the loud sound made by a lot of people talking at the same time. Sp. barullo
E.g.
It was difficult to hear what he was saying over the hubbub.
It was some time before the hubbub of laughter died down.
2. a situation in which there is a lot of noise, excitement and activity. Sp. alboroto, jaleo.
E.g.
the hubbub of city life
He was left wondering what all the hubbub and expectancy had been about.
10. at
11. each
12. which
13. in
14. ice
15. contact
16. in
17. least
18. far
19. on
20. anywhere
21. on
take on:
take on something [no passive] to begin to have a particular quality, appearance, etc. Sp. asumir.
E.g.
The chameleon can take on the colours of its background.
His voice took on a more serious tone.
22. However
23. up
muster up:
muster something (up) to find as much support, courage, etc. as you can. Sp. conseguir, reunir, armarse de valor
E.g.
muster (up) the courage/confidence/energy etc to do something
Greta is mustering up the courage to hand in her resignation.
The boss is trying to muster up a team for an interdepartmental football tournament.
Senator Newbolt has been trying to muster support for his proposals.
‘It’s going to be fine, ’ replied David, with as much confidence as he could muster.
self-restraint: the ability to stop yourself doing or saying something, even though you want to, because it is more sensible not to do or say it. Sp autocontrol.
E.g.
exercise/practise self-restraint
The UN appealed for both sides to exercise self-restraint.
