islcollective worksheets intermediate b1 upperintermediate b2 advanced c1 proficient c2 adults high school business prof 1371081135492aeebf23c53 62278188

The world we see: the truth or the dream?

Rene Descartes _____________ born in 1596 in France. He _____________ in jesuits’ school
in La Fleche. He ____________ a lawyer and a soldier. He ______________ in some battles in
Holland. But one day, he _____________ himself a fascinating question:

‘What can I know for sure? In what can I absolutely trust? What
is beyond any doubt?’
He _______________ we can’t trust our eyes, ears, hands. They sometimes ___________ on
us. And if somebody ____________ on you once, you can never be absolutely trust he is right. So,
Descartes _______________, you can’t be sure that what you see or hear is absolutely true.
Then Descartes __________________ if we can trust in science. Of course, science and arts
are very important, but maybe in the future the scientists will discover something new, something
what debunks our current beliefs?


What is more, you can’t even be sure that what happens to you is real. Maybe it’s just a
dream. If you ________________ a very realistic dream in the past, how can you be sure that you
_______________________ now?

‘What if … Just IF tere is a malicious demon which keeps our
brains in his lab and shows us our life as a film?’
Scared? Yes, this vision is terrible. But luckily, Descartes __________ a way out. Even
if the malicious demon _____________ a nasty joke on you, YOU exist! If you _____________, you
exist! So:
If you think that means that you exist!

‘Cogito ergo sum’
So Descartes _________________ that real you is not your body, but your mind. Because
what you think is 100 % sure, it’s beyond any doubt. Then, he __________________, that Maths is
the most reliable science – because two plus two always equals four, it never

____________________ . Even if the world collapses, laws of Maths will always stay true.
He was also very interested in medicine, physics and psychology. The queen of Sweden was
his fan. She _________________ him to give her lectures, so he _______________ to Sweden to be
Her teacher. But she wanted the lessons to start very early in the morning. Descartes was a great
sleeper and he _________________ much! He died in 1650 in Stockholm.

say * cheat x2 * be * wonder * doubt * fight * sufler * play * dream (negative) * ask x2 *
conclude * discover * know * study * become * find * change * come

1. Match.
to be right
debunk a belief
find a way out
play a nasty joke
beyond any doubt
stay true
terrible vision
fascinating qestion
the most reliable science

poza wszelką wątpliwością
znaleźć drogę wyjścia
fascynujące pytanie
najbardziej wiarygodna nauka
pozostać prawdziwym, zachować prawdziwość
obalić przekonanie
robić paskudny kawał
okropna wizja
mieć rację

2. Decide (true/false)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Descartes was an American.
Descartes believed in a malicious demon
Biology is the most reliable science.
If you exist, that means that you think.
Descartes wanted to find something chich is beyond any doubt.
A malicious demon is just a mental experiment.

3. Answer the questions:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Where was Descartes born?
What important person liked Descartes very much?
Seventeen plus twenty – one equals … what?
Why can’t you trust your eyes?

What were Descartes’ jobs?
‘Cogito ergo sum’ – what does it mean?
What was the most import ant question Descartes asked himself?
What was he interested in?