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Mafia Leader Killed when Riding a Bike. Law

Beginners:

  • bring back – przywoływać/ przypominać

The accident brings back the memories from the 1990s – Wypadek przywołuje wspomnienia z lat dziewięćdziesiątych.

Intermediate:

  • common- powszechny

The mafia crimes were common in Palermo in the 1990s – Przestępstwa popełniane przez mafię były powszechne w Palermo w latach dziewięćdziesiątych.

Advanced:

  • assassination – zamach

The President was gunned down in the the assassination which involved foreign powers – Prezydent został zastrzelony w zamachu, w który zaangażowane były obce mocarstwa.

Full text:

  • gunned down – zastrzelony
  • bring back – przywoływać / przypominać
  • common – powszechny
  • released from prison – zwolniony z więzienia
  • serve the verdict – odbyć wyrok

Mafia leader was gunned down  in Scicily while he was riding a bike. The incident brings back the terrifying moments of the local history from the 90s when the assassinations  in the streets weere quite common. The locals comment that when too many people say that mafia does not exist any more, something always happens which proves it’s not true. The killed Giuseppe Dainotti was released from prison  after serving the time  for murder.

  • pull through – dogonić / przegonić
  • annual commemoration – uroczystości upamiętniające

He was riding his bike along the streets in Palermo when to scooters pulled up with him and the riders opened fire.  The killing took place just a couple of days before the annual commemorationof all the victims of mafia in Palermo…. the city which so successfully fought over the last two decades with mafia.

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Green Houses on the Water . Technology/ Business

Vocabulary

  • timber floating houses – drewniane domy na wodzie
  • affordable – przystępny cenowo 
  • deal with – radzić sobie z …

We need to address the issue of the overpopulation in the cities. The new type of of timber floating houses  is intended to be practical, affordable and equipped to deal with  floods, by rising with the water levels.

  • collectively  – łącznie/ ogólnie/ wspólnie 
  • deliver – dostarczyć/ zapewnić 
  • disruption – zaburzenie/ zakłócenie 
  • address the issues – zmierzyć się z problemem
  • density – gęstość 

Collectively , water  has the potential to deliver  as many as 7,500 floating homes with minimal disruption to existing communities and environment in London alone.  Architecture can only respond to overpopulation by addressing the issues of density , economy and speed of construction.

  • different matter entirely – zupełnie odrębna kwestia
  • develop – budować 
  • residents – mieszkańcy

Floating architecture is nothing new. Traditional floating villages are common in deltas and along the Mekong river in south-east Asia. But integrating age-old designs into a modern city is a different matter entirely. In Holland’s Amsterdam the water district which is being developed  now will provide homes for 45,000 residents  on 10 islands.

  • shared courtyard – wspólny dziedziniec
  • bike racks – stojaki na rowery
  • powered – zasilany
  • solar energy – energy słoneczna

In Copenhagen, floating student housing is made from  shipping containers. Each container has 12 studio apartments with shared courtyard  complete with a BBQ area, bike racks  and a kayak landing, and is powered in part by solar energy. 

  • award-winning – nagrodzony

The award-winning lagoon structure designed by Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi of Dutch studio NLÉ Works was built to provide a school and community centre in the city.

Full text

The new type of of timber floating houses  is intended to be practical, affordable and equipped to deal with  floods, by rising with the water levels.

Collectively , water  has the potential to deliver  as many as 7,500 floating homes with minimal disruption to existing communities and environment in London alone.  Architecture can only respond to overpopulation by addressing the issues of density , economy and speed of construction. Floating architecture is nothing new. Traditional floating villages are common in deltas and along the Mekong river in south-east Asia. But integrating age-old designs into a modern city is a different matter entirely. In Holland’s Amsterdam the water district which is being developed  now will provide homes for 45,000 residents  on 10 islands. In Copenhagen, floating student housing is made from  shipping containers. Each container has 12 studio apartments with shared courtyard  complete with a BBQ area, bike racks  and a kayak landing, and is powered in part by solar energy.

The award-winning lagoon structure designed by Nigerian architect Kunlé Adeyemi of Dutch studio NLÉ Works was built to provide a school and community centre in the city.

Vocabulary + Recording

  • 0:22′ way of life – sposób życia/ sposób na życie
  • 0:55′ follow the path – wybrać określoną drogę/ ścieżkę, np. zawodową
  • 1:12′ facility- tutaj: warsztat/ fabryka
  • 1:30′ attach – przymocować
  • 1:38′ venture – przedsięwzięcie
  • 2:11′ brand new – zupełnie nowy
  • 3:41′ ongoing picture – nieustannie zmieniający się widok/ obraz
  • 4:11′ gratification – nagroda

WATCH HERE the amazing film about houses on the rivers

Moduł językowy opracowany na podstawie artykułu: ‘Floating Houses, a Solution to Flooding, Crowded Cities and Unaffordable Housing”, opublikowanego na theguardian.com

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What is Europe’s Business Capital After Brexit…? Business

Beginners:

  • threat- zagrożenie

In short, Brexit is a threat for London.

Intermediate:

  • caution- uwaga/ ostrzeżenie; ostrzegać

A few major banks cautioned that they might move staff out of Great Britain.

Advanced:

  • competitive advantage- przewaga konkurencyjna

Europe’s financial centre is located in London. That’s British competitive advantage.

Full version:

  • genuine competitive advantage – autentyczna przewaga konkurencyjna
  • incredibly difficult – niezwykle trudne

Europe’s capital markets are not in Paris, Frankfurt or Dublin – they are in London. This is a genuine  competitive advantage that has been built over centuries and is incredibly difficult to move away. But Brexit is a threat for London.  UBS identified five European cities the potential new centre of Europe’s finance.

Frankfurt

  • obvious choice – oczywisty wybór
  • take over London’s role – przejąć rolę Londynu
  • commute – dojazd do pracy/ także czasownik: dojeżdżać do pracy, szkoły
  • the third-largest – trzeci pod względem wielkości

On mainland Europe, Germany’s financial district would be an obvious choice  to replace London – and has the added global reach that Dublin lacks, UBS said. Already home to the European Central Bank, the Bundesbank and several global financial services firms such as Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, the EU’s biggest economy is well selected to take over London’s role. The city is already preparing for an influx of 10,000 or so bankers over the next five years – and those from London can look forward to cheaper living costs and shorter commutes. Frankfurt also has the third-largest airport in the EU, with excellent transport connections across the world.

WATCH HERE the great short film about business Frankfurt

  • 0:43′ aim to persuade anyone who has doubts – zamierzać przekonać wszystkich, którzy mają wątpliwości
  • 0:49′ hub of activity – centrum aktywności/ działalności
  • 0:58′ provide information on … – zapewniać/ dostarczać informacje na temat …
  • 1:37′ stand a chance – mieć szansę
  • 1:57′ unhindered access to … – niezakłócony dostęp do …
  • 2:05′ have reservations – mieć  wątpliwości/ obawy

Dublin

  • well-established financial centre- dobrze zorganizowane centrum biznesu
  • compete with … – konkurować z …
  • flexible – elastyczny

The Irish capital is the city of choice, according to UBS’s analysis, which called Dublin a “well-established financial centre”  although it has yet to compete with London on either a European or a global scale. Dublin’s attractiveness is based on close connections  with the UK and the US – linguistically as well as economically – and its flexible labour and tax laws.

Paris

  • praise business advantages – wychwalać biznesowe zalety
  • unparalleled – niezrównany

Valerie Pecresse, head of the Paris regional government, wrote to 4,000 British executives the day after the referendum praising business advantages and unparalleled quality of life and business opportunities offered by her city.

Moduł językowy zainspirowany artykułem: ‘Could one of These Cities Replace London as Europe’s Financial Centre?’, opiublikowanego na relegraph.co.uk

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‘Insurance’ in Contexts. Business / Law (4 All Users)

contract of insurance- umowa ubezpieczenia

After long negotiations the parties finally decided to make the contract of insurance – Po długich negocjacjach strony zdecydowały się zawrzeć umowę ubezpieczenia.

 liability insurance – ubezpieczenie od odpowiedzialności cywilnej

The liability insurance is usually taken out by the companies and professionals doing free jobs – Ubezpieczenie od odpowiedzialności cywilnej jest często wykupywane przez firmy i osoby wykonujące wolne zawody.

property insurance- ubezpieczenie majątkowe

The richer the societies, the more often the citizens take out property insurance Im bardziej zamożne społeczeństwo, tym częściej obywatele wykupują ubezpieczenia majątkowe.

unemployment insurance- ubezpieczenie na wypadek utraty pracy

Unemployment insurance is especially popular among the clients who took real estate credits – Ubezpieczenie na wypadek utraty pracy jest szczególnie popularne wśród klientów, którzy zaciągnęli kredyty hipoteczne.

insurance against accident- ubezpieczenie od wypadku

I do dangerous duties at my work, that’s why I have taken out insurance against accident Wykonuję niebezpieczne obowiązki w pracy, dlatego wykupiłem ubezpieczenie od wypadku.

 insurance fee- składka ubezpieczeniowa

After the flooding the insurance fees were raised in this region – Po powodzi składki ubezpieczeniowe zostały w tym regionie podniesione.

insurance claim – roszczenie ubezpieczeniowe

After the accident we decided to issue the insurance claim Po wypadku zdecydowaliśmy się złożyć roszczenie ubezpieczeniowe.

to cover by insurance – objąć ubezpieczeniem

Not all liabilities are covered by insurance Nie wszystkie zobowiązania są objęte ubezpieczeniem.

all-risks insurance – ubezpieczenie od wszelkiego ryzyka

It seems that all-risks insurance will be the most expensive option – Wydaje się, że ubezpieczenie od wszelkiego ryzyka jest najbardziej kosztowną opcją.

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Great Conversation Topics for Your Team. Business (4 All Users)

You like talking :). I am sure and I know you do. You are all great communicators. These are some of our conversation topics for the lessons to come. But… you may also try them in English during your coffee- or lunch-breaks. Enjoy and have fun! 

Rules at the job-place

  • adhere to … / adjust to … – dostosować się do …
  • observe (tutaj) przestrzegać 

What kind of rules and regulations do you and your team-members have to adhere to at your work? What are the consequences when you/ they break those rules? What is your opinion about these regulations? In general, how do you feel about the necessity to adjust to/ observe various rules in society/home/ job-places?

Difficult times/ crisis

What difficult times  is/ has your company gone through? What can you learn (both privately and professionally) learn from hard times? What are the potential benefits of hard times in a team?

Risks/ future

  • encounter – napotkać/ spotkać
  • immediate/ distant future – najbliższa/ odległa przyszłość
  • navigate in stormy waters – przetrwać trudne czasy

What risks does your company/industry encounter or is likely to encounter in the immediate/ distant future? How are you/ your company/ the industry prepared to handle those risks? Do you/ does your company have a plan to navigate in stormy waters?

Competitiveness

  • competitiveness- konkurencyjność

How competitive are you? How competitive is your company? What are the advantages and disadvantages of operating/ working in a very competitive environment? Does it make more sense to educate children to be more competitive or cooperative?

Performance reviews

What kind of performance reviews exist in your company? How do you feel about them?To what extent are they effective? Which aspects of your and your team performance do they cover? How do you react to the feedback about yourself? What is the good way to give feedback? What are the consequences of the positive and negative feedback?

Management features/ Management style

  • qualities – tutaj: cechy

What qualities make … ? What it takes to be … a good manager or team-leader? What kind of managing style do you prefer as a leader and/ or as a contributor?

Group meetings

  • without discussions run – bez przeprowadzonej dyskusji

What is your opinion about the group meetings? How effective are they? To what extent are they managed efficiently? How to organize a good meeting? What type of issues should be discussed at the meetings and in what cases the decisions should be taken without discussion run?

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American Workers’ Mobility. Business

Beginners:

  • move- poruszać się/ tutaj: przeprowadzać/ zmieniać miejsce zamieszkania

The Americans have no problem to move if they can find a better job in another part of the United States – Amerykanie nie mają problemów z decyzją o zmianie miejsca zamieszkania, jeśli mogą znaleźć lepszą pracę w innym regionie Stanów Zjednoczonych.

Intermediate:

  • related to …- związany z …

He has a lot of problems related to work – Ma mnóstwo problemów związanych z pracą.

Advanced:

  • flexibility- elastyczność

The flexibility of the American citizens benefits both them and the national economy – Elastyczność obywateli USA działa na korzyść zarówno ich, jak i gospodarki USA.

Full article:

  • comparable exceptions – porównywalne wyjątki
  • considerably – znacząco
  • related to work – związany z pracą / zatrudnieniem

24% U.S. adults moved in the country in the past five years. With the comparable exceptions  of Finland (23 percent) and Norway (22 percent), Americans  move considerably more than Europeans. The average person in the United States moves residences more than 11 times in his or her lifetime. That number in  16 European countries is … 4. Even if some Americans may move for love or family, the reason they choose to move around is related to work.

  • gold rush- gorączka złota
  • seeking of opportunity – poszukiwanie szans / okazji / możliwości
  • dedicate to …- przeznaczyć na …
  • rise steadily – stale wzrastać / rosnąć

From the times of  gold rush and going west, the seeking of  opportunity, particularly for an immigrant nation, is part of a national history  as well as a broader American fixation with work. Workers in the U.S. now  dedicate to work almost 25% more hours than Europeans  a  year. This number has steadily risen since the 1970s, when the hours by workers in Western Europe and the United States were the same.

  • vast – wielki / obszerny
  • common language – wspólny język
  • efficient labor market – wydajny rynek pracy
  • steady job growth – stały wzrost zatrudnienia
  • labor protection – ochrona praw pracowniczych
  • flexibility that adds growth – elastyczność, która wspomaga wzrost

There are, of course, some logical factors too. The United States is much vaster than most European countries, plus it has a common language. It is considered to be a sign of an efficient labor market that U.S. workers can be encourage to move to regions where there is steady job growth. And while American workers often have less  labor protection  than Europeans, as a report by the World Bank noted , American

“labor laws give employers the power to fire, hire, or relocate workers according to their needs, a flexibility that aids growth”.

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Damages … in the contexts. Law/ Business (4 All Users)

1. damages at large- całkowita suma poniesionych strat

The expert issued the opinion according to which the compensation may not be sufficient to cover the damages at large – Biegły wydał opinię, według której odszkodowanie może nie pokryć całkowitej sumy poniesionych strat.

2. to sue for damages- pozwać o odszkodowanie/ dochodzić sądownie odszkodowania

The injured party has taken the decision to sue for punitive damages – Strona pokrzywdzona zdecydowała się dochodzić sądownie odszkodowania za krzywdę moralną.

3. substantial damages- wysokie odszkodowanie

The injured party was awarded substantial damages – Stronie pokrzywdzonej przyznane zostało wysokie odszkodowanie.

4. claim for damages- roszczenie o odszkodowanie

Before it was sent to the court, the content of the claim for damages was consulted with a few experts- Przed wysłaniem do sądu, treść roszczenia o odszkodowanie została skonsultowana z kilkoma biegłymi.

5. recovery of damages- otrzymanie odszkodowania

To some extent the recovered damages compensated for the loss – Do pewnego stopnia otrzymane odszkodowanie zrekompensowało stratę.

6. anticipatory damages- przewidywane odszkodowanie

The amount of anicipatory damages will not cover the loss – Przewidywana suma odszkodowania nie pokryje straty.

7. to estimate … / estimation of damages amount due- oszacowanie kwoty należnego odszkodowania

It has been agreed that the estimation of damages took too long – Zdecydowano/ uzgodniono, że oszacowanie kwoty należnego odszkodowania zajęło zbyt wiele czasu.

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The Growing Prices of Wine. Business

Beginners:

  • rise by …- wzrosnąć o …

The prices of wine will grow by a few percent – Ceny wina wzrosną o kilka procent.

Intermediate:

  • take into account- brać pod uwagę

The costs carried by the producers have to be taken into account in the price calculation process – Koszty ponoszone przez producentów muszą być brane pod uwagę w procesie kalkulacji cen.

Advanced:

  • worst affected – najbardziej dotknięte

The traditional regions of wine production in France seem to be worst affected by the severe weather conditions – Tradycyjne regiony produkcji win wydają się najbardziej dotknięte przez katastrofalne warunki pogodowe

Full text:

  • rise by … – wzrosnąć o …
  • impact – wpływ / uderzenie
  • disastrous frost – katastrofalny mróz
  • slump to the lowest level – spaść do najniższego poziomu
  • affordable wines – przystępne cenowo… 

The price of standard wines such as prosecco and pinot grigio could rise by  up to 30% this year as the impact   of 2021’s disastrous frost is felt in all major wine producing countries. Global wine production slumped to its lowest level  in more than 50 years. Hard-hit regions include those producing Rioja and prosecco, which make large quantities of the affordable wines.

  • fall in output equates to … – spadek produkcji jest równy … / wynosi …
  • vineyards – winnice
  • worst affected – najbardziej dotknięte / zniszczone
  • harvest – zbiory / plony
  • unscathed – bez uszczerbku / bez straty

The International Organisation of Vine and Wine estimates global wine production dropped 8% to 247m hectolitres in 2021– the worst global harvest since 1961. A hectolitre is the equivalent to 133 standard wine bottles, so the fall in output equates to  about 2.9bn fewer bottles. Last month the Bordeaux wine council said production in what is France’s largest wine growing region was down 40% with vineyards in Saint-Émilion worst affected .  But while some chateaux lost up to 90% of their harvest, others escaped unscathed, the council added.

  • entry level wine – wina podstawowe / o najniższej cenie
  • material price change – znacząca zmiana ceny
  • reflect the cost of production – odzwierciedlać koszty produkcji

In a £5 bottle only 50p is for the wine so you are looking at a small increase of say 12.5p … on a £100 bottle of wine you’ve got a material price change.

One of the executives says:

“There is price pressure in two places: right at the top end, in premium segment, and in entry level wine. In a good year producers will try and profit and in a bad year they will try and eat some of the losses – it’s in their interests to do so. At some point prices will have to reflect the cost of production but supermarkets will work hard to keep wine affordable  because like eggs, milk and a loaf of white bread, people know the price of a bottle of pinot grigio.”

Watch HERE the film on what determines the price of wine

Moduł językowy opracowany na podstawie artykułu: ‘ Wine prices to rise as bad weather brings the worst harvest’, opublikowanego na theguardian.com 

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Law and Technology Companies Cooperate. Business/ Law

Beginners:

  • risk- ryzyko

This creates massive risk – To powoduje/ wywołuje niesamowite ryzyko.

Intermediate:

  • facilitate- wspomagać/ ułatwiać

The new solution facilitates data transfer between the two products – Nowe rozwiązanie wspomaga/ umożliwia przesyłanie danych pomiędzy dwoma produktami.

Advanced:

  • recognize: tutaj i bardzo często w prawie/biznesie/technologii: uznać/ stwierdzić

Our software was designed from the beginning to integrate other technology because we recognized that no one technology is going to solve every legal issues – Nasze oprogramowanie zostało od początku zaprojektowane dla integracji innych technologii, ponieważ uznaliśmy, że żaden pojedynczy produkt nie rozwiąże wszystkich zagadnień prawnych. .

Neota Logic and HighQ

  • common sense – zdrowy rozsądek
  • optimizing the platform for future collaboration – optymalizacja dla potrzeb przyszłej współpracy
  • approach to problem solving – podejście/ stosunek do rozwiązywania problemów
  • compliance – zgodność

The partnered product, Smart Adviser, facilitates data transfer between the two products.According to  Neota Logic, the partnership between the companies was just common sense. Optimizing the platform for future collaboration can help operationalize even the most complex legal needs. “That kind of collaboration is built into our approach to problem solving and software,” Mills said. “Our software was designed from the beginning to integrate other technology because we recognized that no one technology is going to solve every legal or compliance problem. The most interesting legal  problems need a combination of tools.”

Innovative and Digital Defense

  • assist firm in evaluating risks – wspomagać firmy w ocenie zagrożeń bezpieczeństwa
  • face cybersecurity issues – zmagać się z kwestiami cyberbezpieczeństwa
  • sufficiently careful – wystarczająco/ odpowiednio staranny/ ostrożny
  • laden with … – pełny …/ najeżony …
  • implement technology – wprowadzić technologię

The partnership between the two companies will send experts from both companies to assist firms in evaluating security risks and training employees in best practices.  Law firms are facing cybersecurity issues from all fronts. Their end users do not make adequate time for security training, nor are they sufficiently careful with opening attachments that may be laden with ransomware. Professional services firms historically ‘set it and forget it’ when implementing technology. This creates massive risk.

Vaporstream and Lifars

  • frozen – tutaj unieruchomiona / wyłączona / zepsuta
  • critical – tutaj niezbędne / konieczne
  • keep messages encrypted – zachować zakodowanie wiadomości
  • enable cross-device interactions – umożliwić/ zapewnić komunikację między urządzeniami
  • unauthorized sharing or storing – nieautoryzowane udostępnianie lub przechowywanie

During cyberattacks, when standard lines of communication are frozen, cybersecurity technology groups are offering secure messaging options to help companies communicate with staff. During times of incident response, it’s critical for conversations to be continued between those repairing  the situation, and the system is able to do that by keeping messages encrypted and enabling cross-device interactions without the risk of unauthorized sharing or storing.

  • 00:17′ emerge – pojawiać się/ rozpoczynać – 
  • 00:26′ bring about change – spowodować / wywołać zmianę
  • 00:36′ have massive impact on … – mieć nieprawdopodobny wpływ na …
  • 00:55′ manage contracts online –  zarządzać kontraktami online
  • 01:29′ scalable online service – skalowalny serwis online
  • 01:56′ bring people together – łączyć ludzi
  • 02:08′ convenient, accessible, affordable – wygodny, przystępny, dostępny cenowo
  • 03:14′ unparalleled access to … – niezrównany / bezprecedensowy dostęp do …

WATCH HERE the presentation of major law / tech startups in the UK

Moduł językowy opracowany na podstawie artykułu: ‘Five Recent Legal Tech Collaborations which Led to Innovation’, opublikowanego na legaltech.com

 

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Preventing the Deterioration of the Brain. Medycyna/ Biznes. GOTOWE ZWIĄZKI FRAZEOLOGICZNE!

  • time is increasingly taking its toll on our brains- upływ czasu coraz, mocniej odbija się na naszym mózgu
  • we’re losing connections between them- tracimy połączenia między nimi
  • accept  as inevitable- – zaakceptować jako nieuniknione

Our brain is shrinking (probably). None of us is getting any younger and time is increasingly taking its toll on our brains; our neurons are getting smaller and we’re losing connections between them.

But should we accept this  as inevitable?

Is there anything we can do now to optimise our brains and protect them against the ravages of aging?

  • we are really discussing one of two things- zwykle dyskutujemy jedną z dwóch kwestii
  • minimize ongoing damage to the brain- minimalizować zachodzące uszkodzenia mózgu
  • improve the operation of the brain’s software- poprawić działanie “oprogramowania” mózgu
  • taking part in mentally challenging activities  preserves full intellectual capabilities-  udział w czynnościach stanowiących wyzwanie mentalne zachowuje pełne zdolności intelektualne
  • people will choose and adhere better to…- Ludzie będą wybierać i lepiej dostosowywać się do …
  • it is tricky to determine scientifically- trudno jest określić to naukowo

When we talk about healthy brain ageing we are really discussing one of two things: how to minimize ongoing damage to the brain, mostly by keeping its blood supply as good as possible; or how to improve the operation of the brain’s software.  There is plenty of evidence that older people who stay mentally active, by learning a new language, doing crosswords or taking part in other intellectually challenging activities preserves full intellectual capabilities for longer. Get more pleasure from cognitively challenging activities than people whose faculties are starting to fail. People will choose and adhere better to a regime of activities that they find more enjoyable, so it is tricky to determine scientifically. 

  • people who have spent more time doing intellectually demanding activities over a lifetime- ludzie, którzy przez całe życie spędzili więcej czasu wykonując bardziej wymagające intelektualnie czynności
  • protect from the consequences of brain damage- chronić przed konsekwencjami uszkodzenia mózgu
  • people with longer education or intellectually challenging employment- osoby mające za sobą dłuższą edukację oraz wymagające intelektualnie zatrudnienie

What is clear is that people who have spent more time doing cognitively demanding activities over a lifetime are, to some extent, buffered from the physical effects of brain ageing and degenerative diseases. We call this buffer “cognitive reserve” – a back-up reservoir of brain function that can protect from the consequences of brain damage, allowing us to continue to perform well. For example, people with longer education or intellectually challenging employment have been found to have a lower risk of developing dementia. This is despite the fact that their brains actually show normal amounts of age- and disease-related damage.

Inspired by the article ‘Age Old Problem: How to Stay Clever for Longer’, published on the guardian.com on December 03.