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PassageAPassageBReturntoMenuUnit7PassageA•ThinkAboutIt•ReadAboutIt•TalkAboutIt•WriteAboutIt1.WhydosomepeopleuseEcstasyaccordingtotheauthor?Theythinkitisafun,harmlessdrug.Reference:2.WhatdidEcstasyandotherdrugsdototheauthor?Itseriouslydamagedherhealth.Besidesshelostherstrength,motivation,dreams,friends,apartment,moneyandmostofall,hersanity.Reference:3.Whatdoyouknowaboutdrugsanddrugabuse?Open.Reference:ReadAboutIt•LanguagePoints•ContentAwareness•LanguageFocusAgonyfromEcstasyBeforedoingEcstasyIhearalotofpeopletalkingaboutEcstasy,callingitafun,harmlessdrug.AllIcanthinkis,“iftheyonlyknew.”Igrewupinasmall,ruraltowninPennsylvania.It’soneofthoseplaceswhereeveryoneknowsyourname,whatyoudid,whatyouateandsoon.Iwasastraight-Astudentandoneofthepopularkids,likedbyallthedifferentcrowds.Drugsneverplayedapartinmylife.Theywereneveraquestion—Iwastooinvolvedandfocusedonotherthings.IalwaysdreamedofmovingtoNewYorkCitytostudyactingandpursueacareerintheater.Mydreamcametruewhenmymombroughtmetothecitytoattendactingschool.Asyoucanimagine,itwasquiteachangefromhome.Iwasexposedtonewpeople,newideasandacompletelynewwayoflife—awayoflifethatexposedmetodrugs.MostofthepeoplethatImetintheactingschoolhadalreadybeendoingdrugsforyears.Ifeltthatbyusingdrugs,Iwouldbecomeapartoftheirworldanditwoulddeepenmyfriendshipswiththemtonewlevels.Itriedpot,evenalittlecocaine,butitwasEcstasythatchangedmylifeforever.IrememberthefeelingIhadthefirsttimeIdidEcstasy:completeandutterbliss.Icouldfeelthepulseoftheuniverse.ItwasasifIhadunlockedsomesortofsecretworld;itwasasifI’dfoundheaven.AndIwonderedhowanythingthatmadeyoufeelsogoodcouldpossiblybebad.Astimewentby,thingschanged.Igraduated,andbegantousedrugs,especiallyEcstasy,morefrequently.AsIdid,Iactuallystartedtolookdownonthosewhodidnot.Isurroundedmyselfonlywiththosewhodid.Ihadgonefromagirlwhoneveruseddrugstoawomanwhocouldn’timaginelifewithoutthem.Infivemonths,Iwentfromapersonlivingsomewhatresponsiblywhilepursuingmydreamtoapersonwhodidn’tcareaboutathing—andthehigherIgot,thedeeperIsankintoadark,lonelyplace.WhenIdidsleep,Ihadnightmaresandtheshakes.Ihadpastyskin,athrobbingheadandthebeginningsofparanoia,butIignoreditall,thinkingitwasnormaluntilthenightIthoughtIwasdying.Onthisnight,Iwassittingonthecouchwithmyfriends,watchingamovieandfeelingnormalwhensuddenly,IfeltasifIneededtojumpoutofmyskin.Racingthoughts,horribleimagesandillusionscreptthroughmymind.IthoughtIwasseeingthedevil,andIrepeatedlyaskedmyfriendsifIwasdead.Ontopofallthis,IfeltasifIwashavingaheartattack.Somehow,Imanagedtopickupthetelephoneandcallmymominthemiddleofthenight,tellinghertocomegetme.Shedid,pullingmeoutofmyapartmentthenextmorning.Ididn’tknowwhoIwasorwhereIwasasmymomdrovemebacktomyfamily’shospitalinPennsylvania.Ispentmostofthedrivecurlingupinthebackseatwhilemyyoungersistertriedtokeepmecalm.AfterdoingEcstasyIspentthenext14daysinthehospitalinastateofextremeconfusion.ThisiswhatEcstasygaveme—butitdidn’tstopthere.Mydoctorsperformedascanofmybrain.Icouldn’tbelievemyeyeswhenIsawtheresults.Thescanshowedseveraldarkmarksontheimageofmybrain,andmydoctorstoldmethosewereareas—areasthatcarryoutmemoryfunctions—wheretheactivityofmybrainhadbeenchangedinsomeway.SinceIsawthatscan,mylifehasbeenanuphillcrawl.Ididn’tknowwhoIwasorwhereIwasasmymomdrovemebacktomyfamily’shospitalinPennsylvania.Ispentmostofthedrivecurlingupinthebackseatwhilemyyoungersistertriedtokeepmecalm.AfterdoingEcstasyIspentthenext14daysinthehospitalinastateofextremeconfusion.ThisiswhatEcstasygaveme—butitdidn’tstopthere.Mydoctorsperformedascanofmybrain.Icouldn’tbelievemyeyeswhenIsawtheresults.Thescanshowedseveraldarkmarksontheimageofmybrain,andmydoctorstoldmethosewereareas—areasthatcarryoutmemoryfunctions—wheretheactivityofmybrainhadbeenchangedinsomeway.SinceIsawthatscan,mylifehasbeenanuphillcrawl.IhearpeoplesayEcstasyisaharmless,happydrug.There’snothinghappyaboutthewaythat“harmless”drugchippedawayatmylife.Ecstasytookmystrength,mymotivation,mydreams,myfriends,myapartment,mymoneyandmostofall,mysanity.Iworryaboutmyfutureandmyhealtheveryday.Ihavemanymountainsaheadofme,butIplantokeepclimbingbecauseI’moneoftheluckyones.I’vebeengivenasecondchance,andthat’snotsomethingthateveryonegets.agonyn.—extremepainorsufferingExamples•Theinjuredsoldierslayscreaminginagony.•Wefelthelplessaswesawhimdyinginagony.ruraladj.—in,oforlikethecountrysideExamples•Rurallifeisusuallymorepeacefulthanurbanlife.•Hepaintspicturesofruralscenes.focuson—todirect(one’sattention)tosthExamples•Thebookfocusesonthewaythecomputeraffectstheyoung.•Ifinditeasytofocusontextbookswhentheexamisapproaching.cometrue—tohappenjustaswaswished,expectedordreamtExamples•Hehasalwaysdreamtofowninghisowncompany,butIdoubtitwillcometrue.•WhenIfinishedmyfirstnovel,itwasadreammadetocometrue.expose...to...—tocausetobeunprotectedfromExamples•Peoplelivingnearthenuclearpowerstationmayhavebeenexposedtoradiation.•Hisviewpointsexposehimtocriticism,buthewon’tgivethemup.utteradj.—completeorextremeExamples•Thediscussionwasanutterwasteoftime.•Ahotbathaftersuchalongdayofhardworkwasutterbliss.