CROSSROADS Language StudioÊs Newsletter October,October , 2023

One of the most distinctive features of humanphysical diversity that shapes our culture andperception of others is our eyes; specifically thecolour of the eye iris.

The iris has two layers. The back layer isalmost always brown, and the front (visible)
layer’s colour depends on how much melaninpigment we have. These 2 layers create a 3dimensional palette of colours, ranging fromgrey, blue, green to dark brown. In some cases,
the eyes may look violet, pink, or evenmulticoloured.
The combinations of colour hues are infinite.
There are no two people with identicaliris
Ellacolour. Because there are as many as 60 genes
responsible for eye colour, the resultant iris
colour and pattern can never be duplicated.
Janis speaking of genes, the very reason weAnd
have such a diversity of eyes is due to genemutation that happened around 10,000 years
ago, when all humans sported brown eyes.

You may ask yourself, why do we have thesedifferences? Are some advantageous to us? Are
there pros and cons to, say, green eyes?
Well, unsurprisingly, there is a tonne ofresearch done to answer these and many otherquestions.
Brown eyes are the most common in theworld, and they carry with them clear healthbenefits. Apart from naturally protecting us
from excessive UV light entering our eyes,brown eye colours lower the risk of melanoma
and macular degeneration. Unfortunately,people with this colour suffer from cataracts
more often than those with lighter eyes.
On the other hand, blue eyes (and other lightcoloured eyes) have the advantage of a lower
risk of developing vitiligo (losing skin pigment).
The downside of lighter eyes is that they let
in more sunlight and often cause irritation andother adverse health effects.
We have a great sense ofesthetics, and appearance
plays a big role in shaping theway we think and interact
with others. We find different
eye colours more attractive
and interesting to look at. We choose our life
partners often based on the colour of theireyes. It's also one of the best features toremember or recognise people by.
When we are born, we have either brown or
blue eyes and in the first year, melanindevelops and will change to a more permanentand unique colour, that generally remains thesame throughout our life. A drastic change ofiris colour or an appearance of black spots is asign of a bad health condition, so it’s advisable
to see an optometrist.

Article by Marek

Since then, a blue colour appeared andbegan to mutate further to create a full
spectrum of browns, blues and greens. This isparticularly the case with people living incontinental Europe.

NET LESSONS: Too busy to come to CROSSROADS?
…. Try our lessons on the net!
For more facts about eye colour, head to:https://redmondeyedoctors.com/why-do-we-have-differenteye-colors/Joshua Says: “You have to be wrong to learn.” This is a quotation from Professor
Michelle Simmons, a quantum physicist. What caught my attention in this quote is
the words “you have to be…” There is no doubt here. If you want to learn, you must
make mistakes. This is true, not only for quantum physicists, but for everyone inany field. It also follows that those who “know” they are right have stopped
learning. The message? Keep making mistakes, they only help you to grow.
Junko Says: I think by now everyone has met Katrina, “Cat”, our new staff member.
If you read our November ’22 newsletter you will be aware of all the benefits cats canbring into our lives; their purrs have healing properties that work even on humans,
they can help to reduce stress levels in people, lessen the risk of heart disease andhave a strong positive influence on our mental health. “Cat” has been with us for only
a couple of months, but I can see she is already having a positive effect in Crossroads!
Marek Says: The colour of our eyes is largely determined in the first yearof our life, but external influences, such as climatic conditions, diet, certain
illnesses, and even physical damage to the eyesight, may and does result in
the iris changing colour. We’re talking a subtle change of the colour
intensity, but occasionally the iris may go from, say, brown to blue. A
musician David Bowie is a prime example of such a radical change.
Mandcy dit: C est enfin l'automne. Le climat est devenu plus frais et je me délecte en pensant àroutes les saveurs d'automne. En effet, octobre est la saison des vendanges, on récolte le raisin
afin de le déguster ou de faire du vin. De plus, de nombreux fruits à coque sont disponibles tels
que les noix ou les châtaignes. Et je me réjouis à l'idée de dévorer un petit Mont-blanc où une
tarte aux noix de pécan. Et vous ? Qu'allez-vous déguster ? Partagez-le avec moi !
ACROSS
1 insightful observation
5 part of an eye's retina
6 unchanging
9 unfavorable
13 genetic alteration
16 a unit of weight
17 pigments in skin and eyes
18 concerning beauty(especially in art)
19 eye doctor
20 a range of colors
DOWN
2 causing annoyance
3 part of the eye
4 malignant skin tissue
7 too much
8 declining in quality or power
10 the final consequence
11 the qualities of colors
12 characteristic, typical
14 having a more favorable position
15 many different types or kinds

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(print version here)

20Complete the sentences below by choosing the best conjunctions fromthe box below. Some may be used more than once and some may fit morethan one sentence.
Since so that so where when although even though and but or because

1. She went to the store ______ it was closed.
2. ______ he held the record, he didn’t win the race.
3. Everyone likes him ______ he is generous _____ helpful.
4. My friend recommended that move ______ I watched it.
5. ______ you are free, let’s go out for a drink together.
6. ______ he was very ill, he turned up for work yesterday.
7. I need to work hard now ______ I can retire early.
8. ______ he was angry with his boss, he didn’t say a word.
9. I don’t know ______ I can buy one.
10. She told her kids to keep quiet ______ go outside______ play.
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D I S R U P T I O NO
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C O N D E N S A T I O N
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SF R E Q U E N TLH
MTAMI M M E A S U R A B L E
ANIPS
NNSSL
D E B R I SOSTFPEEVMPLOHAE
S E V E R I T YR
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E N T I R E L Y
NNMRYON
R A R E L YNINS P A N N I N G

Last Month’s Puzzle Solution DOWN
1 best, most favorable
ACROSS
2 displacement. discontinuity,disorder
7 atmospheric moisture
12 regular and often,
13 impossible to calculate
14 remaining after being destroyed
17 extremely negative
18 total, complete19 not often
20 covering a large area

1 a forward driving force
3 remove or destroy completely
4 change to suit a new purpose
5 without variation
6 many, numerous
8 only, without others
9 change the nature orappearance of something
10 half of the globe
11 a remarkable development
15 convey and support as fact
16 revolving quickly on an axis

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