Psychologist George Spilich and colleagues at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, decided to find out whether, as many smokers say, smoking helps them to “think and concentrate.” Spilich put young non-smokers, active smokers and smokers deprived (被剥夺) of cigarettes through a series of tests. In the first test, each subject (试验对象) sat before a computer screen and pressed a key as soon as he or she recognized a target letter among a grouping of 96. In this simple test, smokers, deprived smokers and nonsmokers performed equally well. The next test was more complex, requiring all to scan sequences of 20 identical letters and respond the instant one of the letters transformed into a different one. Non-smokers were faster， but under the stimulation of nicotine (尼古丁), active smokers were faster than deprived smokers. In the third test of short-term memory, non-smokers made the fewest errors, but deprived smokers committed fewer errors than active smokers. The fourth test required people to read a passage, then answer questions about it. Non-smokers remembered 19 percent more of the most important information than active smokers, and deprived smokers bested those who had smoked a cigarette just before testing. Active smokers tended not only to have poorer memories but also had trouble separating important information from insignificant details. “As our tests became more complex.” Sums up Spilich, “non-smokers performed better than smokers by wider and wider margins” He predicts, “smokers might perform adequately at many jobs until they got complicated. A smoking airline pilot could fly adequately if no problems arose, but if something went wrong, smoking might damage his mental capacity.” 1.The purpose of George Spilich’s experiments is _______. A. to test whether smoking has a positive effect on the mental capacity of smokers B. to show how smoking damages people’s mental capacity C. to prove that smoking affects people’s regular performance D. to find out whether smoking helps people’s short-term memory 2.Which of the following statements is true? A. Active smokers in general performed better than deprived smokers. B. Active smokers responded more quickly than the other subjects. C. Non-smokers were not better than other subjects in performing simple tasks. D. Deprived smokers gave the slowest responses to the various tasks. 3.We can infer from the last paragraph that _______. A. smokers should not expect to become airline pilots B. smoking in emergency cases causes mental illness C. no airline pilots smoke during flights D. smokers may prove unequal to handing emergency cases

Public Speaking and Critical ThinkingWhat is critical thinking? To a certain degree, it's a matter of logic(逻辑)—of being able to spot weaknesses in other people's arguments and to avoid them in your own. It also includes related skills such as distinguishing fact from opinion and assessing the soundness of evidence.In the broad sense, critical thinking is focused, organized thinking—the ability to see clearly the relationships among ideas. 1 The greatest thinkers, scientists, and inventors have often taken information that was readily available and put it together differently to produce new ideas. That, too, is critical thinking. 2 As the class goes on, for example, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing your speeches. While this may seem like a purely mechanical(机械的) exercise, it is closely connected with critical thinking.If the structure of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your thinking is also disordered and confused. If, on the other hand, the structure is clear, there is a good chance your thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not just a matter of arranging the ideas you already have. 3 What is true of organization is true of many aspects of public speaking. 4 As you work on expressing your ideas in clear, accurate language, you will improve your ability to think clearly and accurately. 5 As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class, you will be better able to assess the ideas of speakers in a variety of situations.If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to develop your skills as a critical thinker in many circumstances.This is one reason public speaking has been regarded as a vital part of education since the days of ancient Greece.A. Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves.B. This may seem like a lot of time, but the rewards are well worth it.C. It may also help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech.D. It has often been said that there are few new ideas in the world, only reorganized ideas.E. If you are wondering what this has to do with your public speaking class, the answer is quite a lot.F. The skills you learn in your speech class can help you become a more effective thinker in a number of ways.G. As you study the role of evidence and reasoning in speech making,you will see how they can be used in other forms of communication as well.

({B)}Background Information({/B)} Culture diversity in the workplace is a worldwide concept that continues to evolve as more industries move into the global market. Most people try and hold the belief that all people are of equal stature and deserve all of the same opportunities invariant of their race, age, gender, disability, religion or sexual preference. This concept which is becoming multi-faceted is leading to changes in the American workforce, creating equal privileges and opportunities for every human being. The idea of diversity in the workplace is the business reaction to sociological changes and pressure from social rights groups. In creating a diverse work setting there must be an atmosphere where all employees feel that they are valued by and contributing to an organization. ({B)}Cultural Diversity―IBM Style({/B)} Cultural diversity initiatives can provide organizations with a number of benefits, however there are a number of variables that can impact upon the success of such initiatives. Kylie Nicolson looks at the history of cultural diversity within IBM Australia, examines the business case for establishing diversity strategies and shares some of the initiatives employed by IBM. It’s tempting for organizations in Australia to assume that employee communities generally reflect multicultural Australia. Certainly the experiences at IBM Australia during the past few years have taught me the value of reality-checking assumptions about what it means to be a culturally diverse organization. Formal statements relating to diversity at IBM can be found as far back as 1953 by the then CEO Thomas J Watson, who said: "It is the policy of IBM to hire people who have the personality, talent and background necessary to fill a given job, regardless of race, color or creed." More recently, in 2001, IBM Australia’s bi-annual employee opinion survey included questions to enable us to better understand how different ethnicities within the corporate culture of the company. The study findings presented some variation between ethnic groups in individual levels of satisfaction with particular variables. Cultural issues did make an impact on how staff felt about IBM, especially where differences impeded clear communication, for example, between a line manager and staff member. The decision to develop a strategy for cultural awareness and acceptance within IBM Australia was driven by corporate values, legal requirements and the business case. IBM’s thinking on cultural diversity did not develop in a vacuum. It is a long-held view that by valuing diversity, IBM uncovers new perspectives taps different knowledge and experience and generates innovative ideas, suggestions and methods. Making the business case for diversity IBM’s employee opinion survey(EOS)provided the hard data to substantiate the business case for cultural diversity. Modem organizations face a skills quandary. On the one hand, their workforce is ageing and skilled workers are in increasingly short supply, while the demands of clients driven by globalization and advanced technologies are becoming more complex. So any organization that fails to maximize opportunities for all employees will fall into a talent gap and miss business opportunities. Part of the business case was about retention, particularly retaining people with languages other than English as their first language. Such employees are crucial to IBM’s ability to serve its international clients. For example, an IBM Information Technology helpdesk, based in Brisbane, mainly deals with Japanese clients. Another case reflected the global business market in which IBM operates. Employees must recognize and act on global opportunities. They must be able to operate effectively in a variety of cultural and business environments, whether traveling overseas or operating at home. Making cultural diversity part of IBM Australia "s DNA Our most effective diversity programs combine "push and pull" strategies. We’ve made good top down practices such as formalized training or policies like floating cultural holidays(exchanging an Australian public holiday for another significant cultural holiday). However the truly great progress has come about through the momentum generated by individuals who are passionate about diversity issues and truly want to make it happen. Aside from IBM’s diversity team within human resources, three other groups within IBM have formally identified roles in the implementation of the company’s overall diversity strategy. These are IBM’s Diversity Council, diversity contact officers and diversity champions. The Diversity Council IBM’s Diversity Council, chaired by our CEO Philip Bullock, ensures that IBM visibly encourages and values the contributions and differences of employees from various backgrounds. Its key objectives are to heighten employee awareness, increase management awareness, and encourage the effective use of IBM’s diverse workforce. It does so through key initiatives such as developing attraction and recruiting strategies along with retention and awareness strategies(which includes the education of managers and employees). Once the business case for cultural diversity was established, it became a focus for the council and IBM’s HR director, Robert Orth. In this capacity, Orth works with a team of senior IBM managers who champion particular diversity programs within IBM. This is achieved through personal commitment, regular communication, by gaining support for the program from other IBM managers and influencing decision making that may impact on the program. Under the guidance of the Diversity Council, a series of cultural diversity employee roundtables have been held to gather more face-to-face feedback and ideas from staff. These meetings have generated many practical ideas for increasing awareness of cultural diversity within IBM, such as the suggestion for a cross cultural communication course. Others, such as a networking and cultural evening with the Vietnamese community in Brisbane, were one-off events. Diversity contact officers Diversity contact officers are regular permanent employees who volunteer to be conduits of information relating to diversity, are trained as work/life balance coaches, and help to integrate people with a disability into the IBM workforce. They include men and women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and people who are gay or lesbian, transgender or bisexual, to reflect the diversity of our organization. Diversity champions Our internal diversity awards recognize and celebrate individuals whose actions encapsulate our diversity principles. They help to raise awareness of the diversity program and establish cultural diversity as the "norm" within the company. The power of internal awards for diversity champions lies in bringing to life the actions of "real" employees. The diversity team works closely with internal communications and public relations to communicate success stories. Ensuring that stakeholders outside the company know about the diverse culture within IBM directly supports recruitment efforts and forming commercial relationships, reinforcing the business case. Professional Development IBM manager’s "Quick Views" are, as the name suggests, intranet-based resources designed to give managers essential and accessible information to conduct business successfully with clients or colleagues from another country. Topics include: culture and globalization, culture and business and diversity and multicultural management. So if a manager is called upon to travel suddenly to a new culture, Quick Views offer handy hints on business meeting protocol. Another professional development initiative is IBM’s "Shades of Blue"―a more in-depth program for managers who are engaged in cross-cultural business interactions or have multicultural teams. Shades of Blue are a unique learning experience in developing cross-cultural competence. The courses cater to individual managers or members of an established multicultural team and are designed to heighten awareness of each person’s own cultural biases and increase their sensitivity to other cultures. The shades experience can be a powerful team-building exercise for multicultural teams to transcend cultural differences and become a high-performing team. General staff awareness and policies IBM’s cultural diversity strategy relies on raising the general level of awareness of different cultures within the organization. General initiatives include: Celebration of Chinese New Year for Sydney employees. Publication of a diversity calendar, showing various dates of cultural significance that might be relevant to employees and business relationships. Introduction of a floating holiday program where employees can exchange a public holiday for a significant cultural holiday. Employee representation at an IBM global conference on multicultural people in technology.({B)}Exercises({/B)}What is the use of IBM Australia’s bi-annual employee opinion survey A．It can help manager to solve all culture-related issue.B．It can help executive to improve their decision concerning culture diversity within corporation next year.C．It can help executive to better understand cultural diversity within the corporation.D．It can let all people know their present condition within corporation.

What is the influence of Zheng He's seven expeditions on maritime exploration?Zheng He's seven expeditions _______1______ what humans could do at sea, pushing the limits of their boats' _______2_____, _______3______, and _______4______ for long-distance travel. The voyages he led stand among the great wonders in the history of ocean _______5______, contributing significantly to the progress of _______6___________.

Translate the sentences into English . 1.他在克服所有困难后变得成熟了,他将此视作勇气的勋章。(badge)2.没有什么东西比历史建筑更能记录时间的推移了。 （Few...are more... than... )3.对年轻人而言,在繁忙的学习或工作中挤出时间锻炼身体非常重要。(squeeze in)4.在这项研究中,有关幸福感的数据是通过健康,工作压力,闲暇时间等指标来收集的。(indicator)5.黄金周前,旅行社往往会接到大量咨询电话,应接不暇。(overwhelm)6.家长陪伴孩子时间不够多会导致孩子对于入学准备不足。(leave).

quite excited about it, he said. "Comin to the university opens a new stage of my life, and I should learn to take care of myself from the start."13 Feng said he has already made three new friends after enrollment and it really helps to get to know each other.14 Inspired by Tsinghua, other universities have also launched their own campaigns to encourage students to enroll alone. Experts said these independence-improving initiatives should be promoted.15 "The lack of independence has been a major concern for kids born in the 1990s as parents arranged everything, which instead hampered their all-around development," said Xiong Bingqi, vice-president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute.16 "Such campaigns will help them realize that they have to live their lives on their own, and schools should provide more independence-developing programs to go with academic education."433 wordsComprehension Check for Reading 2Skim the article above and answer the following questions.1 What kind of scene did we use to see in Chinese universities when freshmen register?2 What campaign did Tsinghua University launch last year?3 What response did Tsinghua's call receive from students and other universities?4 What is the purpose of encouraging freshmen to enroll by themselves?

The day _ with a welcome from the principal.A. commendedB. commencedC. commentedD. commerced

阅读单选We see robots in our everyday life. They play us music, help us do housework and stay with us when we are alone. Now they can help us even more. Singapore is trying a new way to get people stay away from each other. People in Singapore now see a yellow and black robot "dog" called Spot in the parks. Boston Dynamics, a US company, designed the robot. It has a camera to scan(扫描)the environment, so it knows how many people are in the park. The dog goes around the park and plays a pre-recorded message, telling visitors to stay away from each other. There are many videos about Spot online. It can climb up stairs, dance to music, go through difficult areas and even open doors. The robot dog now works in only some of the parks in Singapore, but this is about to change. "It works very well. We are now thinking about putting a robot dog in every park in Singapore, " one of the officials(官员)says. Thanks to technology, we are now seeing more robots doing different jobs. They make our life much easier.(1)The passage mainly talks about ________.A.what the robot dog looks likeB.people's everyday lifeC.robot dogs in Singapore parksD.the future life in Singapore(2)The officials plan to put robot dogs in ________.A.some houses B.all houses C.some parks D.all parks(3)The robot dog Spot helps people ________.A.stay away from each otherB.climb up stairs of a buildingC.live an easier and better lifeD.go through difficult areasThere was a man named Zhou Chu who lived during the Western Jin Dynasty(265-316). He was very strong—stronger than any other man in the village. People were scared of him because he often bullied(欺负)villagers. At that time, a man-eating tiger and a deepwater monster(怪物) lived nearby. They often caused trouble for the village. People called them, along with Zhou, the "three evils"(三害). One day, some villagers asked Zhou to help them kill the tiger and the monster. After three days of fighting, Zhou finally killed them and came back. But the villagers thought he was dead. They celebrated his death. After seeing this, Zhou realized how much he was hated and decided to make a change. He visited a famous scholar(学者)named Lu Yim. Lu told him, If one realized what is good in the morning, he can change his behavior in the evening. Just do what you think is right." From then on, Zhou became a good person and stopped bullying others. Later he became a great soldier(战士)and died protecting his country. Zhou Chu is a great example of the Chinese saying: "A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold." We all make mistakes. But it's never too late to correct them. On the other hand, we should also be more tolerant(宽容的)of those who sometimes make mistakes. Maybe they've made mistakes in the past, but they can do great things as long as they return to the right road.(1)According to the passage, who were the three evils?A.The man-eating tiger, the deepwater monster and Zhou Chu.B.The villagers, the man-eating tiger and the deepwater monster.C.The man-eating tiger, the deepwater monster and the enemies.D.Some villagers, the famous scholar and the deepwater monster.(2)What's the right order of the story? ①Zhou decided to be a good person. ②Zhou killed the tiger and the monster. ③The villagers thought Zhou was dead and celebrated his death. ④Zhou Chu often bullied villagers. ⑤Zhou became a great soldier and died for his country.A.②③④①⑤ B.②③①④⑤ C.④②③①⑤ D.④③②①⑤(3)The Chinese of the underlined sentence "A prodigal who returns is more precious than gold." is ________.A.一心不能二用 B.浪子回头金不换 C.一失足成千古恨 D.玉不琢,不成器(4)Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A.Zhou Chu was the strongest person in his village.B.It's never too late for everyone to correct his mistakes.C.The villagers were afraid of Zhou Chu because of his looks.D.Zhou Chu learned a good lesson from the villagers and Lu Yun.“Da-da-da daaaaah! ” These four notes are strong and full of power(力量). Even if you don't know Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827), you have probably heard these notes before. This year is the 250th anniversary(周年)of Beethoven's birth. Born in Germany, he is one of the greatest musicians in history. The four opening notes above comes from his Symphony No.5(第五交响乐, also known as Fate(命运交响乐). Like this symphony, many of Beethoven’s works are rich in emotion(情感). They probably came from his hard life. He started to lose his hearing in his 20s. But he chose to face this pain and turn his feelings into music. In Symphony No.5, for example, you can hear anger and grief(悲痛)in the powerful notes. But as the music goes on, it sounds like a man who is moving from darkness into light. In the end, when the strings(弦乐)and drums play together, you know that the man has beaten fate. “I will seize(扼住)fate by the throat; it shall certainly never wholly overcome(战胜)me,” Beethoven once wrote. This spirit of his music will never stop giving people strength. Ludwig van Beethoven died on March 26, 1827 at the age of 56. About 20,000 people went to his funeral(葬礼)in Vienna, Austria in 1827. Schools were closed and military(军队)was there to keep order. In 1977 Beethoven's Symphony No.5 was sent into outer space by the US Voyagerprobe(“旅行者号”飞船).(1)Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A.Symphony No 5 is strong and full of joy.B.eethoven was a famous British musician.C.Bad fate never made Beethoven give up music.D.Beethoven stopped his work because of illness.(2)What made Beethoven’s music rich in emotion?A.He had many fans and friends.B.He experienced a lot of pain.C.He had a great talent for music.D.He forgot everything except music.(3)Symphony No.5 shows that Beethoven ________.A.has finally overcome difficultiesB.enjoyed the darkness in his lifeC.wanted to bring his music to spaceD.decided to live a quite different life(4)What can we infer from this passage?A.Hard life and bad fate can help a musician create great music.B.We needn5t worry, instead we should take everything as it comes.C.Beethoven5s music can bring happiness to a person's hard life.D.Beethoven's music has the power to encourage people to beat fate.The Chinese high-speed rails may stand out(突出)because of its scale(规模). There are more than twice as many high-speed trains in China as the rest of the world. Cities like Beijing have several hundred high-speed trains stopping at the city every day, much more than any other big cities abroad. And every year when the Chinese Spring Festival comes, about 3 billion(十亿) trips take place within 2 weeks. It would be the same as every American taking 10 trips during Christmas, or every European taking 5 trips during Christmas. All the train tickets are gone within 10 seconds once they can be bought online. The high-speed trains are really great. Firstly, China 5s technology on building the railway is leading the rest of the world and there is no sign that any other country could go beyond China in near future. Secondly, China's trains are based on Japanese, German and French models. At last, the scale of Chinese high-speed train is unthinkable to other countries, which has high-speed train network(网络). I had my first chance to ride the high-speed trains last week when I had a business meeting in Zhengzhou. The train was amazing. It is clean and the seats are huge. You can't even feel how fast the train is moving. If there were no windows, I wouldn't be able to tell when we were stopped or when we were traveling at 300 km/h. I had traveled on an Amtrak train before in the US, and hated how slow it was and how many stops there were. Chinese high-speed trains are of great difference. I'm traveling again this week by train and I'm excited.(1)What's the main idea of this passage?A.Chinese high-speed trains are amazing.B.Different kinds of trains in the world.C.My first chance to ride the high-speed trains.D.How fast the Chinese high-speed trains are!(2)In Paragraph 1 the writer supported his opinion mainly by ________.A.telling a short story B.explaining die reasons paring some facts D.following a time order(3)What does the underlined word "they” in Paragraph 1 refer to?A.merican people. B.Train tickets. C.European people. D.Train trips.(4)What does the writer think about the Chinese high-speed train?A.He worries about it.B.It needs to be improved.C.An Amtrak train is better.D.He thinks highly of it.①Amy and Susan both live an average(平常的)life. They have an average house, an average job and an average family. There is really nothing special about their lives, but there is also nothing really negative(消极的)about their lives. ②However, when they are both happy, it always seems that Amy is happier than Susan. It looks like nothing can trouble Amy. She is the life of the party and always has a big smile on her face. ③ Susan can't stop thinking about this. How is Amy so happy when they both lead such similar lives? They go to the same stores, watch the same movies, even have similar schedules! How can Amy be so carefree when life is so stressful? ④Between one's daily life and personal dreams, there is no way one can be so happy and stress-free all the time. There are always a million things going on. ⑤But when Susan asks Amy about this, Amy says, " I just take life as it comes. It seems pretty easy then. " ⑥__▲ How is it that Amy's life seems so much better most of the time? ⑦The problem with Susan is that she spreads herself too thin. Not physically (身体上), but in her own head. While she tries to do everything at once and think about everything at once, Amy takes everything one step at a time. She is where she is, stays present in the moment and allows herself to focus on(关注)just one thing at a time. ⑧When you live each moment to its fullest, when you deal with where you are and are present in the now, most of your stress will go away.(1)What might be the Chinese meaning of the underlined word "carefree"?A.粗心的 B.关心的 C.无忧虑的 D.仔细的(2)Which of the following can be put in the ________▲ ?A.So Susan is always less happy than her friend Amy.B.So what is the difference between these two friends?C.So what is the result of these two friends' experience?D.Let me give you some examples about these two friends.(3)If we put the passage into 3 parts, which of the following is the best?A.①④⑤/⑥⑦⑧ B.①②/③④⑤⑥⑦/⑧ C.①②③/④⑤⑥/⑦⑧ D.①②/③④⑤/⑥⑦⑧(4)The best title of the passage could be ________.A.Take life one step at a timeB.How to stay healthy under stressC.What we can learn from friendsD.Let's become an average person.

Factors for Stress and Anxiety At some point in their lives virtually everyone will experience stressful events or situations that overwhelm their natural coping mechanisms. In one poll, 89% of respondents indicated that they had experienced serious stress in their lives. Some people are simply biologically prone to stress. Factors leading to stress and anxiety mainly are as follows:Risk Factors Conditions that are most likely to be associated with stress and negative physical effects include the following: * An accumulation of persistent stressful situations, particularly those that a person cannot easily control (for example, high-pressured work plus an unhappy relationship). * Persistent stress following a severe acute response to a stabbing event (such as an automobile accident). * Acute stress accompanying serious illness, such as heart disease. People respond to stress differently, depending on different factors: * Early nurturing: Abusive behavior towards children may cause long-term abnormalities (反常) in the hypothalamus-pituitary system, which regulates stress. * Personality traits: Certain people have personality traits that cause them to over-respond to stressful events. * Genetic factors: Some people have genetic factors that affect stress, such as having a more or less efficient relaxation response. One study found a genetic abnormality in serotonin (血清素) regulation that was connected with a heightened reaction of heart rates and blood pressure in response to stress. (Serotonin is a brain chemical involved with feelings of well-being.) * Immune-regulated diseases: Certain diseases that are associated with immune abnormalities such as rheumatoid arthritis (类风湿关节炎) may actually weaken a response to stress. * The length and quality of stressors: Naturally, the longer the duration and the more intense the stressors, the more harmful the effects.Childhood Factors Children are frequent victims of stress because they are often unable to communicate their feelings accurately. They also have trouble communicating their responses to events over which they have no control. Certain physical symptoms, notably repeated abdominal pain without a known cause, may be indicators of stress in children. Various conditions can affect their susceptibility tostress. Parental stress, especially in mothers, is a particularly powerful source of stress in children, even more important than poverty or overcrowding. Young children of mothers who are highly stressed (particularly if they were depressed) tend to be at high risk for developing stress-related problems. This may be especially true if the mothers were stressed during both the child’s infancy and early years. Some evidence even supports the old idea that stress during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the infant’s mood and behavior. Older children with stressed mothers may become aggressive and anti-social, Another study suggested that stress-reduction techniques in parents may improve their children’s behavior. Adolescent boys and girls experience equal amounts of stress, but the source and effects may differ. Girls tend to become stressed from interpersonal situations, and stress is more likely to lead to depression in girls than in boys. For boys, however, specific events, such as changing schools or getting poor grades, appear to be the major sources of stress.Work and Stress In a study of 46,000 workers, health care costs were 147% higher in workers who were stressed or depressed than in others who were not. Furthermore, according to one survey, 40% of American workers describe their jobs as very stressful, making job-related stress an important and preventable health hazard. Several studies are now suggesting that job-related stress is as great a threat to health as smoking or not exercising. Stress impairs concentration, causes sleeplessness, and increases the risk for illness, back problems, accidents, and lost time from work. Work stress can lead to harassment or even violence while on the job. At its most extreme, chronic stress places a burden on the heart and circulation that in some cases may be fatal. The Japanese even have a word for sudden death due to overwork, karoushi. Many institutions within the current culture, while paying lip service to stress reduction, put intense pressure on individuals to behave in ways that increase tension. Yet, there are numerous effective management tools and techniques available to reduce stress. Furthermore, treatment for work-related stress has proven benefits for both the employee and employer. In one study, at the end of 2 years, a company that instituted a stress management program saved nearly 150,000 in workers compensations costs (the cost of the program was only 6,000). Other studies have reported specific health benefits resulting from workplace stress-management programs. In one of the studies, workers with hypertension experienced reduced blood pressure after even a brief (16-hour) program that helped them manage stress behaviorally. In general, however, few workplaces offer stress management programs, and it is usually up to the employees to find their own ways to reduce stress. Here are some suggestions: * Seek out someone in the Human Resources department or a sympathetic manager and communicate concerns about job stress. Work with them in a non-confrontational way to improve working conditions, letting them know that productivity can be improved if some of the pressure is off. * Establish or reinforce a network of friends at work and at home. * Restructure priorities and eliminate unnecessary tasks. * Learn to focus on positive outcomes. * If the job is unendurable, plan and execute a career change. Send out resumes or work on getting a transfer within the company. * If this isn’t possible, be sure to schedule daily pleasant activities and physical exercise during free time. It may be helpful to keep in mind that bosses are also victimized by the same stressful conditions they are imposing. For example, in one study of male managers in three Swedish companies, those who worked in a bureaucracy had greater stress-related heart risks than those who worked in companies with social supports. Caregiving Studies show that caregivers of physically or mentally disabled family members are at risk for chronic stress. One study reported that overall mortality rates were over 60% higher in caregivers who were under constant stress. Spouses caring for a disabled partner are particularly vulnerable to a range of stress-related health threats, including influenza, depression, heart disease, and even poorer survival rates. Caring for a spouse with even minor disabilities can induce severe stress. Intervention programs that are aimed at helping the caregiver approach the situation positively can reduce stress, and help the caregiver maintain a positive attitude. A 2002 program also demonstrated that moderate-intensity exercise was very helpful in reducing stress and improving sleep in caregivers. Caregiving among the health professionals is also a high risk factor for stress. One study, for example, found that registered nurses with low job control, high job demands, and low work-related social support experienced very dramatic health declines, both physically and emotionally. Anxiety Disorders People who are less emotionally stable or have high anxiety levels tend to experience specific events as more stressful than others. Some doctors describe an exaggerated negative response to stress as treating the event as a catastrophe. Nevertheless, a 2003 study of patients with anxiety disorder did not find any differences in actual physical response to stress (heart rate, blood pressure, release of stress hormones) compared to people without anxiety.Lacking a Social Network The lack of an established network of family and friends predisposes (使预先有倾向) one to stress disorders and stress-related health problems, including heart disease and infections. A study, meanwhile, reported that older people who maintain active relationships with their adult children are buffered against the adverse health effects of chronic stress-inducing situations, such as low-income or lower-social class. Another study suggested this may be because people who live alone are unable to discuss negative feelings as a means to relieve their stress. Studies of people who remain happy and healthy despite many life stresses conclude that most have very good networks of social support. One study indicated that support even from strangers reduced blood pressure surges in people undergoing a stressful event. Many studies suggest that having a pet helps reduce medical problems aggravated by stress, including heart disease and high blood pressure.Stress is most likely to rise from conditions in which ______. A. two persons with different characteristics work togetherB. a person always recalls past painful experienceC. a person has just gotten over a serious physical diseaseD. parents abuse their children too much in early nurturing

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in the blanks with appropriate collocations from the texts. You are provided with the first letter(s) for each of the collocations. Change the form where necessary.I recall my first few years of wandering, a period of time that saw me in a constant vacation mode as I hopped between countries. At that time, I was excited to find myself in 1) ex____pl____ even if I just stayed in a guesthouse for a few days. And I thought I had the most wonderful life — my 2) to____dr____.Then one day, just over three years into my adventure, I realized that my 3) mu____t____ were really leading me nowhere. Apart from having quite a few "cool" and 4) pl____ex____, I was barely learning and barely improving myself. To make sure I still had some money left for a few more weeks of 5) so____tr____, I had to constantly check my bank account.So, I decided to change the way I traveled. For example, I would go to India to seek opportunities for volunteer work, to South America to practice my Spanish, to Eastern Europe to experience the 6) di____di____ of the region, and to Australia to create my first source of online income while learning the 7) l____f____f____ in a city I love. More recently, I lived in Mexico in order to learn how to ride waves. Now, I'm in Thailand in order to 8) s____st____ with other travelers.Everything has a purpose. No more aimlessness for me. I really believe that for anyone interested in travel made possible by 9) m____a____, having goals is vital. Traveling with a sense of purpose can help you gain 10) cr____ in 11) preparing you, maximize personal growth, and develop your 12) m____fl____ to prepare you for new challenges in this increasingly 13) g____. This will prove useful at some point in your life.