PartⅡ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)(15 minutes)

Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-4, mark

Y(for YES)if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N(for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG(for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage.

For questions 5to10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.

Stress

This may come as a surprise, but you need stress in your life. Leading stress management experts say that life without stress would be dull and unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge, and opportunity to life. However, too much stress can seriously affect your physical and mental well-being. A major challenge in today’s stress-filled world is to make the stress in your life work for you instead of against you.

In today’s hectic, fast-paced world and with the booming economy, stress is our constant companion. It comes from mental or emotional activity and physical activity. Too much emotional stress can result in physical illness, such as high blood pressure, ulcers, asthma, irritable colon, headaches, or even heart disease. On the other hand, physical stress from work or exercise rarely causes such ailments. In fact, physical exercise can help you to relax and to handle your mental or emotional stress.

Hans Selye, M.D., a recognized expert in the field, has defined stress as a "nonspecific response of the body to a demand". The key to reducing stress is learning how our bodies respond to those demands. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly frustrating, it can become harmful-causing distress or "bad stress". Recognizing the early signs of distress and then doing something about them can make a significant difference in the quality of your life.

In order to use stress in a positive way and prevent it from becoming distress, you should be aware of your own reactions to stressful events. The body responds to stress by going through specific stages: (1) alarm, (2) resistance, and (3) exhaustion. Muscles tense, blood pressure and heart rate rise, and adrenaline and other stress-triggered hormones that increase the level of alertness are released. If the stress-causing conditions continue, your body will need time to make repairs, if that happens, you eventually may develop a physical problem that is related to stress, such as migraine headaches, high blood pressure, backaches, or insomnia. That’s why when stress occurs it’s important that you recognize and deal with it in a positive way. While it’s impossible to live completely free of stress and distress, it is possible to prevent some distress as well as to minimize its impact when it can’t be avoided. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to handle stress.

When you’re nervous, angry or upset, try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve your anxiety and worry and help you relax. Your body and your mind will work together to ease the stress in your life.

Share Your Stress

It helps to talk with someone about your anxieties and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, or counselor can help you achieve a more positive perspective on what’s troubling you. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker. Knowing when to ask for help is a positive step in avoiding more serious problems later.

Take Care of Yourself

You should make every effort to eat well and to get enough rest. If you’re irritable and tense from lack of sleep, or if you’re not eating properly, you’ll be more vulnerable to stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult your doctor.

Make Time for Yourself

Schedule time for both work and recreation. Don’t forget, play can be just as important to your overall well-being as work. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun. Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy.

Make a List of the Things You Need to Do

Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there’s so much to do, and not enough time". Trying to take care of everything at once can be overwhelming, and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Give priority to the most important tasks and do those first.

Go Ahead and Cry

A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety. It might even help yon avoid a headache or other physical consequence of anxiety and stress.

Yon can’t always run away, but you can allow yourself a mental "get-away". A quiet country scene painted mentally, or on canvas, can transport you from the tension of a stressful situation to a more relaxing frame of mind. You also can create a sense of peace and tranquility by reading a good book or listening to beautiful music.

While yon can use prescription or over-the-counter medications to relieve stress temporarily, they do not remove the conditions that caused the stress in the first place. In fact, many medications may be habit-forming and also may reduce your efficiency, thus creating more stress than they eliminate. They should be taken only on the advice of your doctor.

Relax

The best strategy for reducing or avoiding stress altogether is to learn how to relax. Unfortunately, many people try to relax at the same pace that they lead the rest of their lives. That doesn’t work. Instead, try tuning out your worries about time, productivity and "doing right". Here are several relaxation techniques you may find helpful:

-You should take a deep breath and exhale to help calm your mind, counter your body’s natural stress reaction and improve your response.

-You should laugh. Many stress management experts advocate laughter as a relaxation technique for relieving tension.

-You should take a warm bath or shower. Whether you prefer bubble baths or long hot showers, this is an excellent way to relax after a stressful day.

-You should try progressive muscle relaxation. Individual contract and relax each muscle group of your body. Begin by tensing your toes for 10 seconds, then relax them for 20. Work all the way up your body, alternately tensing and relaxing, and finish with your facial muscles.

By learning the "art" of relaxation, you’ll find satisfaction in just "being", without trying or striving. Your focus on relaxation, enjoyment and health will reduce stress, anxiety and worry in your life. The result is, you will be calmer, healthier and happier.

注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上作答。

1. In today’s stressful world, we should get control of the stress in our life rather than being forced by it.

2. According to the author, too much physical illness can lead to emotional stress.

3. When stress becomes prolonged or particularly frustrating, it can become too harmful to cause distress or bad stress.

4. If the conditions which cause stress continue, your body will need time, usually, three to five days, to make repairs.

5. Although it’s impossible to live without stress and distress _____________________.

6. A more positive perspective on what’s troubling you may be achieved with the help of_____________________.

7. Disorganization and a feeling that "there’s so much to do, and not enough time" can _____________________.

8. You can read a good book or listen to beautiful music_____________________.

9. _____________________is the best strategy for reducing or avoiding stress.

10. The reduction of stress, anxiety and worry in your life is _____________________.