“Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would shun food, love or exercise.” said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here’s no question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you’re able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.
　　In a 2001 study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but coped with（设法处理） the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they couldn’t get the job done.
　　Stress that you can manage may also boost immune(免疫的) function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects believed they had control over the outcome. In the second, they weren’t in control: They had to sit through a gory(血淋淋的) video on surgical procedures. Those who did go on the memory test had an increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that's the body’s first line of defense against germs. The video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody.
　　Stress prompts the body to produce certain stress hormones（荷尔蒙）. In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. “They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage,” says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain.
“Sustained stress is not good for you,” says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois studying the effects of stress on longevity(长寿), “It’s the occasional burst of stress or brief exposure to stress that could be protective.”
【小题1】The passage is mainly about ________.

A．the benefits of manageable stress

B．how to avoid stressful situations

C．how to cope with stress effectively

D．the effects of stress hormones on memory

【小题2】 The underlined word “shun” (Line 1, Para.1) most probably means________.

A．cut down on

B．stay away from

C．run out of

D．put up with

【小题3】 We can conclude from the study of the 158 nurses in 2001 that ________.

A．people under stress tend to have a poor memory

B．people who can’t get their job done experience more stress

C．doing challenging work may be good for one’s health

D．stress will weaken the body’s defense against germs

【小题4】Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University believes that ________.

A．a person’s memory is determined by the level of hormones in his body

B．stress hormones have lasting positive effects on the brain

C．short bursts of stress hormones enhance memory function

D．a person’s memory improves with continued experience of stress

“Humans should not try to avoid stress any more than they would shun food, love or exercise.” said Dr. Hans Selye, the first physician to document the effects of stress on the body. While here’s no question that continuous stress is harmful, several studies suggest that challenging situations in which you’re able to rise to the occasion can be good for you.

　　In a 2001 study of 158 hospital nurses, those who faced considerable work demands but coped with（设法处理） the challenge were more likely to say they were in good health than those who felt they couldn’t get the job done.

　　Stress that you can manage may also boost immune(免疫的) function. In a study at the Academic Center for Dentistry in Amsterdam, researchers put volunteers through two stressful experiences. In the first, a timed task that required memorizing a list followed by a short test, subjects believed they had control over the outcome. In the second, they weren’t in control: They had to sit through a gory(血淋淋的) video on surgical procedures. Those who did go on the memory test had an increase in levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that's the body’s first line of defense against germs. The video-watchers experienced a downturn in the antibody.

　　Stress prompts the body to produce certain stress hormones（荷尔蒙）. In short bursts these hormones have a positive effect, including improved memory function. “They can help nerve cells handle information and put it into storage,” says Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University in New York. But in the long run these hormones can have a harmful effect on the body and brain.

“Sustained stress is not good for you,” says Richard Morimoto, a researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois studying the effects of stress on longevity(长寿), “It’s the occasional burst of stress or brief exposure to stress that could be protective.”

1.The passage is mainly about ________.

A. the benefits of manageable stress

B. how to avoid stressful situations

C. how to cope with stress effectively

D. the effects of stress hormones on memory

2. The underlined word “shun” (Line 1, Para.1) most probably means________.

A. cut down on

B. stay away from

C. run out of

D. put up with

3. We can conclude from the study of the 158 nurses in 2001 that ________.

A. people under stress tend to have a poor memory

B. people who can’t get their job done experience more stress

C. doing challenging work may be good for one’s health

D. stress will weaken the body’s defense against germs

4.Dr. Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University believes that ________.

A. a person’s memory is determined by the level of hormones in his body

B. stress hormones have lasting positive effects on the brain

C. short bursts of stress hormones enhance memory function

D. a person’s memory improves with continued experience of stress

 

阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在文章后的表格中填入恰当的单词。注意：表格中的每个空只填一个单词。

Stress is an uncomfortable feeling in the mind from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated,angry, or anxious. Stress is often accompanied by physical symptoms like trembling,sleeping difficulties and nightmares（恶梦）.

Stress is a normal part of life.In small quantities,stress is good—it can motivate you and help you be more productive. However,too much stress is harmful. It can cause general poor health as well as specific physical or mental depression. Persistent and never-ceasing stress often leads to anxiety and unhealthy behaviours like abuse of alcohol or drugs.

Certain drugs can lead to symptoms of stress due to side effects. A poor diet can also contribute to stress or anxiety.Performance stress is related to specific situations,like taking a test or making a presentation in public. Post-traumatic stress develops after an unforgettably shocking event like war, physical attacks, or a natural disaster.

Any effective ways to cope with your stress or anxiety? One step is to make a list of what you think might be making you ‘stress out’:Is something constantly on your mind? Does anything in particular make you sad or depressed?

Then,find someone you believe in who will listen to you. Often,just talking to a friend or loved one is all that is needed to relieve anxiety. Most communities also have support groups and hotlines that can help. Social workers,psychologists,and other mental health professionals may be needed for therapy and medication.

Also, find healthy ways to deal with stress. For example, eat a healthy diet,get enough sleep, exercise regularly, limit caffeine and alcohol.Learn and practice relaxation techniques like yoga and tai chi. Make sure to balance fun activities with your responsibilities. Spend time with people you enjoy. Find self-help books at your local library or bookstore.

Title	Stress
The 1.　　　 of stress	An uncomfortable feeling in the mind,making you feel frustrated,angry and anxious,2.　　by many symptoms
The3.　　 stress has on people	●Positive/good stress can motivate people,4.　　people be more productive  ●5.　　/harmful stress will cause poor health as well as physical and psychological illnesses
Possible6.　　 of stress	●Side effects of certain drugs ●Poor diets ●Stress 7.　　with specific situations,like taking a test or making a presentation in public  ●Stress developing after unforgettably shocking events,like war,physical attacks,or a natural disaster
Effective 8. to coping with stress	●9.　　what makes you “stress out”  ●Finding someone you trust who will listen to you ●Finding healthy ways to deal with it,such as10.　　　good habits and living a healthy life

 

Decision-making under Stress

　　A new review based on a research shows that acute stress affects the way the brain considers the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative (负面的) consequences of a decision.

　　The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.

　　“Stress affects how people learn,” says Professor Mara Mather. “People learn better about positive than negative outcomes under stress.”

　　For example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images(影像) with either rewards or punishments. In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by having to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those who hadn’t gone through the stress.

　　This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress –at those moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bring about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.

　　The research also found that stress appears to affect decision-making differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on consequences under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.

　　Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when caution weighs more, however, women will win.

　　This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into addiction.

1.We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend to ______.

A．keep rewards better in their memory

B．recall consequences more effortlessly

C．make risky decisions more frequently

D．learn a subject more effectively

2.According to the research, stress affects people most probably in their ______.

A．ways of making choices                   B．preference for pleasure

C．tolerance of punishments                 D．responses to suggestions

3.The research has proved that in a stressful situation, ______.

A．women find it easier to fall into certain habits

B．men have a greater tendency to slow down

C．women focus more on outcomes

D．men are more likely to take risks

 

When I was young, I really doubted whether there was love between my parents．Every day they were busy earning money so that they could   36  the high tuition my brother and I needed．They didn’t   37  in the romantic ways that I read in books or saw on TV．

One day, Mom was sewing a quilt（被子）．I  38  sat down beside her．“Mom, I have a　39  here,” I said after a while．“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very 　40 voice．

Mom stopped her work and raised her head with   41  in her eyes．She didn’t answer immediately．She bent her head and continued to sew the quilt．I was   42  if I had hurt her．I was in great embarrassment and I was at a loss what to do．But at last she said, very   43  , “Susan, look at this   44 ．Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt．The thread really makes the quilt strong and lasting．If   45  is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen, but it’s really there． 46  is inside．”

    I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until years later．

    One day, Dad accidentally got  47  while on duty．Ever since then he could no longer  48

properly．Every morning and dusk Mom would help Dad walk slowly on the country road．Along the country road, there were beautiful flowers, green grass and trees．The leaves were gently glistening   49  the sun shining upon them．All of these made up the most beautiful   50  in the world．

“Dad, how are you feeling now?”” I asked him one day． “Susan, don’t worry shout me,” he said gently． “I just like walking with your mom．I like this kind of life．” Looking into his eyes, I  51 　　what they meant．

The doctor had said Dad would   52   in two months．But that day never came．He   53 away in peace．

54   I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses．But from this   55 , I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life, which makes life strong and warm…

1.A．afford           B．cost               C．spend            D．offer

2.A．go               B．live               C．act              D．walk

3.A．happily          B．silently           C．secretly        D．nervously

4.A．request          B．problem            C．message          D．question

5.A．loud             B．light                            C．low              D．clear

6.A．surprise         B．anger              C．stress           D．horror

7.A．amazed           B．confused           C．shocked          D．ashamed

8.A．quickly          B．excitedly          C．bitterly         D．gently

9.A．quilt            B．needle             C．thread          D．sewing

10.A．belief          B．work               C．experience                     D．life

11.A．Warmth          B．Thread                           C．Cotton             D．Love

12.A．tired           B．drunk              C．ill                            D．injured

13.A．talk            B．walk               C．work             D．think

14.A．with            B．as                 C．for              D．by

15.A．signs           B．symbols            C．pictures                       D．reflections

16.A．read            B．doubted            C．translated                     D．recognized

17.A．retire          B．recover           C．regain           D．remove

18.A．passed          B．escaped            C．faded            D．turned

19.A．Again           B．Once               C．Then             D．Later

20.A．lesson        B．account              C．experience      D．accident