商务英语模拟试题：BEC中级全真试题(3)

PARTTHREEQuestions13-20Readthearticlebelowaboutstressmanagement,a ndanswerquestions13-20ontheoppositepage.ALessonInStressManagementDema ndsplacedonusatworkcanoftenleadtoconsiderableworryanddiscomfort.There are,however,waysofprotectingourselvesfromthestresswefaceatwork.Weinte rviewedJaneCollard,aconsultantinstressmanagement.1.InJaneCollard'sopi nion,stressisbecominganincreasinglycommonfeatureoftheworkplace.Stress isahighlyindividualreaction,whichvariesconsiderablyfrompersontoperson ,anditisdifficultforsomeemployeestoavoidit.Indeed,stressisregardedbym anyaspartoftheorganizationalcultureofourinstitutions:itcomeswiththejo b.Recentfiguresindicatethattimetakenoffworkbecauseofstresshasincrease dby500percentsincetheXXXXs.Undoubtedly,changesinworkingconditionshave ledtogreaterpressureatworkatalllevels.Withreductionsinstaffing,worklo adsforindividualemployeeshaveincreased.Inaddition,manyemployeesarelef tworryingaboutthesecurityoftheirjobs.2.Onthestressmanagementcoursesth atsheruns,JaneCollardtriestomakethetraineesrealisethatstressinitselfi snotharmful.Everyoneneedsacertainlevelofstresstoenablethemtofeelmotiv atedandtoperformeffectively.Acompleteabsenceofstresscanbeasdamagingas overstress,sinceitcanmakepeopleloseinterestintheirwork,andevenleadtod epression.Thedifficultiesoccurwhentheamountofstressrisesabovealevelwh ichishealthyforaparticularindividual.Ifthishappens,theeffectsareveryo bviousandthetraineesaretaughttorecognizethesigns.Stressmaybeexpressed physically,forexamplethroughheadachesandtiredness,orthroughemotionalp roblemssuchasdepression.Apersonsufferingfromstressmayalsostarttobehav edifferently,andcanbedifficulttodealwith.3.Whileitmaynotalwaysbepossi bletopreventstress,thereareanumberofwaysinwhichitcanbecontrolled.Thef irstthingthatthetraineeslearnishowtomanagetheirtimeeffectively.Thisin volves,firstofall,settingrealisticgoalsforboththeshortandlongterm.Onc ethisframeworkhasbeenestablished,tasksarethenprioritisedonadailybasis .Thetraineesarealsoremindedthatwhentheyareunderpressurethelessimporta ntitemsshouldbeleft,andtheyshouldneverhesitatetodelegate.Everyoneisen couragedtolookatwaysofreducing'wastedtime',forexamplebygroupingsimila rtaskstogetherordealingwithitemsimmedkiately.4.Janefeelsthatoneofthem

ostusefulfeaturesofthecourseisthatitenablestraineestodealwiththosedem andsordeadlinesthattheyregardasunreasonable.Theyareencouragedtoavoidb eingdefensive,butatthesametimetheyareadvisednottobeafraidofsaying'no' .Theyareaskedtogivereasonsonlyifnecessary.Thetraininghelpsthemtofores eedifficultsituationsorunwanteddemands,andtheylearnhowtopreparethemse lvesmentally.Everyoneisencouragednottogetstuckinnegativethoughtpatter ns,wherestresscanfeedacircularsenseofhelplessness.Onesolutiontheydisc ussistothinkofamoreencouragingalternativeforeachnegativemessage.Theyl earn,forexample,toremindthemselvesthatnothingterriblehappenswhenadema ndisrefusedoradeadlinemissed.Lifegoeson.