(B)

Stress: Good or Bad?

    Stress used to be an almost unknown word, but now that we are used to talking about it, I have found that people are beginning to get stressed about being stressed.

    In recent years, stress (regard) as a cause of a whole range of medical problems, from high blood pressure to mental illness. But like so many other things, it is only too much stress does you harm. It is time you considered that if there were no stress in your life, you would achieve a little. If you are stuck at home with no stress, then your level of performance will be low. Up to a certain point, the more stress you are under, the (good) your performance will be. Beyond a certain point, though, further stress will only lead to exhaustion, illness and finally a breakdown. You can tell when youare over the top and on the downward slope, by asking yourself numberof questions. Do you, for instance, feel that too much is being expected of, and yet find it impossible to say no? Do you find yourself getting impatient or (annoy) with people over unimportant things? If the answer to all those questions is yes, you had better (control) your stress, as you probably are under more stress than is good for you.

    To some extent you can control the amount of stress in your life. Doctors have worked out a chart showing how much stress is involved in various events. Getting married is 50, pregnancy 40, moving house 20, Christmas 12, etc. If the total stress in your life is over 150, you are twice as likely (get) ill.

(A)

Bags of Love

       Last year, I was assigned to work at an office near my mother's house, so I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped out with the housework and contributed to the groceries.

      After less than a week, I started noticing that the groceries were running out pretty quickly — we were always suddenly out of something.  (wonder) how my mum could consume them so quickly, I began observing her daily routine for two weeks. To my surprise, I found that she would pack a paper bag full of canned goods and head out every morning at about nine. Eventually, I decided to follow her and happened truly amazed me. She was taking the food to the refugee camp, in she distributed it to children.

       I asked around and found out that my mum was very well known in the area. The kids were very friendly with her and even looked up to her as if she were their own mother. Then it hit me —why would she not want to tell me about what she (do)? Was she worried about how I would react or that I would stop (buy) the groceries if I found out?

     When she got home, I told her about my discovery. she could react, I gave her a big hug and told her she didn't need to keep it a secret me. She told me that some of the children lived with an older lady in a shelter while others slept on the streets. For years, my mum has been helping out by giving them whatever food she could spare. I was so impressed by selfless she was.

Golden Rules of Good Design

        What makes good design? Over the years,designers and artists have been trying to  the essentials of good design. They have found that some sayings can help people understand the ideas of good design. There are four as follows.

          Less is more. This saying is associated withthe German-born architect Mies van der Rohe. In his Modernist view, beauty lies in simplicity and elegance, and the aim of the designer is to create solutions to problems through the most efficient means. Design should avoid unnecessary

    More is not a bore. The American-born architect Robert Venturi concluded that if simplicity is done badly, the result is  design. Post-Modernist designers began to  with decoration and color again. Product design was heavily influenced by this view and can be seen in kitchen  such as ovens and kettles.

    Fitness for purpose. Successful product design takes into consideration a product's function, purpose, shape, form, color, and so on. The most important result for the user is that the product does what is . For example, think of a(n)  desk lamp. It needs to be constructed from materials that will stand the heat of the lamp and regular adjustments by the user. It also needs to be stable. Most importantly, it needs to light where it is needed.

    From follows emotion. This phrase is associated with the German designer Hartmut Esslinger. He believes design must take into the sensory side of our nature—sight, smell, touch and taste. These are as important as rational(理性的). When choosing everyday products such as toothpaste, we appreciate a cool-looking device that allows usto easily the toothpaste onto our brush.

     The giant panda (love) by people throughout the world. Chinese scientists (recent) had a chance to study a wild female panda with a newborn baby. She was a very (care)mother. For 25days, she never left her baby, not even to find something (eat)! She would not let any other pandas come near. She licked the baby constantly to keep it clean. Any smell might attract natural (enemy) that would try to eat the little comforting pats. The mother held the baby in herfront paws much the way a human does.  it cried, she rocked it back and forth and gave it little comforting pats, The mother continued to care for the young panda more than two years. By that time, the panda no longer needed (it) mother for food. However, it stayed with her and leaned about the ways of the forest.Then, after two and a half years, the mother (drive)the young panda away. It was time for her to have a new baby, itwas also time for the young panda to be independent.

        In much of Asia, especially the so-called＂rice bowl＂ cultures of China, Japan, Korea,  Vietnam,food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

        Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo.They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might  (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hard woods and metal  (create)special designs.

        The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots,  (use) twigs(树枝)to removeit. Over time,  the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly.

Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which  (gradual) turned into chopsticks.

        Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius,  livedfrom roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the  (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and  (be) too violent for use at the table.

Chopsticks are notused everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat  their hands.

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

      Chengdu has dozens of new millionaires, Asia's biggest building, and fancy new hotels. But for tourists like me, pandas are its top(attract).

     So it was a great honour to be invited backstage at the not-for-profit Panda Base, where ticket money helps pay for research, I（allow）to get up close to these cute animals at the 600-acre centre. From tomorrow, I will be their UK ambassador. The title will be (official) given to me at a ceremony in London. But my connection with pandas goes back my days on a TV show in the mid-1980s,  I was the first Western TV reporter(permit) to film a special unit caring for pandas rescued from starvation in the wild. My ambassadorial duties will include (introduce) British visitors to the 120-plus pandas at Chengdu and others at a research in the misty mountains of Bifengxia.

     On my recent visit, I help a lively three-month-old twin that had been rejected by

(it) mother. The nursery team switches him every few( day) with his sister so that while one is being bottle-fed, other is with mum—she never suspects.

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

        If you feel stressed by responsibilities at work, you should take a step back and identify(识别) those of

 (great) and less importance. Then, handle the most important tasks first so you'll feel a real sense of

(achieve). Leaving the less important things until tomorrow(be) often acceptable.

        Most of us are more focusedour tasks in the morning than we are later in the day. So, get an early start and try to be as productive possible before lunch. This will give you the confidence you need to get you through the afternoon and go home feeling accomplished.

       Recent  (study) show that we are far more productive at work if we take short breaks(regular). Give your body and brain arest by stepping outside forwhile, exercising, or dong something you enjoy.

      If you find something you love doing outside of the office, you'll be less likely (bring) your work home. It could be anything—gardening, cooking, music, sports—but whatever it is,  (make) sure it's a relief from daily stress rather than another thing to worry about.