Sports Fans and Identity

    Many people are crazy about a particular sports team. They are big fans and seem to connect their own identity to their chosen team.

    Identity consists of things like gender (性别), personality, abilities, and social groups. The groups we belong to shape our identity. Related to this is the theory developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} In knowing who we are, we may more closely identify with our social group than with our gender group. We also decide which group we belong to, based on different aspects of our identity. According to the theory, our self-esteem—how we feel about ourselves—is reflected in the group we belong to. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} For example, we naturally protect the group we belong to, while making other groups less important. We think highly of the team we support, while we may add negative comments about an opposing team.

    Researchers have studied language used by sports fans. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} By using pronouns like “we”, fans show that they feel connected with the team when it is winning. “We really killed that team. They couldn't get the ball past us.” However, when their team didn't do well, the fans would distance themselves from the team, using different pronouns. “They didn't know what they were doing. They had no planning.”

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They have found those fans have more self-confidence and feel more competent. They are quite sure they have the ability to deal with situations successfully or do things to a satisfactory standard. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} These people will perform better at work and earn and spend more money, so experts suggest that a winning team may have a positive influence on the economy of a city.

A. They suggested that we naturally classify people into groups.

B. That causes increased competitions between different groups of sports fans.

C. It is probably because the victory reflects well on their personal sense of identity.

D. Comments from group members certainly have a strong influence on our behavior.

E. When their team did well, the fans would closely identify themselves with the team.

F. That leads to the fact that we want our group to be seen more positively than other groups.

G. Social scientists have also studied the effect of winning a championship on the fans of the winning team.

    Starting college is a difficult transition for many students. Here are some ways to make the transition a little bit easier.

    Get involved.

    By joining a team, you not only get to meet older students who can help you get through the transition, you also make friends quickly and have things to do. One of the huge differences from high school to college is the amount of free time you have.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Have an open mind.

    Especially if you are going to a bigger school, it's important to have an open mind. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Yet when you get to college, there are people from all over that have different views on things and act in a different way.

    Stay focused.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} It is so easy to get caught up in your social life and forget about the academics. Remain focused on your schoolwork and figure out what you want to study, but be sure to have time for social activities as well.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Take care of your body. Being away from home and no longer having parents looking after you doesn't mean you have to throw away all the things you learned about staying healthy. Eat healthily and play sports as you did in high school to stay in shape.

    Again, the transition from high school to college can be extremely challenging. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} By following some of these tips, hopefully your transition will be a little smoother and you will get the most out of your freshman year in college!

A. Enjoy the sports.

B. Work to stay healthy.

C. When you are healthy, you feel better.

D. It may not come as easy to you as it does for some students.

E. How you decide to use it determines how well you do in school.

F. You may be used to the people from your town and your high school.

G. The main thing to remember when starting college is what you are actually there for.

    The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One way is to read hooks written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}A person can choose a language she has always wanted to learn and locate learning programs to help her master the language. Besides, one can enroll in a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. One can also try to visit areas of the city to establish social connection with native speakers of the language.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Seek out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries. Food is an important part of different cultures and allows people to gain deep understanding into a particular cultural group's way of life.

    Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends around the world.

A  Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture.

B. Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea.

C. There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures.

D.A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available,

E. The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries.

F. Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge.

G. One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world.

    How do you relax after a stressful day in the office? There are many ways to help you relax. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It takes a little effort to get there but the benefits are great for our stressed-out lives. I am talking about the activity of forest bathing.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It was introduced as a national health programme by the country's government. Stressed Japanese workers are today still relaxing and reconnecting with nature. The Forest Therapy Society has certified 62 forest therapy sites in the country and the forest bathing movement is also booming in other parts of the world. It says, "Just as bathing in a hot spring helps to soak your cares away, going for a walk in the woods is said to have a comforting effect."

    Forest bathing is about taking time to wander through woodland with no fixed plan or route and just expose yourself to the forest atmosphere. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}That's particularly good for people with mental health issues. A study conducted in 24 forests across Japan found that walking among trees lowered blood pressure, the pulse rate, thus improving our immune systems.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Another study carried out a few years ago by Stanford University in the US, found similar benefits. Brain scans showed reduced activity in an area of the brain linked to the risk of mental illness in participants who took a 90-minute walk among oaks, birds and squirrels. One of the researchers, Gregory Bratman, said, "There's an increasing body of evidence showing that natural areas benefit us at least emotionally with our mood and our physical development too." The evidence seems clear that forest bathing is a shot in the arm for stressed-out workers. So now is the time to get out and lose yourself in the natural environment, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. But the best way lies in the great outdoors.

B. Connecting with nature has never been more urgent.

C. Forest bathing is rising in popularity around the world.

D. Having this exposure to nature seems to promote well-being.

E. You could even hug a tree as it could be your new best friend!

F. The Japanese concept of forest bathing dates back to the 1980s.

G. It also found forest bathing can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.

The Four People You Don't Want to Sit Next to on a Plane

    Let me begin by promising you that I am not an angry person. I would actually vow that I am inherently happy and all-around quite friendly and nice. But one thing that really grinds my gears, is being seated next to a nightmare neighbor on an airplane.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Perhaps you normally like them, but when you are sitting next to them on a plane it's a different thing. They usually spend all the flight moving around and dropping their toys on the floor, and when they're drinking their orange juice it ends up on your trousers. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. So you can't have the little sleep that you were planning.

    Conversation makers

    You recognize this type as soon as you sit down. They immediately start talking about the plane, or the weather, or they ask you a personal question. It's very difficult not to talk to these people. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Nervous fliers

    These are the people with white faces who sit down and immediately ask for something to drink. Every five minutes they call a flight attendant to ask if there are any problems with the plane. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The best thing to do is to pretend to sleep.

    Space invaders

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. But they have a terrible habit of taking up all their room, and some of your room too. They usually sit so that you can't move, with their arms and legs in your space.

A. Naughty kids

B. Well-behaved parents

C. They also tell you about air crash

D. Some people want to talk all the time

E. The people are not necessarily very large

F. Then they decide they want to have fun with you

G. You'll probably have to keep talking until the plane lands

    In the most basic sense, self-regulation (自我调节) involves controlling one's behaviour and thoughts in pursuit (追求) of long-term goals. Generally, people who are good at self-regulating tend to see the good in others and view challenges as opportunities. They exactly know what they want to achieve, act in accordance with their views, and devote their best effort. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} A bad-tempered child who hits others won't be popular at school. An adult with poor self-regulation skills may lack self-confidence. He may have difficulty handling stress, and often, this might be expressed in terms of anger and anxiety.

    How do problems with self-regulation develop? It could start early when a baby isn't treated with enough care. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Later, an adult may struggle with self-regulation, either because this ability wasn't developed during childhood, or because of a lack of skills in managing difficult feelings. When left unchecked, over time this could lead to risky behaviour such as taking drugs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} One of the most frequently used methods is to change your thought patterns, which means that you think about a situation in a positive way, rather than one that's likely to increase negative emotions. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Rather than thinking that this reflects something about yourself such as "My friend hates me", you might instead think, "My friend must be really busy."

A. Try to cheer yourself up after disappointment.

B. Do the usual series of things at a particular time.

C. A child who doesn't feel safe may have trouble self-regulating.

D. A lack of self-regulation will cause problems in life.

E. Anyhow, self-regulation is so important that we should learn to use this skill.

F. For example, imagine a friend who doesn't return your calls or texts for several days.

G. Also they can calm themselves when feeling upset and cheer themselves when feeling down.