全新版大学英语（第二版）听说教程3讲义Unit 6 Stress.doc

Unit 6 StressPart APre-listening TaskQuestions for Discussion1. What does stress mean?2. What causes stress to people?3. Do you sometimes feel you are under stress? What makes you feel stressed?4. What should we do to deal with stress?Demo:4. What should we do to deal with stress?Stress symptoms include mental, social, and physical manifestations. When we are under pressure, both our feelings and our bodies get upset. We can even get emotionally and physically sick if we have too much stress for too long. Since stress can make us sick, we have to learn how to deal with it. For example, we can reduce our stress level by changing our lifestyles. Pay attention to the following aspects:1) Set realistic goals for yourself. Reduce the number of events going on in your life and you may reduce the circuit overload. 2) Change the way you see your situation; seek alternative viewpoints. Stress is a reaction to events and problems, and you can lock yourself into one way of viewing your situation.Seek an outside perspective of the situation, compare it with yours, and perhaps lessen your reaction to these conditions. 3) Learn how to best relax yourself. Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress.Practise clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts.Additional Question for DiscussionDo you know anything about the life of a police officer? How stressful can it be?Demo: I have seen enough films and TV plays about the police to know that the life of a police officer is not an easy one. It can be highly stressful because a police officer often has heavy responsibilities in his or her work, dealing with different types of situations, keeping order, fighting crime, and frequently putting his or her life in danger. Its certainly not a life everybody can handle.Language FocusHere are some sentences and structures that you may find useful in discussing the above questions.l Stress is a state of worry due to pressure from too much work or study, heavy responsibilities, the quickened pace of life, etc.l Stress arises from feeling overwhelmed because there just seems too much to do and not enough time to do it.l I feel stressed / Im under stress / Im under great pressure when I feel I cant live up to my parents expectations.l I worry a lot about my ability to compete in the job market / what chances there are in the job market when I graduate / how I can best use what Ive learned at college in my future job.l My parents and relatives lay / place greater expectations on me than I can reach.l My teachers expect me to do more than I can handle.l Being unable to speak English fluently / get on well with my roommates is one of my big worries.l Having to take tests of various kinds / complete numerous assignments / do a lot of reading before class puts great pressure on me.l The pressure of having to work against a deadline is too much for me. l A major change in life, such as losing a job or a death in the family or ending a relationship causes great stress.l Stress may be caused by financial problems / poor health / failing a test / disagreements with roommates / misunderstanding between friends / breaking up with ones best friend.l Exercise is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress.l Listening to traditional Chinese / classical / light music can ease our minds.l Talking to a friend helps to get whatever is worrying you off your chest.l Participating in social activities proves effective in relieving stress.l To be positive in what we do and to have a healthy attitude towards life will help us cope with harsh reality.l Starting a hobby can also help to relieve stress.l Learning to say no to extra work requests is a good way to beat stress.l It helps to relieve stress if we look at the bright side of life / view the changes in our life as challenges / are realistic and accept what has happened / take a break from life and do nothing for a while.Part BListening TasksConversation 1Being a Police Officer Is a Stressful JobWord Bankstressful a. causing sb. to feel tense and anxious 充满压力的，紧张的patrol n. the act of going at regular times around an area, a building etc. to see if there is any trouble 巡逻undercover a. done in secret 暗中进行的，秘密的supervise v. to direct or be in charge of (work, workers) 监督；管理justify v. to prove to be reasonable 证明有理presence n. the state of being in a particular place 到场routine a. regular 常规的traffic violation breaking a traffic regulation 违反交通规则back over to reverse ones vehicle over sb. 倒车撞击jump out at to attack suddenly without warning 突然袭击Script:Interviewer: Welcome to our program, Sam.Sam: Thank you.Interviewer: Sam, how long have you been a police officer?Sam: Ive been a police officer for thirty years.Interviewer: Thirty years. And youve had different types of assignments on the police force, I guess.Sam: Yeah, Ive done everything from patrol to undercover work to detective work, and now Im supervising investigations.Interviewer: Sam, I think most people would say that being a police officer is a very stressful job. Would you agree?Sam: Yes, its definitely a stressful job. But it depends on your assignment.Interviewer: So, whats probably the most stressful assignment you can have?Sam: Id say patrol is the most stressful assignment.Interviewer: Thats interesting! In what way?Sam: Well, I guess the biggest part of the stress is the fear factor the fear of the unknown.Interviewer: What do you mean, Sam?Sam: Well, in patrol work, you dont know from moment to moment who you are talking to or what their reaction is going to be to justify your presence. Lets say, for example, a patrol officer stops someone for a traffic violation. It seems as though that would be a very low-stress situation.Interviewer: Yes, it is a very low-stress situation.Sam: But the truth is, there are more police officers injured during a routine stop.Interviewer: Really?Sam: Really! Thats why all police officers are taught from the very beginning to be aware of their surroundings. People back over policemen, people shoot policemen, people jump out at policemen different kinds of things. So thats probably the most stressful time.Interviewer: I see. Lets take a break and then well move on to our next topic.Sam: All right.Language and Culture Notes1. Background informationStress is a feeling of being unable to cope with the demands made on us. Its causes are varied. Long hours of work and study, hectic schedules, job insecurity and misfortunes in the family are high on the list.Stress affects people in different ways and to different degrees, but most people suffer from its effects at one or more times during their lifetime. The most common symptom is insomnia, that is, inability to sleep. As the pressure grows greater our health deteriorates, leading to an increased threat of heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.A great way to get rid of stress is to once in a while break a habitual action and do something totally different without any planning. Other ways include saying no to extra job requests, taking time off to be with family and friends, developing hobbies and helping others by doing volunteer work. Once people have learned to monitor stress, they can lead a stress-free life.2. undercover workwork done in secret by policemen or other people, who do not reveal their true identity in order to obtain information3. detective workwork to uncover what has happened in a particular situation, especially in a crime, and to find the people involved. Detective work may be done with undercover methods or not.4. the fear of the unknownthe fear of something unpredictable, unfamiliar, which makes you feel insecure and vulnerable. In police work you can never predict what problem will come up and who might commit what crime. There is no typical day for a police officer since no working day is identical to any other. Hence, their life is very stressful.5. to justify your presenceto prove it reasonable for a police officer to be on the scene and take proper actionsExercise 1Listen to the conversation and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1.Whats the relationship between the two speakers?a. Friends.b. A police officer and an investigator.c. Two police officers.d. A police officer and a program hostess.2.What does Sam mainly talk about?a. His job as a police officer. b. His personal life.c. How stressful patrol work is.d. How police officers are taught to deal with stress.3.What do you know about Sam?a. He is an experienced police officer.b. He will quit his present job sooner or later.c. He is a good supervisor.d. He enjoys being a police officer.Exercise 2Listen again and fill in the blanks with the missing information about Sam.Sam has been a police officer for 30 years. He has done everything from patrol to undercover work. He has also done detective work and now he is supervising investigations. Sam thinks being a police officer is a very stressful job, but it depends on the assignment one has. In his opinion patrol is the most stressful assignment and the biggest part of the stress is the fear of the unknown.Conversation 2Stress ReducersWord Bankmanifest v. to show sth. plainly 表明，显示ulcer n. a sore place on the skin or inside the body which may bleed 溃疡document v. to support an opinion, argument etc. with recorded facts 用文件或事实证明psychological a. of the mind 心理（上）的counseling n. the provision of professional assistance and guidance in resolving personal or psychological problems （对个人或心理问题等的）咨询服务fanatic n. a person who is very enthusiastic about sth. 热衷者stress reducer sth. that relieves pressure or tension 降低压力的事物Script:Interviewer: Sam, youve talked about the police officers stressful time. Now lets move on to the next topic. So far as I know, theres a connection between stress and illness. Do you think that theres a higher percentage of illness among police officers than in the general population? I mean, do they get more colds or anything? Is this really true?Sam: Yes, it is, and the stress level not only manifests itself in daily health whether or not youre feeling well on any given day. It also manifests itself in things like ulcers, heart disease police officers tend to have a higher rate of heart disease and ulcers than people in other professions.Interviewer: Really? Thats documented?Sam: Yes, its documented. And also the divorce rate among police officers is much higher.Interviewer: Is there something that the police department does to help you deal with this stress?Sam: Yes, there are several programs that most police departments have in place. One is an exercise program where some part of your day is spent on some type of physical exercise. Theyve found thats a great stress reducer. Besides, theres also a psychological program with counseling for officers to help them reduce their stress. And there are several discussion groups as well. Theyve found that sometimes just sitting around and talking about the stress with other officers helps to reduce it. So, those things are available.Interviewer: And what do you do, personally, to deal with the stress of your job, Sam?Sam: Well, during the baseball season, Im the biggest baseball fanatic, and I will either be reading about baseball, or listening to baseball, or watching baseball. Another thing I try to do is to get some sort of exercise every day. And then I work hard at keeping up my personal relationships, especially my relationship with my wife. Fortunately I get along very well with my wife. When I come back home, I can talk about my day with her, and then just forget about it. Language and Culture Notes1. divorce rate among police officers is much higherThe stressful nature of police officers work has deeply affected their life, especially their family life. Studies have called police work a “high-risk lifestyle” causing serious relationship problems. The national divorce rate in the U.S. is roughly 50% while the divorce rate among police officers reaches 60% to 75%. 2. in placein existence3. discussion groupsHere, this term refers to a popular form of therapy in psychiatry. The aim is to allow people with similar problems to share their experiences and to get support and strength to deal with their problems. By talking about their own problems and listening to others talk about how they cope with similar ones, people feel relieved and become stronger in dealing with them. Exercise 1Listen to the conversation and then youll hear five statements based on the conversation. Write “T” for a true statement and “F” for a false one.1. The conversation is mainly about how police officers can deal with stress. ( T ) 2. According to Sam, most police officers enjoy good health. ( F )3. According to Sam, the divorce rate among police officers is higher than that among people in other jobs. ( T ) 4. Counseling is the most effective program to help police officers relieve stress. ( F ) 5. Sam knows how to reduce his stress. ( T )Exercise 2Listen again and complete the answers to the following questions.1. What do most police departments do to help reduce the stress of the police officers?They provide several programs to help police officers cope with stress. One is an exercise program; another is a psychological program with counseling for officers. And there are several discussion groups as well for officers to sit down and talk about their stress with other officers.2. What does Sam do to relieve his stress?1) He takes a great interest in baseball.2) He tries to get some sort of exercise every day.3) He works hard at keeping up his personal relationships, especially his relationship with his wife.Speaking TasksPair WorkDebating Arguments for or against the view that feeling stressed before job interviews is goodA SampleThe students are going to have job interviews soon. They are under great stress. Are you for or against stress before job interviews? Express and defend your views from the perspectives given in the card below.Topic: Is it good to feel stressed before a job interview?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of a student (positive)2. From the perspective of another student (negative)Possible Arguments (for reference)From the perspective of a student (positive)Im not against stress before job interviews. When we finish college well have to face intense competition in the job market. We all want to give a presentation that demonstrates our abilities and potential before interviewers. And that requires an alert mind to prepare it well. A certain amount of stress is necessary to make us more energetic and therefore more productive.From the perspective of another student (negative)Personally I dont think stress before a job interview is a good thing. If youve made the best of your school years to seek knowledge, if youve prepared your presentation well, there is no need for you to feel stressed. Stress before a job interview will have a negative effect on you. Life becomes very unpleasant, because you put enormous pressure on yourself. You find it hard to get to sleep, have no appetite for food, and are not in a mood for anything interesting. You become so nervous that it will interfere with your performance at the interview. The best policy is relax and face the interview confidently. Now use the above sample as your model and carry on similar activities with your partner.Topic: Is it bad to feel stressed during the final exam week?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of some students (positive)2. From the perspective of some teachers (negative)Some Ideas for ReferenceThe Argument (positive)1. Stress during exam week will have a negative effect on us.2. Life becomes very unpleasant because we put enormous pressure on ourselves. 3. We will find it hard to get to sleep, have no appetite for food, and are not in a mood for anything interesting. 4. Too much stress before exams is harmful to our health.5. Feeling stressful will make us very nervous and will interfere with our performance in the exams.6. If we dont keep stress under control before exams, we will become unfocused and unable to think quickly.7. Its easy to say that some stress is good but its difficult to know how much stress is too much.The Counter-argument (negative)1. Stress is a normal response to events that happen to all of us.2. The stress response is our bodys way to protect us. Some stress helps us to stay focused, energetic and alert.3. Stress is a natural part of a students life during the exam week.4. Everyone, even the best students, will feel stressful during the exam week.5. A certain amount of stress is useful to sharpen our concentration and help us deal with challenges.6. If we are under stress, we tend to work harder, and as a result accomplish more.7. Sometimes stress can stimulate us and increase our level of alertness.Part CTest Your ListeningShort ConversationsYoure going to hear five short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation a question will be asked about what youve heard. Listen carefully and choose the right answer to each question you hear.1. M: You look so nervous, Rose. Are you all right?W: Frankly speaking, Im on pins and needles. I have to give a pre