8 . It seems that we have it backward in our society. We tend to look up to people who are under a great deal of stress, who can deal with lots of stress, and those who are under a great deal of pressure. When someone says, “I've been working really hard," or "I'm really stressed out," we are taught to admire, even copy what they do. In my work as a stress consultant （顾问）I hear the proud words "I have a very high tolerance （忍耐力； 忍受力）to stress" almost every day. It probably won't come as a surprise that when these stressed-out people first arrive at my office, more often than not, what they are hoping for are methods to raise their tolerance to stress even higher so they can deal with even more!
Luckily, there is a powerful law in our emotional environment that goes something like this: our present level of stress will be exactly that of our tolerance to stress. You'll notice that the people who say, “I can deal with lots of stress" will always be under a great deal of it! So, if you teach people to raise their tolerance to stress, that's exactly what will happen. They will accept even more responsibility until again, their level of stress matches that of their tolerance. Usually it takes a serious problem of some kind to wake up a stressed-out person to their own craziness一a great loss, a complete failure, or an unexpected illness一something happens that forces them to search for a new kind of method.
It may seem strange, but if you were to join in the stress management workshop, what you would probably learn is to raise your tolerance to stress. It seems that even stress consultants are stressed out!
What you want to start doing is noticing your stress early before it gets out of hand. When your schedule （日程安排）is getting out of hand, it's a sign that it's time to slow down and reconsider what's important rather than power through everything on the list. When you're feeling out of control and tired of all you have to do, rather than roll up your sleeves and "get to it,” a better method is to relax, take a few deep breaths, and go for a short walk. You'll find that when you catch yourself getting too stressed out一early, before it gets out of control一your stress will be like the "snowball" rolling down the hill. When it's small, it's manageable and easy to control. Once it gathers more, however, it's difficult, if not impossible, to stop.
There's no need to worry that you won't get it all done. When your mind is clear and peaceful and your stress level comes down, you'll be more effective and you'll have more fun. As you lower your tolerance to stress, you will find that you'll have far less stress to deal with, as well as creative ideas for dealing with the stress that is left over.
1. People hoping to raise their tolerance will probably_________.
| A．shoulder fewer responsibilities | B．have to deal with more stress |
| C．refuse to listen to the consultant | D．manage to solve problems well |
2. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A．the level of stress differs from their tolerance |
| B．the level of stress changes with their tolerance |
| C．the level of stress goes beyond their tolerance |
| D．the level of stress falls below their tolerance |
3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?
| A．We should follow our schedule and power through everything on the list. |
| B．Rolling the snowball down the hill can help us relax and feel less stressed. |
| C．It's wise to notice the early sign of stress and manage it as soon as possible. |
| D．Going for a walk is a better choice when you are tired of what you're doing. |
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Lower Your Tolerance to Stress | B．Turn to Your Consultant for Help |
| C．Better Your Emotional Environment | D．Get Close to Nature to Lower Stress |
