Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress
Finding work-life balance in today’s frenetically paced world is no simple task.
Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.
Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress — along with its harmful effects — is the result.
The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance — and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance.
How work invades your personal life
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here’s why:
●Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs.
●International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting.
●Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.
●Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they’re scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations.
●Changes in family roles. Today’s married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.
Married to your work
It can be tempting to rack up the hours at work — especially if you’re trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child’s education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload.
But if you’re spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance:
●Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you’re tired. This means you’re less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation.
●Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your child’s first bike ride, your father’s 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones.
●Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if you’re spending time at the office instead of with them, you’ll find it difficult to nurture those friendships.
●Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges.
Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won’t be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when you’re too tired, when it’s affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.
Striking the best work-life balance
For most people, juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge. With so many demands on your time — from overtime to family obligations — it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.
Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that’s best for you:
●Learn to say no. Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it’s OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy.
●Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.
●Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it.
●Get enough sleep. There’s nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you’re sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
●Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.
●Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music.
●Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
Remember, striking a work-life balance isn’t a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesn’t mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle.What will happen if you’re spending most of your time at work?
| A．You might lose all your friends. |
| B．You will lose both health and wealth. |
| C．You perhaps be given more responsibility. |
| D．You may be misunderstood by your loved ones. |
According to the passage, you’d better say no to mandatory overtime when ___________.
| A．you get bored with the work |
| B．you are not interested in the work |
| C．you can’t get additional allowance |
| D．you have crucial family obligations |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．To do things people ask you to do can bring you a lot of joy. |
| B．You should do the things people ask you to do without feeling guilty. |
| C．You shouldn’t do the things people ask you to do if you don’t want to. |
| D．To do things for yourself is more meaningful than to do things for others. |
What will not happen if you don’t get enough sleep?
| A．You can make costly mistakes. |
| B．You will have low productivity. |
| C．You will feel stressed while working. |
| D．You will have no sense of exhaustion. |
What does the real balance mean according to the author?
| A．Being firm that working overtime will strike a work-life balance. |
| B．Examining priorities and deciding what is the most important to you. |
| C．Trying to carrying out everything you want to do whether you can do it or not. |
| D．Being cautious when saying no to somebody in a bid to maintain fine relationships. |
为了激发大家学习英语的热情，学生会要组织一次英语讲座。假设你是学校的广播员，请根据下面的表格提示的内容，写一份英语广播稿，通知全校学生。
| 讲座主题 |
学习英语的重要性 |
| 主讲人 |
北京大学李博教授 |
| 时间 |
7月10日，星期四下午3：00 |
| 地点 |
学校报告厅 |
| 注意事项 |
散会后回教室就报告内容开展讨论,并制定出各自的英语学习计划。 |
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 要点齐全，符合英语口语特点；
There is no doubt that to study abroad gives you an excellent opportunity to learn things which are very helpful in your career building. Today, Canada has earned a good name in providing quality education and safe healthy environment for its students. That is why more than 130,000 international students enroll(注册) every year in famous Canadian universities. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience of education and its versatile (多样的) arts and culture. Canada spends a lot on education and is ranked the highest in G-8 countries.
To study in Canada is very cost effective. These universities are affordable compared to other universities in the world such as in the US, New Zealand and UK where cost of education and living is very high. According to a survey in 2006, “Canada offered the lowest tuition fees for foreign students compared to UK and Australia.”
The low rate of crimes and the peaceful safe environment of the country also attract lots of international students to Canadian universities. Canada has 92 universities and 175 community colleges and university degrees have three levels-Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral.
A Bachelor's degree in Canada is for three or four years' full-time study depending upon the nature of the program you are doing. On the other hand, a Master's degree consists of two years of study. For a Doctoral program in Canadian university, you require a minimum of three to four or sometimes five years of research and study.
You can also find many diploma(学位证书) and certification (证明) programs in Canadian universities where the time is generally one year. Some of the Canadian universities are well-regarded worldwide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian universities are recognized globally and promise bright future. After the completion of studies, a person could also find great job offers in Canada itself. International students require a work permit to work on campus.How long will you spend at least in total if you want to finish your Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees in Canada?
| A．7 years. | B．8 years. |
| C．9 years. | D．11 years. |
What advantages does Canada have to attract foreign students according to the passage?
①Quality education.②Safe environment.
③Versatile culture.④Bright job future.
⑤High scholarships.⑥Low tuition fees.
| A．①②③④⑥ | B．①②④⑤⑥ |
| C．①②③⑤⑥ | D．①③④⑤⑥ |
What's the author's attitude towards studying in Canada?
| A．Oppositive. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Not mentioned. |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Canadian culture |
| B．The life in Canada |
| C．Study in Canada — a unique Experience |
| D．Benefits of studying Abroad |
Born on April 4, 1928, Maya Angelou had a hard childhood. Her parents got divorced(离婚) when she was very young. She was a single mother and being a single mother was very hard on her.
It was finally in 1949 that she started to find her place in the world when she changed her name to show her Calypso dance performances at the night club where she worked. It was there that she won a scholarship and trained in African dance and modern dance. She formed a group and they traveled all over Europe with an opera production. As she traveled, she studied different languages and became excellent in several of them. During this time, she made her first album, Miss Calypso, and it was a success.
In the 1950s, she moved to New York and started to work more on her writing. She heard Dr Martin Luther King speak in 1960 and began organizing different benefits for Civil Rights(人权). In 1961, she began to play a large role in the Civil Rights Movement and is remembered for her work around the country.
She later moved to Ghana with her son and worked in the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. It was there that she became close friends with Malcolm X. She returned to the US in 1964 to help Malcolm X with a new Civil Rights movement. Shortly after she returned to the US, Malcolm X and Dr King were both assassinated(暗杀). To deal with the deaths of her friends, she wrote her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which finally made her famous around the world. The 1970s were some of her most productive years as a writer, poet, as well as a singer.What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．Maya Angelou: a life of hard work and success |
| B．Maya Angelou: a life of bad luck and sadness |
| C．The hard and terrible life of Maya Angelou |
| D．Some Unknown facts about Maya Angelou |
What finally made Maya Angelou well known around the world?
| A．Her friendship with Martin Luther King. |
| B．The books I know Why the Caged Bird Sings. |
| C．The books and poems she wrote in the 1970s. |
| D．Her unbelievable work as a Civil Rights protector. |
From the passage, we know that Maya Angelou was a .
| A．writer, salesgirl, teacher and dancer |
| B．singer, painter, dancer, poet and writer |
| C．writer, poet, singer, dancer and Civil Rights protector |
| D．singer, publisher, Civil Rights activist and writer |
Being green is everywhere these days, whether it is in the school, factory or anywhere on the Internet. This is because our planet is in danger, losing resources, polluting resources and destroying ecosystems(生态系统). Different species are dying because we can’t take care of our home. Now ask yourself why you don’t want a green healthier lifestyle and to save animals. Keep that in mind as you read on.
There are many ways to be green, first of all, everyone should recycle; it’s something easy and helps our planet in many ways. All you’d have to do is put recycling in recycling and garbage in garbage. Another popular thing is to try your best not to drive a car. Sometimes you can just walk, bike, or take a subway. This ensures that our air won’t be polluted, which in turn helps our lungs and everything else on our planet. Next thing is saving energy. We can do this by not using too much heat or air conditioning in summer or winter. It’s not preferable because it’s hard, but you can try and put your washing machine on cold whenever possible and try to keep electronics out of the rubbish. What’s more, remember to stop drinking from plastic bottles because plastic can only be used once and if used many times, it will become unhealthy. So you’d better use a glass or buy a reusable water bottle. The last and most important thing is, spread this news to the world and tell them what’s happening in our world. I’ve only listed a small part of the endless possibilities to save this world. The least you can do is do the simple ones.What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．The importance of being green. |
| B．The question asked in this paragraph. |
| C．The present situation of the Earth. |
| D．The reader’s contribution to the Earth. |
How many ways to be green are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
According to the passage, the most important way to be green is to .
| A．call on others to protect our Earth |
| B．recycle what we have used |
| C．try our best to stop driving cars |
| D．save as much energy as possible |
The passage is intended to .
| A．tell us the importance of protecting our Earth |
| B．Help us to cut down the pollution on our Earth |
| C．teach us some knowledge about our health today |
| D．guide us to some ways of protecting our Earth |
In ninth grade, I thought Jennifer Fever, the dark-haired girl who sat behind me in classroom, was an alien(外星人). Our class organized an activity to raise money for the library, and in one month, Jennifer read 34 books. I couldn’t believe it. Surely, she was from some faraway planet where creature lived and they didn’t own television sets. How could a human being, a 13-year-old girl, read 34 books in one month?
I had read three books. And by “read”, I mean skimmed. I mean opened and placed them on my lap while watching cartoons.
Who had time to read? In addition to my favorite cartoons, I had a basketball that required playing, a baseball that required throwing, and a volleyball that required volleying. And it wasn’t as if my bike could ride itself.
Besides, reading was boring. And if I wanted to be bored, it would be much easier just to pay attention during Mr. Kearly’s social studies class.
After senior high school, my education had become very narrow: computer engineering, mathematics, physics, and not much else.
Years later, I realized something: I had not memory of ever reading a book for pleasure. But there was a world of knowledge outside science and engineering, and I was tired of being ignorant(无知的)of it, so I decided I would become a reader. I dived into book after book. In short, the bookworm within me had awakened.
Today, I carry a book(if not two or three) with me wherever I go. An hour-long waiting for the bus is not trouble; rather, it’s a chance to enjoy a few chapters of Malcolm Gladwell’s latest works. Sometimes, I wish my waiting was longer. From the first paragraph, we learn that Jennifer Fever .
| A．was an alien | B．couldn’t believe me |
| C．organized an activity | D．was my classmate |
What used to make the author bored?
| A．Watching cartoons. |
| B．Reading. |
| C．Playing basketball. |
| D．Riding her bike. |
Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?
| A．My education had become very narrow after high school. |
| B．A 13-year-old girl could also read 34 books in one year. |
| C．I skimmed my three books while reading in the library. |
| D．I was still tired of reading during my study in the university. |
We can infer from the passage that the author .
| A．enjoyed some faraway planet very much |
| B．felt surprised to study computer engineering |
| C．loved reading very much after growing up |
| D．became wise and rich after high school |