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Summer Holidays Stress Workers Out (23rd July, 2010)
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reports / stressful / attitudes / feeling relaxed / management positions / vacation / information technology / de-stress / cut off contact / work remotely / switch off |
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. STRESSED: What makes you
stressed? Complete this table and talk about it with your partner(s).
Change partners and share what you heard. Change and share again.
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Stress |
How to deal with it |
English |
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Partners |
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Family |
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People |
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Technology |
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Shopping |
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4. STRESS OUT: Students A strongly believe scientists will make stress disappear one day; Students B strongly believe our lives will always be full of stress. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
5. UNWIND: Which of these things are
best to de-stress? Rank them and share your rankings with your
partner. Change partners and share your rankings again.
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6. HOLIDAY: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘holiday’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
a. |
New research shows it is less stressful to take no holidays. |
T / F |
b. |
Around four in ten managers do not find holidays relaxing. |
T / F |
c. |
Very few managers answer e-mails while they are on vacation. |
T / F |
d. |
Hundreds of managers worry about returning to ninety e-mails. |
T / F |
e. |
Long flights and packing suitcases are the biggest causes of stress. |
T / F |
f. |
The article says it is harder for people to totally disconnect for 2 weeks. |
T / F |
g. |
Many British workers worry about job security while on holiday. |
T / F |
h. |
It takes the average worker over 48 hours to get into holiday mode. |
T / F |
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. |
reveals |
a. |
major |
2 |
questioned |
b. |
connected |
3. |
attitudes |
c. |
de-stress |
4. |
related |
d. |
surveyed |
5. |
returning |
e. |
disconnected |
6. |
main |
f. |
shows |
7. |
cut off |
g. |
from afar |
8. |
remotely |
h. |
totally |
9. |
unwind |
i. |
opinions |
10. |
fully |
j. |
coming back |
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
1. |
more stressful |
a. |
feeling relaxed |
2 |
attitudes towards long |
b. |
unwind |
3. |
come back from a holiday |
c. |
hundreds of e-mails |
4. |
came back from a holiday more |
d. |
economy |
5. |
returning to |
e. |
with work |
6. |
the weakened global |
f. |
than working |
7. |
cut off contact |
g. |
mode |
8. |
Uncertain economic |
h. |
summer breaks |
9. |
totally |
i. |
times |
10. |
fully get into holiday |
j. |
stressed |
GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
A new report ____________ that going on summer holiday may be more stressful than working. The study, by the UK’s Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), questioned 2,500 of its members about ____________ towards long summer breaks. It found forty per cent of managers do not come back from a holiday ____________ relaxed. A worrying finding was that many workers came back from a holiday more stressed than when they ____________. Many in lower- and upper-management positions ____________ work while they are on vacation. The researchers discovered that 80 per cent of those ____________ answer work-related e-mails, around 50 per cent make and take business-____________ phone calls and 10 per cent go into the office. Over 90 per cent of managers worried about ____________ to hundreds of e-mails. |
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surveyed |
Information technology and the ____________ global economy are the main causes of managers being ____________ to de-stress while on holiday. Penny de Valk, chief executive of the ILM, said: "Gone are the days when people ____________ off contact with work for a fortnight over the summer and made a ____________ break. While technology means that it is easier than ever to work remotely, it also makes it extremely hard to ____________ off. Uncertain economic times also mean that many UK employees are keeping one ____________ on their job at all times, when what they really need is time away from the office to rest and re-energise.” The study also revealed that on ____________, it takes two days and seventeen hours into a holiday to totally unwind. Ten per cent of managers said it took them up to a week to ____________ get into holiday mode. |
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switch |
A new report ______________________ summer holiday may
be more stressful than working. The study, by the UK’s Institute of
Leadership and Management (ILM), questioned 2,500
______________________ attitudes towards long summer breaks. It found
forty per cent of managers do not ______________________ holiday
feeling relaxed. A worrying finding was that many workers
______________________ holiday more stressed than when they left. Many
in lower- and upper-management positions actually work while they are
on vacation. The researchers discovered that 80 per cent
________________________ work-related e-mails, around 50 per cent make
and take business-related phone calls and 10 per cent go into the
office. Over 90 per cent of managers ______________________ to hundreds
of e-mails.
Information technology and the weakened global economy
______________________ of managers being unable to de-stress while on
holiday. Penny de Valk, chief executive of the ILM, said:
"______________________ when people cut off contact with work for a
fortnight over the summer and ______________________. While technology
means that it is easier than ever to work remotely, it also makes it
extremely ______________________. Uncertain economic times also mean
that many UK employees are keeping one eye on their job at all times,
when what they ______________________ away from the office to rest and
re-energise.” The study also revealed that on average, it takes two
days and seventeen hours into a holiday to totally unwind. Ten per cent
of managers said it took them ______________________ get into holiday
mode.
1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary
/ computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms …
for the words ‘summer’ and ‘holiday’.
summer |
holiday |
2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups,
compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about
the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth
learning…?
4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.
5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:
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Write five GOOD questions about stress in the table.
Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her
own paper.
When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.
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STUDENT 1 |
STUDENT 2 |
STUDENT 3 |
Q.1. |
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Q.2. |
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Q.3. |
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Q.4. |
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Q.5. |
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STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
a) |
What did you think when you read the headline? |
b) |
What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘stress’? |
c) |
What kinds of things stress you out? |
d) |
Do you think holidays are stressful? |
e) |
What do you think of managers who can’t stop working even when they’re on holiday? |
f) |
What are the best ways to reduce stress? |
g) |
Is stress dangerous? |
h) |
Should bosses tell managers to totally disconnect while on holiday? |
i) |
Should workers get paid if they answer phone calls and mails on vacation? |
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a) |
Did you like reading this article? |
b) |
Does information technology add to or reduce your stress? |
c) |
Do you find it hard to switch off from e-mail and computers? |
d) |
What should companies do to make employees take a proper break? |
e) |
How long does it take you to unwind? |
f) |
What do you know about stress and its dangers? |
g) |
What would you say to someone who worked while you were on holiday with them? |
h) |
Do you ever worry about a full e-mail InBox? |
i) |
What questions would you like to ask a manager who works on holiday? |
A new report (1) ____ that going on summer holiday
may be more stressful than working. The study, by the UK’s Institute of
Leadership and Management (ILM), questioned 2,500 of its members about
attitudes (2) ____ long summer breaks. It found forty per cent of
managers do not come back from a holiday (3) ____ relaxed. A worrying
finding was that many workers came back from a holiday more stressed
than when they left. Many in lower- and upper-management positions
actually work while they are (4) ____ vacation. The researchers
discovered that 80 per cent of those surveyed answer work-(5) ____
e-mails, around 50 per cent make and (6) ____ business-related phone
calls and 10 per cent go into the office. Over 90 per cent of managers
worried about returning to hundreds of e-mails.
Information technology and the weakened global
economy are the main (7) ____ of managers being unable to de-stress
while on holiday. Penny de Valk, chief executive of the ILM, said: "(8)
____ are the days when people cut off contact with work for a
fortnight over the summer and made a complete (9) ____. While
technology means that it is easier than ever to work remotely, it also
makes it extremely hard to switch off. Uncertain economic times also
mean that many UK employees are keeping one (10) ____ on their job at
all times, when what they really need is time away from the office to
rest and re-energise.” The study also revealed that (11) ____ average,
it takes two days and seventeen hours into a holiday to totally unwind.
Ten per cent of managers said it took them (12) ____ to a week to
fully get into holiday mode.
Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.
1. |
(a) |
revealing |
(b) |
reveal |
(c) |
revealed |
(d) |
reveals |
2. |
(a) |
towards |
(b) |
for |
(c) |
from |
(d) |
by |
3. |
(a) |
feels |
(b) |
feeling |
(c) |
felt |
(d) |
feel |
4. |
(a) |
in |
(b) |
at |
(c) |
on |
(d) |
by |
5. |
(a) |
relation |
(b) |
relations |
(c) |
related |
(d) |
relationship |
6. |
(a) |
carry |
(b) |
take |
(c) |
find |
(d) |
create |
7. |
(a) |
cause |
(b) |
caused |
(c) |
causing |
(d) |
causes |
8. |
(a) |
Gone |
(b) |
Come |
(c) |
Went |
(d) |
Arrived |
9. |
(a) |
broken |
(b) |
break |
(c) |
breaks |
(d) |
breaking |
10. |
(a) |
leg |
(b) |
foot |
(c) |
hand |
(d) |
eye |
11. |
(a) |
in |
(b) |
by |
(c) |
on |
(d) |
to |
12. |
(a) |
up |
(b) |
down |
(c) |
in |
(d) |
on |
Write about stress for 10 minutes. Correct your partner’s paper.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose
several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search
field (or another search engine) to build up more associations /
collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about stress. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. STRESS: Make a poster about stress. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. HOLIDAY STRESS: Write a magazine
article about a worker who can’t stop working, even when on holiday.
Include imaginary interviews with the worker and his friends.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next
lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your
partner(s).
5. LETTER: Write a letter to a stressed worker. Ask
him/her three questions about stress. Give him/her three opinions on
stress and how to reduce it. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your
next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.
TRUE / FALSE:
a. |
F |
b. |
T |
c. |
F |
d. |
F |
e. |
F |
f. |
T |
g. |
T |
h. |
T |
SYNONYM MATCH:
1. |
reveals |
a. |
shows |
2 |
questioned |
b. |
surveyed |
3. |
attitudes |
c. |
opinions |
4. |
related |
d. |
connected |
5. |
returning |
e. |
coming back |
6. |
main |
f. |
major |
7. |
cut off |
g. |
disconnected |
8. |
remotely |
h. |
from afar |
9. |
unwind |
i. |
de-stress |
10. |
fully |
j. |
totally |
PHRASE MATCH:
1. |
more stressful |
a. |
than working |
2 |
attitudes towards long |
b. |
summer breaks |
3. |
come back from a holiday |
c. |
feeling relaxed |
4. |
came back from a holiday more |
d. |
stressed |
5. |
returning to |
e. |
hundreds of e-mails |
6. |
the weakened global |
f. |
economy |
7. |
cut off contact |
g. |
with work |
8. |
Uncertain economic |
h. |
times |
9. |
totally |
i. |
unwind |
10. |
fully get into holiday |
j. |
mode |
GAP FILL:
A new report reveals that going on
summer holiday may be more stressful than working. The study, by the
UK’s Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), questioned 2,500 of
its members about attitudes towards long summer breaks. It found forty per cent of managers do not come back from a holiday feeling relaxed. A worrying finding was that many workers came back from a holiday more stressed than when they left. Many in lower- and upper-management positions actually work while they are on vacation. The researchers discovered that 80 per cent of those surveyed answer work-related e-mails, around 50 per cent make and take business-related phone calls and 10 per cent go into the office. Over 90 per cent of managers worried about returning to hundreds of e-mails.
Information technology and the weakened global economy are the main causes of managers being unable to de-stress while on holiday. Penny de Valk, chief executive of the ILM, said: "Gone are the days when people cut off contact with work for a fortnight over the summer and made a complete break. While technology means that it is easier than ever to work remotely, it also makes it extremely hard to switch off. Uncertain economic times also mean that many UK employees are keeping one eye
on their job at all times, when what they really need is time away
from the office to rest and re-energise.” The study also revealed that
on average, it takes two days and seventeen hours into
a holiday to totally unwind. Ten per cent of managers said it took
them up to a week to fully get into holiday mode.
LANGUAGE WORK
1 - d |
2 - a |
3 - b |
4 - c |
5 - c |
6 - b |
7 - d |
8 - a |
9 - b |
10 - d |
11 - c |
12 - a |
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