ĐỀ SỐ 19 - VŨ MAI PHƯƠNG

Stress is important. We all need a certain amount of it in order to (34) _________ fulfilling lives. However, if we have too much of it, it can have the opposite effect. (35) _________ people can tolerate greater levels of stress than others, but most of us will suffer at some time in our lives. It is therefore a good idea to learn a few stress management techniques.
Identifying the cause of the problem we have, so that we can treat it more effectively, is one of the first (36) _________ towards reducing stress. The second is talking to a person you can trust, (37) _________ will listen and, if necessary, give you some positive advice. Not only are smoking and drinking harmful to our health, they actually increase stress rather than reduce it. Take up walking instead, which is not only healthy but it helps you think more clearly too. Unnecessary noise should be avoided as much as possible, (38) _________, laughter is one of the best ways to make yourself feel considerably better.
(Adapted from FCE Use of English)

Umeå, in Sweden, is only 500 kilometres from the Arctic Circle, which means that from October to February it only gets between 42 and 45 minutes of sunlight every day. And that's only if it isn't raining when, depressingly, it may never get light at all.

But students at Dragonskolan, an upper secondary school in the city, are getting a lot more sunlight than that this year, even if it is artificial sunlight. They are part of an experiment to discover if brightly electric light can make a difference to students' well-being and performance. When we are exposed to light in the morning, the brain takes it as a signal to stop producing melatonin, the hormone that makes you want to sleep. If you don't get any light, the body delays producing the signal that it's time to wake up. Over time, you basically get a kind of 'jet lag' where your body clock is not set correctly for the time of day.

The hope is that by exposing students to a bright light all day, they will be less sleepy during the day, and get a better rest at night. They should also be less likely to become depresseD. It will be interesting to see the results.
(Adapted from Navigate)

“The key to getting teenagers to respect you is to respect them first,” says Penny Palmano, who has written a best-selling book on teenagers. “You can't continue to treat them the same way that you have been treating them for the previous 12 years: they have opinions that count.”

Palmano, who has a daughter aged 19 and a 16-year-old stepdaughter, has even allowed the children to hold several teenage parties at her home. They passed without problems. She agrees that teenagers can be irritating: enjoying a world that is free of responsibility, yet desperate for independence.

She doesn't think, however, that they are trying to annoy you. Until recently, scientists assumed that the brain finished growing at about the age of 13 and that teenage problems were a result of rising hormones and a desire for independence. But it turns out that the region of the brain that controls common sense and emotions is not fully mature until the early twenties. “This would explain why many teenagers can't make good decisions, control their emotions, prioritise or concentrate on several different things at the same time.” says Palmano.

The key to happiness for all, Palmano believes, is calm negotiation and compromise. If you want your teenagers to be home by 11 pm, explain why, but listen to their counter-arguments. “It's vital to choose your battles carefully: don't criticise teenagers for having an untidy room, then suddenly criticise them for other things. On these occasions, parents tend to mention all the other things that they may or may not have done wrong. One minute, it's about an untidy room and the next, you're saying, 'And another thing
...' and criticising them for everything.”
(Adapted from Complete First)