Depression is a serious illness that can disable some people and cause others to become suicidal.
Depression is a serious illness that can disable some people and cause others to become suicidal.
What does Anita accuse her former school of A: Ignorance of her abnormal behaviors. B: Lack of safeguard against her suicidal intention. C: Failure to give her proper academic instructions. D: Indifference to her physical disease.
What does Anita accuse her former school of A: Ignorance of her abnormal behaviors. B: Lack of safeguard against her suicidal intention. C: Failure to give her proper academic instructions. D: Indifference to her physical disease.
Passage One The words you use betray who you are. Linguists and psychologists have long been studying this phenomenon. A few decades ago they had the hunch that the number of active verbs in your sentences or which adjectives you use (lovely, sweet, angry) reflect personality traits. They have pointed out various insights. For example,uicidal poets, in their published works, use more first-person singular words (like "me" or "my") and death-related words than poets who aren't suicidal. Peoplen positions of powerre more likely to make statements that involve others ("we," "us"), while lower-status people often use language that's more self-focused and ask more questions. Comparing genders, women end to use ore words related to psychological and social processes, while men referred more to impersonal topics and objects' properties. This research suggests that Internet companies such as Facebook and Google, with their collection of written expressions, are sitting on powerful insights about us as people. But if you ask them, "Hey, can you give me the take on me that you've got in-house or that you've built for advertisers, with my anonymized(匿名的) data?" -- they won't give it to you. I actually did ask, and they don't have that kind of offering. But I've found someone who does: IBM's Watson division. Researchers there have taken the personality dictionaries already created by scientists, dropped them into Watson, and sent it off to apply it to people on Twitter, Facebook, blogs. That forms a digital population of people and personality types. Over time, more text from more people will help Watson get smarter. In its own studies, IBM found that characteristics derived from people's writings can reliably predict some of their real-world behaviors. For instance, people who are less neurotic(神经质的) and more open to experiences are more likely to click on an ad, while people who score high on self-enhancement (meaning, seek personal success) like to read articles about work. For IBM, these kinds of interpretations can become a business opportunity.
Passage One The words you use betray who you are. Linguists and psychologists have long been studying this phenomenon. A few decades ago they had the hunch that the number of active verbs in your sentences or which adjectives you use (lovely, sweet, angry) reflect personality traits. They have pointed out various insights. For example,uicidal poets, in their published works, use more first-person singular words (like "me" or "my") and death-related words than poets who aren't suicidal. Peoplen positions of powerre more likely to make statements that involve others ("we," "us"), while lower-status people often use language that's more self-focused and ask more questions. Comparing genders, women end to use ore words related to psychological and social processes, while men referred more to impersonal topics and objects' properties. This research suggests that Internet companies such as Facebook and Google, with their collection of written expressions, are sitting on powerful insights about us as people. But if you ask them, "Hey, can you give me the take on me that you've got in-house or that you've built for advertisers, with my anonymized(匿名的) data?" -- they won't give it to you. I actually did ask, and they don't have that kind of offering. But I've found someone who does: IBM's Watson division. Researchers there have taken the personality dictionaries already created by scientists, dropped them into Watson, and sent it off to apply it to people on Twitter, Facebook, blogs. That forms a digital population of people and personality types. Over time, more text from more people will help Watson get smarter. In its own studies, IBM found that characteristics derived from people's writings can reliably predict some of their real-world behaviors. For instance, people who are less neurotic(神经质的) and more open to experiences are more likely to click on an ad, while people who score high on self-enhancement (meaning, seek personal success) like to read articles about work. For IBM, these kinds of interpretations can become a business opportunity.
Holiday Blues A. The holiday season has always been a cause for celebration around the world. The opportunity to take a break from work, be frivolous, go on holiday, meet family and friends --- all good reasons to look forward to the holidays with enthusiasm and anticipation. Or at least that is what we are led to believe. B. Research carried out in America suggests that these feelings of euphoria may be somewhat misplaced. A study recently carried out by New York University Child Study Centre has concluded that one in three peopleof varying ages suffer ‘holiday blues’ to varying extents, from a mild feelingof sadness to severe, sometimes even suicidal, depression. The effects can manifest themselves in many ways, such as an inability to sleep or sleeping too much, overeating or undereating, headaches or drinking too much. The report also concluded that not only are there a number of complex causes that can trigger such depression (psychological and biological), there are an equal number of opinions as to the best solution. C. According to Dr Frank Pittman, a leading family psychiatrist, the most significant cause for holiday depression actually stems from our concerns about our family. During the holiday season, families meet, often for the first time since the last holiday season, and try to make these reunions ‘perfect’.In fact, says Pittman, we count on the holidays to compensate for the rest ofthe year. He himself comments that ‘I wanted to make up to the family for not having been a good enough father and uncle all year’. However, such good intentions are often thwarted by old family arguments, feelings of not being appreciated or being used, all of which result in holiday stress. It seems that the idyllic picture of our family we wish to build in our minds cannot be sustained in reality. D. Although Pittman holds family to be the source of much of the problem, others point to a more general social context. Gift shopping, for example, does not help reduce tensions---crowded shops, long queues, the pressure of choosing just the right present ---all of these things contribute to a feeling of stress and anxiety. On the other end of the scale, there are those without family who experience a sense of extreme loneliness and isolation throughout this period, often spending the long holidays alone. Any feelings of inadequacy they may harbour throughout the year can often become unbearable at a time when friends are unavailable and enjoying an apparently cosy break with their loved ones. In fact, such is the extreme nature of this isolation that many organisations have been established to offer some help and support to those who feel most alone over what should be the‘festive’ season. E. Others, however, argue that more scientific explanations carry an equal weight in explaining holiday blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SADas it is more commonly known, is also held responsible for winter depression. A natural reaction to falling levels of sunlight, the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which has the effect of slowing the body down. When days get shorter, more of the hormone is released causing sufferers to become lethargic and miserable. From being industrious people with plenty of energy, SAD sufferers find themselves increasingly weary and unable to sustain any prolonged activity, a situation which often leads to depression. In addition,for many people this has a major impact not only on their personal life but also on their professional life, as employers often see this lack of productivity in terms of laziness or unwillingness to work. As a result, SAD has been linked directly to the high rate of suicide in a number of Scandinavian countries during winter months, when there are often a few hours of sunlight a day. F. The good news for SAD sufferers is that there is a cure, and as far as many medical cures go this is relatively simple. As the cause is lack of bright light, the treatment is to be in bright light every day. This can obviously be achieved by staying in a brightly lit climate, explaining why skiing holidays are so popular as they allow people to get plenty of sunlight as well as providing a stimulating activity. Another method is by using light therapy, in which patients sit in front of a lamp which acts in the same way as sunlight. To be more specific, the light should be about as bright as early morning sunshine, and the user should allow the light to reach the eyes for anything up to one hour a day in order to alleviate the symptoms. There are a number of companies currently manufacturing these lights as a health aid and they are even being prescribed by some doctors. In addition, they can be bought at considerably less than the cost of a holiday. G. Whatever fundamental reason underpins holiday depression, it seems reasonable to argue that the phenomenon does indeed exist. Voluntary support services, offering counseling services to those who need the unbiased and friendly voice of a stranger to help them work through their unhappiness reporta significant increased demand for their services during holiday periods such as Christmas and the New Year. Questions1 – 2 Circle the correct answer A – C 1. Research has shown that__________________. A. we become more depressed during the holidays B. poor diet can lead to depression C. simple things can lead us to feel varying degrees of depression. 2. Dr Pittman believes holiday depression comes from _____________. A. feelings of inadequacy B. being alone C. over-compensation. Questions3 – 6 ARE DELETED. Questions7 – 11 Choose the most suitable headings forsections B–F from the list below. Use each heading once only. I. Family cures II. Addressing the problem III. Impact of personality IV. Psychological factors V. Biological factors VI. Avoiding stress VII. Manifestations of depression VIII. Depression in children IX. Pressures of the holiday period Paragraph B: Paragraph C: Paragraph D: Paragraph E: Paragraph F:
Holiday Blues A. The holiday season has always been a cause for celebration around the world. The opportunity to take a break from work, be frivolous, go on holiday, meet family and friends --- all good reasons to look forward to the holidays with enthusiasm and anticipation. Or at least that is what we are led to believe. B. Research carried out in America suggests that these feelings of euphoria may be somewhat misplaced. A study recently carried out by New York University Child Study Centre has concluded that one in three peopleof varying ages suffer ‘holiday blues’ to varying extents, from a mild feelingof sadness to severe, sometimes even suicidal, depression. The effects can manifest themselves in many ways, such as an inability to sleep or sleeping too much, overeating or undereating, headaches or drinking too much. The report also concluded that not only are there a number of complex causes that can trigger such depression (psychological and biological), there are an equal number of opinions as to the best solution. C. According to Dr Frank Pittman, a leading family psychiatrist, the most significant cause for holiday depression actually stems from our concerns about our family. During the holiday season, families meet, often for the first time since the last holiday season, and try to make these reunions ‘perfect’.In fact, says Pittman, we count on the holidays to compensate for the rest ofthe year. He himself comments that ‘I wanted to make up to the family for not having been a good enough father and uncle all year’. However, such good intentions are often thwarted by old family arguments, feelings of not being appreciated or being used, all of which result in holiday stress. It seems that the idyllic picture of our family we wish to build in our minds cannot be sustained in reality. D. Although Pittman holds family to be the source of much of the problem, others point to a more general social context. Gift shopping, for example, does not help reduce tensions---crowded shops, long queues, the pressure of choosing just the right present ---all of these things contribute to a feeling of stress and anxiety. On the other end of the scale, there are those without family who experience a sense of extreme loneliness and isolation throughout this period, often spending the long holidays alone. Any feelings of inadequacy they may harbour throughout the year can often become unbearable at a time when friends are unavailable and enjoying an apparently cosy break with their loved ones. In fact, such is the extreme nature of this isolation that many organisations have been established to offer some help and support to those who feel most alone over what should be the‘festive’ season. E. Others, however, argue that more scientific explanations carry an equal weight in explaining holiday blues. Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SADas it is more commonly known, is also held responsible for winter depression. A natural reaction to falling levels of sunlight, the pineal gland secretes the hormone melatonin, which has the effect of slowing the body down. When days get shorter, more of the hormone is released causing sufferers to become lethargic and miserable. From being industrious people with plenty of energy, SAD sufferers find themselves increasingly weary and unable to sustain any prolonged activity, a situation which often leads to depression. In addition,for many people this has a major impact not only on their personal life but also on their professional life, as employers often see this lack of productivity in terms of laziness or unwillingness to work. As a result, SAD has been linked directly to the high rate of suicide in a number of Scandinavian countries during winter months, when there are often a few hours of sunlight a day. F. The good news for SAD sufferers is that there is a cure, and as far as many medical cures go this is relatively simple. As the cause is lack of bright light, the treatment is to be in bright light every day. This can obviously be achieved by staying in a brightly lit climate, explaining why skiing holidays are so popular as they allow people to get plenty of sunlight as well as providing a stimulating activity. Another method is by using light therapy, in which patients sit in front of a lamp which acts in the same way as sunlight. To be more specific, the light should be about as bright as early morning sunshine, and the user should allow the light to reach the eyes for anything up to one hour a day in order to alleviate the symptoms. There are a number of companies currently manufacturing these lights as a health aid and they are even being prescribed by some doctors. In addition, they can be bought at considerably less than the cost of a holiday. G. Whatever fundamental reason underpins holiday depression, it seems reasonable to argue that the phenomenon does indeed exist. Voluntary support services, offering counseling services to those who need the unbiased and friendly voice of a stranger to help them work through their unhappiness reporta significant increased demand for their services during holiday periods such as Christmas and the New Year. Questions1 – 2 Circle the correct answer A – C 1. Research has shown that__________________. A. we become more depressed during the holidays B. poor diet can lead to depression C. simple things can lead us to feel varying degrees of depression. 2. Dr Pittman believes holiday depression comes from _____________. A. feelings of inadequacy B. being alone C. over-compensation. Questions3 – 6 ARE DELETED. Questions7 – 11 Choose the most suitable headings forsections B–F from the list below. Use each heading once only. I. Family cures II. Addressing the problem III. Impact of personality IV. Psychological factors V. Biological factors VI. Avoiding stress VII. Manifestations of depression VIII. Depression in children IX. Pressures of the holiday period Paragraph B: Paragraph C: Paragraph D: Paragraph E: Paragraph F: