Passage 8 度假有益健康 Going on Holiday Is Good for Your Health

Step 1 阅读行不行

Going on holiday not only makes you feel good while you're there—you reap1 the health benefits for months, new research shows.

Jetting off to exotic destinations such as the Maldives cuts your blood pressure, helps you sleep better and bounce back from stress, it found.

The benefits last at least a fortnight longer than the vacation and can be felt for months in some cases it is claimed.

Experts say workers should always take their full holiday entitlement2 each year—as many as one in three don't — to reap the benefits.

The study compared key health markers in holidaymakers visiting Thailand, Peru or the Maldives, with people who stayed at home and continued working.

The average blood pressure of those on holiday dropped by six percent while the workers saw their blood pressure rise by two percent over the same period.

The sleep quality of holidaymakers improved by 17 percent while that of the non-holidaymakers deteriorated3 by 14 percent.

The study also found the ability of vacationers to recover from stress—known as the stress-resilience4 test—improved by 29 percent.

There was a 71 percent fall in stress resilience scores among workers.

Tests showed a fall in blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of diabetes5 , trimmer waistlines and enhanced6 mood and energy levels, with the effects sustained for at least two weeks after returning home.

The Holiday Health Experiment was conducted by tour operator Kuoni and Nuffield Health, the UK's largest healthcare charity.

keywords and phrases

1 reap /ri:p/ vt. 获得，得到

2 entitlement /ɪnˈtaɪtlmənt/ n. 权利

3 deteriorate /dɪ'tɪərɪəreɪt/ v. 恶化，变坏

4 resilience /rɪˈzɪlɪəns/ n. 恢复力，复原力；弹性

5 diabetes /ˌdaɪəˈbi:ti:z/ n. 糖尿病

6 enhance /ɪn'hɑ:ns/ vt. 提高，加强

phrase to know

jet off 表示“乘飞机去往”，多在口语中使用，不太正式。jet作名词表示“喷气式飞机”，作动词表示“乘喷气式飞机”。生活中还有很多与jet相关的短语，例如：jet lag（时差反应）; ink-jet printer（喷墨打印机）。

bounce back 这个短语可以表示“（球）弹回，跳回”，也可以引申为病后康复或遭受打击后重新振作起来。bounce表示“弹回，弹起”，文中用bounce back from stress表示从压力中恢复，是不是很形象？

Step 2 手写行不行

★ 你很快就能体会到体育锻炼的益处。(reap)

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★ 他们一辞职时就失去了享受福利的权利。(entitlement)

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★ 前几天水质已经下降了。(deteriorate)

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★ 我的肌肉有足够的力量和弹性。(resilience)

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★ 一旦患上糖尿病，我们就应该减少糖的摄入。(in case of)

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★ 他们非常渴望提高集团的利润率。(be keen to)

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Step 3 口语行不行

Q1 Do you have paid annual leave？你有带薪年假吗？

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Q2 Where will you go on vocation this year？你今年会去哪里度假？

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Q3 What will you do if your boss asks you to give up your paid annual leave at the price of 300% of your daily wage？如果你的老板支付给你300%的工资，要求你放弃年假，你会怎么做？

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试题解答篇

Step 2 手写行不行答案

1．You'll soon begin to reap the benefits of physical exercise.

2．They lose their entitlement to welfare when they resign.

3．The water quality has deteriorated these past few days.

4．My muscles have enough strength and resilience .

5．In case of diabetes, we should cut down on sugar.

6．They are keen to enhance the profit margin of the group.

Step 3 口语行不行答案

1．Yes, I have. Since I have been working in this company for 2 years, I have a statutory right to 5 days paid annual leave each year.

2．My destination is Bay Islands of Honduras, which are the last unspoiled beaches in the Caribbean. White beaches extend for miles, virtually untouched by the tourist trade. That's fantastic!

3．I will choose to work. In our company, competition is fierce. Nobody can afford a long holiday and leave the boss with an impression of not working as hard as others. Besides, I will be paid 300% of my wage. The offer was too enticing to refuse.