Stress is exciting!
Exercise 1
Can stress ever be productive? Can you think of something positive to say
about each of the following?
not passing your driving test
being late for a meeting
missing a deadline
losing money
waiting in a queue
failing an interview
getting the sack
having your car break down
being stopped by the police for speeding
Can you think of ‘negative’ events in your own life which have had ‘positive’ outcomes?
Exercise 2
Grammar practice. Write the gerund of the verbs.
1. He likes ................................... to tight deadlines. [work]
2. She’s not very good at ................................... exams. [do]
3. I prefer ................................... on my own to ................................... a member of a team.
[work/be]
4. ................................... jobs can be very motivating. [change]
5. ................................... married is quite stressful. [get]
Do you remember?
Gerund
Add -ing to the infinitive to form a gerund.
She’s good at working to tight deadlines.
He’s not very good at doing practical things.
I prefer/enjoy/like working under pressure.
Waiting in a queue can be good fun.
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Stress is exciting!
Exercise 3
Now read these comments about stress. Use the word, or words, given in
brackets at the end of each sentence to form a word that fits in the space.
1. Stress is positive. If we don’t experience enough stress as part of our normal
................................... we get depressed or exhausted. [live]
2. Some people just love ................................... situations. The manager who loves to
settle disputes in different company departments would be stressed in a job which
was stable and routine. [stress]
3. Stress can be linked to positive things in our lives, for instance, with the
................................... of a child, with a job promotion, or with a new
................................... . Stress can either help or hinder us. It all depends on how we
react to it. [born] [relate]
4. We all need stress. But it’s vital to find the optimal level of stress which will
................................... us individually and not overwhelm us. There is no single level of
stress that is optimal for all people. [motivation]
5. Stress adds excitement to life. A certain amount of stress, such as deadlines,
competitions, ................................... with people and even our frustrations can make
our lives richer and more interesting. [argue]
6. Stress can help us to do things. It can help us to do well in exams, to finish a task on
time or to find a new job. Our goal should not be to eliminate stress but to learn
how to manage it and how to use it to help us.
7. Stress is only the normal ‘wear and tear’ our bodies experience when we adjust to
changes in our life. It has physical and ................................... effects on us and can
create positive feelings. [emotion]
Exercise 4
Replace the verbs in italics with the phrasal verbs below. You may need to
change them to make them fit grammatically.
deal with wear out cut out sort out come across
Exercise 5
Pairwork. Discuss which views you agree or disagree with then share your views with the
rest of the group.
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Stress is exciting!
Exercise 6
Look at these quotes about stress:
1
Sometimes when people are under
stress, they hate to think, and it's the 2
time when they most need to think. In times of stress, be
Horace, 65 BC to 8 BC, Ancient Roman poet bold and valiant.
Bill Clinton, 1946–, American
president
6
It’s not stress that kills
us, it is our reaction to
it. 3
Hans Selye, 1907–1982, One of the symptoms
Austrian doctor specialising in of an approaching
stress
nervous breakdown is
the belief that one's
work is terribly
important.
Lily Tomlin, 1939–, American
Comedienne
5
For fast-acting relief
from stress, try slowing
down. 4
Bertrand Russell, 1872–1970, Training gives us an outlet for
British philosopher suppressed energies created by
stress.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1947–, Austrian born
American actor and politician
In your opinion, which quote is the most:
philosophical
uninteresting/mundane
amusing/witty
serious?
Work with a partner and make up your own quote about stress.
Then share your quotes with the rest of the group.
You could vote for the best / the funniest / the most intellectual etc.
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Stress is exciting!
Teaching notes
Level: upper-intermediate (B2).
Aims:
to practise speaking for fluency
to practise thinking creatively
to review the use of gerunds and practise using them
to match multi-word verbs with their lexical verb equivalents
to practise FCE-style exercises.
Timing: approximately one hour.
Answers
Exercise 2
1. working
2. doing
3. working; being
4. Changing
5. Getting
Exercise 3
1. life
2. stressful
3. birth
4. relationship
5. motivate
6. arguments/arguing
7. n/a
8. emotional
Exercise 4
experience = come across
exhausted = worn out
settle = sort out
eliminate = cut out
manage = deal with
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