Stress Less
Read Stress Less and check the IELTS Reading answers. How busy is too busy? For some it means sometimes having to have a short lunch; for others it may mean missing lunch altogether. For a few, it is not being able to take a day off once a month. Then there is a group of people for whom working eve…
Passage preview
How busy is too busy? For some it means sometimes having to have a short lunch; for others it may mean missing lunch altogether. For a few, it is not being able to take a day off once a month. Then there is a group of people for whom working every evening and weekend is normal, and feeling stressed is taken for granted. For most senior executives, workloads swing between extremely busy and frenzied. Neil Plumridge, vice-president of a management consultancy company, says that his weeks vary from a ‘manageable’ 45 hours to 80 hours, but average 60 hours.
Vocabulary from this passage
12 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- allocate verb
To distribute resources or duties for a particular purpose; to assign specific staff to a project
To manage an overwhelming workload, an executive might need to allocate extra staff to the most demanding tasks.
- autonomy noun
The right or condition of self-government; the freedom to act independently and make one's own decisions
The most satisfying jobs are those that combine challenging tasks with a high level of professional autonomy.
- biochemistry noun
The branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes that occur within living organisms
Regular meditation has been shown to alter the biochemistry of the brain to better manage stress responses.
- confine verb
To keep or restrict someone or something within certain limits of space, scope, or quantity
The issue of professional burnout is not confined to large corporations; small business owners suffer as well.
- consecutive adjective
Following each other continuously and in an unbroken or logical order; back-to-back occurrences
Missing adequate sleep for three consecutive nights is a major warning sign of an unmanageable workload.
- highly subjective adjective
Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions rather than objective facts
The definition of being 'too busy' is highly subjective and varies greatly from one individual to another.
- misapprehension noun
A mistaken belief or a failure to understand a situation correctly; a common misconception about a fact
The belief that we will be significantly less busy in the future is often a psychological misapprehension.
- predictor noun
A variable or factor that can be used to forecast a future outcome or result
The level of control a person has over their work is a major predictor of job-related stress.
- resilience noun
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or toughness; the ability of a person to adapt well
Positive psychological experiences can help individuals build mental resilience to handle negative events in the future.
- stimulation noun
The action of arousing interest, enthusiasm, or excitement in something; a source of mental energy
Some business owners thrive on the intense mental stimulation that comes with managing a fast-growing enterprise.
- systemic stressors noun
Environmental or organisational factors within a workplace system that consistently cause tension or pressure for employees
Researchers argue that systemic stressors in the organisation have a greater impact on health than individual personality traits.
- unrealistic expectations noun
Hopes or requirements that are not aligned with reality or what is actually possible to achieve
Many executives experience high stress because they set unrealistic expectations for their daily output and deliverables.
Answers with explanations
- 14. C
The statement says **high-level workers** react **positively** to stress. 'High-level' paraphrases **senior executives**, so look for the psychologist who coaches them. Jan Elsner says that **doing well** on a demanding workload is typical of senior executives, and adds that some people thrive under sustained pressure. 'React positively' is a paraphrase of doing well and thriving. Neither Plumridge nor LaMontagne describes executives responding well to stress, so Jan Elsner is the only person who matches. Answer: C.
- 15. A
The key idea is stress caused by trying to **please customers**, and 'customers' is paraphrased as **clients**. Neil Plumridge says stress often comes from his **unrealistic expectations** of himself, then gives an example: he promises one client, then another, the same thing, knowing he cannot deliver. His wish to satisfy clients therefore raises his stress. Neither the researchers nor the other experts discuss clients, so Neil Plumridge is the answer. The same person can match more than one statement here. Answer: A.
- 16. A
The statement describes **support from other workers** relieving stress, where 'other workers' paraphrases **colleagues** and **peers**. Neil Plumridge says he relies on the advice of colleagues and that his peers **coach each other** on business problems, adding that a fresh pair of eyes can help. This is the only person who links help from co-workers to coping with pressure. Jan Elsner mentions meditation instead, so she is not a match. The matching letters may be used more than once. Answer: A.
- 17. D
The statement links stress to a **lack of independence**, which paraphrases low **job control** or **autonomy**. Tony LaMontagne says that the major predictor of stress is the **level of job control** a person has, and that jobs combining challenging work with **low control** are the worst. He argues that systemic features of the job matter more than personality. No other person in the list focuses on autonomy, so Tony LaMontagne is the correct match. Answer: D.
- 18. B
The statement says workers **commonly expect** their workloads to **lessen over time**. Look for the researchers, since the idea concerns a general human tendency rather than one individual. Gal Zauberman and John Lynch report that people **always believe** they will be **less busy in the future**, and call this a misapprehension. 'Commonly expect' paraphrases always believe, and 'lessen over time' paraphrases less busy in the future. Nobody else in the list makes a claim about future workloads. Answer: B.
- 19. C
The question asks for the sign Plumridge does **not** mention. Scanning for his name and **three signs**, you find his exact list: less than six hours' **sleep** for three nights, constantly having to **reschedule appointments**, and missing a **family birthday or anniversary**. These match the options about insufficient sleep, an inability to keep to his schedule and inattention to family celebrations. A lack of concentration on a task is never listed, so that is the only one not mentioned. Answer: C.
- 20. D
The question asks which method Plumridge does **not** suggest. He says he works out what has to change: **allocating extra staff** to a job, **allowing more time** and **changing expectations**. These match using more workers, extending the deadline and rethinking what can be achieved. Time off for sport or other recreation appears only in the experts' remark that the key is **not to focus on relief** such as golf or a massage, so Plumridge himself does not suggest it. Answer: D.
- 21. B
The question asks what meditation offers, according to Jan Elsner. She points to research showing that meditation can **alter the biochemistry** of the brain and **the way that brains and bodies react to stress**, which paraphrases changing the **physical response** to stress. The other ideas fail: distracting a worker from his troubles, resting more effectively and encouraging breaks are never attributed to meditation, which she presents as a way of regulating stress. Answer: B.
- 22. injury
The gap follows 'any other' and needs a singular noun naming a kind of event at work. The summary's 'more time off work due to stress than for any other' paraphrases the passage's claim that stress causes **the most loss of time** of any workplace **injury**, drawn from figures for **National Workers’ Compensation**. The word is copied directly from the passage, fits the grammar of the sentence and stays inside the two-word limit. Answer: injury.
- 23. 16.6 weeks
The gap follows 'workers who take time off because of stress stay away for' and needs a **number with a unit**. The summary's 'stay away' paraphrases being **absent from work**, and 'on average' matches **an average of**. In the paragraph on the compensation figures, employees suffering stress are absent for an average of **16.6 weeks**. The number and one word fit the limit of two words and/or a number. Answer: 16.6 weeks.
- 24. 7%
The gap follows 'the number of insurance claims due to stress amounts to only' and needs a **percentage** of the total. In the paragraph on the insurance figures, the Australian Government insurer reports that claims for **stress-related psychological injury** accounted for **7% of insurance claims**, while almost 27% of the amount paid out went on them. That contrast explains why the summary calls the cost proportion 'much higher'. The figure is copied as printed, and the number with its sign counts within the limit. Answer: 7%.
- 25. ["massage","a massage"]
The blank requires a physical therapy similar to sport. The text mentions **a game of golf** (sport) and **a massage**. 'Massage' is the noun that fits the context of physical therapies used as attempts for stress relief, and the passage's own wording **a massage** (two words, within the limit) fits the gap just as well. Answer: massage.
- 26. ["workloads","workload"]
The summary says seeking relief through sport or a massage may be less effective than simply reviewing your ___. In paragraph E, experts say the key is **not to focus on relief** such as golf or a massage, **but to reassess workloads**. 'Reviewing' paraphrases **reassess**, and the gap needs a noun, so the answer is **workloads**. The singular form workload is also accepted, because the passage uses both forms and either fits the sentence. Do not write 'reassess', which is the verb rather than the noun. Answer: workloads.