Are holidays really an antidote to stress? Most of us would agree that a fortnight in some sun-kissed place like Italy will do us a lot of good. But are we right?

 

‘Holiday can be a source of stress,’ claims Shirley Davenport in her article ‘ How to Beat Holiday Stress ’. She writes, ‘The traditional summer break, regarded by many people as the highlight of their year, can actually undermine health and put pressure on family relationships. A lot of people believe a holiday will work out a magic for them. But holidays are spent in strange places where it may be difficult for tense people to relax.

 They may feel even more disturbed if they get the idea that others are having a more wonderful time than they are. It becomes a complex vicious circle (зд. запутанный, порочный круг), with people coming home more stressed than before they went away.’  (Shirley Davenport. How to Beat Holiday Stress. http://67.118.51.201./bol/default.cfm).

A lot of specialists and laymen agree that holiday preparations are very stressful because we have to solve a number of problems like buying tickets, boarding the family pet, looking for someone to water our home-plants, last-minute shopping and so on before we leave. Besides, many of us worry about securing home against burglars. Among other stress factors are heavy traffic, crowded airports, stuffy waiting rooms, irregular meal times, poor service in hotels, delayed flights, etc.

What should we do then? Some experts say we should take three short holidays a year instead of a long mid-summer one. Professor Gary Cooper, psychologist at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, says, ‘A big mistake is to take your holiday according to the month, instead of when your body tells you. July and August can be the most disastrous months for holidays because there are always crowds, queues and delays. Holidays are a time for peace, quiet and personal space.’

‘Many couples and families are simply not used to spending a long time with each other,’ says Professor Ben Fletcher, head of psychology at Hertfordshire University, ‘and some people cannot cope with that. Others may try to establish who is boss on holiday. Some people may worry about what happens if they are taken ill’. Disappointment is very stressful, if your holiday lets you down you won’t be refreshed and may feel in need of another holiday. It’s not going to kill you, but it won’t help you to recharge your batteries.’ (Shirley Davenport. How to Beat Holiday Stress. http://67.118.51.201./bol/default.cfm).

Answer the following questions.

 

1. Do additional expert opinions - those of Prof. Gary Cooper and Prof. Ben Fletcher – make the author’s argument more convincing?

2. Do Prof. Cooper and Prof. Fletcher express similar or competing points of view? What is Prof. Cooper’s principal objection to the idea of taking a holiday according to the month? Find the place in the text where he makes this objection explicit.

3. What are the factors which can spoil a holiday (there are at least 8 of them mentioned in the text)?

What parts of the argument seem most/least convincing to you? Why?

 

TASKS FOR WRITING

Main writing form: Personal Letters 

 

A personal letter contains the date, the greeting, the message of the letter (the opening paragraph, the middle paragraph, the closing paragraph) and signature. Sometimes there maybe a postscript.    

                                     

Your address Today’s date

Greeting Dear Charles, Dear Mr. Atkinson, Dear Mom and Dad,

 

The message of the letter Opening paragraph contains a reference to either a letter that has recently been received or some event (I’ve just received your letter… I was happy to hear…); Middle paragraph doesn’t follow any set rules; Closing and signature make up the phrase which  ends the letter (I look forward to hearing from you soon. Write me back, etc)

                                                            

Yours truly, Warmly,  Love,

                                                                                                            

Your signature

 

1. This is the end of the letter that a friend of yours wrote to you.

 

... and I get out of breath when I climb the stairs. I seem to get headaches a lot too, which makes it hard to study. And when I’m looking forward to a plate of chips, I can’t even open a new ketchup bottle! So I decided to play a game of tennis on Saturday, but I felt so stiff the next day that I could hardly move! I don’t really think sport is the answer for me.

Anyway, enough of my problems! Hope you’re fit and well!

Write to me soon.

    Best wishes,

Charles

 

Now write back to Charles. Advise him what to do.