每天急急忙忙的上下班已經是許多上班族生活的一部分，其中也有不少趣事，不過常年如此也給大家帶來了不少的壓力。《隨身英語》和大家探討如此忙碌的生活節奏對我們的身體健康帶來了什么樣的影響？

課文內容

詞匯: commuting 上下班

The daily journey to and from home and work is one of those things that many of us have to endure. Whether by train, bus, bike or on foot, it's a routine that some people could rather do without but if we have to work, the daily grind is all part of the job!

We all have stories of commuting nightmares – a tube train stuck in a tunnel or a bus journey where people are packed in like sardines. In London, where there is an extensive transport network, complaining about delays, cancellations and the price of their season ticket, has become a commuter's favourite past time but their problems are relatively minor compared to ones that travellers in other parts of the world face. In Nairobi, for example, commuters have to keep windows shut to avoid someone stealing their belongings.

It's no surprise that the daily commute is stressful and according to research, women are more likely to experience stress during their journey than men. This is because they're more likely to do something which is being called 'trip chaining' – where they make one or more stops on the way to work or when going home – for example to drop off or pick up the kids from school – and this makes it more likely that something will go wrong with their journey.

The stress of commuting can be bad for your health too especially if you travel longer distances. According to Christine Hoehner, researcher at Washington University School of Medicine "adults who commuted longer distances from home to work were less physically active, less physically fit, weighed more and had higher blood pressure than those people who had shorter commutes."

But the American researcher must be talking about commuters who aren't engaged in active travel, because if you cycle a longer distance then you're likely to be more physically active. However there is a risk of being knocked off you bike and there's the embarrassment of wearing clothing made of Lycra! What's your journey to work, college or school like?

詞匯表

endure  忍受，忍耐
the daily grind  每天必須經歷的苦差
tube train  一輛地鐵
packed in like sardines  擠得像罐頭里的沙丁魚 （擁擠不堪）
cancellations  取消
season ticket  季票，定期票 （比如月票，年票）
network  （交通）網絡
past time  消遣方式
belongings  行李，個人財產
stressful  有壓力的
'trip chaining' 分段出行（一個旅程被分成好幾小段）
physically active  身體活躍
lycra  萊卡（制衣材料）

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or false? Commuting only refers to train travel.

2. Name something that commuters in London get angry about.

3. Why do women tend to find commuting more stressful?

4. What type of blood pressure do commuters who travel longer distances have?

5. Which word used in the articles means 'feeling ashamed because of what people think or know about you'?

2.  請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。

1. Now my holiday is over it's back to the ________ of washing and ironing the family's clothes!

day grint     daily grind     daily grinding     daily ground

2. The dentist had a ________ so he was able to see me and get my filling done.

past time     stressful     cancellation     season ticket

3. My doctor says I need to be more ________ if I want to reduce the chances of having a heart attack.

physically active     actively physical     physically activated     physical activation

4.  We had to ________ all the speeches at the wedding before we had anything to eat. I was starving!

encourage     enhance     endure     enact

5. Our car broke down on the way to the airport which made the journey very ________.

stressless     stressing     stressful     stressed

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. True or false? Commuting only refers to train travel.
False. Commuting means to travel regularly to and from work by any form of transport.

2.  Name something that commuters in London get angry about.
Complaining about delays, cancellations or the price of their season ticket.

3.  Why do women tend to find commuting more stressful?
They often they make one or more stops on the way to work or going home.

4.  What type of blood pressure do commuters who travel longer distances have?

They have higher blood pressure compared to those people who had shorter commutes.

5. Which word used in the articles means 'feeling ashamed because of what people think or know about you'?
The word is 'embarrassment'.

2.  請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處 。

1. Now my holiday is over it's back to the daily grind of washing and ironing the family's clothes!

2. The dentist had a cancellation so he was able to see me and get my filling done.

3. My doctor says I need to be more physically active if I want to reduce the chances of having a heart attack.

4. We had to endure all the speeches at the wedding before we had anything to eat. I was starving!

5. Our car broke down on the way to the airport which made the journey very stressful.