Прочитай текст и выполни задания 12–18. В каждом задании запиши в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному варианту ответа.
How to work out your worries by writing
After his father was rushed to the hospital, 43-year-old Yanatha Desouvre began to panic. So he did the one thing he knew would calm himself: he wrote. Over the next few weeks, Desouvre filled several notebooks, writing about his worry as well as his happy memories with his dad — the jokes they'd shared, the basketball games they'd watched, and the time they put up hurricane shutters together, then cooled down with ice cream. Sometimes Desouvre cried as he wrote. Often he laughed. "Writing allowed me to face my fear," says Desouvre, who teaches entrepreneurship at a college in Miami. "My pen was a portal to process the pain."
He is in good company. An extensive body of research shows benefits to writing about a traumatic experience or difficult situation in a manner that psychologists refer to as "expressive writing". People who do this, recording their deepest thoughts and feelings, often show improved health, says James Pennebaker, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Texas, Austin. Pennebaker pioneered the scientific study of expressive writing as a coping mechanism to deal with trauma in the 1980s.
Expressive writing is a specific technique, and it's different from writing in a journal. The idea is to reflect honestly and thoughtfully on a particular trauma or challenge and to do it in short sessions.
Pennebaker says that hundreds of studies over several decades have looked at the potential benefits of expressive writing and found that it can strengthen the immune system. Research also found that it can help reduce chronic pain and inflammation and improve mood, sleep, and memory. And it may even help reduce symptoms of depression and prevent colds and flu.
Expressive writing works because it allows you to make meaning out of a painful experience. Recognising that something is bothering you is an important first step. Translating that experience into language forces you to organise your thoughts. And creating a narrative gives you a sense of control.
However, expressive writing isn't a magical panacea. It shouldn't be used as a replacement for other treatments. And people coping with serious trauma or depression may not find it useful to do on their own, without therapy.
Yet it can be a powerful coping tool for many, in large part because it helps combat the secrecy people often feel about trauma, as well as their reluctance to face emotions. Why write? Thinking or talking about an event can lead to ruminating, where you become lost in your emotions. But writing forces you to slow down.
What if you don't consider yourself "a writer"? Don't worry about spelling or grammar, and don't share your writing with anyone. But do dig deep into your thoughts and feelings. The goal of the exercise is to find meaning in an unsettling event.
Yanatha Desouvre turned to expressive writing about 15 years ago, after the breakup of what he says was an unhealthy relationship. He wrote to understand why it made him feel vulnerable and sometimes physically ill. The writing brought up an older trauma as well. When he was nine, he says, he survived a shooting in a barbershop in Brooklyn. He had nightmares about it over the years, but tried not to focus on it. He started writing about it, then kept going. It helped. As he wrote, Desouvre asked himself how he felt about the traumas of his life and what they revealed. It was painful, he says. "But when I acknowledged the pain," he says, "I was able to see the courage I didn't know I had."
He thinks of his expressive writing as a captain's log — a recording of what happened and what he's learned. Sometimes he writes down just a few sentences. But he always starts with "the tough stuff" and then writes about how he's grown from the experience.
"My expressive writing gave me the courage to face my fears," Desouvre says. "And I believe it has helped me discover the hope I need to heal."
12. Yanatha Desouvre wrote in his notebooks because…
he wanted to write touching stories to publish.
he wanted to record the happiest moments with his father.
it was a way for him to calm down.
someone advised him to face his fears in this way.
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13. Which of the following statements about expressive writing is TRUE?
Expressive writing is similar to keeping a diary.
Expressive writing can help with mental health problems.
Serious health problems, such as cancer or diabetes, can be treated with expressive writing.
Expressive writing is a technique that was used centuries ago.
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14. The initial part of expressive writing therapy is to…
pause in your painful moment and relive it over and over.
write an interesting narrative.
write down your thoughts and feelings.
admit to yourself that you have a problem.
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15. The word "ruminating" in the 7th paragraph is closest to the meaning of the word...
meditating.
chewing.
brooding.
reflecting.
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16. Why is it more important to write down how you feel than to just talk about it?
When you talk about your problems, you can't keep up with your feelings.
Talking can cause crucial information to be lost.
Writing alone can treat illness better than talking.
It is easier to face your feelings when you write than to talk about them.
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17. What event in the childhood of Yanatha Desouvre influenced his life greatly?
The breakup of his parents.
A firefight.
The news that he had a serious illness.
An unhealthy relationship with a girlfriend.
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18. What is the feature of Yanatha Desouvre's expressive writing therapy?
He writes about his experiences as a captain.
Most of his notes are short.
He writes about his personal development.
He only lists tough situations in his life.
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