Page 124 - Perfect Phrases ESL Everyday Business

What Is Stress?

May I ask for an extension?
My schedule is already so [packed, full, loaded, overloaded].

Some stress is beneficial and can often help people perform bet-
ter in certain situations. An actor about to go on the stage has to have
his or her lines and movements memorized, and a concert violinist
must know all of the fingering, notes, and cues. Harnessing stress
and balancing the tension is always helpful in situations such as these.
The results are far better than if these performers were totally relaxed
or overstressed. There is, however, a fine line between valuable stress
and destructive stress.

Culture Hint: People from other countries often say that
Americans live to work and people from other countries work to
live. In many cases, this seems to be true. Americans have less
vacation time than those in many other countries. If it is offered,
Americans will often trade their vacation time for extra money.
In unsettled business times many who have jobs hesitate to take
vacations, many who are looking for work don’t want to miss a
possible job opportunity while traveling, and even top manage-
ment feels the need to be on the job.
Even for those who do take a vacation, many take their
electronic devices with them in order to be available or stay
connected.

Idioms and Other Vocabulary

Acclimate: to become used to
Adherence: following a rule
Adjusted: made changes to fit in

107