As unpleasant emotions go，anxiety is the sketchiest．It's a vague，pit-of-the-stomach dread that sneaks up to you--that unease you get when your boss says that she needs to talk to you right away，when the phone rings at 4：00 a．m，or when your dentist looks into your mouth and says "Hmmmm" for the third time．
   Lingering anxiety can keep you up at night，make you irritable，undermine your ability to concentrate，and either ruin your appetite or cause Olympian eating binges．And the constant state of readiness generated by anxiety--adrenaline pumping，heart racing，palms sweating--may contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease．
   How to prevent anxiety then？
   Meditate．Maybe you're just high-strung．If so，meditation is worth a try．It cultivates a calmness that eases anxious feelings and offers a sense of control．A study at the University of Massachusetts found that volunteers who took an 8-week meditation course were considerably less anxious afterward．People who are high-strung find that they are dramatically calmer with 20 minutes of meditation in the morning and another 20 minutes after dinner．
   If you've never done meditation，try this technique：Sit quietly in a comfortable position and take a few deep，cleansing breaths to relax your muscles．Then choose a calming word or phrase． （Experts suggest either a word or short phrase with religious significance，or the word one．） Silently repeat the word or phrase for 20 minutes．As you find your thoughts straying，gently return your focus to your repeated word and continue to breathe deeply．、
   Jog，walk，swim，or cycle．If you can't make time for meditation，be sure to make time for regular exercise．Exercise can have the same calming effect as meditation，particularly if it's something repetitive like running or swimming laps．
   Treatment？
   Odds are that you can learn to handle anxiety better．Here's how．
   Remember to breathe．When you're anxious，you tend to hold your breath or breathe too shallowly．That makes you feel more anxious．Breathing slowly and deeply can have a calming effect．To make sure that you're breathing correctly，place your hand on your diaphragm（橫膈膜），just below your rib cage．Feel it rise with each inhalation and fall with each exhalation．
   Analyze and act．The antidote（矯正方法）to anxiety is analysis and action．To rid yourself of that vague sense of dread，you have to figure out exactly what it is that you dread．Then you can map a plan of action to do something about it．Usually the first step in this action plan is to find out more about the problem．
   Let's say you are anxious about your competence on the job．Ask yourself， "What，in particular，am I afraid that I'll muff？" Maybe you're afraid that you'll get further behind and miss your deadlines．Or maybe you're worried that you're blowing it whenever you present your ideas in meeting．Are your worries founded？Have you had several near misses with deadlines？Are your suggestions routinely vetoed？If not，the anxiety is needless．If there is a real problem，work on a solution：Pace yourself to better meet deadlines，join a public speaking class．

（1）What does the word "sketchiest" in Paragraph One mean？

A

A

A．The most uncomfortable．
B．The least serious．
C．The most dreadful．
D．The most irritable．
（2）Which of the following symptoms is NOT directly caused by anxiety？

D

D

A．Lower in concentration．
B．No appetite．
C．Heart racing．
D．High blood pressure．
（3）Jog，walk，swim，or cycle is，to a certain extent，similar to meditation because

A

A

A．It can relieve your uneasiness effectively．
B．exercise can make anxious people calm．
C．doing exercises can relax your muscles．
D．it's a kind of repetitive exercise．
（4）Which of the following statements about breath is CORRECT？

B

B

A．Quick and deep breathing have a calming effect．
B．Breathing deeply can calm an anxious person．
C．The diaphragm falls with each inhalation．
D．The rib cage rises with each exhalation．