Are you one of those people who delay doing the Christmas shopping until the last moment? If so,
you may well be spending Christmas ill in bed. According to new research, procrastinators put themselves
under so much stress by delaying action that they 23 illnesses much more easily than those who
simply get on with things. The link between procrastination and illness emerged during a study of
students who 24 failed to finish work on time. Professor Anita Moor at Temple University set a class
of students a project with a deadline to work to and examined their psychological state as the deadline
approached. Early results suggested that the procrastinators had the right idea; they seemed to be enjoying
life immensely, having fun playing video games, going to see films, and generally doing anything apart
from working on their projects. The 25 ones, however, had knuckled down and were showing mild
signs of stress and ill health. But as the research continued, it became clear that virtue did indeed have its
own rewards. With the deadline 26 and lack of progress staring them, stress levels soared, and the
procrastinators started to crack. Their happy-go-lucky attitude had 27 into higher rates of headaches,
stomach pains, colds and other health problems than those who had worked steadily from the start.
【題組】25. (A)succinct (B)paranoid (C)charismatic (D)conscientious