Supposedly, the 17th of January was the most depressing day of the year. Did you feel sad that day? Or maybe you had the best day of your life! I was pretty depressed, but I think that was due to the 10,000 word essay that was due in the next day! This article contains some really great vocabulary and is very cleverly written. I have taken out some words and all you need to do is put the correct word in the correct gap. I've also given you the definitions to help you along.
Good luck!
Lesson by Caroline Devane
Psychologists - A professional who studies human behavior.
Resolutions - a personal promise to do something new e.g. My new years resolution is to stop buying magazines.
Drizzle - rain water.
Etiquette - good behavior and manners.
Cheer - (in this context) happiness.
Boosting - increasing or raising.
Slumber - sleep.
17th of January has been named the most miserable day of the year, triggered by bad weather, money worries and failed _1_. What can you do to lift the January blues?
Blue Monday, according to a survey commissioned by ActionAid. The charity says listening to music or sitting in the (non-existent) sunshine can lift the gloom.
The alarm clock drags you vindictively from a troubled _2_. There is little hot water and less milk. Because your umbrella is less functional than it should be, _3_ soaks the bottom of your trousers and a half-pint of rain finds its way into your shoes.
The bus is rammed and tube _4_ has been abandoned. And then the creature in front of you at the coffee shop insists on ordering a banquet for 40 rather than a single cappuccino.
As the rain streaks down the office window and you stare down the barrel of yet another week of drudgery, you find yourself suffused with an even keener sense of dread than usual. Welcome to Blue Monday.
According to _5_, a combination of filthy weather, financial strains and shattered new year's resolutions has conspired to make today the most depressing day of the year. How, then, to get through it all?
The people at ActionAid say that a survey they commissioned shows people are happiest when helping those in need. With that in mind, the charity is attempting to spread a little _6_ through the City of London today using space hoppers, smoothies and massages. There is also talk of fluffy blue monsters, although it's not immediately clear how they fit in to proceedings.
If you're not in London – or the thought of space hoppers serves only to deepen the misery - ActionAid is peddling some other tips gleaned from their poll. Apart from _7_ your mood by helping others, it recommends: receiving an unexpected compliment; listening to the sea; sitting in the sunshine (hmmm); listening to music; eating your favourite food; hearing laughter; winning money; going for a walk on the beach; and having a snowball fight.
What would you recommend? A duvet day? A touch of New Order? Or is it simply a matter of ignoring dubious formulae and getting on with things?
We leave you with this bolstering thought: not everyone agrees that today is Blue Monday. That joy, apparently, is still a week away.
Which key words are missing from the above text?
