Many people believe that physical work is more exhausting than mental work. However， Mental work can be emotionally， cognitively， and physically draining， leading to feelings of fatigue， burnout， and even physical discomfort， which means mental work can be just as tiring as physical work. This article delves into why mental work can be just as exhausting as physical work and offers tips on how to prevent mental exhaustion.

①Cognitive Demands of Mental Work

Mental work requires a lot of focus and attention which consumes a significant amount of mental energy and willpower， especially when we engage in tasks that require prolonged periods of concentration， such as writing a paper， coding， or do experiments. Complex thinking and cognitively demanding tasks can actually burn calories. According to some research， the average person burns about 320 calories on a typical day solely from thinking. In addition， most people can only pay attention to a single task for 40-60 minutes at a time. After that， we are more prone to distractions， fatigue， and exhaustion.

②Emotional Labor

A lot of mental work can be emotionally draining. People who work in professions such as counseling， customer service， or emergency services can experience emotional exhaustion due to the constant emotional demands of their jobs. Psychologists refer to this as emotional labor， which especially applies to jobs where we deal with many different people and personalities throughout the day， such as responding to customer complaints or taking care of the sick and elderly.

How to Prevent Mental Exhaustion

To prevent mental exhaustion， it is important to recognize the signs of burnout and take proactive steps to manage our mental energy levels.

①One of the most effective ways is to take regular breaks throughout the day. Taking breaks can help us recharge our mental batteries， reduce stress， and increase our overall productivity.

②Another way to is to practice stress-reducing techniques such as 100 breaths meditation or progressive muscle relaxation.

③Furthermore， the most important thing is to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This includes setting boundaries between work and personal life， managing our workload， and prioritizing self-care activities as part of your daily routine.

In conclusion， mental work can be just as exhausting as physical work， and it can have physical， cognitive， and emotional effects on the body. By taking care of our mental energy levels， we can improve our overall well-being， increase our productivity， and lead a more fulfilling life.

（材料選自The Emotion Machine網站，有刪改）

1.What kind of viewpoint does this article mainly elaborate on？

A.Compared to physical work， mental work is easier.

B.Compared to mental work， physical work requires more energy and is more strenuous.

C.Physical work is as effortless as mental work.

D.Mental work is as exhausting as physical work.

2.Which of the following is not correct， according to the article？

A.Mental work burns a lot of calories， and after 40-60 minutes of work， we are prone to fatigue and lack of concentration.

B.To prevent mental exhaustion， the most important is practicing stress-reducing techniques such as 100 breaths meditation or progressive muscle relaxation.

C.Mental work can be just as exhausting as physical work， and it can have physical， cognitive， and emotional effects on the body.

D.A lot of mental work can be emotionally draining.

3.What can we learn about emotional labor？

A.Emotional labor deal with people with the same emotions every day.

B.Emotional labor need to respond to customer complaints.

C.All emotional labor need to take care of the sick and elderly.

D.Emotional labor do not need to consider customers' personalities.

4.Which column of a newspaper is the text probably taken from？

A. Health and Life. B. Scientific Novel.

C. Economy Magazine. D. Education Journal.

1.D。解析：觀點態(tài)度題。材料的主要觀點是“腦力工作可能和體力工作一樣累人，它可能會在情感上、認知上和身體上都讓人疲憊”，D選項與材料內容相符，故選D。

2.B。解析：細節(jié)理解題。材料第十段的第一句提到“此外，最重要的是保持健康的工作與生活之間的平衡”，B選項“最重要的是練習減壓技巧，如100次呼吸冥想或漸進式肌肉放松”與材料內容不符，故選B。

3.B。解析：推理判斷題。材料第五段的最后一句提到“心理學家將此稱為‘情感勞動’，這尤其適用于我們全天與許多不同的人和個體打交道的工作，例如回應客戶投訴或照顧病人和老人”，B選項與材料內容相符，故選B。

4.A。解析：主旨大意題。材料的主要觀點是“腦力工作可能和體力工作一樣累人，它可能會在情感上、認知上和身體上都讓人疲憊”，與健康生活有關，故選A。