Astressballisasmallballdesignedtohelprelievestressbyexercisingthemusclesinthehand．Actually，astressballdoesnotnecessarilyhavetobeshapedlikeaball．（36）Themaincharacteristicisthatitcanfiteasilyinahan

Question

A stress ball is a small ball designed t o help relieve stress by exercising the muscles in the hand．Actually，a stress ball does not necessarily have to be shaped like a ball．（36）___The main characteristic is that it can fit easily in a hand，and it is changeable，allowing a user to squeeze it out of shape while providing some resistance to force the muscles of the hand to work．
（37）___Squeezing a stress ball while imagining a reduction in stress is a frequently-recommended stress management tool for people in demanding jobs．Stress balls are often given away at conferences and other corporate events as promotional tools，reflecting their widespread use．
In addition to this，a stress ball can be useful for physical strain．Physical therapists use a very similar tool to help people flex and stretch the muscles in their hands．Squeezing a stress ball can reduce the amount of strain associated with repetitive tasks like typing．（38）___．
A variety of things can be used to fill a stress ball．The filling should be firm，with a bit of give to it，forcing people to work to deform the stress ball．You can make your own basic stress ball by filling a balloon with corn starch（淀粉）．Beans and plastic granules（颗粒） may also be used．（39）___．
Using a stress ball doesn't require any particular instructions or skills．（40）___Repeated use of a stress ball can，of course，cause the same problems that other repetitive motions are associated with，but taking breaks from typing and other repetitive tasks to squeeze a stress ball a few times can be beneficial．

A．However，these fillings are less smooth．
B．Also，it can help to develop hand strength．
C．All you need to do is pick the ball and squeeze it．
D．A wide variety of shapes can be found on the market．
E．One of the best handmade gifts for men is a stress ball．
F．Stress balls are supposed to be very useful for mental stress relief．
G．This can be easily cured by keeping something like a stress ball in the hand．

Answer 1

36．D．推理判断题．根据横线前句Actually，a stress ball does not necessarily have to be shaped like a ball．可知stress ball不一定是球形，还可以是各种形状．所以D项"A wide variety of shapes can be found on the market．各种形状的减压球都可以在市场上找到"与上下文一致；故选D．
37．F．推理判断题．根据横线后句Squeezing a stress ball while imagining a reduction in stress is a frequently-recommended stress management tool for people in demanding jobs．可知把减压球给寻找工作的人，可以让他们减轻压力．同时根据下一段第一句In addition to this，a stress ball can be useful for physical strain．中的also可知本段介绍的是减压球的巨大作用．故F项是本段的中心思想．
38．B．推理判断题．根据本段前句Squeezing a stress ball can reduce the amount of strain associated with repetitivetasks like typing．可知本段主要叙述减压球的具体作用，横线句也应该介绍减压球某一方面的作用．选项中只有B项"Also，it can help to develop hand strength．"是减压球的作用之一．故B项符合上下文串联．
39．A．推理判断题．根据横线前句．Beans and plastic granules（颗粒） may also be used．可知使用了凸起的颗粒和豆子形状，这让减压球很粗糙，不光滑．故A项"However，these fillings are less smooth．"符合上下文串联；故选A．
40．C．推理判断题．根据前文Using a stress ball doesn't require any particular instructions or skills可知玩减压球不需要特别的说明和技巧，只需要捏球就行；故选C．