Directions:

Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mnark [A],[B]. [C] or [D] on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)

There are many understandable reasons why you might find it difficult to ask for help when you need it. Psychologists have been interested in this  1   for decades, not least because people's widespread  2   to ask for help has led to some high-profile fail-ures.

Asking for help takes  3   . It involves communicating a need on your part-there's something you can't do.   4  , you're broadcasting your own weaknesses, which can be  5  .You might worry about coming across as incompetent. You might have  6  about losing control of whatever it is you are asking for help with.  7  someone starts to help, perhaps they will take over, or get credit for your early efforts. Yet another  8  that you might be worried about is being a nuisance or  9   the person you go to for help.

If you struggle with low self-esteem, you might find it especially difficult to  10  for help because you have the added worry of the other person  11    your request.You might see such refusals as implying something  12   about the status of your relation-ship with them. To  13   these difficulties, try to remind yourself that everyone needs help sometimes. Nobody knows everything and can do everything all by themselves. And while you might  14   coming across as incompetent, there's actually research that shows that advice-seekers are  15   as more competent, not less.

Perhaps most encouraging of all is a paper from 2022 by researchers at Stanford University that involved a mix of contrived help-seeking interactions and asking people to   16    times they'd sought help in the past. The findings showed that help-seekers generally underestimate how   17   other people will be to help and how good it will make the help-giver feel (for most people, having the chance to help someone is highly   18  ).

So,bear all this in mind the next time you need to ask for help.  19  ,take care over who you ask and when you ask them. And if someone can't help right now, avoidtaking it personally. They might just be too  20  , or they might not feel confident a-bout their ability to help.

1.[A]illusion  [B]discussion  [C] tradition  [D]question

2.[A]reluctance [B]ambition  [C] tendency  [D]enthusiasm

3.[A]attention  [B]talent   [C] courage  [D]patience

4.[A]At any time [B]In other words [C]By all means [D] On the contrary

5.[A]unrealistic [B]deceptive  [C]tiresome  [D]uncomfortable

6.[A]doubts  [B]concerns  [C] suggestions [D]secrets

7.[A]Once  [B]Unless  [C] Although  [D]Before

8.[A]theory  [B]choice   [C]factor   [D]context

9.[A]overpraising [B] outperforming [C]reassessing  [D]inconveniencing

10.[A]reach out [B]settle down  [C] turn over  [D]look back

11.[A]declining [B]considering  [C] criticizing  [D]evaluating

12.[A]unnecessary [B]negative  [C] strange  [D]impractical

13.[A] explain  [B]identify  [C] predict  [D] overcome

14.[A]deny  [B]forget   [C]miss   [D]fear

15.[A]disguised [B]perceived  [C] followed  [D]introduced

16.[A]recall  [B]classify  [C]analyse  [D]compare

17.[A]brave  [B]disappointed [C]willing  [D]hesitant

18.[A]relaxing  [B]surprising  [C] rewarding  [D]demanding

19.[A]Thus  [B]Also   [C]Finally  [D]Instead

20.[A]polite  [B]proud   [C]busy   [D]lazy