“Helping survivors (生还者) of the earthquake and killer waves in the Indian Ocean last week is a race against time” says Kofi Annan , the United Nations secretary-general . The concern about offers of international aid is based on history. Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human condition is our aim to give and receive support from one another under stressful surroundings. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear betterable to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people prevent illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely. Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives, and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we are popular with others despite our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to notice and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移...注意力)us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support: a financial aid, material resources, and needed services -- that reduces stress by helping us deal with our problems. 59. Research shows that people's physical and mental health _______. A. depends on the social welfare (福利)systems which support them B. has much to do with the amount of support they get from others C. depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles D. is closely related to their strength for dealing with major changes in their lives 60. The underlined word' cushions' in Para.3 means _______. A. adds up to                                  B. does away with C. reduce the effect of                 D. depends on 61. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of _______. A. instrumental support                     B. informational support C. social companionship             D. the strengthening of self-respect 62. Social companionship is very important because _______. A. it helps strengthen our ties with relatives B. it enables us to get rid of our faults and mistakes C. it makes our leisure-time activities more enjoyable D. it draws our attention away from our worries and troubles