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 tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances．Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily difficulties．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 protect themselves from 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 coworkers may let us know that they value us．Our self respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to explain 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 distract（转移…注意力）us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us important support—financial aid, material resources, and needed services—that reduces stress by helping us solve and deal with our problems．
小题1:Research shows that people’s physical and mental health has much to do with .
A．the social medical system
B．the amount of support they get from others
C．their strength for dealing with interpersonal ties
D．their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles小题2:The underlined word “cushions” probably means “ ”
A．adds up to
B．decreases the effect of
C．gets rid of
D．lays the foundation for小题3:Social companionship is beneficial in that it
A．helps strengthen our ties with relatives
B．enables us to get rid of our faults and mistakes
C．makes our leisure time activities more enjoyable
D．draws our attention away from our worries and troubles
