We need vacations. They recharge us, allowing us

to be more efficient all the other times. The trouble

is, too many of the vacations we take these days are 【M1】 ______.

vacations at all. We Americans are collectively suffering

from "vacation deficit disorder," insists Joe Robinson.

And we don't even admit we have a problerrk It gets such 【M2】 ______.

bad that workers often compete to see who has less of a

life than the. next guy. Americans work less than anyone 【M3】 ______.

else. In fact, we work 100 hours per year more than the

famously nose-to-grindstone Japanese. And we put in

up to three months a year more than Europeans. America is the

only country which does not mandate paid vacation leave. 【M4】 ______.

China gets three weeks. Europe average six. Call it the 【M5】 ______.

incredible shrinking vacation. The average vacation in America

now numbers a pathetic three to four days--a long weekend. And

this year, according to a recent survey, one in seven Americans

are taking no vacation at all. The problem is, 【M6】 ______.

the little time we now allot ourselves for vacations can't do

that vacations are supposed to do. "You need more time to fix burnout," 【M7】 ______.

explains Joe Robinson, author of Work To Live: The Guide to Getting a Life.

You have to be cut off from a stressor for a sufficient amount of time to give your

mind or body a break. And you have to allow two weeks 【M8】 ______.

for your body to rebound. But trying to get more than one

week at a time is not difficult, especially in today's climate. 【M9】 ______.

People have to beg their employees for any time in the first 【M10】 ______.

place. The upshot is they wind up feeling guilty for taking

time off. And vacations feel illegitimate.

【M1】