Question

Last week, Carol Hill wrote to us about her sleep problem:

       I am a 16－year－old high school student and ever since I was 11, I have had difficulty falling asleep. When I go to bed at night, I lie awake for hours. I hate the sound of my alarm clock going off in the morning, almost always falling asleep again after I hear it.

    During school, I feel sleepy all the time, and sometimes I have to battle to stay awake.

Although I am generally a straight-A student and my teachers are happy with my work, my   inability to sleep is seriously affecting my studies.

    By the time I get home from school, I am so worn out that I fall asleep while I’m doing my

homework, which just exacerbates the problem. People are very sympathetic, and always telling me that “counting sheep is a good way to fall asleep.” But it is not helpful at all. If you don’t have this problem, you don’t know how annoying it can be.

And this is what the readers answered:

Hello Carol!

I am 18 years old and I suffered in pretty much the same way as you in High School. I couldn’t concentrate or pay attention because I was always tired. At first, doctors thought I had learning difficulties! Thankfully, I met a specialist in sleep disorders and he gave me a simple herbal remedy（草药）which helped me a great deal. After just 10 days, my sleeping patterns were back to normal and it continued even after I stopped taking the remedy. My advice is to find a doctor who knows about sleep problems. Good luck!

Larry

Hi Carol!

Your symptoms are the same as my daughter’s. When she was 11, she started walking up with a start time and time again during the night. She was always worn out and often had black circles under her eyes. Finally we went to a sleep research laboratory and a doctor discovered that she had a problem with her tonsils which was affecting her breathing and suggested a tonsillectomy（扁桃体切除术）. It worked! Now she falls asleep seconds after putting her head on her pillow. I strongly advise you to look into your problem at a sleep laboratory! Good luck!

Janine

1．What is the most likely place for the passage to be found?

      A．In a science magazine                          B．In a news report on sleep.

       C．In a health and fitness book.                 D．In an advice section in a newspaper.

2．What is Carol Hill’s problem?

       A．She can’t sleep all night or stay awake during the day.

       B．She sleeps badly and falls asleep in class every day.

       C．She can’t stay awake in class or when she’s studying.

       D．She can’t fall asleep easily at night and tries to stay awake in class.

3．The underlined word “exacerbates” in the third paragraph means “      ”.

       A．prevents              B．reduces               C．worsens              D．removes

4．What advice do the readers give Carol?

      A．She should count sheep.                       B．She should see a sleep specialist.

       C．She should have her tonsils out.         D．She should take some sleeping pills.

Answer 1

DDCB