It’s 2009．You feel sick, so you go to the doctor．She checks your fever, looks at your throat, and asks what you’ve been thinking about lately． When you leave，she gives you some medicine, but also a list of thinking skills that you are supposed to practice daily． She says that the way you think is causing some of your illness．

Doctors and other scientists who study the human mind and try to explain why people behave in the way that do, called psychologists, are starting to believe it．You know that your brain is connected to every part of your body through your nervous system（神经系统）．Now scientists have proved that how you think and feel can have an influence on the health of your body．

Stress（压力，紧张） is caused whenever there is a problem or a change in your life．Of course, everybody has stress more or less; nobody’s life is perfect．In fact, stress is necessary． Without stress, we would never learn anything or grow or change．We would probably be bored to death．But too much stress can hurt you． It can weaken your body’s protection so that you are more likely to catch diseases．It can even make you more likely to have an accident．

When you feel stress, your brain sends a message to your body to produce a chemical called adrenaline（肾上腺素）．Adrenaline speeds up your breathing and your heartbeat． Today you have a different kind of stress．Problems like endless homework or troubles with your family are the kind of things you can’t fight or run away from, so you don’t use up all that adrenaline．It just stays bottled up inside you, and that’s what can do something bad to you．

What can you do about stress? First, you can try to find ways to change things so you aren’t under so much stress．You can set up a plan to finish homework or go to a doctor or a psychologist to try to work things out with your family or your friends．But sometimes you can’t change a stressful situation．Sometimes you don’t even want to． A big change might be a good change, but it will still be stressful．

The link（关联） between your body and brain works in two ways．Your body can help your mind deal with stress．If you are under stress, you need to take especially good care of your body．It’s important to get enough sleep and eat nutritious meals．Some people take a vitamin-mineral pill every day．Another thing that you can do is daily exercise． If you go walking or do aerobic dancing or work out at the gym, you give your body a chance to burn up some of that adrenaline．Of course, a person who isn’t used to much physical activity should start slowly．Anyone with a continuing physical problem should check with a doctor before staring any exercise programs．

1． A psychologist is a person who may help you with your ______．

       A． illness and abilities                                     B． thoughts and behaviour

       C． mind and nervous system                          D． physical activity and daily exercise

2． Which of the following is true according to the passage?

       A． You shouldn’t go to the gym if you are under stress．

       B． One can do his homework to burn up adrenaline．

       C． Diseases and accidents are caused by stress．

       D． Everyone needs stress to improve himself．

3． From the last sentence of Paragraph 5 we can infer that ________．

       A． it’s difficult to change a stressful situation

       B． it’s not stressful when a good change takes place

       C． a big change will cause another stressful situation

       D． a stressful situation can’t be changed without any effort

4． What is probably the best title for this passage?

       A． The body-Brain Link                                 B． The Causes of Stress

       C． The Advice on Health                                D． The Nervous System

Working Christmas Day

It was unusually quiet in the emergency room （急诊室） on December25.

I didn't think there would be any patients, complaining about having to work on. Just then five people showed up at my desk, a pale woman and four small children.

"Are you all sick?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yes," she said weakly and lowered her head.

But when it came to descriptions of their problems, things got a little unclear. Two of the children had headaches, but I couldn't find any normal body language of holding the head or trying to keep it still. Two children had earaches, but only one could tell me which ear was hurting. The mother complained of a cough but seemed to work to produce it.

Something was wrong, but I didn't say anything but explained that it might be a little while before a doctor saw her. She replied, "Take your time; it's warm in here."

I checked the form after the admitting clerk had finished her work with the family. No address — they were homeless. The waiting room was warm.

I looked out at the family standing by the Christmas tree. The youngest one was pointing at the television and shouting something to her mother. The oldest one was looking at the colorful Christmas tree.

I went back to the nurses' station and mentioned we had a homeless family in the waiting room. The nurses, complaining about working Christmas, turned to pity for a family just trying to get warm on Christmas. The team went into action, much as we do when there's a medical emergency. But this one was a Christmas emergency.

We were all offered a free meal in the hospital dining hall on Christmas Day, so we prepared a big one for our Christmas guests. We needed presents, too. We put together oranges and apples in a basket. We collected from different departments candies, crayons and other things that could be presents. As seriously as we met the physical needs of the patients that came to us that day, our team worked to meet the needs, and beyond the expectations, of a family who just wanted to be warm on Christmas Day.

Later, as the family walked to the door to leave, the four-year-old came running back, gave me a hug and whispered, "Thanks for being our angels today."

1.Why did the family come to the hospital?

A. They were sick. B. They were cold and hungry.

C. They wanted to visit friends. D. They got all their money lost.

2.How did the writer and her workmates help the family?

A. They offered a free meal to them.

B. They bought some presents for them.

C. They sent for a doctor for them.

D. They asked them to stay overnight in the hospital.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The mother was seriously ill.

B. The family were driven out of the hospital.

C. The writer and her workmates always liked to work on Christmas.

D. The family thanked the writer and her workmates for their kindness.

It all started when I was two years old. My parents didn’t get along and got divorced（离婚）. I hated that I couldn’t see both of my parents at the same time. So my dad, my younger sister, Alexis, and I went to live with my grandma and grandpa. We lived with them for almost six years. My mom, on the other hand, lived with her boyfriend Michael in Oklahoma. My life was really good, but when my mom called to check up on my sister and me, I cried myself to sleep. I missed her so much.

My life at my grandparents’ house was really nice. And then on Friday, May 15, 2002, my grandpa died of cancer. I cried for seven days straight. My dad and his new wife were worried about me. So they took me to the doctor and they said that I was too sad and that I needed to find something happy and healthy to do during the day.

I prayed（祈祷）to God every night saying that I was sorry for getting myself sick and I also prayed for him to take care of my grandpa. I still pray to this day. And now, at my mom’s house, she has a four-year-old girl, my half-sister, Macie. And I have my step-dad（继父）, Michael, there for me. I really like Michael. He’s really good to me and my sister. And at my dad’s house, I have two little brothers, Blake and Justin. Blake is two years old and Justin is ten months old. I have so much to be thankful for, but I’m still looking for more.

1. The writer had to leave her ________ when she was two years old.

A. father B. mother

C. grandpaD. grandma

【小题2 】The writer cried to sleep while her mother called to check up her because she _______.

A. hated her father B. hated her father’s new wife

C. missed her mother D. missed her grandpa

2.We can infer(推断) from the story that ______

A. The writer’s father and her mother didn’t treat her very well.

B. The writer wished that she could live both her father and mother.

C. The writer’s mother didn’t love her so she left her when she was only two.

D. The writer was taken to the hospital after her grandpa died. And the doctor asked her to take much medicine.

3.Half-sister means the writer and Macie have the same _________.

A. father but different mothers

B. mother but different fathers

C. grandmother but different grandfathers

D. grandfather but different grandmothers

4.How many brothers and sisters does the writer have?

A. 2B. 3

C. 4D. 5