None of us is quite as healthy in mind as we seem, but neither is every unusual thing we do means we’re unhealthy. How to tell the difference? Start by reading the letters below, which have been analyzed by our experts.

(1) Lately, after I read an unusual word, I often can’t get it out of my head for days, sometimes weeks. I silently repeat it to myself, often spell it, and even wake up in the night with it ringing in my head. What’s wrong with my brain?

That sounds like a little obsession (着迷). Your brain feels that for some reason it must repeat this word. Unless it is taking up more than an hour of your day or really influencing your life, it is not serious. To stop it, leave it alone. If you really want to stop the repetition, set aside ten minutes a day to repeat the word over and over again. Do it so many times that you finally get sick of it.

(2) I sometimes have strange dreams when taking a short sleep, and I think they’re real when I wake up. Then, as I come around, I realize they aren’t. Is there something wrong with me?

What’s wrong is that you take short sleeps and most of us don’t! But are you mad? No. We all have strange dreams, and it’s normal, upon waking, to be fuzzy (模糊) for a little while or even not to remember where we are. What is not normal is if you don’t have these dreams.

(3) When people are eating, I can’t stand the sound of a fork or spoon knocking on a plate or bowl. I begin shaking and having a headache. I’m also sickened by the sound of people chewing with their mouths open. Is there something wrong with me?

It seems that there is something wrong with everyone else you know. How come they don’t eat with their mouths closed? At the least, you’re over sensitive (敏感) to little noise. You may also be troubled by a disorder in mind called misophonia. Try drawing your attention away from the noise. Pay attention to something else as hard as you can when you eat with your friends: the music in the background, the scene out the window, even what they’re talking about. You can train yourself to be less troubled by the noise.

(4) When I’m driving and have to cross a bridge, my heart starts racing and I feel light-headed. The fear that I’m going to pass out makes the whole situation worse. Am I crazy?

This sounds like an anxiety (忧虑), which can bring on heart illness and a real sense that you’re going to die. This kind of feeling is the body’s reaction to the possible danger in near future. To keep your anxiety from progressing, try the old method: breathing. When you feel your heart starting to race, take a deep breath in three or four times, and then let it out five or six times until you start to feel comfortable. You can also make a tape of your favourite song, and sing along as you cross the bridge.

56. What does the word analyzed mean in the first paragraph?

A. Divided into parts.                                    B. Examined carefully.

C. Discussed in groups.                                D. Treated scientifically.

57. Which person described in the four letters has got something wrong?

A. The first two.                                                 B. No. 1 and No. 3.

C.       The last two.                                           D. No. 2 and No. 4.

58. What can we do when we have strange dreams after a short sleep?

A. It’s not necessary for us to do anything.

B. We can think about the dreams once again.

C. It’s a good idea to pay attention to other things.

D. We’d better go to see a doctor as early as possible.

59. From the passage, we can infer that ______.

A. we don’t need to worry about anything in mind

B. disorders in mind can be treated by ourselves

C. one must face all kinds of problems in life

D. if you are brave, nothing can trouble you

Two weeks ago, Ruichang City in Jiangxi Province was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale(里氏震级). It killed 18 people and left hundreds homeless.

　  Earthquakes are one of the most deadly natural disasters(灾难) in the world. They happen more often than you would expect.

　  In the 24 hours after you read this, 400 to 500 earthquakes will shake the earth. You won't notice most of them because you live in a relatively(相对地) safe area or the quake is too far away or because the quake will be too small to notice.

　  Earthquakes are caused by sudden breaks in rock masses(群) deep in the earth. Rock masses are always under very high pressure. If the pressure in a certain area become too much and the rock masses break, an earthquake happens. But exactly when the rock masses reach the breaking point is a mystery(谜).

　  China is on the Eurasia(欧亚) plate, where earthquakes happen very often due to the earth's plates knocking against each other. Up to 17,139 earthquakes have taken place in China in the past 44 years, according to scientific research.

1What happened to the City of Ruichang?

A.18 people were killed in an earthquake.

B. Hundreds homeless people left the city.     

C. An earthquake ruined thousands of houses there.

D. An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale happened.       

2How many earthquakes can happen in a day in the world?

A. 24.                  B. 44.                  C. 400 to 500.                   D. 17139.

3Why does the earth quake? Because ______.

A. we live in a relatively safe area                                             

B. the pressure in the earth is too big

C. the rock masses is reaching the breaking point

D. the rock masses break suddenly deep in the earth

C

Once upon a time a woman found she was not easy to wake up in the morning as early as she wished. So she bought a beautiful alarm clock. These clocks are so made as to strike with loud whirring noise at any hour the owner pleases to set them.

The lady placed her clock at the head of the bed, and at the right time she found herself roused by the long, rattling sound.

She got up at once, and felt better all day for her early rising. This lasted for some weeks. The alarm clock faithfully did its duty, and was plainly heard so long as it was obeyed.

But, after a time, the lady grew tired of early rising. When she was waked by the noise, she merely turned over in bed, and slept again.

In a few days, the clock ceased to wake her from her sleep. It spoke just as loudly as ever; but she did not hear it, because she had been in the habit of not obeying it.

Finding that she might as well be without it, she made up her mind that when she heard the sound she would jump up.

Just so it is with conscience(自觉意识，诚意). If we will obey its voice, even in the least important things, we can always hear it, clear and strong.

But if we allow ourselves to do what we have some fears may not be quite right, we shall grow more and more sleepy, until the voice of conscience has no longer power to wake us.

4Why did the clock failed to stop to get the woman up later?

A. Because she was tired of getting up early in the morning.

B. Because she could not hear the clock any more.

C. Because she was too tired to wake up at it.

D. Because the clock stopped to do its duty.

5 Both the underlined words “whirring” and “rattling” are kinds of ______.

A. colours                        B. sounds         C. actions                   D. feelings

6 The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______.

A. we should always obey our clocks

B. the clock sometimes can’t wake us up as we wish 

C. It is conscience that ensures early rising not the clock

D. The voice of conscience has no longer power to wake us.

Amy was a dear little girl, but she was too ready to waste time in getting ready to do her tasks, instead of doing them at once as she ought to.

In the village in which she lived, Mr. Thornton kept a store where he sold fruit of all kinds, including berries in their season. One day he said to Amy, whose parents were quite poor, “Would you like to earn some money?”

“Oh, yes, ” replied she, “for I want some new shoes, and papa has no money to buy them with.”

“Well, Amy,” said Mr. Thornton, “I noticed some fine, ripe blackberries in Mr. Green’s field today, and he said that anybody was welcome to them. I will pay you thirteen cents a quart(度量单位) for all you will pick for me.”

Amy was delighted at the thought of earning some money; so she ran home to get a basket, intending to go immediately to pick the berries.

Then she thought she would like to know how much money she would get if she picked five quarts. With the help of her slate(书写板) and pencil, she found out that she would get sixty-five cents.

“But supposing I should pick a dozen quarts,” thought she, “how much should I earn then?” “Dear me!” she said, after figuring(测算) a while, “I should earn a dollar and fifty-six cents.”

Amy then found out what Mr. Thornton would pay her for fifty, a hundred, and two hundred quarts. It took her some time to do this, and then it was so near dinner time that she had to stay at home until afternoon.

As soon as dinner was over, she took her basket and hurried to the field. Some boys had been there before dinner, and all the ripe berries were picked. She could not find enough to fill a quarter of a quart.

As Amy went home, she thought of what her teacher had often told her---“Do your task at once; then think about it,” for “One doer is worth a hundred dreamers.”

7How many times did Amy figure with her slate?

   A. 3.                               B. 4.                         C. 5.                     D. 6. 

8The underlined sentence may mean “______”.

A. she got ready to waste some time to do her tasks

B. she thought it was a waste of time to do her tasks

C. she liked to waste time when should do her tasks immediately

D. she was not ready to get her tasks ready, and it’s a waste of time

9What can we infer from the story?

A. Amy’s family was very poor.

B. Amy was good at counting with a slate.  

C. Mr. Thornton was the richest person in the village.

D. Amy would learn a better lesson from this affair than from school.        

10 The best title of the passage may be “_____”.

A. The Money Amy Did Not Earn               

B. The Girl Did Not Like To Waste Time    

C. Amy, A Good Student To her Teachers

D. A Poor Girl Wanted To Earn Some Money