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.

After having been successful in his career, a man felt a strong desire to repay his mother for all that she had done for him. Although she   1   to ask for anything, he continued to persist (坚持). To put a(n)  2   to the discussion, she said, “All right. If you must, then tonight you sleep on my bed with me, just as you   3   when you were a baby. ” He said, “That’s a   4   thing to ask for, but if it   5   you, I will.”

After   6  , the man slept with his mother. As soon as he fell asleep, the mother got up and   7   a mug (有柄的大杯) of water on his side. Feeling   8   by the wetness under him, he   9   to the other side of the bed. As he   10  , his mother poured   11   mug of water on the other side. In his sleep he tried to find   12   towards the foot of the bed. Some time later he woke up feeling that this part of the bed was   13  , too. He got up and saw his mother,   14   the mug in her hand. He asked, “What are you doing, mother? Why don’t you  15   me sleep? How do you expect me to sleep on a wet bed?”

Mother said, “I slept with you, when you   16   the bed in the night. I   17   your nappy (尿布) and moved you to the dry part of the bed,   18   I slept on the wet side. You wanted to   19   me. Can you sleep here with me   20   for one night on a damp bed? If you can, I’ll take it that you have repaid me.”

1．A．demanded             B．refused                C．prepared              D．advised

2．A．reply                     B．conclusion           C．end                     D．entrance

3．A．used to                 B．would to              C．would like to        D．ought to

4．A．right                     B．proper                 C．funny                  D．strange

5．A．comforts               B．pleases                C．encourages          D．answers

6．A．supper                  B．breakfast             C．work                  D．lunch

7．A．drank                    B．poured                C．heated                D．placed

8．A．disturbed               B．interrupted           C．disappointed        D．annoying

9．A．stayed away          B．walked away        C．moved away        D．turned away

10．A．lay down             B．broke down         C．sat down             D．settled down

11．A．other                   B．any                     C．another               D．one

12．A．cloth                   B．peace                  C．space                  D．water

13．A．cold                    B．damp                  C．hard                    D．hot

14．A．under                  B．with                    C．on                      D．beside

15．A．hope                   B．ask                     C．cause                  D．let

16．A．wetted                B．poured                C．dirtied                 D．watered

17．A．bought                B．dried                   C．cleaned               D．changed

18．A．when                  B．while                   C．as                      D．so

19．A．repay                  B．thank                  C．satisfy                 D．understand

20．A．never                  B．still                     C．even                   D．ever

 

in the range of,  be accessible to,  drown,  be replaced with,  leave us breathless,  have a tendency,  in preparation for,  be keen on,  in an instant,  die away,  die out, feel refreshed,  all things considered

1.Generally speaking. new things __________________ young people.

2.Many species are ________________ due to climate changes and human activities.

3.The old computers in our school _______________ new laptops months ago.

4.She _______________ after her sleep and continued to work.

5.Many houses ________________ by the flood.

6.The beautiful scenery of the sea ___________________. It was really unbelievable.

7.It is difficult to find a house _________________ our price.

8.A growing number of students are taking the driving course _____________ future careers.

9.Alice _______________ working in Spain. That’s why she has been learning Spanish.

10.______________________, Tom is the most suitable person for the position.