How many people have I met who have told me about the book that they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time? Far too many .This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal（排演）and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments .

We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families, always making ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life .

In America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day!” They speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us to enjoy the moment: to value this very day .How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding（or golf, or sailing）as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position .

When I first became a reporter, I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal（反常的）mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know .

Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure .He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains .

1.The first paragraph of the passage tells us that________.         

A．we always try to find some time to write a book

B．we always make plans but seldom fulfill them

C．we always enjoy many of life's best moments

D．we always do what we really want to do

2.The man （in paragraph 6）left his first job partly because he was_________.

A．in an abnormal state                     B．under too much pressure

C．not well paid                           D．not respected

3.What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．Provide Homes For Our Family             B．Take Up Horse-riding

C．Value This Very Day                      D．Stay Alive

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.

Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.

A. make people live more easily  B. smooth away daily problems

C. deal with life changes        D. cure types of illnesses

The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.

A. lies in the social medical care systems which support them

B. has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

C. depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

D. is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?

       A. takes place of    B. makes up of  C. lessens the effect of      D. gets rid of

Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.

       A. instrumental support                       B. informational support

       C. social companionship                      D. the strengthening of self-respect

What is the subject discussed in the text?

A. Interpersonal relationships.             B. Kinds of social support.

C. Ways to deal with stress.                 D. Effects of stressful conditions.

I shall never forget the night, a few years ago, when Marion J. Douglas was a student in one of my adult-education classes. He told us how tragedy had struck at his home, not once, but twice. The first time he had lost his five-year-old daughter. He and his wife thought they couldn’t bear that first loss; but, as he said, “Ten months later, God gave us another little girl and she died in five days.”

This double bereavement was almost too much to bear. “I couldn’t take it,” this father told us. “I couldn’t sleep, eat, rest or relax. My nerves were entirely shaken and my confidence gone.” At last he went to the doctors: one recommended sleeping pills and another recommended a trip, but neither helped. He said, “My body felt as if it was surrounded in a vice(大钳子), and the jaws of the vice were being drawn tighter and tighter.” The tension of grief(悲伤) --- if you have ever been paralyzed(使瘫痪) by sorrow, you know what the meant.

“But thank God, I had one child left --- a four-year-old son. He gave me the solution to the problem. One afternoon as I sat around feeling sorry for myself, he asked, ‘Daddy, will you build a boat for me?’ I was in no mood to build a boat; in fact, I was in no mood to do anything. But my son is a persistent fellow! I had to give in. Building that toy boat took me about three hours. By the time it was finished, I realized that those three hours spent building that boat were first hours of mental relaxation and peace that I had had in months! I realized that it is difficult to worry while you are busy doing something that requires planning and thinking. In my case, building the boat had knocked worry out of the ring. So I determined to keep busy.”

“The following night, I made a list of jobs that ought to be done. Scores of items needed to be repaired. Amazingly, I had made a list of 242 items that needed attention. During the last two years I have completed most of them. I am so busy now that I have no time for worry.”

No time for worry! That is exactly what Winston Churchill said when he was working eighteen hours a day at the height of the war. When he was asked if he worried about his huge responsibilities, he said, “I am too busy. I have no time for worry.”

The underlined word “bereavement” in the second paragraph refers to _________.

Marion felt his body as if it was caught in a vice because _________.

Marion made a list of over 200 items that needed to be repaired because _________.

At the end of the passage, the author wrote about Winston Churchill in order to ________.

D. make it clear how his conclusion was reached

阅读短文，回答问题。

Stress occurs all the time in most people’s lives. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect physical and mental well-being.

Stress decreases the quality of life by reducing feelings of pleasure and accomplishment. At some point in their lives, almost all people will go through stressful events or situations that limit their ability to cope.

Financial concerns are one of the main stressors for a man. He is supposed to be able to “support” his family. In today’s economy, a family living on a single income is rare. Most often the woman is working outside the home also. Job-related stress may increase the risk of heart disease. It appears to have a greater effect on a man’s arteries(动脉) than on a woman’s. Men who report the most stress have almost five times the risk of having more serious artery disease.

One temporary treatment for job stress may be stress-reduction exercises. Sometimes these techniques can be quite easy and simple. Taking a few minutes to practice relaxation or meditation can help to ease some of the stress. Taking a vacation, developing interests outside of work, and finding supportive friends who will listen can help to relieve stress. Sometimes, changes in the workplace or renegotiation of the demands of the job may be needed. This may require joining with other workers to document stress conditions.

More and more marriages are ending in divorce now. It is not uncommon for a man to find that he is the primary caregiver for his children, or that he has joint custody(联名保管(户)). This may involve a lot of changes for him. It can be very stressful until a routine is formed. This is especially true for a man who has not been able to be involved much in raising his children because of his job.

There are support groups that a man can join to help him deal with these changes. Changes a man goes through in middle age may increase stress. If he is not active, he may gain weight. Staying active, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty of sleep will help to decrease the stress. In addition, exercising and talking to someone can also help to relieve the stress.

Getting rid of stress from life is impossible. However, stress management techniques can decrease some of the harmful effects of stress.

1. Almost all people are affected by stress sometimes in their life because __________.

A. they are lacking in the stress management techniques

B. they will unavoidably come across things beyond their ability

C. they are too busy working to do physical exercises

D. they are so selfish that they think family is a burden

2. If a man feels stressful, he can try the following means EXCEPT ________.

A. having a chat with friends

B. doing some physical exercises

C. changing the workplace

D. working harder to make more money

3. According to the passage, a middle-aged man may feel even more stressful when he __________.

A. finds that his wife still has to work

B. notices that his weight remains the same

C. realizes that he doesn’t have to change his job

D. deals with a lot of changes negatively.

4. Judging from the context, the underlined word “ease” most probably means __________.

A. making more comfortable               B. making less difficult

C. making less serious                         D. making less complicated

5. From the passage we can infer that __________.

A. it’s dangerous for a man to be under stress from work for a long time

B. it’s likely for a man to be free from stress if he lives a healthy life

C. it’s very stressful for a working man to share the care of children with his wife

D. it’s common for a man to be the only wage-earner in a family nowadays

Recently a man came to me, because he was told that there is fluid(积液) around his heart. After trying many drugs which were of no use to reduce the fluid, the doctor told him the only other choice was to have an operation. He refused because he knew that every illness has a mental cause and that if he had the operation but did not clear the mental cause, the fluid would return. At last, he searched the Internet to find a metaphysical healer(玄学治疗师), and he found me.

       The mental cause of his disease was an experience of breaking up five years ago with several friends, whom he had known for over twenty years. This experience broke his heart. Not knowing how to “mend” his broken heart, his body created a “repair” by surrounding his heart with fluid to protect it from the sad feelings.

       Our work focused on reminding him of the feelings of being loved and forgiving his friends. Months later, his hearts was mended and the fluid disappeared. He left my office after the final session with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

       The key is: to create a healthy body, you must be healthy not only in body, but also in mind.

       To be mentally healthy, you need to build up strong relationships. Creating strong relationships will insure that you are accompanied by a network of loving persons. It is important for building a support system that lifts your spirits. Even when you are alone, you will not feel lonely or upset. Strong relationships are not spaceships——they are not hard to build.

In order to cure his illness, which of the following ways did the patient try?

       ?? taking many medicines            ?? having an operation

?? seeing a metaphysical healer     ?? visiting different doctors

A. ????                        B. ????                 C. ??????                     D. ????????

The underlined word “It” in Paragraph5 refers to “________”.

       A. a mentally healthy body                         B. a repaired heart

       C. a network of loving persons                   D. a support system

What is the main idea of the passage?

       A. Loving others will keep you in good spirits.

       B. Heart illness can be cured without operation.

       C. Creating strong relationships will keep you healthy.

       D. Spiritual health is necessary for physical health.

Which of the following views may the writer agree to?

       A. Old friendship is easy to lose.                 B. A good friendship is a useful medicine

       C. The best doctor is your own body           D. It needs many efforts to build relationships

If this passage is continued with another paragraph, what would it be probably about?

       A. How to build strong relationships           B. How to protect your heart

       C. How to keep healthy mentally                D. How to live a healthy life