Life are always full of stress (压力) these days. How do you usually deal with (处理) your stress? Do you know doing housework is helpful in dealing with stress? In fact, doing something like washing dirty clothes may really make people relaxed.
"Doing some housework such as washing windows or ironing (熨) clothes is a good way to face our stress without taking any medicine," says Carol Clark, a successful psychologist (心理学家) in New York. She often advises people who are under lots of stress to try doing housework every day. "While washing something," she says, "you can imagine(想象) you're washing away some trouble in your life."
Do people all agree with her idea? Here are some ideas about it.
"Housework is the main reason for the stress in my life," says Linda in France. "Get me out of doing the housework and then I'll really be relaxed."
Gary is a single (单身的) father. "So, a man pays a psychologist $200 an hour for his problem about stress. However, he is just told to go back home and do some housework. I really don't know who is crazier, the psychologist or the man!
【小题1】What does Carol Clark advise people under stress to do?

On the first day of class, Roni’s foreign students fill out form and give information about themselves.

When I was a teenager growing up in France, I wanted to leave school and have my own life. The only way I could   1  this was to work in the local paper factory in my town, or get married. I was very nervous when I told my   2  I wanted to leave school. I thought he would say, “  3  You are going to college (大学).” I was very   4  when he said, “OK. Let’s go to the paper factory.”

Two days later,   5  took me to the factory. I imagined everyone to be friends   6 together and having fun. I even imagined there would be music and singing. I   7  I had watched too many movies as a teenager.

When we   8   the factory gate, my father spoke to the guard (门卫) and one minute later we were   9 . I walked around the factory looking at the building, the workers, and listening to the noise. It was   10 . I ran back to my father and said, “I want to go home.”

He asked me, “What do you think of the   11 ?”

“Too bad,” I answered.

“And marriage(婚姻) is even   12 !” he said.

I went back to school the next day thinking about studying hard   13  I could get into a good college. I   14  studying English so I decided to major in languages at college. Thanks to my father and our   15  to the paper factory, I now work at the United Nations and my father is very proud of me. I married a very good man and my life is much better than it would have been working in the factory!

1.                A．say            B．do             C．receive   D．find

2.                A．teacher        B．friend          C．father    D．husband

3.                A．Yes!           B．No!            C．Really?   D．OK?

4.                A．angry          B．tired           C．nervous  D．surprised

5.                A．he            B．she            C．it    D．they

6.                A．working        B．studying        C．singing   D．farming

7.                A．guess          B．mean          C．say  D．hope

8.                A．looked at       B．returned to      C．arrived at D．left for

9.                A．outside         B．inside          C．back D．away

10.               A．terrible        B．wonderful      C．funny D．special

11.               A．workers        B．guard          C．building   D．factory

12.               A．better         B．harder         C．worse D．easier

13.               A．but            B．if             C．so    D．or

14.               A．enjoyed        B．stopped        C．disliked   D．minded

15.               A．way           B．idea           C．plan  D．trip

Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don’t have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.
Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2,159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year that a French worker.
Why do people work so many hours? Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don’t pay overtimes. Their workers don’t get more money for more work. Some people think it’s their duty to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don’t work more hours.
Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull (迟钝的) boy.” If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.
【小题1】A Japanese worker works ________ more hours a year than a French one.

 
Let me tell you my pen friend Ivan. He is 12 years old. He likes playing football. He usually play football with his friends at weekends.
Ivan lives with his father and mother in a city in France. They have a dream home with five rooms, a swimming pool and a garden. They often have a party in the garden at weekends. They like to help their neighbours. His home is not near his school, so Ivan takes a bus for an hour and then walks for 10 minutes to school. There is a Basketball Club near his school. He likes play basketball in the club.
Ivan’s father is a worker. He is busy. Ivan’s mother is a doctor. She is nice to the patients. Ivan wants to be a teacher when he grows up. I want to be a teacher, too. Every month Ivan writes two letters to me. He’ll come to Suqian next year. We’ll meet then.
【小题1】What are Ivan’s hobbies?