Comprehension - Intermediate . [ 23 ]

[ 23 ]Comprehension . 

[  23  ] Intermediate 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

                      It is commonly believed that only rich middle-aged businessmen suffer from stress . In fact , anyone may become ill as a result of stress , if they experience a lot of worry over a long period and their health is not particularly good . Stress can be a friend or an enemy : it can warn you that you are under too much pressure and should change your way of life . It can kill you if you don’t notice the warning signals . Doctors agree that it is probably the biggest single cause of illness in the western world .

                     The parts of the body that are most affected by stress are the stomach , heart , skin , head and back . Stress can cause car accidents , heart attacks and alcoholism . And may even drive people to suicide .

                     Our living and working conditions may put us under stress . Over-crowding in large cities , traffic jams , competition for jobs , uncertainty about the future and big change in our lives may be stressful . More people commit suicide in times of inflation .

                   As with all illnesses , prevention is better than cure . A very common danger signal is the inability to relax . “ When you’re taking work home , when you can’t enjoy an evening with friends , when you don’t have time for outdoor exercise – that is the time to stop and ask yourself whether your present life really suits you ,” says one family doctor .” Then it’s time to relax , or take up doing sports , painting , gardening or any other interesting stress-relieving activity .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] How may any one suffer from stress ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

2-] Why can stress be a friend or an enemy ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

3-] In what way does stress affect health ?

………………………………………………………………………………………

4-] Mention some causes of stress .

……………………………………………………………………………………….

B-] Choose the correct answer :

1-] The best cure for stress is

A-] doing nothing . B-] sitting alone .C-] to stop and ask yourself . D-] to relax.

2-] Alcoholism means not being able to stop taking

A-] soft drink . B-] black drink . C-] hot drink . D-] strong drink .

3-] What may not put us under stress is

A-] over-crowding in large cities .          B-] certainty about the future .                   C-] traffic jams .                                      D-] competition for jobs .