Norman Cousins was a businessman from the United States who often traveled around the world on business. He enjoyed his ___1___ and traveling.
Then, after returning to the United States from a ___2___ trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic(USSR), Mr. Cousins got sick. Because he had pushed his body to the ___3___ of its strength on the trip, a change began to take place ___4___ him. The material between his bones became ___5___.
In less than one week after his return, he could not ___6___. Every move that he ___7___ was painful. He was not able to sleep at night. The doctors told him that they did not know how to cure Mr. Cousins’ problem and he might never ___8___ over the illness. Mr. Cousins, however, refused to give up ___9___ Mr. Cousins thought that ___10___ thoughts were causing bad chemical changes in his body. He did not want to take medicine to cure himself. ___11___, he felt that happy thoughts or ___12___ might cure his illness.
He began to ___13___ on himself while still in the hospital by watching funny shows on television. Mr. Cousins quickly found that 10 minutes of real laughter during the ___14___ gave him two hours of pain-free sleep at night. ___15___ the doctors could not help him, Mr. Cousins left the hospital and checked into a hotel room where he could ___16___ his experiments with laughter. For eight days, Mr. Cousins rested in the hotel room watching funny shows on television, reading funny books, and sleeping ___17___ he felt tired. Within three weeks, he felt well ___18___ to take a vacation to Puerto Rico where he began running on the beach for ___19___. After a few months, Mr. Cousins returned to work. He had laughed himself back to ___20___.
1. A. time B. holiday C. sleep D. work
2. A. boring B. tiring C. dangerous D. pleasant
3. A. top B. degree C. problem D. limit
4. A. from B. around C. inside D. beside
5. A. weak B. ill C. false D. painful
6. A. speak B. breathe C. stand D. see
7. A. made B. did C. took D. gave
8. A. look B. get C. turn D. think
9. A. effort B. hope C. treatment D. arrangement
10. A. foolish B. unusual C. funny D. unhappy
11. A. Instead B. however C. Therefore D. Otherwise
12. A. sleep B. travel C. laughter D. television
13. A. rescue B. operate C. try D. experiment
14. A. day B. week C. month D. year
15. A. Promising B. Deciding C. Doubting D. Recognizing
16. A. invent B. begin C. continue D. prove
17. A. until B. whenever C. unless D. so that
18. A. soon B. completely C. slowly D. enough
19. A. exercise B. illness C. rest D. pleasure
20. A. power B. sense C. health D. happiness
