Everybody can suffer from stress (压力). No matter what your age is, you can feel stressed out by things that are happening in your life. Teenagers, however, have many more opportunities to get stressed than people in any other age group. Being a teenager is hard. You are not a child any more, but you are not an adult, even though you have to deal with some very grown-up problems and decisions. Families can be one of the biggest causes of stress, such as problems with parents arguing at home or problems with brothers and sisters. Teenagers also have a lot of stress from school, either from their teachers or from their friends.

Some teenagers also feel stressed about choosing their education after high school. Getting a place at university can be very difficult and some cannot afford to go to university. The stress about getting a job when finishing school is hard for some teenagers. There are so many young people finishing school and not enough jobs for them. Sadly, there is nothing we can do to remove these causes of stress from the lives of teenagers, but you can learn the best way to deal with it.

Talking to people is one of the best ways to deal with stress. It may sound simple, but it is true.

A problem shared is a problem halved.

Do you know the reason why we feel tired in the middle of a class? Maybe you would say it is because the teacher’s class is boring.     11     Perhaps this is something you have not paid enough attention to or not yet noticed.

Purpose of sleep

    12     Sleep helps our body heal（修复）, grow, and stay healthy. It also gives us energy, so we can be active all day. Doctors and health scientists say: When you close your eyes and need to rest, sleep is just the very best! This is more than advice.

Sleep time

Enough sleep is important to us. How much sleep do we need? New-born babies sleep most of the time. They can sleep 20-22 hours a day. Children need 10-12 hours of sleep a day. Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep a day because they need lots of energy to grow into their adult bodies. Grown-ups usually need 6-8 hours of sleep to keep active.     13     That is why old people sleep less than young people.   

Interesting facts

Almost everyone has their dreams while they sleep, but not all of them can tell their dreams clearly when they wake up.     14     More surprisingly, some may even get up in their dreams and walk around. This is called “sleepwalking”. Are you a sleepwalker? Or, is there a sleepwalker around you?

Sleepy animals

It’s not just people that love to snooze（打盹）.     15     Some animals, such as bears and hedgehogs, sleep all through winter. The swift is a very fast bird that can sleep while it flies! Cute koalas sleep around 18 hours a day.

How to communicate with others is important.

First, invite people to _________ about their lives. Show an interest in hearing about a person’s family, ideas, or goals. If a person appears uncomfortable sharing something personal, change the _________.

Besides, give feedback（回馈）on what the person is talking about. Wait _________ for your turn to talk. Show that you want to listen to what others are saying. _________ expressing your opinion, repeat what you heard. Try to express what you heard in your own words. This shows that you were _________.

Third, saying “Tell me more.” is a great skill _________ it invites the other person to say more. If someone tells you that he’s thinking of _________ a new job, simply reply by saying , “Tell me more.” It shows people you are truly _________ in what they’re going to say.

Finally, asking for _________ shows that you value someone else’s opinion. Be willing to listen to someone else’s point of view respectfully. You can ask your friend if she likes your new jacket or ask a friend how you should ____________ a problem. Asking for advice can make others feel important.

It was a fine day. The sun was shining and the wind was gentle. The kids were playing in their backyard when a little cat tried to cross into their yard.     31    , it got stuck (卡住的) under the fence. The kids tried to free the cat, but they couldn’t. So they asked their mother for     32    . The mother freed the cat. The cat looked so     33     that the children begged (乞求) to keep it. Their mother said, “I don’t mind myself, but you must ask your father.”

The kids waited anxiously for their dad back from work. “Do you think our dad will allow us to keep it?” the girl asked. Before the boy answered the girl, they heard their father     34     the door. “Hi, daddy,” they both shouted loudly at the same time.

“You are surely happier than     35     to see today. What is up?” their father said.

“Nothing, daddy. We just love you so much,” the girl replied. That’s when their mother said, “Go ahead. Ask your dad.”

The girl told her dad what had happened and asked to keep the cat. The father said, “No, you can’t. We have     36     five cats so far. Your mommy and I have no time to take care of them anymore.” Hearing this, the kids     37     their heads disappointedly (失望地).

Seeing the sad looks on the kids’ faces, the father changed his mind. He said, “All right.     38     you love it so much, you can keep it.” Hearing this, the kids happily screamed, “Hooray! Thank you, daddy!”     39    , the father added that they must promise to look after the cat by themselves.

The kids were so     40     to have another pet friend. Then the cat was given the name “Lucky” by the kids.

My son lived in New York. Last winter my husband and I     55     (visit) him there. One day, while we were walking down the street, my son went to a store to see if there was a coat he wanted.

It was very cold. I went over to a supermarket to buy some chocolate, but my husband waited outside alone. When I came out, my husband     56     (talk) to a homeless man. I saw my husband     57     (take) off his gloves and hat and pass them     58     Frank, the homeless man.

Frank said he had been living in New York before a heavy rainstorm hit the city in the autumn of the year. He lost his home in the rainstorm,     59     he had no place to sleep. He was begging (乞讨) and trying to get ¥25 to find a cheap hotel where he could sleep for some hours. All he owned to keep warm was a jacket. My husband’s gloves and hat     60     (be) surprising gifts for him.

After a while, my son came out of the store, and a new coat was in his hand. I asked him what he was going to do with the old one. He said he would certainly keep it. I told him the story and suggested     61     (leave) it to Frank. To our great surprise, my son walked up to Frank and gave the new coat to him. Frank asked, “Did you buy this for me?” My son said no, but he wanted Frank     62     (have) it. Frank stood there holding the coat, with something wet in his eyes. He thanked us with his whole heart. He said, “I     63     (try) to find a job as soon as possible to support (供养) myself.”

My son couldn’t get the picture of Frank out of his mind. He went home, took out all his clothes that didn’t fit him, and posted them to a shelter (避难所). He     64     (do) this a few times since then.