42 題至第 46 題:
In the summer of 1964, the well-known writer and editor Norman Cousins became very ill. He consulted his
physician, who did many tests. Eventually he was diagnosed as having ankylosing spondylitis, a very serious and
destructive form of arthritis. His doctor told him that he would become immobilized and eventually die of the
disease.
Despite the diagnosis, Cousins was determined to overcome the disease and survive. He had always been
interested in medicine and had read the work of the organic chemist Hans Selye, The Stress of Life (1956). This
book discusses the idea of how body chemistry and health can be damaged by emotional stress and negative
attitudes. Selye’s book made Cousins think about the possible benefits of positive attitudes and emotions. He
decided to concentrate on positive emotions as a remedy to heal some of the symptoms of his ailment. In addition
to his conventional medical treatment, he tried to put himself in situations that would elicit positive emotions.
“Laugh therapy” became part of his treatment. He scheduled time each day for watching comedy films, reading
humorous books, and doing other activities that would bring about laughter and positive emotions. Within eight
days of starting his “laugh therapy” program, his pain began to decrease and he was able to sleep more easily. His
body chemistry even improved. Doctors were able to see an improvement in his condition. He was able to return
to work in a few months’ time and actually reached complete recovery after a few years. 【題組】43 How did Norman Cousins react to the doctor’s preliminary diagnosis?
(A)He made up his mind to defeat the disease.
(B)He felt hopeless and refused to receive any medical treatment.
(C)He was skeptical about the diagnosis and asked for more tests.
(D)He tried to get more information about the disease by reading books.