Experts say about 1% of young women in the United States are almost starving themselves today. They are suffering from a sickness called anorexia.

These young women have an abnormal fear of getting fat. They【C1】________starve themselves so they weigh at 15% less than their normal weight.

The National Institute of Mental Health says one【C2】_____ten cases of anorexia leads to serious medical problems. These patients can die from heart failure or the disease can lead young women to【C3】_____themselves. For example, former gymnast Christy Henrich died at age

1. She weighed only 61 pounds.

A person with anorexia first develops joint and muscle problems. There is a lack of iron in the blood.【C4】_____the sickness progresses, a young woman’s breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure rates slow down. The important substance calcium is【C5】__from the bones, something causing bones to break. Sometimes the brain gets smaller, causing changes in【C6】__a person thinks and acts. Scientists say many patients have further mental and emotional problems. They have【C7】__opinions about themselves. They feel helpless. Their attempts to become extremely thin may【C8】__efforts to take control of their lives. They may become dependent on illegal drugs. Some people also feel the need to continually repeat a(n)【C9】_____. For example, they may repeatedly wash their hands although their hands are clean.

Anorexia is a serious eating【C10】________. If it is not treated on time, it can be fatal.

The normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hours’ sleep alternation with some 16-17 hours’ wakefulness and that the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this【C1】________can be modified.

The question is no mere academic one. The ease with【C2】_____people can change from working in the day to working at night is a【C3】__of growing importance in industry where automation【C4】__round-the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a【C5】__routine of sleep and wakefulness, sleeping during the day and working at night.【C6】__it is often the case in industry that shifts are changed every week. This【C7】__that no sooner has he got used to one routine than he has to change to another, so that much of his time is spent neither working nor sleeping very【C8】_____.

Recent research has shown that people on such systems will revert to go back to their【C9】_____habits of sleep and wakefulness during the weekend and that this is quite enough to destroy any【C10】_____to night work built up during the week. The only real solution appears to be to hand over the night shift to those permanent night workers whose habit may persist through all weekends and holidays.

Scientists say they have found key clues into how long we will live. One of them is a【C1】_____handshake. British researchers believe a strong grip is not just a sign of confidence but also an【C2】__of longevity. Lead author Dr. Rachel Cooper, of University College London, said her study looked into 33 different reports on the strength of handshakes. The research【C3】__more than 50,000 men and women and spanned 40 years. Dr. Cooper concluded that those with weaker handshakes were 70 per cent more likely to die earlier than those with the stronger handshakes. She concludes that people with strong grips may have benefited【C4】_____a happy childhood that included a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

The new study,【C5】_____in the British Medical Journal, also found other signs of living a longer life. These “measures of physical capability” include walking at a faster【C6】__. getting out of a chair quickly, and being able to balance on one leg. The study showed that slow walkers were almost three times【C7】__to die earlier than those who【C8】__out of their chairs. Dr. Cooper believes there needs to be more【C9】__into the link between physical capability and longevity. “Research that helps people to enjoy a long and healthy life is ever more important to help【C10】_____an ageing population,” she said.