As a student,I heard the line “graduate school is stressful” so many times that it began to bear no meaning.

Sure,there were campus resources that encouraged healthy behaviors,including deep thought,and the benefits of self-care,but self-care sounded expensive and time-consuming to me;I had work to do.And I was not a fan of deep thought:The thought of sitting still for 30 minutes only caused me greater stress.But one thing I couldn’t stay away from was walking my dog.

Tessa is a six-year-old lovely coonhound that I got as a gift to myself,for completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.I first saw Tessa as a thin and little dog in a photo on the Internet.She was found,huddled up with her friends,in a deserted house in Alabama.

Because of Tessa,I took frequent walking breaks while studying for a master’s degree in public health at Yale University in New Haven,Connecticut.I discovered the best corners and crannies on campus,including the sloping grass land behind the school,filled with squirrels and sticks — a safe place for dogs.I found a tree accidentally with a swing,overlooking the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History,which offered the best sunset view in town.On our daily walks,I found calm in the woods and quiet in the early mornings enveloping the city streets.

Now,as I work from home,Tessa continues to help me deal with a lonely existence.Just like in graduate school,she demands that I stop working,however briefly,and accompany her on a walk.These forced breaks throughout the day take me away from my computer and help me to stay active,greet my neighbors and come back to work refreshed.And although I certainly haven’t escaped from stress,and I am still trying to find my footing in research,I will continue to make time for walks every day.I recommend it very much.

【小题1】How did the author feel about deep thought?

A．Anxious.

B．Time-consuming.

C．Disordered.

D．Encouraged.

【小题2】What did the author think of Tessa when seeing her at the first time?

A．Lovely.

B．Gifted.

C．Poor.

D．Courageous.

【小题3】What does the author want to express in paragraph 4?

A．Tessa likes walking very much.

B．The Yale University is very beautiful.

C．The author likes both the city and the university.

D．Tessa is helpful for the author to get through graduate school happily.

【小题4】What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The author often feels lonely at home.

B．The author works hard but exercises less.

C．Both the author and the neighbors like Tessa.

D．Walking with Tessa benefits the author much.