You've probably heard someone say that the reason you ……….(1)………… a cold was that you were 'run down'. People generally accept that if you are under pressure or run down you are more likely ……….(2)………… ill. But is this really true or is it just an old wives' tale? The problem with old sayings like this is that it's often difficult ……….(3)………… whether they are true or not. For example, if you ask people with colds whether they are feeling run down, they are almost certain to say yes. People without colds ……….(4)……… more likely to say no. So, how do you tell if it's the cold that ……….(5)………… them feel run down or the fact that they are run down that is making them more likely to catch a cold? Now it ……….(6)…………there is a scientific answer to this question. And answer is yes - if you are run down or under stress, you are more likely to catch a cold. Scientists at the Common Cold Research Centre ran a series of tests. They got volunteers without colds to attend the centre, where they ……….(7)………… a questionnaire to complete. The questions measured the amount of stress each volunteer was under. The volunteers were then deliberately infected with a cold virus and left to see whether they developed a cold. After many people ……….(8)………… the researchers looked for a link between the measured stress level and the chances of catching a cold. They found that the higher the stress, the more likely the person was to catch a cold. At the moment it ……….(9)………… why stress makes someone more likely to become ill, but now that the link ……….(10)…………, researchers might be able to investigate further. They may even find different ways of combating disease.