Sleep, considered a luxury by many, is essential for a person's wellbeing. Researchers have found that insufficient sleep and tiredness increase a person's risk of developing severe medical conditions, such as obesity (being very overweight), high blood sugar levels, and heart disease. Now, a new study has found that getting sufficient sleep is also the key to improving academic performance.
Jeffrey Gross, the university science professor who led the research, was not trying to find the relationship between sleep and grades when he handed out smart watches to the 100 students in his chemistry class. Instead, the professor hoped the wrist-worm devices, which track a person's physical activity, would show a connection between exercise and academic achievement.
While Gross's data showed no relationship between these two factors, the study found something surprising. As the researchers were analyzing their data, they noticed that there was a straight-line relationship between the average amount of sleep a student got and their results in the course's 11 quizzes, three midterm tests, and the final exam.
Even more interesting, it was not sufficient for students to just head to bed early the night before a test. Instead, it's the sleep you get during the days when learning is happening that matters most.
The time students went to bed each night was similarly important. Those who went to bed in early hours of the morning performed poorly, even if the total sleep time was the same as a higher-performing student. "When you go to bed matters," Gross says, "If you go to bed at 10, or 12, or 1 at night, and sleep for seven hours, your performance is the same. But if you go to bed after 2, your performance starts to go down even if you get the same seven hours. So, quantity isn't everything."
Perhaps the most interesting was the huge impact that small differences in sleep patterns had on the students' grades. The overall course grades for students averaging six and a half hours of sleep each night were 25% lower than students who averaged just one hour more sleep. Similarly, students who varied their bedtime by even one hour each night had grades that dropped 45% below those with more regular bedtimes.
Who knew getting A's just required some extra ZZZ's?
1.Based on his original objectives, which best describes Professor Gross's research findings?
A.Accidental. B.Complete. C.Convincing. D.Doubtful.
2.Who were the people taking part in the study?
A.Middle school chemistry students. B.Volunteers from different universities.
C.Professor Gross's own students. D.University student athletes.
3.How did Professor Gross's team measure academic performance?
A.Making the students wear a special watch.
B.Using students' university entrance test results.
C.Giving the students regular after class quizzes.
D.Using the students' normal test and quiz grades.
4.Based on the study's findings, who is likely to perform best academically.
A.A person who has a good night's sleep the night before an important test.
B.A person whose normal bedtime varies between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m.
C.A person who sleeps from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day.
D.A person who sleeps for a total of 7 hours each night.
When I watched the film “The Farewell” recently, I found it not only reminded me of my own family’s great lie, but it also reopened old wounds.
Its main characters tell lies that flow from their mouths smoothly. Billi, a Chinese-American artist in New York, and her grandmother in China, tell lies to each other on the phone. Billi, in cold wind, tells her grandma that she’s wearing a hat. She’s not. Her grandma says she’s visiting her sister, while she’s actually ill in hospital. They’re lying to avoid worrying each other, but in fact the grandma has lung cancer. The family know it but won’t tell her for fear that anxiety over the diagnosis (诊断) could kill her before the cancer.
When I was a teenager girl, my parents, both immigrants, got divorced. We never had a discussion about how things would change. We didn’t tell anyone. Instead, we pretended as if nothing had happened. My father did not run away; he slept in a separate room. In the presence of relatives, we acted as a close family. I was puzzled why we insisted on creating the illusion(假象) that everything was O.K..
I asked a professor of multicultural psychology. “Asians tend to have indirect communication,” he said, “In indirect communication, what’s not said is more important than what is said. Eastern philosophy emphasizes balance and harmony, and indirect communication minimizes conflict. So some Asian cultures value the ability to understand indirect messages.”
In the film, the family members show their love for grandma by keeping secret about her condition. Similarly, perhaps my parents intended to save face and preserve harmony. As an Asian-American, maybe all I’ll ever have is a secondhand understanding, and that’s the best I can do.
1.Why does Billi’s grandma tell lies to her according to Paragraph 2?
A.Because she’s afraid of the diagnosis.
B.Because she knows she has lung cancer.
C.Because she doesn’t want Billi to worry.
D.Because she has been used to telling lies.
2.What did the author’s parents do after they got divorced?
A.They left their home. B.They kept secret in public.
C.They had a discussion. D.They asked relatives for help.
3.How did the author feel about her parents’ behavior when she was a teenager?
A.Confused. B.Skeptical.
C.Unconcerned. D.Annoyed.
4.According to the psychology professor, what do Asian cultures attach importance to?
A.Severe conflicts. B.Ability of showing love.
C.Balance and harmony. D.Direct communication.
RD Talks: Jan’s Journey to Peace This is an inspiring podcast ( 播 客 ) from RD Talks. In this quick yet heartfelt story, a young nurse gains inspiration from the courage of her patients. Despite living with her own cancer, she helps her patients make themost out of every single day. |
You Must Remember This Love the Golden Age of Hollywood? You Must Remember This is the podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century. It is one of the top film podcasts around. This podcast is a heavily-researched work of creative nonfiction.
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Slow Burn If you’re interested in political scandals ( 丑闻), you can listen to the first season of this podcast by Leon Neyfakh, which covers the infamous 1970s Woodward and Bernstein’s “Watergate” investigation.
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Effortless English The Effortless English Show with AJ Hoge teaches how to speak English powerfully. AJ is the author of “Effortless English: Learn To Speak English Like A Native” and is known as “The World’s English Teacher”. Learn English. Learn English vocabulary. Learn about American culture.
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HOW TO GET PODCASTS TO LISTEN ON THE WEB: Google the website for “Slow Burn”, for example, and click on the play button. TO DOWNLOAD: Download an app such as Podcatchers or iTunes on your phone or tablet and simply search by title. |
1.What can we listen to on You Must Remember This?
A.Inspiring stories. B.Histories of Hollywood.
C.Political scandals. D.English Shows.
2.Who is known as an English teacher according to the text?
A.Leon Neyfakh. B.Woodward. C.Bernstein. D.AJ Hoge.
3.Which magazine is the text probably taken from?
A.Science. B.Travelling. C.Business review. D.Reader’s digest.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who is probably the speaker?
A.A tour guide. B.A journalist. C.A radio host.
2.What can the students do in the science room?
A.Grow vegetables. B.Eat chocolate cakes. C.Make pizzas.
3.What’s the total price for the school trip?
A.£25. B.£65. C.£90.
4.What does the speaker advise the parents to do?
A.Go to the school in person.
B.Call for further information.
C.Remember the e-mail address.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How is the Sony camcorder (便携式摄录机) bought by the man?
A.Small. B.Big. C.Heavy.
2.What’s the probable relationship between the two speakers?
A.Husband and wife. B.Employer and employee. C.Teacher and student.
3.For what reason are the digital video products popular?
A.Decreasing production. B.Inviting functions. C.Creative computers.
4.Which of the following can digital camcorders be connected with?
A.A pocket dictionary. B.A home computer. C.A slide show.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the man doing now?
A.Doing an interview. B.Asking for leave. C.Giving suggestions.
2.Which subject does the woman find difficult?
A.French. B.Ballet. C.Swimming.
3.When does the woman usually leave the library now?
A.At 4:30. B.At 5:30. C.At 6:00.
