World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to make people realize the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore(忽视) its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.
In 2019, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece did a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. According to the survey, 24 percent said that they found it hard to have a good sleep. And based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed(诊断) with insomnia(失眠) and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. Besides, 30.7 percent reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems. And 11.6 percent said they had a feeling of needing sleep during the day.
The main causes: leading to these problems are stress from school or work and a fast pace of life. Noise pollution and light pollution also cause poor-quality sleep. The survey's finding are worrying because large numbers of people can't sleep well at night.
Overall, the survey showed that poor-quality sleep influences many people. Some can't fall asleep and they often wake up in the middle of the night. If this happens for a long time, there is a possibility that sleepless people will get fatter and have a heart attack.
There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have good sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things with caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.
Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.
Topic | Detailed information |
World Sleep Day | As people pay no 1. to the importance of sleep, sleep problems are becoming more common. So people created World Sleep Day to emphasize the importance of sleep. |
Findings of the survey | ◆Of 3,5000 people in 10 countries in the world, 24 percent of the people had 2. sleeping well. ◆31.6 percent were diagnosed with insomnia and another 175 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. ◆30.7 percent reported turning to a doctor for sleep problems. ◆11.6 percent said they felt 3. during the day. |
4.of sleep problems | ◆People may have sleep problems because of stress from school or work and a fast pace of life. ◆Noise pollution and light pollution cause poor-quality sleep as 5.. |
Influences poor-quality sleep has on people | ◆Some are 6. to fall asleep and they often wake up in the middle of the night. ◆It is 7. that sleepless people will get fatter and have a heart attack. |
8. to improve sleep quality | ◆Have good sleep habits. ◆Make your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. ◆9. things with caffeine. |
Conclusion | 10. the advice above, and you can rest better at night and work better during the day. |
Chaka Salt Lake(茶卡盐湖)lies in Qinghai Province, China. It sits at an altitude(海拔)of about 3,100 meters and covers an area of about 105 square kilometers. It is rich in salt with a heavy salt bed close to the lake surface. That makes the lake a main source of salt in our country. When the weather is clear, the lake offers beautiful reflections(影像)of the blue sky.
That is why people call it "sky mirror".
Because of its wonderful views, the lake is seen as one of the "must-go" places in China.
The beautiful sunrise and sunset views are the most attractive. Every July, large numbers of visitors begin to crowd to (涌入)Chaka Salt Lake. And the situation usually lasts until the end of August. Because they just don't want to miss the best time to go there. It is believed that with the summer breeze (微风), breathing in the salty air is especially good for lungs (肺). If you want to go on a trip to the lake, the following tips may be helpful.
◆The salt in the lake can't be eaten directly.
◆Wear sunglasses and a hat because of the strong sunshine.
◆You can't stop taking photos, so you'd better take your camera with you.
◆ Prepare some medicine for the weak and the elderly so that they can deal with altitude sickness.
Travelling to such a beautiful world of salt with snowy mountains and green grass around, you will feel like you are in a fairyland.
1.Where does Chaka Salt Lake lie?
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2.What's the area of Chaka Salt Lake?
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3.What makes people see Chaka Salt Lake as one of the "must-go" places in China?
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4.When is the best time to visit Chaka Salt Lake?
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5.Why should people prepare medicine for the weak and the elderly?
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Studies show that language learning in babies is improved when parents speak more than a few simple words and use a wider vocabulary(词汇). Earlier research found that the style of speech used by parents to communicate with their baby could increase language development.
One such speaking style is known as "parentese". Research has shown that babies react (反应) better to this kind of language in the first months of life. Generally, "parentese" requires adults to speak in a higher voice and at a slower speed. The language is made easier to understand, while sentences are short and often repeated.
Can parents be taught good ways to improve their "parentese" skills? Patricia Kuhl, a professor of speech and hearing sciences, carried out a study on it. She says the purpose of the study was to find out whether a parent can be "trained" to create their own speaking style to improve language learning in children.
Naja Ferjan Ramirez helped lead the study. "Most parents know that the amount(数量) of language their child hears is important," Ferjan Ramrez said. "What we shared with them through training is that how they talk to their baby may matter even more."
For the study, parents were given a small recording device(设备), which they put inside a piece of their baby's clothing. All spoken communication from parents and the child was recorded. The recordings were made at three different periods of the child's life: when the child was six, ten and fourteen months old. The parents were divided into two groups: a control group and an intervention(干预) group. Those in the intervention group received training after their six and ten month recordings.
The study found that between the ages of six and fourteen months, trained parents increased the amount of speech directed to the child and their use of "parentese" by 15 percent. Parents in the control group showed less growth in those areas, about 7 percent.
1.What can parents do to improve their baby's language learning?
A.Communicate with their baby with a few simple words.
B.Communicate with their baby with a wider vocabulary.
C.Communicate with their baby using longer sentences.
D.Communicate with their baby in a gentle voice.
2.What can we learn about "parentese" from the text?
A.It means that adults talk with their babies in a lower voice.
B.It means that the language parents use becomes more difficult.
C.It means that adults talk with their babies more quickly.
D.It means that the sentences parents use are short.
3.According to Ferjan Ramirez, what do the researchers want parents to know about through training?
A.The importance of the amount of language their child hears.
B.The importance of the type of language their child understands.
C.The importance of the way parents talk to their children.
D.The importance of high and low voices when parents talk to children.
4.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A.What the study needed. B.How the study was carried out.
C.The reason why the study was carried out. D.The advantages of the study.
5.What can be concluded(推断) from the study mentioned above?
A.Trained parents are more likely(可能的) to improve their children's language learning.
B.Six to fourteen months is the best time to improve children's language learning.
C.Parents in the control group used more "parentese" than in the intervention group.
D.Trained parents needed to use "parentese" for at least fourteen months.
The last football season was long over. Our team had done well but I wanted us to do even better the next year. But how? Then an idea hit me. I ordered cards with simple words—"BOONVILLE PIRATES—1974 STATE CHAMPIONS(州冠军)!"
When the cards were printed, we gave them out all over the town. Pretty soon those cards were everywhere. That was what we wanted. We wanted our goal(目标) to be right in front of us, and for all to see.
Although someone doubted our words, it only served to encourage us to make our dream come true. Our school had never won a state champion in any sport—we decided to change that history.
By the time football practice started in late August, we were focused. With our goal in our minds, we stepped into the final.
Then it started to snow. A huge storm broke and school was cancelled. But we made it to the school gym(体育馆) and kept practicing.
Our coach received a call the night before the game. He told us that sate officers were thinking of cancelling the game and announcing that both teams were champions because of the bad weather. We were asked if we would accept that. "No way" was our answer.
The day came. We arrived at the football field and found it was covered in snow. Still, we began our warm-ups.
Both teams didn't score in the first half. We became worried because time was running out on our team. During the break, Coach Rengan reminded us of what we had been through to get to this moment. Then he pulled out the card, saying. "Do you want this?"
Paying conditions were still difficult, but our determination didn't disappear. We unbelievably scored 34 points in the second half. Our year-long dream came true—1974 STATE CHAMPIONS.
1.Why did the members give out the cards all over the town?
A.To make their dream about a state champion known.
B.To call on people to join their team.
C.To tell their success in the last football season.
D.To invite people to watch the game.
2.What do we know about the team?
A.They changed the words in their cards.
B.They learned a lot from the other team.
C.They refused the decision made by the state officers.
D.They practiced out of school because of the storm.
3.Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A.The author(作者) ordered cards in 1973.
B.Some people in town doubted the words on the card.
C.The players became worried when arriving at the football field.
D.The author's team scored 34 points in the final.
4.What did the Coach Reagan do during the team's break time?
A.He taught them to stay calm. B.He gave them some valuable advice.
C.He comforted (安慰) them for a scoreless first half. D.He reminded them of their dream.
5.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.No pain, no gain B.Work towards your dream
C.Face difficulties with courage D.Find what you love
There is nothing better than an old-fashioned swimming hole to get away from the heat this summer. Here's where to find the best places all over the country.
Madison Blue Spring, Florida This naturally-formed spring (泉水) lives up to its name (名副其实): The water is blue and attractive. Now a state park, the 25-foot deep swimming hole lies inside a lovely forest next to the Withlacoochee River in northern Florida. If you are brave, you can even swim into the hole's underwater caves. | Santa Rosa Blue Hole, New Mexico Like an oasis (绿洲) in the desert, this swimming hole keeps a perfect temperature of 62 degrees. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom. It is because the water, which is connected to an underwater cave system (系统), renews itself every six hours. You can even jump in from the edge of the broken sinkhole (沉洞), which is off the famous highway Route 66. |
Switzer Falls, California You can get out of the city with a trip to the Bear Canyon area of Angeles National Forest near Los Angeles. Follow the river to the 50-foot Switzer Falls, and you can pass lots of natural pools before and after the waterfall (瀑布). You can choose what you like! Getting there requires hiking a couple of miles out and back, but the cool water on a hot day is worth it. | Peekamoose Blue Hole, New York Sometimes natural beauty can be nearly ruined because it is famous. The Peekamoose Blue Hole is in such a worrying situation. The swimming hole faced overuse, environmental harm and pollution. So strict rules were made to protect the quiet place several years ago. In the future, a permit (许可证) may be required to visit the pool to limit the number of visitors. |
1.What is a feature of Madison Blue Spring, Florida?
A.It is beyond a forest. B.It can provide an underwater adventure (探险).
C.It is dug by workers. D.It's 25 meters deep.
2.What can we know about Switzer Falls from the passage?
A.It helps visitors avoid summer heat. B.It lies inside the city.
C.Visitors can drive directly to it. D.It has only one natural pool for visitors.
3.What will happen to Peekamoose Blue Hole in the future ?
A.It will be repaired to attract more visitors. B.Swimmers will not be allowed to visit it.
C.Visitors will become fewer than before. D.People will volunteer to protect it.
4.What does the underlined word "ruined" probably mean?
A.赞扬 B.毁坏 C.保护 D.联系
5.Where can you read the passage?
A.In a book review. B.In a novel. C.In a textbook. D.In a travel magazine.
When I was in high school, my family met with a lot of difficulties and I couldn't afford any expensive things. I had to _______ everywhere because I couldn't even afford a bus ticket. I loved to read, but buying any new books was completely _______with money mainly spent on schooling, and I was bored with re-reading(重读) the ones I had at home.
There was only one library that was a few minutes' walk to my school or home, but I didn't have the very small amount(数量) money which was needed to become a proper _______, so for the half hour between the time I left school and the time the library closed, I would _______ there to pick up a book and read inside it. I would try to remember the _______ so that take the same book and _______ reading from where I had stopped the following day. A weeks later, I _______ to read a couple of books. Then the librarian stopped me one day _______ I left. To my great _______, she told me that she had ________ I came in every day. She’d also seen me losing myself in books. She ________ my love for reading and lent me her member card.
Thanks to her, I was able to borrow as many books as I liked and have something new to read ________ at home whenever I wanted. My family ________ later and I never saw that librarian again, but to this day, I can't forget her and her act of ________ that made me feel bright in a very dark time. I sincerely thank her for________me to get enough spiritual(精神的) food, which influenced me greatly.
1.A.look B.go C.work D.walk
2.A.unpopular B.useless C.impossible D.inactive
3.A.librarian B.fan C.member D.volunteer
4.A.hurry B.wait C.serve D.leave
5.A.title B.page C.cover D.character
6.A.try B.advise C.continue D.practice
7.A.offered B.prepared C.promised D.managed
8.A.after B.before C.if D.unless
9.A.surprise B.sadness C.shame D.pride
10.A.expected B.agreed C.noticed D.heard
11.A.protected B.reported C.shared D.admired
12.A.quickly B.actively C.comfortably D.publicly
13.A.moved B.knew C.changed D.thanked
14.A.courage B.kindness C.happiness D.strength
15.A.reminding B.expecting C.teaching D.helping
