American society is not nap (午睡)friendly . In fact , says David Dings , sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine , “There’s even a prohibition (禁止) against admitting we need sleep”. Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work . To quote a proverb : “Some sleep five hours , nature requires seven , laziness nine and wickedness(淘气的) eleven.”
The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them . “We have to totally change our attitude toward napping ,” says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University , the godfather of sleep research .
Last year a national commission led by Dement identified(发现) an “American sleep debt” which one member said was as important as the national debt . The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness : people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving . This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House . According to recent reports , President Clinton is trying to take a half---hour snooze (瞌睡) every afternoon .
About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity . We seem to have “a mid afternoon quiet phase ,” also called “a secondary sleep gate .” Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed . Clearly , we were born to nap .
We superstars of snooze don’t nap to replace lost shut--eye or to prepare for a night shift . Rather , we “snack” on sleep ,whenever , wherever and at whatever time we feel like it . I myself have napped in buses , cars , planes and on boats ; on floors and beds ;and in libraries , offices and museums .
1.The research done by the Dement Commission shows that Americans .
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A．don’t like to take naps |
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B．are terribly worried about their national debt |
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C．think that lack of enough sleep causes many accidents |
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D．have caused many industrial and traffic accidents |
2.The purpose of this article is to .
B. explain the danger of sleepiness
C. discuss the side effects of napping
D. convince the reader of the necessity of napping
3.The “American sleep debt”(Line 1 , Para .3) is the result of .
4.The second sentence of the last paragraph tells us that it is .
Many of us already know about several American superstitions(迷信). Having a black cat cross your path, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are all bad luck. In addition to these, there are many other superstitions that are worth knowing. Understanding them will keep you safe from evil spirits—if you believe in such things—and impress your American friends when you mention them.
Like the superstitions in other cultures, American superstitions often involve the things important in daily life, such as health, numbers, and marriage. For example, have you ever had a cough that would not go away? According to one American superstition, you should take a piece of your hair and put it between two slices of buttered bread. Next, feed this hair sandwich to a dog and say, “Eat well, you hound, may you be sick and I be sound.”This will trick the evil spirits and help your cough. It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.
In American superstitions, the number three is very important. Often, Americans will say, “All things come in threes.” Three is lucky because it represents the traditional family: mother, father, and child. Therefore, gifts, letters, and guests will often arrive at your home in groups of three. However, it is also possible for bad events, like accidents and funerals, to come in threes as well.
Another time people pay attention to superstitions is when they get married. During a wedding, brides must wear or carry“something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”The old and borrowed things will bring luck to the person who gives them to the bride. The new and blue things will bring good fortune to the bride herself. The next time someone you know is getting married, be sure to recite this phrase.
As it would be unlucky to discuss one more superstition, we will wind things up here. Keep your fingers crossed, and stay lucky!
1.The passage is most probably entitled(命名)“ ”.
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A．American’s Bad Luck |
B．Cross-culture and Superstitions |
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C．American Superstitions |
D．Daily Life in Superstitions |
2.The underlined sentence in the second paragraph“It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it”means: .
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A．When you try it, the dog will raise its eyebrows |
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B．You will make some people surprised when you try this trick |
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C．Only if you raise your eyebrows can the trick work |
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D．You will believe in the trick after you try it |
3.In American’s view, the number three is a(n) number.
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A．lucky |
B．unlucky |
C．special |
D．ordinary |
4.On the wedding, the bride often uses old and borrowed things so as to .
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A．save some money for the wedding |
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B．bring good luck to the people who give them to the bride |
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C．give the good luck to the bride herself |
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D．pass the bad luck to others |
If you leave this application form and go to another website, you will lose_____ you have already filled out on this form.
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A．whatever |
B．no matter what |
C．whichever |
D．no matter which |
Although he is old, he is still very much______.
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A．living |
B．live |
C．alive |
D．lovely |
______, his ideas was accepted by all the people at the meeting.
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A．Strange as might it sound |
B．As it might sound strange |
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C．As strange it might sound |
D．Strange as it might sound |
If there ______ no water, there ______ no life on the earth.
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A．is, would be. |
B．was, was. |
C．were, would be. |
D．were, would have. |
