Question

Our body clock, or natural body rhythm, influences our energy and alertness. Paying attention to it can help us choose the suitable time of the day when we best perform specific tasks.

The reality, however, is that most of us organize the time around work demands, school deadlines, commuting or social events. Doing whatever the body feels like doing is a luxury in today’s fast-paced modern society.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying. Obeying our body clock has significant health benefits. Disrupting our natural body rhythm, on the other hand, has been linked to problems such as depression, obesity, or headache, says Steve Key, a biology professor.

When the body clock can synchronize (使……同步) the rhythms of its natural processes, it “gives us an advantage in daily life”, says Key.

According to him, when it comes to cognitive (认知的) work, most adults perform best in the late morning. As our body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase until midday, our memory, alertness and concentration gradually improve.

However, he adds, our ability to concentrate typically starts to decrease soon thereafter. Most of us are more easily distracted (分心) between noon and 4 pm.

Alertness also tends to fall after eating a meal and sleepiness tends to peak around 2 pm, making that a good time for a nap.

Surprisingly, tiredness may increase our creative powers. For most adults, problems that require open-ended thinking are often best dealt with in the evening when they are tired, according to a study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning.

When choosing a time of the day to exercise, paying attention to your body clock can improve results. Physical performance is usually best from about 3 to 6 pm, says Michael Smolensky, a professor of biomedical engineering.

Of course, not everyone’s body clock is the same, making it even harder to synchronize natural rhythms with daily plans.

1.If we know our natural body rhythm well, we can ______.

A. find out the suitable time to do specific tasks

B. organize our time around work demands

C. do whatever our body feels like doing

D. be sure to be healthy

2.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Our alertness is influenced by our natural body rhythm.

B. Doing whatever your body feels like is very difficult in our modern society.

C. Obeying our body clock is good for our health.

D. Disrupting our natural body rhythm must lead to obesity.

3.Inspiration (灵感) to solve a difficult problem will most probably come to us

______.

A. when we get up in the morning

B. when we are tired in the evening

C. when we are full of energy in the late morning

D. when we are asleep at night

4.Which of the following can be the suitable title for the passage?

A. What is natural body rhythm?

B. Natural body rhythm is good for us.

C. Something about natural body rhythm.

D. The latest research about natural body rhythm.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：人体生物钟的存在对我们来说有着极重要的意义，如果外界环境变化干扰了生物钟的正常运转，造成了人体器官内部节奏的紊乱，会引起某些疾病；而如果能够合理利用生物钟的规律，人们就能高效地完成某些任务。

1.1】A细节理解题。从文章首段Paying attention to it can help us choose the suitable time of day when we best perform specific tasks注意到这一点可以帮助我们选对我们做某些特殊工作的最佳时间，故选A项。

2.2】D细节理解题。根据文章第二段Disrupting our natural body rhythm，on the other hand，has been linked to problems such as depression，obesity，or headache，可知打乱人体自然的生物钟可能会导致抑郁，肥胖，头痛等问题，故选D项。

3.3】B细节理解题。根据文章第四段内容According to him，when it comes to cognitive（认知的）work，most adults perform best in the late morning．可知研究人员认为大多数成年人在上午的晚些时候从事认知性工作时表现会更佳，故B选项。

4.4】C主旨大意题。文章开头提出人们要注意人体的生物钟以便能更好的选对我们做某些特殊工作的最佳时间，然后在下文对此进行详细讲述，由此判断文章中心内容就是关于生物钟的，故C选项内容更能体现文章中心，答案选C。故选C项。

考点：说明文类短文阅读。