Nowadays the U.S. students are sleepy in school because they spend too much time texting, playing video games, watching TV and using the media in other ways.
“Heavy media use interferes with sleep by reducing sleep duration, making it harder to fall asleep, and lowering sleep quality,” Meilan Zhang, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, wrote in her research review in the journal, Sleep Medicine.
But the relationship between youth’s media use and sleep is not so simple, said Michael Gradisar, who authored both that review and the Sleep Medicine meta-analysis. “Technology use is the new evidence when we are trying to answer ‘Why are school-age children sleeping less?’” said Mr. Gradisar, an associate professor of psychology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.
There may be safe limits to technology use, Mr. Gradisar stated. For instance, recent research results indicate that using a bright screen for an hour before bed or even playing violent video games for less than that will not necessarily interfere with teenagers’ sleep, he wrote.
But longer periods of usage can be harmful to sleep, Mr. Gradisar added. Rather than delaying school start times, he said, the first step should be educating parents about limiting the hours that their children are using technology before bed, and enforcing a consistent bedtime.
Early school start times are also commonly blamed for students’ sleepiness, especially for adolescents. Secondary schools around the nation and the world have been delaying start times, often with positive results.
Mr. Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center hesitated to put blame to any particular factor. But he did think that cost-saving measures to consolidate（合并）bus routes might help explain U.S. students’ sleepiness.
“For those children who board the bus first, they must get up earlier, may end up sleeping on the way to school, and may end up arriving at school sleepy.” he said.
1.Which of the following may be the best title for the text?
A. Kids benefit a lot from technology.
B. Several sleep troubles appear at school.
C. Some tips can help kids sleep well.
D. Several factors affect kids’ sleep.
2.Which of the following may be the good way to help kids sleep better?
A. Parents should be well educated.
B. Technology is forbidden at home.
C. Their playing time must be limited.
D. They are allowed to go to school early.
3.Who are most likely to be interested in the text?
A. The teachers. B. The parents.
C. The officials. D. The researchers.
Come for Dinner by Leslie Revsin
Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner. Revsin, the former owner and chef of Manhattan’s Restaurant Leslie, offers a collection of over 150 recipes designed for small get-togethers of friends and family. There are various ethnic dishes that draw from Asia，the Mediterranean, Latin cultures and more. Revsin believes cooking at home provides the opportunity to connect with friends and family on a good level.
Retro Beach Bash by Linda Everett
Grab your beach blanket and your surfboard — it’s time for a beach party! With more than 100 recipes for beach picnics and barbecues, Retro Beach Bash is the beach lover’s companion for fun in the sun.
Half information and half cookbook, you can browse the pages that are filled with beach fun tips and advice. The second half of this book is a cookbook, which can help you make foods to satisfy every taste on the beach.
Entertaining Edibles by Sidney Escowitz
You’ve seen them decorating plates at restaurants, admired them at weddings, and expressed great surprise at the chefs who designed them — and now you can produce them at home.
Sidney shares lots of practical tips that will give your finished food sculptures a professional look and send you on your way towards creating your own original works of food art.
Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Olivier Said
If you’re a fan of Spanish Tapas bars, this book is a must-have for your library. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll still want this book if you’re a fan of Tapas bars, only for the lively discussions of the cheeses of Spain along with other Spanish wines and spirits.
1.If you want to prepare a delicious dish for your family at home, you’d better choose ________.
A. Retro Beach Bash B. Entertaining Edibles
C. Come for Dinner D. Recipes from a Tapas Bar
2.The underlined word “ browse” in the text means ________.
A. read B. change C. design D. write
3. Who can tell you how to make the works of food art?
A. Leslie Revsin. B. Sidney Escowitz
C. Linda Everett. D. Olivier Said.
4.The books mentioned in the text are mainly about _________.
A. people B. traveling
C. cooking D. sports
One day I was waiting in line to check out at Wal-Mart. Like a lot of people who want to get through a checkout line, my thoughts were on speed, nothing more. The line I was standing in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced toward the cashier.
There stood a man in his seventies. Of average build, he wore glasses and a nice smile. I thought, “Well, he’s an old guy and it probably takes him a little longer to get the chores done.”
For the next few minutes I watched him. He greeted every customer before he began scanning the items they were purchasing. Sure, his words were the usual, “How’s it going?” But he did something different—he actually listened to people. Then he would respond to what they had said and engage them in brief conversation.
I thought it was strange, but I guess I had grown accustomed to people asking me how I was doing simply out of a robotic conversational habit. After a while, you don’t give any thought to the question and just mumble something back. I could say, “I just found out I have six months to live,’’ and someone would reply, “Have a great day!’’
This old cashier had my attention. He seemed genuine (真诚的）about wanting to know how people were feeling. And after giving them the change, the old cashier looked the customers in the eyes. “I sure want to thank you for shopping here today, ’’he told them. “You will have a great day. Bye-bye.”
The looks on the faces of the customers were priceless. There were smiles and some shy grins (露齿而笑).All had been touched by his simple gesture in a place they never expected.
1.The author glanced at the cashier because of ______ .
A. the look of the old cashier
B. the slow speed of the checkout line
C. the smile on the cashier’s face
D. the long line of customers
2. In the fourth paragraph, the author intends to tell us ______ .
A. people usually have robotic conversations
B. no one cared about his health
C. people are not friendly to each other
D. he was suffering from a serious disease
3.What is special about the old cashier according to the author? He ______ .
A. worked hard at his old age
B. had usual conversations with customers
C. gave customers the right change
D. listened to people attentively
4.How did the customers probably feel after meeting the old cashier?
A. Quite ashamed of themselves.
B. Completely puzzled.
C. Unexpectedly moved.
D. Curious but happy
We all have our ways of marking time. As a photographer, my life is measured from one story to the next. My oldest son was born in the middle of a long story about the Endangered Species Act. My daughter came along with a pack of gray wolves.
Twenty stories later, though, it’s the story in Alaska that I’ll remember best. It was the story about the loss of wilderness — and the story during which my wife Kathy got cancer. That’s the one that made time stand still. I stopped taking pictures on the day when she found that tumor (肿瘤). Cruelly, it was Thanksgiving. By Christmas, she had become very weak. Some days she was so sick she couldn’t watch TV.
Early examination saves time. But ours was not early. By the time you can feel it yourself, it’s often bigger than the doctor want it to be.
Cancer is a thief. It steals time. Our days are already short with worry. Then comes this terrible disease, unfair as storm at harvest time. But cancer also has the power to change us, for good. We learn to simplify, enjoying what we have instead of feeling sorry for what we don’t. Cancer even made me a better father. My work had made me a stranger to my three kids. But now I pay attention to what really matters. This is not a race. This is a new way of life and new way of seeing, all from the cancer.
In the end each of us has so little time. We have less of it than we can possibly imagine. And even though it turns out that Kathy’s cancer has not spread, and her prognosis (诊断) is good, we try to make it all count now, enjoying every part of every day.
I’ve picked up my camera again. I watch the sky, searching for beautiful light. When winter storms come, Kathy and I gather our children and take the time to catch snowflakes (雪花) on our tongues. After all, this is good. This is what we’re living for.
1.As a photographer, the author used to ______
A. leave his daughter with a pack of gray wolves
B. devote much more to his career than his family
C. miss a great many important historical moments
D. express his love for his family in a special way
2.Why did the author decide to stop taking pictures?
A. To cure his own disease.
B. To leave the wilderness alone.
C. To seek a better position.
D. To spend more time with his wife.
3.What is the biggest change the cancer has brought to the author?
A. He takes his work more seriously
B. He has become a stranger to his children.
C. He treasured every bit of time with his family
D. He focuses more on medical care.
4.The author and his family catch snowflakes on their tongues probably because ______.
A. they regard that as a way to enjoy life
B. snowflakes are what they feed on
C. the snowflakes taste very good
D. there is beautiful light in the snowflakes
书面表达
假设你是李华，你中国的好朋友开了一个网站提供个人闲置物品交换( exchange)服务。现
在很多顾客有意愿想用自己的一些闲置物品交换些英语原版杂志读物。给你英国的朋友David
写一封信，介绍一下这个网站并询问他想不想用英语原版杂志读物来做交换。
注意：
1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．结语已为你写好。 物品 items 原版的original
Dear David,
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
I’m looking forward to your reply.
Yours ,
Lihua
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：把缺词处加个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I went to see the film after supper. On my way to the cinema. I met an English woman, she had lost her way. I gave up the chance see the film and take her to her hotel. While go there, I told her about great changes that had taken place here in the past few years and she told me something her country. Although I missed the film, I still felt very happily. For I had not only helped her out of trouble and practiced my speaking English. If I had not worked hard on English, I would not have been able to help him.
