Getting less sleep has become a bad habit for most American kids. According to a new survey(调查) by the National Sleep Foundation, 51% of kids aged 10 to 18 go to bed at 10 pm or later on school nights, even though they have to get up early. Last year the Foundation reported that nearly 60% of 7- to 12-year-olds said they felt tired during the day, and 15% said they had fallen asleep at school.
How much sleep you need depends a lot on your age. Babies need a lot of rest: most of them sleep about 18 hours a day! Adults need about eight hours. For most school-age children, ten hours is ideal(理想的). But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10- to 12-year-olds get only seven or eight hours. And guess what almost half of the surveyed kids said they do before bedtime? Watch TV.
“More children are going to bed with TVs on, and there are more opportunities(机会) to stay awake, with more homework, the Internet and the phone,” says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a sleep researcher at Brown University Medical School. She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep. Other experts say part of the problem is chemical. Changing levels of body chemicals called hormones not only make teenagers’ bodies develop adult characteristics, but also make it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 pm.
Because sleepiness is such a problem for teenagers, some school districts have decided to start high school classes later than they used to. Three years ago, schools in Edina, Minnesota, changed the start time from 7:25 am to 8:30 am. Students, parents and teachers are pleased with the results.
1.What is the new National Sleep Foundation survey on?
A. American kids’ sleeping habits. B. Teenagers’ sleep-related diseases.
C. Activities to prevent sleeplessness. D. Learning problems and lack of sleep.
2.How many hours of sleep do 11-year-olds need every day?
A. 7 hours. B. 8 hours.
C. 10 hours. D. 18 hours.
3.Why do teenagers go to sleep late according to Carskadon?
A. They are affected by certain body chemicals.
B. They tend to do things that excite them.
C. They follow their parents’ examples.
D. They don’t need to go to school early.
It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth(收费站). “I'm paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me,” she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random(随意的) kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse(仓库) wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, “like a message from above.” Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn't know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
“Here’s the idea,” Anne says. “Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly.” Her fantasies(想象) include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, “Kindness can build on itself as much as violence can.”
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours!
1.Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?
A. She knew the car drivers well.
B. She wanted to show kindness.
C. She hoped to please others.
D. She had seven tickets.
2.Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she .
A. thought it was beautifully written
B. wanted to know what it really meant
C. decided to write it on a warehouse wall
D. wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom
3.Which of the following statements is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence above?
A. Kindness and violence can change the world.
B. Kindness and violence can affect one’s behavior.
C. Kindness and violence can shape one’s character.
D. Kindness and violence can reproduce themselves.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. People should practice random kindness to those in need.
B. People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others.
C. People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet.
D. People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver.
You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1.What is Jane Addams well-known for in history?
A. Her social work. B. Her lack of proper training in law.
C. Her efforts to win a prize. D. Her community background.
2.What is the reason for O’Connor’s being turned down by the law firm?
A. Her lack of proper training in law. B. Her little work experience in court.
C. Women’s being looked down upon. D. The poor financial conditions.
3.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the US?
A. Jane Addams. B. Rachel Carson. C. Sandra Day O’Connor. D. Rosa Parks
4.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?
A. They are highly educated. B. They are truly creative.
C. They are pioneers. D. They are peace-lovers.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why was the Mesa Verde National Park built?
A. To attract more visitors.
B. To earn money.
C. To protect the culture of ancient Native Americans.
2.What language do the words“Mesa Verde”belong to?
A. English. B. Spanish. C. French.
3.How many ruins were discovered in all?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How has the man been feeling lately?
A. Lonely. B. Unhappy. C. Depressed.
2.What does the woman advise the man to do?
A. To learn English. B. To join a club. C. To do exercise.
3.What can we learn from the conversation?
A. The man is the woman's elder brother.
B. You don't feel alone when you have a close friend.
C. The man comes from north America.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the man go to see the doctor?
A. Because he is seriously ill.
B. Because he wants to see death.
C. Because the doctor wants his money.
2.What does the doctor advise the man to do?
A. Take more medicine.
B. Have a holiday.
C. Give some of his money to poor people.
3.How do you find the man?
A. He is honest.
B. He is careless about his health.
C. He cares for his money beyond everything else.
