Question

    It doesn’t matter when and how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Herpin. Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.

Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw him sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.

The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.

1.The main idea of this passage is that_____.

A.large numbers of people do not need sleep.

B.a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep.

C.everyone needs some sleep to stay alive.

D.people can live longer by trying not to sleep.

2.The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting_____.

A.to cure him of his sleeplessness.

B.to find that his sleeplessness was not really true.

C.to find out why some old people did not need any sleep.

D.to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping.

3.After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Herpin_____.

A.needed some kind of sleep.

B.was too old to need any sleep.

C.needed no sleep at all.

D.often sleeps in a chair.

4.One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _____.

A.his mother’s injury before he was born.

B.that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit.

C.his good physical condition.

D.that he hadn’t got a bed.

Answer

1.B

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。睡眠对于每个人来说，都是必不可少的。文章介绍了一个不需要睡眠的奇怪的人。医生们对他非常好奇，经过调查发现，可能的原因是Herpin的妈妈在生他之前受过伤。

1.主旨大意题。由第一段“but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Herpin. Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.”可知，每个人都需要睡眠，但是Herpin是一个特例，据说Herpin从未睡过觉。医生们决定亲自见一下这个人。因此，短文主要是是关于一个从不睡觉的人。故选B项。

2.推理判断题。由第二段“They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made.”可知，医生们肯定地认为Herpin或多或少有睡眠，所以他们和他在一起，观察他的一举一动。由此推断出，医生来看望Herpin，希望发现他的不睡觉不是真的。故选B项。

3.细节理解题。由第二段“they never saw him sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.”可知，他们从未见过他睡觉。事实上，他甚至连一张床都没有。他从来不需要。所以医生们亲眼看过之后，相信了Herpin从来不需要睡眠的事实。故选C项。

4.细节理解题。由最后一段“Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born.”可知，Herpin想起了他母亲在他出生前几天受伤的事。所以能够解释Herpin不睡觉的原因是，他妈妈在生他的几天前受过伤。故选A项。