Question

    Unexpected connection between sleep and academic performance has been recently discovered.

Researchers have found that insufficient sleep and tiredness increase a person's risk of developing severe medical conditions, such as obesity （肥胖症），high blood sugar levels, and heart disease. Now, a new study has found that getting sufficient sleep is also the key to improving academic performance.

Jeffrey Gross, the university science professor who led the research, was not trying to find the relationship between sleep and grades when he handed out smartwatches to the 100 students in his chemistry class. Instead, the professor hoped the wrist-worn devices, which track a personas physical activity, would show a connection between exercise and academic achievements.

While Grosses data showed no relationship between these two factors, the study found something surprising. As the researchers were analyzing their data, they noticed that there was a linear （线性的）relationship between the average amount of sleep the students got and their results in the course's 11 quizzes, three midterm tests, and the final exam.

Even more interesting, it was not sufficient for students to just head to bed early the night before a test Instead, it's the sleep you get during the days when learning is happening that matters most.

When students went to bed each night was similarly important. Those who went to bed in the early hours of the morning performed poorly, even if the total sleep time was the same as a higher-performing student. "When you go to bed matters," Gross says. “If you go to bed at 10, or 12, or 1 at night, and sleep for seven hours, your performance is the same. But if you go to bed after 2, your performance starts to go down even if you get the same seven hours' sleep. So, quantity isn't everything."

Perhaps the most interesting was the huge impact that small differences in sleep patterns had on the students' grades. The overall course grades of students averaging six and a half hours of sleep each night were 25% lower than students who averaged just one hour more sleep. Similarly, students who varied their bedtime by even one hour each night had grades that dropped 45% below those with more regular bedtime.

Who knew getting straight AM just required some extra sleep?

1.Based on his original objective, which best describes Professor Gross's research findings?

A.Convincing. B.Complete.

C.Accidental. D.Doubtful.

2.Who were the people taking part in the study?

A.Middle school chemistry students.

B.Volunteers from different universities.

C.University student athletes.

D.Professor Gross's own students.

3.How did Professor Gross's team measure students' academic performance?

A.Making the students wear special watches.

B.Using the students' normal test and quiz grades.

C.Giving the students regular quizzes after class.

D.Using students' university entrance test results.

4.Based on the study's fin dings, who is likely to perform best academically?

A.A student who has a good night's sleep the night before an important test.

B.A student who sleeps from 11 pm to 6 a.m. each day.

C.A student whose normal bedtime varies between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m.

D.A student who sleeps for a total of 7 hours each night.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了一项新的研究发现充足的睡眠是提高学习成绩的关键。

1.推理判断题。根据第三段“Jeffrey Gross, the university science professor who led the research, was not trying to find the relationship between sleep and grades when he handed out smartwatches to the 100 students in his chemistry class. Instead, the professor hoped the wrist-worn devices, which track a personas physical activity, would show a connection between exercise and academic achievements.”可知，领导这项研究的大学科学教授杰弗里格罗斯在化学课上给100名学生分发智能手表时，并没有试图找出睡眠和成绩之间的关系。相反，他希望这种跟踪人们身体活动的腕带装置能够显示出运动和学业成绩之间的联系，由此可知，杰弗里格罗斯是偶然发现睡眠与成绩之间的关系的，故C项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段中的“was not trying to find the relationship between sleep and grades when he handed out smartwatches to the 100 students in his chemistry class.”可知，杰弗里格罗斯在他的化学课上给100名学生分发智能手表时意外发现了睡眠和成绩之间的关系，由此可知，参与这项研究的是杰弗里格罗斯的学生，故D项正确。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段中的“As the researchers were analyzing their data, they noticed that there was a linear （线性的）relationship between the average amount of sleep the students got and their results in the course's 11 quizzes, three midterm tests, and the final exam.”可知，当研究人员分析他们的数据时，他们注意到在十一次课堂测验、三次期中考试和期末考试中，学生的平均睡眠量与他们的成绩之间存在线性关系，由此可知，杰弗里格罗斯团队是通过课堂测验和常规考试来衡量学生的学业成绩的，故B项正确。

4.推理判断题。根据第五段“Even more interesting, it was not sufficient for students to just head to bed early the night before a test Instead, it's the sleep you get during the days when learning is happening that matters most.”可知，仅仅在考试前一晚早睡是不够的，重要的是每天都要保证充足的睡眠；根据倒数第二段“If you go to bed at 10, or 12, or 1 at night, and sleep for seven hours, your performance is the same. But if you go to bed after 2, your performance starts to go down even if you get the same seven hours' sleep. So, quantity isn't everything.”可知，如果你10点、12点或1点睡觉，睡7个小时，你的表现是一样的，但如果你2点后上床睡觉，即使你睡了7个小时，你的成绩也会下降，这说明要在凌晨1点以前睡觉，而且要睡够7个小时；再根据最后一段中的“Similarly, students who varied their bedtime by even one hour each night had grades that dropped 45% below those with more regular bedtime.”可知，每晚睡觉时间相差一小时的学生的成绩也比那些睡觉时间更规律的学生低45%，这说明每天要在同一时间上床睡觉，由此可知，每天晚上11点到早上6点睡觉的学生的学业成绩可能最好，故B项正确。