Question

    Sleep，considered as a luxury by many, is essential for a person’s well-being. Researchers have found that insufficient sleep and tiredness increase a person’s risk of developing severe medical conditions, such as obesity, 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.

Jeffery 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 person’s physical activity, would show a connection between exercise and academic achievements.

While Gross’s data showed no relationship between these two factors, the study found something surprising. As the researchers were analyzing the data, they noticed 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 the 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 went to bed in the early hours of the morning performed poorly, even if the total sleep time was the same as 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 7 hours, your performance is the same. But if you go to bed after 2, your performance started 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 knows getting straight A’s just required some extra sleep?

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

A.Accidental B.Complete

C.Convincing D.Doubtful

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

A.Middle school chemistry students

B.Professor Gross’s own students

C.Volunteers from different universities

D.University student athletes

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

A.Making the students wear special watches

B.Using students’ university entrance test results

C.Giving the students regular quizzes after class

D.Using the students’ normal test and quiz grades

4.Based on the study’s findings, 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 whose normal bedtime varies between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m.

C.A student who sleeps from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day.

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

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.D

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。一项新的研究表明，充足的睡眠是提高学习成绩的关键。

1.

推细节理解题。第二段中“Jeffery 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 person’s physical activity, would show a connection between exercise and academic achievements.”说到，领导这项研究的Jeffery Gross教授在自己的化学课上给学生们分发智能手环，本是为了追踪了解学生们的体育活动状况，希望能证明体育锻炼与学业成就之间存在联系的，他并没有想要发现睡眠与成绩之间的关系。相反，这位教授希望腕带设备——追踪一个人的身体活动——能显示出锻炼和学术成就之间的联系。因此此研究发现纯属意外，故选A。

2.

细节理解题。第二段第一句话中“…when he handed out smartwatches to the 100 students in his chemistry class“说，Jeffery Gross教授是在自己的化学课上给学生们分发智能手环的，所以参加这项研究的人就是他自己的学生。故选B。

3.

细节理解题。由第三段第二句话“As the researchers were analyzing the data, they noticed 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，他们分析的学生成绩资料来源于这门课程的11次小测验、三次期中试和期末考试，即他们是通过学生们的平常考试和小测验成绩来衡量学生的学习成绩。故选D。

4.

推理判断题。第四段说“If you go to bed at 10, or 12, or 1 at night, and sleep for 7 hours, your performance is the same. But if you go to bed after 2, your performance started to go down even if you get the same seven hours’ sleep. So, quantity isn’t everything.”如果你在晚上10点、12点或1点上床，然后睡7个小时，你的表现是一样的。但如果你2点后上床睡觉，即使你睡了同样的7个小时，你的表现也会开始下降。根据第五段“ 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. 可知，平均每晚睡六个半小时的学生的总体成绩比平均只多睡一个小时的学生低25%。由此判断出每天从晚上11点睡到早上6点的学生可能在学业上表现最好。故选C。