American society is not nap (午睡)-friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, “There’s even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep”. Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: “Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven.”
Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them. “We have to totally change our attitude toward napping,” says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research.
Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an “American sleep debt” which one member said was as important as the national debt. The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, President Clinton is trying to take a ha1f-hour snooze (瞌睡) every afternoon.
About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have “a mid afternoon quiet phase,” also called “a secondary sleep gate.” Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap.
We Superstars of Snooze don't nap to replace lost shut-eye or to prepare for a night shift.Rather, we “snack” on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and on boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums.
1.It is commonly accepted in American society that too much sleep is .
A.unreasonable B.criminal C.harmful D.costly
2.The research done by the Dement Commission shows that Americans ________.
A.don't like to take naps
B.are terribly worried about their national debt
C.sleep less than is good for them
D.have caused many industrial and traffic accidents
3.The purpose of this article is to .
A.warn us of the wickedness of napping
B.explain the danger of sleepiness
C.discuss the side effects of napping
D.convince the reader of the necessity of napping
4.The underlined phrase “American sleep debt” in Para. 3 is the result of .
A.the traditional misconception the Americans have about sleep
B.the new sleep policy of the Clinton Administration
C.the rapid development of American industry
D.the Americans' worry about the danger of sleepiness
5.The second sentence of the last paragraph tells us that it is .
A.preferable to have a sound sleep before a night shift
B.good practice to eat something light before we go to bed
C.essential to make up for cost sleep
D.natural to take a nap whenever we feel the need for it
If you have ever been rock climbing, you will know that it is not a very easy sport. In fact, you probably felt quite defeated when you first tried to do any serious climbing. Indoor and outdoor rock climbing are both extremely demanding and require practice to get good at. It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports.
There are three basic types of rock climbing. Top roping is the most common type and the climber need to climb with a partner. The second type, which is very similar to top roping, is called lead climbing. In both of the types, the climber can sit off the wall and rest on the rope. The third type is called bouldering. Bouldering is a type of free climbing without any ropes. This is the most demanding of all climbing types. The climber must be able to complete the climbing without taking a rest on the rope.
Believe it or not, climbing is said to be about 75% legs and only 25% arms. To climb efficiently and successfully, a person needs to have a wonderful technique. One of the major rules of rock climbing is to always have three points touching the wall, whether it is both feet and one hand, or one foot and both hands, as it is much easier to have your weight cases will not do the climbing; they only hold you into the wall so that your legs are actually pushing you upward. Also, the closer you are to the wall, the easier it is to climb.
Rock climbing may sound a bit too extreme for the everyday person, but it is really an amazing workout. Once you get into the sport, and learn how to position your body and rest your weight, then you can begin to deal with some difficult problems. The great thing about rock climbing is that it is mentally challenging as well. You are constantly analyzing the way your body moves and how to do certain moves on the wall. For anyone who wants to get into shape, rock climbing is a fun and effective way to exercise muscles.
1.What does the author think of rock climbing?
A.It is an easy sport. B.It is challenging.
C.It is quite dangerous. D.It is extremely difficult.
2.From the text we know that _____________.
A.indoor rock climbing is much easier than outdoor rock climbing
B.while rock climbing, people depend mainly on their arms
C.ordinary people can practise rock climbing
D.during climbing, the climber can always stop for a rest
3.While climbing, it is much easier for a rock climber if he __________.
A.takes a rope B.has a partner
C.has three points touching the wall D.uses feet more often
4.__________ will make rock climbing easier.
A.Keeping the body closer to the wall
B.Resting more often on the arms
C.Resting more often on the feet
D.Pushing forward without thinking of the problems
5.By rock climbing, one can _______.
A.get more weight and stronger muscles
B.get both physical and mental exercises
C.have a terrible experience that will last long
D.probably feel quite defeated
As a boy growing up in India,I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s’ with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe,where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium,Netherlands and West Germany.
I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable,even for someone like me,who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe,we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河),it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation,but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again,with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas,Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today,I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying,in general,for me,has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience).Flying on Lufthansa,however,is something I always have and always will look forward to.
1.Which country does the author live in now?
A.India. B.Canada. C.Belgium. D.Germany.
2.What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
A.Growing up in India.
B.Once staying in Canada.
C.Once traveling to Canada with his father.
D.His father's stories about his traveling experiences.
3.Which of the following is TRUE about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?
A.The author traveled with one of his parents.
B.Both their going and return were by air.
C.They traveled in spring that year.
D.They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
A.a city in India B.a city in Europe C.an airline company D.a travel agency
5.The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
A.happy B.sad C.angry D.enjoyable
One day my math teacher asked me to help him save back-up copies of his work in the computer. I then realized I was able to 1 the grades for all of his classes. I showed him how to copy files from one disk to another and he 2 me.
A few days later he asked me to help him again, because he 3 how to do it. When I began to show this to him, some students in my class 4 and began to talk among themselves 6 . Later that day, at lunch time, I was 5 by several of them.
“Hey, could you help us change our grades in math? We’ll 7 you…”
I could not believe what I was hearing.I could get paid for something very 8 ." All right.I'll do it." The next day my math teacher 9 me to help him out.When he was not paying attention, I began to change their grades from F’s to A’s.
I soon became very 10 among my friends. They began to treat me like a god with a magical 11 . I began to change the grades of students.Word 12 quickly and I became very rich.
Everything was going fine 13 I was called into the headmaster's office.When I got there, my teacher was mad, and the headmaster had an angry 14 in his eyes. "I have known you for three years now.I don't want to 15 what your teacher said, but I'm afraid that I must.He has too much 16 , " he said." Do you have anything to say 17 yourself?" he asked.
"No." I said finally.I did not realize how serious my actions had been.I had violated the 18 of my teacher, and the headmaster.And there was no way 19 .I was forced to leave my school.
That was a good 20 for me.
1. A.assess B. access C.mark D.change
2. A.accepted B.supported C.guided D.thanked
3. A.doubted B.reminded C.forgot D.remembered
4. A.noticed B.hid C.agreed D.complained
5. A.disappointedly B.quietly C.angrily D.freely
6. A.appointed B.appreciated C.approved D.approached
7. A.follow B.pay C.inspire D.praise
8. A.simple B.interesting C.familiar D.pleasant
9. A.encouraged B.got C.forced D.advised
10. A.optimistic B.grateful C.popular D.sensitive
11. A.power B.strength C.energy D.right
12. A.slipped B.spread C.escaped D.fled
13. A.after B.since C.until D.as
14. A.look B.light C.sight D.feeling
15. A.influence B.ignore C.oppose D.believe
16. A.experience B.confidence C.evidence D.pressure
17. A.to B.by C.of D.for
18. A.trust B.intention C.promise D.honor
19. A.in B.on C.down D.back
20. A.story B.skill C.lesson D.example
________ to work overtime that evening, I missed a wonderful film.
A.To be asked B.To ask C.Having asked D.Having been asked
Recently we have seen the film The Flowers of War, _______ are used in some restaurants to attract consumers.
A.whose the figures B.of which the figures
C.the figures of whom D.the figures of whose