Contrary to popular belief, people who sleep ...

Contrary to popular belief, people who sleep six to seven hours a night live longer, and those who sleep eight hours or more die younger, according to the latest study ever conducted on the subject. The study, which has tracked the sleeping habits of 1.1 million Americans for six years, weakens the advice of many sleep doctors who have long recommended that people get eight or nine hours of sleep every night.

“There’s an old idea that people should sleep eight hours a night, which has no more scientific basis than the gold at the end of the rainbow,” said Daniel Kripke, professor of psychiatry（精神病学）at the University of California at San Diego who led the study published in a recent copy of JAMA Psychiatry.

The study was not designed to answer why sleeping longer may be harmful or whether people could extend their lifespan by sleeping less.

But Kripke said it was possible that people who slept longer tended to suffer from short-term absence of sleeping, a condition where weak breathing puts stress on the heart and brain. He also stressed that the need for sleep was similar to that for food, where getting less than people want may be better for them.

The study quickly caused warnings and criticism（批评）, with some sleep experts saying that the main problem of America’s sleep habits was deprivation（剥夺）, not sleeping too much.

“None of this says sleep kills people,” said Daniel Buysse, a psychiatrist at the university of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

“You should sleep as much as you need to feel awake, alert and attentive the next day,” Buysse added. “I’m much more concerned about people short-changing themselves on sleep than people sleeping too long.”

“Sleeplessness produces a variety of health consequences that were not measured in the study,” critics said.

1.The traditional idea about sleeping is that ________.

A. people who sleep longer die younger

B. people who sleep less than six or seven hours live longer

C. people need to sleep less to keep healthy

D. people need to sleep eight or nine hours a night

2.Which of the following statements does NOT agree with the study made by the American scientists according to the passage?

A. People can extend their lifespan by sleeping less.

B. Sleeping longer may be harmful to people’s health.

C. People should sleep as much as they need to keep awake, alert and attentive.

D. It is possible that people who sleep longer tend to suffer from short-term absence of sleeping.

3.“The gold at the end of the rainbow” mentioned in the passage shows that ________.

A. sleeping is quite valuable in our lives

B. the traditional idea that people should sleep eight hours a night has no scientific basis at all.

C. sleeping longer is as valuable as the gold at the end of the rainbow.

D. the idea of long sleeping hours comes from the gold at he end of the rainbow.

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. A new idea challenges the scientists

B. Sleep less, live longer

C. Sleep more, die younger

D. A new idea about sleeping causes criticism

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Contrary　 ________popular belief ,Australia is not a ________place at all for people wanting culture.

A.with;bored　　　　　　　　 B.to;boring

C.against;boring　　　　　　 D.on;boring

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

A genetic variant(基因变体) that allows people to feel fully rested with fewer than six hours sleep a night has been found. It is the second such finding in recent months.

Ying-Hui Fu at the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues have been seeking out genetic variants responsible for short sleep and genetically engineering these variants into mice to confirm their effect. In August. the team found a variant in a gene called ADRB1, which allows 12 members of a family to sleep 4.5 hours per night without feeling tired.

Now the team has found a variant in a gene called NPSR1 in another family, in which one sleeps averaged 5.5 hours a night and the other just 4.3 hours, feeling fully rested. Another variant in NPSR1 has previously been linked to people requiring 20 minutes less sleep than average, based on studies of tens of thousands of people.

Generally, long-term lack of sleep can contribute to many disorders, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. As far as Fu’s team has been able to tell, however, people who sleep less with one of these gene variants are healthy and don’t appear to suffer any ill effects. However, to be absolutely sure would require long-term studies involving large numbers of people, which is not feasible(可行的).

It might be possible to develop drugs that mimic the effects of these variants. However, as NPSR1 is also involved in processes such as stress, anxiety and fear, there is a risk of serious side effects.

1.What did Fu’s team do to confirm the variants effect?

A.Observed blood pressure change.

B.Tested genetic variants on mice.

C.Sorted the effects of different genes.

D.Studied those sleeping less than average.

2.What can we learn about Fu’s team?

A.They are researching variants controlling sleep.

B.They study NPRS1 in a family of 12 members.

C.They have developed drugs to test normal people.

D.They will discover more variants in a week.

3.What does the word “mimic”in the last paragraph mean?

A.Reproduce. B.Compare. C.Avoid. D.Reduce.

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A.A news report. B.A health magazine.

C.A research paper. D.A biology textbook.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sleep to Lose Weight

A recent study found that people who sleep less tend to be fat. Experts said it's time to find out if more sleep can fight obesity.

Nowadays, the most popular method to keep fit is doing more exercise and eating less. Some people even take weight-loss drugs to keep slim, which is unhealthy and harmful to your body. " 1.As a result, we’ve failed to recognize the value of good sleep," said a physician.

Men sleep an average of 27 minutes less than women, and overweight and fat patients sleep less than patients with normal weights. In general, fat people just sleep about 1.8 hours less a week than those with normal weights.2.Only an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night contributes to a lower BODY MASS INDEX （身体质量指数）.

We caution that this study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between limited sleep and fatness.3.Therefore, let's stay thin by sleeping more!

Here are some other advantages of sleeping more.

• You'll learn better.

This isn't just for children. Adults who get enough sleep also do better on tests of short-term memory.

•4.

After getting enough sleep, you will find yourself feeling happy and delighted.

• Lower stress.

5.With that people can better control their blood pressure.

A.Better mood.

B.You will be energized.

C.Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress.

D.We've put so much emphasis on diet and exercise.

E.The study is intended to offer a healthy way to help people sleep longer.

F.The experts suggest that too much extension of sleep time not be necessary.

G.However, investigations of successful weight loss by sleeping more help prove such a connection.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

No one knows why we sleep, but it’s certain that we need to. People who are prevented from sleeping begin to suffer obvious effects after a few days—they think less clearly, and they fall asleep during the working hours; some may have hallucinations(幻觉).

There are no rules about sleep. Generally speaking, grown-ups sleep about 7 and a half hours each night and probably more than 60 per cent get between seven and eight hours. But perhaps eight per cent are quite happy with 5 hours or less, and four per cent or so find that they want ten hours or more. If you feel all right, you’re probably getting enough sleep. The important thing is not to worry how much other people get—their needs may be different. Exercise doesn’t seem to increase the need for sleep—office workers, for example, sleep for about as long as people doing physically active work.

Children sleep more than grown-ups—perhaps 14 to 18 hours soon after birth, going down to grown-up levels by early teenage. Sleep patterns also tend(倾向) to be different in the elderly, who may sleep less at night than they did when younger, find sleep getting more broken, and often make it a rule to sleep during the daytime.

1.According to the passage, some people are unable to think clearly because ___________ .

A. they have hallucinations

B. they feel sleepy during the working hours

C. they don’t have enough sleep

D. they are certain to be kept from going to bed

2.Which of the following is TRUE?

A. All grown-ups must have at least eight-hour sleep.

B. Most of grown-ups sleep for seven or eight hours.

C. Quite a few people need only 5 hours or less for them to sleep.

D. No grown-ups sleep more than ten hours.

3.Whether you have got enough sleep is judged by__________.

A. how many hours you have slept

B. how many hours you need to sleep

C. whether you do exercise and physical work

D. whether you feel fresh and energetic

4.According to the passage, a boy of 14 years old sleeps__________.

A. as long hours as a grown-up

B. much longer hours than a grown-up

C. for 14 hours each night　　

D. for less than 8 hours per night

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About five to seven million people who lived in England spoke English at the end of the 16th century.　 Later in the next century, people from England overcame other parts of the world and because of that, English began to be spoken in many other countries. Today, more people speak English as their first, second or a foreign language than ever before.

Look at this example:

British Betty: Would you like to see my flat?

American Amy: Yes. I’d like to come up to your apartment.

So why has English changed over time? All languages change and develop when cultures meet. At first the English spoken in England between about AD 450 and 1150 was very different from the English spoken today. It was based more on German than the English we speak at present. Then between about AD 800 and 1150, English became less like German because those who ruled England spoke first Danish and later French. These new settlers improved the English language and especially its vocabulary. So by the 1600’s Shakespeare was able to make use of a wider vocabulary than ever before.

Finally by the 19th century the language was settled. At that time two big changes in English spelling happened: first Samuel Johnson wrote his dictionary and later Noah Webster wrote The American Dictionary of the English Language. The latter gave a separate identity to American English spelling.

English now is also spoken as a foreign or second language in South Asia. For example, India has a very large number of fluent English speakers because Britain ruled India from 1765 to 1947. During that time English became the language for government and education. Today the number of people learning English in China is increasing rapidly.

1.When did English begin to be spoken in many other countries?

A. In 16th century.

B. In 17th century.

C. In 18th century.

D. In 19th century.

2.Shakespeare could use a wider vocabulary than ever before because English_______.

A. developed when new settlers came to Britain

B. was based on Germany during the 5th century

C. became the language for government and education

D. was spoken wide all over the world

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. British settlers moved to America in the 18th.

B. It’s easy for Chinese people speak fluent English.

C. English once became the official language in India.

D. English was influenced by Danish invaders in AD 450 .

4.What showed the differences of American English spelling?

A. Samuel Johnson’s dictionary　　　 B. Shakespeare’s books

C. French ruler’s language　　　　　　 D. Noah Webster’s dictionary

5.For what purpose does the author write the passage?

A. To settle English in many countries.

B. To understand English-speaking people.

C. To describe the development of English.

D. To tell people changes of American English.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

根据首字母或汉语提示拼写单词。

1.People who have too many things to handle are likely to suffer from sleep d　　　　　　 .

2.Flu is an i　　　　　　 disease characterized by fever, aches and pains and exhaustion.

3.A new report suggests that chewing gums maybe a h　　　　　　 to health.

4.The school is warned to take p　　　　　　 against fire.

5.The parking facilities are i　　　　　　 for a busy shopping centre.

6.He quoted some old Chinese sayings to 　　　　　　 (阐明) his points.

7.If you undertake the project, you are bound to 　　　　　　 (遭遇) to difficulties.

8.The report 　　　　　　 (名列) the U.S.20th out of 22 advanced nations.

9.He genuinely loved and 　　　　　　 (珍惜) her.

10.The 　　　　　　 (壮观的) gala got the games off a flying start.

高二英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析

There was good news last week for people who struggle to get eight hours of sleep a night: they may not need so much shut-eye after all.

Researchers from UCLA and elsewhere looked at sleep habits of remote hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, Namibia and Bolivia — groups with pre-industrial lifestyles whose sleep patterns are believed to reflect those of ancient humans. The researchers found that, on average, members of each group sleep a bit less than six and a half hours a night.

The study, published in the academic journal Current Biology, indicates that “natural” sleep is less than eight hours a night and that modern society’s numerous electronic distractions (分心) aren’t necessarily to blame for people getting just six or seven hours of sleep.

“The story that often gets out is that if you sleep for less than seven hours, you’re going to die early,” he told me. “That’s not true.”

Yet Americans are addicted to getting more sleep — and on turning to medical shortcuts to help them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, as many as 70 million U.S. adults suffer from sleep disorders or sleeplessness. Only a third of Americans get the government’s recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night.

About 9 million American adults use sleeping pills to help get a good night’s rest, the CDC found. Siegel said the number of people relying on medicines “has gone up rather rapidly since then.”

Industry consulting firm GlobalData estimates that worldwide sales for sleeplessness medicines will run about $1.4 billion next year and reach $1.8 billion by 2023, recovering from lower sales in recent years because of cheaper generics(仿制药) hitting the market.

Dr. Roy Artal, a sleep specialist in West Los Angeles, said it’s understandable that busy people in today’s go-go world would turn to medicines to speed up the sleep process. But all they’re doing is building a reliance on powerful drugs for relatively little improvement.

“There’s no magic pill that makes us sleep when we want and wake up when we want,” Artal said. “The effects of sleeping pills tend to be modest.”

He and other experts say the answer to sleeplessness isn’t to be found in a pill bottle. It’s in what’s called “sleep hygiene (保健).”

1.The research on sleep habits of remote hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, Namibia and Bolivia shows that ________.

A. they have a lack of sleep because of their bad lifestyle

B. “natural” sleep may be less than eight hours a night

C. modern electronic products cause the sleeplessness

D. pre-industrial lifestyles will be helpful to a better sleep

2.Jerome Siegel believes that ________.

A. we need to take sleeping pills to improve sleep

B. modern electronic products do harm to a good sleep

C. those who sleep for less than 7 hours will die early

D. there is nothing wrong with a 6 or 7 hours’ sleep

3.The underlined word “modest” probably means ________.

A. obvious            B. awful            C. small            D. large

4.The main idea of this passage is that ________.

A. people may not need eight hours of sleep a night

B. people need sleeping pills to have a good sleep

C. sleeping pills have a long way to go for sleep improvement

D. sleeping pill industry will suffer great losses from the new discovery

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A study published Monday found that people who sleep less tend to be fat，and experts said it’s time to find out if more sleep will fight fatness.

“We’ve put so much emphasis on diet and exercise that we’ve failed to recognize the value of good sleep，”said Fred Turek，a physician at Northwestern University.

Monday’s study from Eastern Virgnia Medical School in Norfolk covered 1,000 people and found that total sleep time decreased as body mass index－a measure of weight based on height increased.

“Men slept an average of 27 minutes less than women and overweight and fat patients slept less than patients with normal weights，”it said.In general the fatter subjects slept about 1.8 hours a week less than those with normal weights.

“Americans experience insufficient sleep and fat bodies.Clinicians are aware of the burden of fatness on patients，”the study said.

“Our findings suggest that major extensions of sleep time may not be necessary，as an extra 20 minutes of sleep per night seems to be associated with a lower body mass index，”it added.

“We caution that this study does not set up a cause­and­effect relationship between restricted sleep and fatness，but investigations indicating success in weight loss via extensions of sleep would help greatly to set up such a relationship.”

The study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine along with an editorial by Turek and Northwestern colleague Joseph Bass commenting on it and related research.

Inan interview，Turek said some studies have shown the lack of sleep causes declines in an appetiteholding back protein hormone，and increases in another hormone that cause a longing for food.“In addition neuropathies(神经疗法)in the brain governing sleep and fatness appear to overlap(部分重叠)，”he said.

“Fatness has been rising dramatically in developed countries and reached epidemic(流行病)levels in the United States，”it added，“leading to a variety of health problems.”

高二英语任务型阅读困难题查看答案及解析

Every morning, when I'm on my way to work, I see people who are homeless, sleeping in doorways and on sidewalks. They're clearly in____of help. I feel very sad to____this, and most people walk by,____they don't exist and don't offer any help at all, not____a word.

Recently, it has been extremely____in Vancouver, Canada, which makes things very_　 ______for the homeless.

I usually arrive at my____around 8 am. Those homeless people in the area are trying to____in cold weather, so sometimes I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to leave something for them while sleeping, as it may get____.

Today, I____someone, who seemed to be homeless, sitting on the sidewalk, wake. I had a little bit of time ____ I started work, so I rushed out across the____to ask if I could get anything for him to drink or eat. He didn't want a coffee or warm drink, _____a soft drink, a Cola, so I went and got this for him, along with a banana.

Then I went back to my office across the street to____a bag that I packed with items like a hat, a toothbrush, snacks, hand warmers and so on. I had been planning to give the_____someone in need.I____back outside to give it to the stranger, who was very______.

Society may feel______with homeless people, but we must remember that they're just like us, human beings, who are just down on their luck for certain______.It could be your father, mother, brother, sister or friend. If we______to help someone in need, we can truly make our world better.

1.A. place　　 B. need　　 C. memory　　 D. praise

2.A. see　　 B. expect　　 C. hear　　 D. understand

3.A. telling　　 B. guessing　　 C. pretending　　 D. promising

4.A. still　　 B. only　　 C. just　　 D. even

5.A. hot　　 B. cold　　 C. cool　　 D. warm

6.A. weak　　 B. obvious　　 C. easy　　 D. tough

7.A. shop　　 B. home　　 C. office　　 D. school

8.A. sleep　　 B. stand　　 C. wake　　 D. sit

9.A. trapped　　 B. stolen　　 C. sought　　 D. paid

10.A. spotted　　 B. missed　　 C. consulted　　 D. realized

11.A. if　　 B. after　　 C. before　　 D. though

12.A. bridge　　 B. market　　 C. door　　 D. street

13.A. but　　 B. or　　 C. and　　 D. so

14.A. wipe　　 B. buy　　 C. get　　 D. collect

15.A. banana　　 B. bag　　 C. hat　　 D. snack

16.A. looked　　 B. called　　 C. held　　 D. hurried

17.A. puzzled　　 B. grateful　　 C. angry　　 D. sad

18.A. pleased　　 B. dishonest　　 C. uncomfortable　　 D. helpful

19.A. reasons　　 B. purposes　　 C. illnesses　　 D. benefits

20.A. turn out　　 B. look out　　 C. give out　　 D. reach out

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析