复合题

Directions: There are 4 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A., B., C. and D. You should decide on the best choice and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.

Passage Three

For millions of years before the appearance of the electric light, shift work, all-night cable TV and the Internet, Earth’s creatures evolved on a planet with predictable and reassuring 24-hour rhythms. Our biological clocks are set for this daily cycle. Simply put, our bodies want to sleep at night and be awake during the day. Most women and men need between eight and eight and a half hours of sleep a night to function properly throughout their lives. (Contrary to popular belief, humans don’t need less sleep as they age.)

But on average, Americans sleep only about seven and a half hours per night, a marked drop from the nine hours they averaged in 1910. What’s worse, nearly one third of all Americans get less than six hours of sleep on a typical work night. For most people, that’s not nearly enough.

Finding ways to get more and better sleep can be a challenge. Scientists have identified more than 80 different sleep disorders. Some sleeping disorders are genetic. But many problems are caused by staying up late and sleeping in, by traveling frequently between time zones or by working nights. Dr. James F. Jones at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver says that sleep disorders are often diagnosed as other discomforts. About one third of the patients referred to him with possible chronic fatigue syndrome actually have treatable sleep disorders. “Before we do anything else, we look at their sleep,” Jones says.

Sleep experts say that most people would benefit from a good look at their sleep patterns. “My motto is ‘Sleep defensively’,” says Mary Carskadon of Brown University. She says people need to carve out sufficient time to sleep, even if it means giving up other things. Sleep routines—like going to bed and getting up at the same time every day —are important. Pre-bedtime activities also make a difference. As with Elsner, who used to suffer from sleeplessness, a few lifestyle changes—avoiding stimulants and late meals, exercising hours before bedtime, relaxing with a hot bath—yield better sleep. 

单选题 What is TRUE of human sleep?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据第二段首句“But on average, Americans sleep only about seven and a half hours per night, a marked drop from the nine hours they averaged in 1910”, 以及前文提到的人每天需要至少八小时睡眠这一研究结果可以推知, 现在美国人的睡眠时间比所需睡眠时间少。 故选C。
单选题 For our bodies to function properly, we should _____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】根据第一段末句“Most women and men need between eight and eight and a half hours of sleep a night to function properly throughout their lives”可知无论如何, 人每天都需要至少睡上八个小时, A更贴合题意。
单选题 According to the author, many sleeping disorders are caused by _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】同样根据第三段开头二、 三句“Some sleeping disorders are genetic. But many problems are caused by staying up late and sleeping in, by traveling frequently between time zones or by working nights”, 可知大部分人睡眠不好的原因都是因为缺乏一个规律的睡眠模式, 因此C为正确答案。
单选题 Which of the following measures can help you sleep better?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】根据文章末句“As with Elsner, who used to suffer from sleeplessness, a few lifestyle changes—avoiding stimulants and late meals, exercising hours before bedtime, relaxing with a hot bath—yield better sleep”, 可推知洗热水澡有助于进入睡眠状态, 根据前文可知, A、 C、 D选项均不利于进入睡眠, 因此选B。
单选题 “Sleep defensively” means that _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】定位到最后一段, 根据后文“She says people need to carve out sufficient time to sleep, even if it means giving up other things”内容可知, 此处sleep defensively表示即使要牺牲其他一些事情, 也要优先保证睡眠充足, 因此本题答案为C。