Your third year of middle school was probably a tough and busy time. You may have had trouble getting enough sleep. We all know that not getting enough sleep is not good for our health. But it has been found that less sleep could even cause you to have fewer friends.
According to researchers from the University of California, people who don’t get enough sleep are less willing to socialize (社交) with others. They are simply too tired to go out.
The researchers did a small study. They tested 18 young people who had just had a good night’s sleep-as well as tested them again after a sleepless night. The participants(参加者) watched videos of people with neutral (中性的) expressions walking toward them. When the person on the video got too “close” to them, they pushed a button (按钮) to stop the video, which recorded how close they allowed the person to get.
The results showed that the participants kept the person at a distance of 60 percent further back if they hadn’t gotten enough sleep. They felt that their personal space was being invaded (侵占). But when the participants got a good night’s sleep, they allowed the person to get much closer to them.
According to lead researcher Matthew Walker, the less sleep you get, the less you want to socialize with others. In turn, other people may think you are weird and stay away from you. This can make you feel lonely and cause you to sleep even less. It becomes a vicious cycle (恶性循环).
So if you want to be a more sociable and popular person, sleeping well might help. “One night of good sleep makes you feel more outgoing and socially confident,” Walker told the Daily Mail.
1. Researchers from the University of California believe that less sleep _____.| A．makes school life tough and busy | B．is good for one’s health |
| C．makes people less sociable | D．causes people to become excited |
| A．They did tests on 18 young people. | B．They watched videos of sleepless people. |
| C．They interviewed people on the street. | D．They invited people to join in a game. |
| A．strict | B．strange | C．friendly | D．angry |
| A．The proper distance to keep from others is 60 cm. | B．People don’t like sharing their personal space. |
| C．People are more sociable after a good sleep. | D．Don’t get too close to sleepless people. |
| A．people who sleep less are weird | B．loneliness makes people sleep more |
| C．popular people always sleep well | D．sleeping well makes people confident |
相似题推荐
①The sun sets on a field in southern England. When it rises again the following morning, that field has become a huge work of art. A large part of the crop has been pressed into a pattern of circles, squares and other shapes.
②Farmers have reported finding strange circles in their fields for centuries. The earliest mention of a crop circle dates back to the 1500s. A woodcut（木版画）from the time showed a “mowing devil” making a crop circle. Crop circles, however, didn’t get attention until 1980, when a farmer in England, discovered three circles, each about 18 meters across, in his field. The world first began to learn about crop circles.
③By the 1990s, crop circles had become something of a tourist attraction. In 1990 alone, more than 500 circles appeared in Europe. Within the next few years, there were thousands.
④Crop circles can be in many different shapes. Most early crop circles were simple circular designs. But after 1990, the circles changed. Crops can be made to look like just about anything—smiling faces, flowers of even words.
⑤People have long been wondering who or what is creating these crop circles. Possibly the most widely known idea is that crop circles are the work of visitors from other planets. Those who agree with the idea say the circles are either the mark left by landing spacecraft or messages brought from afar for us.
⑥Probably the most scientific opinion says that crop circles are created by vortices（漩涡）. They force the air down to the ground, which presses the crops down. Dr. Terence Meaden, an expert in this field, says when the dust gets caught up in a vortex, it can appear to glow, which may explain the UFO—like glowing lights many people have seen. But no one can explain how the air can create such perfect shaped crop circles in just a few seconds.
1. The writer introduce the topic by ______.| A．telling a story | B．asking a question |
| C．giving a comparison | D．describing a scene |
a.More than 500 circles appeared in Europe.
b.The world first began to learn about crop circles.
c.Farmers reported finding strange circles in their field.
d.The circles changed into anything—smiling faces, flowers or words.
| A．a-b-c-d | B．b-c-a-d | C．c-b-a-d | D．c-d-a-b |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Farmers and Strange Circles | B．Different Shapes of Crop Circles |
| C．Creators of Crop Circles | D．The Mystery of Crop Circles |
【推荐2】When most dog owners use certain words like “sit”, “stay” or “treat”, they are sure that their dogs know exactly what they mean. However, researchers wonder whether dogs really understand human speech or depend on other information. For example, does the word “take” form a picture of a stick or ball in the dog’s mind, or does the dog bring back the object based on the owner’s voice or gesture? A new study seems to show that “man’s best friend” does indeed know what the owner is saying.
The researchers began by asking the owners of twelve different dogs to train their pets to pick out two different toys such as a toy animal and a ball. Once the dogs took turns inside a special scanner（扫描仪）. While holding up objects the dogs hadn’t seen before, first the owners tested their dog’s language skill by calling out the names of the toys they had been trained to recognize, and then they tested by saying meaningless words such as “bobbu” and “bodmick”.
Something interesting was that the dog’s brains showed a higher level of neural（神经的）activity at the sound of unknown words. This is the exact opposite of what happens in human brains, which get more active at the sound of familiar words.The researchers say the dogs may become cheerful at the sound of new words. They try to understand the new words in the hope of delighting their owners. “Dogs want to please their owners praise or food,” says a senior author of the study.
However, though your pet may understand human speech, the scientists recommend using visual signals and smell for training. “When people want to teach their dog a trick, they often use spoken command because that's what humans prefer,” Prichard says. “From the dog’s visual however, a visual command might be more effective, helping the dog learn the trick faster.”
1. What’s the purpose of the new study?| A．To punish dog owners who treat their dogs badly. |
| B．To advise dog owners to treat their dogs kindly. |
| C．To prove dogs follow owners’ order by listening. |
| D．To test out how dogs get information from owners. |
| A．Announce the result of the research. |
| B．Present the process of the research. |
| C．Stress the importance of the research. |
| D．Introduce the subjects of the research. |
| A．Human brains become active in unfamiliar words. |
| B．Dog brains become delighted at unfamiliar words. |
| C．Human brains are not sensitive to familiar words. |
| D．Dog brains show no sense to familiar words. |
| A．Give dogs spoken orders. | B．Teach dogs new tricks. |
| C．Include sight and smell. | D．Encourage faster learning. |
【推荐3】China launched its seventh manned （有人操纵的） spaceflight on June 17, 2021, sending three astronauts to the core module （核心舱） of its space station, Tiangong. A 20-story-all Long March 2 F carrier rocket took off at 9:22 a.m. at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China’s Gobi Desert, shooting into the blue sky with the Shenzhou XI spacecraft （宇宙飞船） on top of the rocket. The Shenzhou XI spacecraft would then connect with the core module Tianhe and the cargo craft Tianzhou-2.
Launched on April 29, 2021, Tianhe is the biggest and heaviest spacecraft that China has built. It has three parts—a connecting section, a life-support and control section, and a resources section. It is central to the Tiangong station’s operations. Astronauts live there and control the station from inside. The three astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, are to complete a three-month mission in it. They are expected to carry out space science experiments and technology experiments. They will use robotic arms to install （安装） equipment and check Tianhe’s external condition. To stay in good health, they will also do some physical exercise.
On May 30, 2021, Tianzhou-2 spacecraft arrived at the space station carrying supplies （物资）. Chinese officials said the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft reached the station eight hours after launching from Hainan, an island in the South China Sea. The spacecraft was carrying space suits, living supplies, equipment and fuel for astronauts to use.
Based on the project plans made by the Chinese space agency, there will be a total of 11 launches from 2021 to the end of 2022. So they will transport more supplies and astronauts to build the space station: In 2022, two large space labs will be launched to connect with the core module. Moreover, two manned space fights and two robotic cargo（货物） fights will be made that year to continue construction of the Tiangong station. The station expected to be completed and put into formal operation around the end of 2022.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The history of China’s space industry. | B．Chinese astronauts dreams of space. |
| C．The future of China’s space station. | D．China’s space station project. |
| A．Important task | B．Travel experience | C．Difficult competition | D．Useful survey |
| A．It is made up of four sections. |
| B．It is the place where astronauts live and work. |
| C．It mainly carries living supplies and space suits. |
| D．It was launched after the Shenzhou XII spacecraft. |
| A．Two. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Eleven. |
【推荐1】A research team from China’s Northwest University is developing facial recognition (面部识别) technology to identify (识别) thousands of Sichuan golden monkeys that live in Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi Province.
Similar to human facial recognition, the technology that is used to identify monkeys uses their facial features to create a database (数据库) that includes every monkey.
“When the system is fully developed, we can connect it with cameras set up in the mountains. The system will automatically (自动地) recognize the monkeys, name them and analyze (分析) their behavior,” said Zhang He, a member of the research team.
“For each monkey, we have 700 to 800 image samples, and the rate of successful recognition is 94 percent,” Zhang added.
Compared with facial recognition technology for humans, facial recognition technology for monkeys is more complicated because monkeys have hairier faces. The color of their hair causes them to get mixed up in their environment. These make it harder for computers to do the job.
“The wild environment is complicated, and golden monkeys do not cooperate with the process in the same way humans do. It is difficult to take high-quality pictures and videos of them, which are needed to improve the system,” said Li Baoguo, leader of the research team.
Currently, there are about 4,000 golden monkeys living in Qinling Mountains. They are typical animals that live in the forest at an altitude of 1,500 meters to 3,300 meters all the year round. The team’s goal is to successfully identify every monkey that lives there.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about facial recognition technology for monkeys?| A．It is bought by China’s Northwest University. |
| B．It works better than human facial recognition. |
| C．It needs to be connected to cameras to work. |
| D．It only requires analyzing 700 to 800 pictures of every monkey. |
| A．easy | B．difficult | C．excited | D．simple |
①image samples ②hairy faces ③hair color ④the environment
| A．②③ | B．①④ | C．①② | D．③④ |
| A．has already been fully developed |
| B．has a high rate of successful recognition |
| C．is similar to human facial recognition |
| D．needs high-quality pictures to improve |
| A．A scientific study of monkeys in Qinling Mountains. |
| B．The use of facial recognition technology for studying monkeys. |
| C．The difficulties of using facial recognition technology for monkeys. |
| D．Different ways to identify monkeys in Qinling Mountains. |
【推荐2】Everybody is afraid of something. That’s what more than 1,700 kids told us when we asked them about fears and scary stuff. We gave kids a list of 14 scary things and asked which one frightened them most. Here are the top 5 answers from our survey: ①Scary movies and TV shows; ②Scary dreams; ③Thunderstorms, hurricanes, and other terrible weather; ④War and terrorism*; ⑤Sounds heard at night.
It seems that not everyone is afraid of the same thing. What makes one person scared can be of no big deal for someone else. Plenty of kids said their biggest fear wasn’t on our list.
What is fear?
Fear is a feeling that everyone has — it’s programmed into all of us — and that’s a good thing because fear is there to protect us. We’re born with a sense of fear so we can react to something that could be dangerous. The baby cries, and their mom comes over to comfort him or her, helping the baby feel safe and OK again.
Real vs. Pretend
The best way to get over a fear is to get more information about it. As kids get older, they understand more and start seeing the difference between what is real and unreal. So when William’s imagination leads him to think of witches, he can tell himself, “Wait a minute. They’re only pretend things. I don’t need to worry about them.”
The same goes for the dark. A kid’s imagination can start playing tricks when the lights go out. What’s under my bed? Is that a thief I hear? With the help of a parent, kids can get more comfortable in the dark. Using a nightlight or shining a flashlight under the bed to see that there’s nothing there can help kids fight that fear.
1. Which of the following can’t help a kid fight the fear of dark?
| A．Using imaginations to think of witches. |
| B．Their parents coming over to comfort them. |
| C．Using a nightlight to see there’s nothing under the bed. |
| D．Shining a flashlight to see there’s nothing under the bed. |
| A．Ugly. | B．Usual. |
| C．Unreal. | D．Lovely. |
| A．Fourteen scary things kids list. |
| B．People are afraid of different things. |
| C．The biggest fear for kids are always the same. |
| D．The things frighten people are the same as the survey. |
| A．Having a sense of fear is not a bad thing. |
| B．Nothing can help kids to get over a fear. |
| C．Fear is something we get when we are older. |
| D．Not all people can react to dangerous things. |
【推荐3】Do you know we are living in the world of mass media? Mass media are tools of communication and allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large, scattered（分散的）audience. However, have you imagined what life would be without the media? Are you a media user who would go mad after two hours without TV, friend requests, exciting online games and your mobile — or would you easily survive?
Recently, university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged. It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban（禁止）by unplugging (拔插头) all forms of media devices (设备) for 24 hours.
Unplugged is being run by Dr. Roman Gerodimos, a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University. The experiment is now over but he doesn’t yet know the full findings. However, during the experiment, Dr. Gerodimos said there were already signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers. He said: “They’re reporting withdrawal（孤僻）signs, overeating, feeling nervous, isolated and disconnected. ”
During their 24-hour unpleasant experience, three volunteers had to put up with one interruption from the media: a BBC reporter plus cameraman who followed them around for the day. They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline, but of course, they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops. Elliot Day wrote: “Today, my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air. Despite being aware of the social importance of the media, I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers.”
From Caroline Scott, we read: “I didn’t expect it, but being taken away from the media for 24 hours resulted in my day-to-day activities becoming so much harder to carry out than usual… I didn’t break out in a cold sweat like Dr. Roman Gerodimos expected us all to, but it’s not something I would like to do again!”
And Charlotte Gay wrote: “I have to say the most difficult item for me to be has been without my mobile; not only is it a social thing, it’s my main point of communication.”
Earlier in the year, a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media, often plugged into several things at once. And a recent study by Nielson found that on average, US teenagers send and receive over 3,000 texts per month—that’s about six texts per waking hour.
So, with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate, how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future?
1. According to the passage, what do you learn about the global experiment called Unplugged?| A．The experiment was carried out by US and UK governments. |
| B．The volunteers of the experiment are all university students. |
| C．It has been carried out among all the students in the world. |
| D．Its findings proved that Dr. Gerodimos’ expectations were true. |
| A．they all feel very surprised and worried |
| B．all of them feel their life is peaceful without a mobile |
| C．it is hard for them to spend the 24 hours without the media |
| D．it makes them realize the social importance of the mobile |
| A．He prefers not to live with it. | B．He thinks highly of it. |
| C．He worries about its influence. | D．He is not sure about its future. |
| A．Hello, technology! | B．The young’s lives, a mess? |
| C．Welcome, information age! | D．Mass media, a lifelong partner? |
