What time of day do you feel most alert (清醒的)? Are you more of a morning person? Or does your brain need a few hours to get going? A lot of research suggests that we should pay attention to our body clock. It can tell us what time of day we are best able to perform, according to the Wall Street Journal (华尔街日报).

When it comes to the human brain, many people work best later in the morning. This is because the body’s temperature takes time to rise through the day. Taking a warm shower when you wake up can help speed this up.

But everyone’s body clock is different. Morning people will rise early and work better early in the day. Evening people will wake later but their brain will work better toward the end of the day.

Research shows that we’re better at some activities at certain times of the day. Physical performance is at its best between 3 pm and 6 pm, so it s better to exercise later in the day.

Between noon and 4 pm, people begin to get distracted. This is partly because our brain becomes less alert after we eat a big meal. Research also shows that we become sleepy around 2 pm.

Finally, it is best to eat during our active periods. This allows our body to burn calories better and stops our blood sugar levels from getting too high.

【推荐3】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.

【推荐2】The Dragon Head-raising Festival

China is a country with a long and rich history.     1     The Double Second Festival（the Dragon Head-raising Festival or Longtaitou Festival）is one of them. This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It stands for the start of spring and farming.

The dragon plays an important role in Chinese culture. Dragon culture is one of the most popular cultures in China.     2     People celebrated the Dragon Head-raising Festival with many customs（习俗）about the dragon in ancient times.

On this special day, people put ashes（灰）in the kitchen.     3     People believed that if the dragon went into their houses, they could have a good luck all year round. People also ate special food.     4     For example, people ate noodles called “dragon whiskers noodles” and dumplings called “dragon ears”. Besides, people sent gifts to each other, picked vegetables and went on a spring outing.

    5     Today people hurry to have their hair cut, especially have their children’s hair cut on the Dragon Head-raising Festival. They want to make themselves have new looks and have a good year.