1 . Unlike humans who enter a state of relatively complete unconsciousness while sleeping, birds can more carefully control their sleep. Birds often sleep with one eye open, only half their brain resting at the same time. The other half of the brain is awake, able to note danger if needed.
While the exact way in which birds control their sleep patterns has not been well studied, it has been shown that the safer a bird feels when sleeping, the more likely it is to sleep deeper. If the situation is more uncertain, however, the bird will sleep more lightly.
Sleeping together is another defensive method that many birds use. By living together, some species can create a nighttime place where thousands of individuals sleep. As a result, there are more birds to notice their enemies’ attack, giving each individual bird a greater chance of survival. In winter, many birds, particularly small birds, live together to share body heat and survive lower nighttime temperatures.
When birds sleep, they bury weak body parts in their feathers. A bird’s feathers create air pockets that help it keep warm, and by placing feet or the bill into the feathers, less body heat is lost. When a bird’s bill is buried deeply in its feathers, it is also able to breathe air warmed by its own body heat.
There is little data about how long birds sleep at a time, but studies show that birds may sleep longer during longer nights. This may be because birds are not able to search for food or take part in other activities without enough light and so sleeping is the next natural item on their to-do lists. Birds are able to sleep for a short time during the day, however, and can also sleep longer whenever they are in a safe place.
1. How can birds control their sleep?| A．By opening both of the eyes. | B．By ignoring danger frequently. |
| C．By entering a dream completely. | D．By keeping half of the brain awake. |
| A．Birds’ condition. | B．Birds weight. | C．Birds’ feelings. | D．Birds’ sleep patterns. |
| A．They can attack their enemies. | B．They can protect themselves well. |
| C．They can lower body temperatures. | D．They can share body heat in summer. |
| A．Into their feathers. | B．Into their feet. |
| C．Into their mouths. | D．Into their skin pockets. |
| A．Birds can search for food in weak light. |
| B．Birds should plan their activities more carefully. |
| C．Birds can usually sleep longer at night in winter. |
| D．Birds should place sleeping first on their to-do lists. |
2 . A survey by the American Psychological Association shows that one in ten adults reads online news at least once an hour. A lot has been written about the mental health influence from news addiction, and in particular from reading negative reports. Just like junk food, “junk” news can be bad for our health.
In recent years, things have been getting increasingly more negative. A study of the content of New Zealand’s largest newspaper showed that while in 1973 the average number of stories about death on the front page was 0.75, by 2013 it was 4.1(and no, there weren’t five times more people dying).
What’s more, online news, and the stories we read on mobile phones in particular, tend to be even more negative than print. A 2019 study of 50 U.S. newspapers showed that mobile versions of newspapers report three times more stories about disasters and accidents than paper ones.
Such negative reports lead people to believe that things are worse than they really are. They can lead to stress, worry and lower spirits.
Experiments also suggest that loneliness and poor relationships have been connected with reading negative reports. After reading negative reports, people are less likely to help others. Even worse, when we check news on smart phones, we may “phub” our loved ones, which leads to lower relationship satisfaction.
Negative reports attract our attention far more than positive ones. That’s a global happening. I hope, however, that if we realize that negative news is spoiling our moods, we might all be more willing to change.
1. Why is “junk food” mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To entertain readers. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To make an advertisement. | D．To keep readers away from it. |
| A．The death rate in New Zealand is very high. | B．Print newspapers have become less popular. |
| C．Stories about death have become less popular. | D．Negative reporting has been increasing over years. |
| A．Live a hopeful life. | B．Become more careful. |
| C．Become less likely to help others. | D．Pay more attention to their physical health. |
| A．Ignore | B．Hate | C．Laugh at | D．Care about |
| A．A Survey on News Reading Habits | B．Negative Effects of Mobile Phones |
| C．Is Online News Better Than Print? | D．Is Junk News a Danger to Health? |
