The Blue Light From Digital Device
More devices like the iPhone, iPad and Kindle produce a blue light that causes our sleep to be restless and disturbed, according to a new study.
The study was led by Dr Paul Gringras, a sleep disorder specialist at a children's hospital in London. Together with her colleagues, Gringras found that manufacturers have started making bigger, brighter, bluer screens in an effort to increase the efficiency of our screens during daytime.But, as an unwanted byproduct, this light is affecting our sleep and productivity.
The study said that this type of light is likely to cause the most disturbance to sleep, as it most effectively overpowers melatonin (褪黑素). a hormone①that reminds us to sleep every night. Besides, using our devices before bedtime could even affect our performance during the day, because exposure to this blue light changes our body's natural rhythms.
“The development of light-producing devices means that for many people, a 'book at bedtime'is now often an‘e-book’,” Gringras pointed out.“Reading a traditional paper book by the light of your bedside lamp doesn't affect your sleep, because bulbs produce a yellow-red light. In comparison, the same book read in electronic arrangement will provide a very different light signal with biological effects.”
The researchers called on all device manufacturers to adjust screen lighting for the sake of the users’sleep quality and overall health.“All hardware devices should have an automatic “bedtime mode”that shifts blue and green light production to yellow and red as well as reduces backlight/light intensity,” Gringras said.
“And, we hope that as technology improves, more and more people will realize that‘brighter’will not always be equal to‘better’,”the researchers concluded.
① hormone: a chemical in your body that stimulates certain organs of your body
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . Crazy Laws
It seems that the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, was right when he said, “Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.”
Did you know, for example, that London taxis (officially called Hackney carriages) are still legally required to carry hay and oats for their horses to eat? And in England, it is illegal to stand within 100 yards (91 metres) of the queen, without wearing socks?
If you live in Scotland, however, it’s important to know that if someone knocks at the door of your house, and needs to use your toilet, you are legally required to let him in.
Lots of the craziest laws seem to involve animals.
Last, children are forbidden from going to school with their breath smelling of wild onions in West Virginia. And in Arkansas, teachers who have a certain hairc ut (a bob) will not be given a pay-rise. In Florida, a woman can be fined for falling asleep under the hair-dryer and unmarried women must not parachute on a Sunday. If they do, they might be arrested, receive a fine or be put in jail.
| A．But if you are Scottish you should stay away from the city of York. |
| B．Never should a Scotsman leave his own country. |
| C．But strange laws don’t just exist in the UK. |
| D．England is the place where craziest laws have been in existence for centuries. |
| E．Laws in some parts of the world haven’t changed for centuries. |
| F．In Hollywood, it is illegal to take more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at any one time. |
| A．confusing | B．conflicting | C．perpetual | D．financial |
| A．projection | B．succession | C．evolution | D．contraction |
| A．call off | B．call in | C．call on | D．call up |
| A．The woman cannot figure out what is in his notes. |
| B．The woman should comment on his handwriting. |
| C．He is very pleased to be able to help. |
| D．He did not attend today’s classes. |
| A．Their heavy workload. |
| B．How to select secretaries. |
| C．How to improve work efficiency. |
| D．The secretaries in the man’s company. |
| A．The dictionary will be re-printed soon. |
| B．He can read the explanation for the woman. |
| C．The printing of the dictionary is just good. |
| D．He cannot read the explanation either. |
| A．She wishes she had seen the play. |
| B．The music wasn’t as good as the scenery. |
| C．The scenery could have been more realistic. |
| D．The actors in the play didn’t do so well. |
