1 . Last year, Claire Noble-Randall woke up at 5:30 am every morning. She had to catch two buses to arrive in time for first-period chemistry classes at Ingraham High School in Seattle, US.

Ingraham starts at 8 am, but Noble-Randall often didn’t get to sleep until after midnight. “It was really hard not to fall asleep in class,” she said.

Her mom solved the problem this year when she discovered that other parents had hired (租用) a private city tour bus to take their children to school.

“Now, she leaves the house at a much more reasonable time 7:10 in the morning...to catch the little tour bus at 7:23 am,” said her mother, Noelle Noble.

That may be one way to help students get more sleep. But more than 3, 300 people have signed an online petition (请愿) looking for a better solution from the Seattle school district. Those who have signed the petition want all high schools and middle schools to start no earlier than 8: 30 am. Most of Seattle’s high schools and middle schools start at 8 am or earlier.

Later start times for teenagers are an idea that some parents around the nation have wanted for years. They’ve provided plenty of scientific evidence that teenagers tend to be night owls (夜猫子) and delayed start times improve their health, mood, attention, and, in some cases, learning.

But attempts to delay start times for teenagers haven’t worked. Coaches don’t want late dismissals cutting into sports practices; community groups don’t want to wait longer for gyms and fields and before- and after-school programs don’t want to change their schedules.

This time, however, they’ve got Seattle School Board president Sharon Peaslee on their side. She herself is the mother of two high school students. Peaslee hopes other board members will pass her plan calling on the district to find a way to make the changes.

1. How did Noble-Randall solve her problem of early classes?

A．She quit first-period classes.

B．She found a faster way to school.

C．She took a private city tour bus to school.

D．She rented a house near school.

2. People who have signed the online petition want schools to ________.

A．provide a school bun service

B．delay school start times

C．improve the quality of lessons

D．stop students from falling asleep in class

3. Why did parents’ attempts to change school start times fail?

A．Not enough people signed the petition.

B．No scientific evidence could support their idea.

C．It would influence the schools’ schedules.

D．It would influence many out-of-school activities.

4. What can we infer from the article?

A．More parents will hire a private bus for their children.

B．Seattle schools plan to change their schedules next year.

C．There will be less after-school activities and programs.

D．There is now a higher chance of delaying school start times.