When US student Olivia Priedeman, 17, woke up one morning, she thought she had had a dream about making plans with a friend. But it wasn’t a dream. Her phone showed that during the night, Priedeman had read a text message from her friend. She did it while she was fast asleep.
Reading and responding (反应) to text messages while asleep – called “sleep texting” – is an unusual sleep behavior, similar to sleepwalking. It’s also a growing concern among doctors: young people can’t live without their cell phones.
One in three teenagers sends more than 100 text messages a day, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And at least four out of five teenagers said they sleep with their phone on or near their bed.
Elizabeth Dowdell, a professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, has studied sleep texting. She said that having a phone nearby all night is a big part of the problem.
“That phone is in bed with them or sometimes on top of their chest when they’re sleeping or even in their hand. So the response is kind of automatic (自动的),” she said.
Andrew Stiehm, a sleep medicine expert with Allina Health in Minnesota, agrees. It’s possible for the part of the brain that controls motor (运动神经) skills to wake up, while the part of the brain that controls memory and judgment may remain asleep. That’s why some people can perform basic movements – such as walking, talking, texting or even driving – while they’re sleeping.
Some of Dowdell’s students have admitted that they’re disturbed by their nighttime texting behavior. But because sleep texting is unconscious (无意识的), it’s a difficult habit to break.
Dowdell said she knows of some students who wear socks on their hands to keep themselves from texting.
Marjorie Hogan, a doctor at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, suggests keeping all electronic devices outside the bedroom at certain times.
Shay Radhakrishnan, 16, admits that she sleeps with her phone. But now the practice is giving her some pause (停顿).
“A lot of people leave their phones on their side tables, but for some reason I leave mine on my bed,” she said. “It is probably dangerous because it will probably wake me up a lot more – and probably cause me to start sleep texting.”What happened to Olivia Priedeman?
| A．She sleepwalked to a friend’s house. |
| B．She phoned one of her friends during the night. |
| C．She dreamed of making plans with a friend. |
| D．She read a text message from her friend while asleep. |
How does sleep texting happen?
| A．Some parts of the body are out of control during sleep. |
| B．The brain part controlling motor skills wakes up during sleep. |
| C．The brain part controlling judgment stays awake during sleep. |
| D．The brain part controlling memory becomes unconscious during sleep. |
What does doctor Hogan suggest people who sleep text do?
| A．Stop texting during the daytime. |
| B．Keep their phones out of their bedrooms while they sleep. |
| C．Take some medicine to control the behavior. |
| D．Wear socks on their hands to stop themselves from texting. |
Which of the following statements about sleep texting is TRUE?
| A．Sleep texting can reduce the quality of one’s sleep. |
| B．It’s easy to break away from a sleep texting habit. |
| C．Sleep texting does more harm to one’s health than sleepwalking. |
| D．One in three teenagers has a sleep texting habit. |
When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim had great difficulty in school. He was classified as educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents acknowledged his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted this letter to the newspaper.
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you.”
I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear as if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye.” He gave me something to treasure forever.
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially family members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care. According to the passage, we know that ________.
| A．Jim kept to himself |
| B．Jim did very well in his studies |
| C．Jim’s parents were patient with him |
| D．Jim failed to finish his high school. |
The underlined word “irritating” in Paragraph 4 means _________.
| A．annoying | B．aggressive | C．impatient | D．thrilling |
By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the mother intends to ______________.
| A．mourn her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident |
| B．remind people to be cautious of motorcycles |
| C．advise people to take the chance to express their love in time |
| D．appreciate more of life than ever before |
What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Love your Family | B．Do it Today |
| C．Walk with Pride | D．Appreciate Smiles |
With the Indian economy predicted to grow by 7．5 percent this year, experts say it could be time for Western CEOs to learn some lessons from Indian CEOs．The key differences between Indian and Western bosses are:
Social purpose
One of the most important things is that Indian leaders lead with a sense of social purpose．Every leader in India gave a specific social purpose as being the goal of their business．Those purposes ranged from improving healthcare to getting cell phones to people who didn't have access to communication tools．Having a social purpose motivates workers．
Invest in employees
Indian firms invest an enormous amount in their employees' training and development．IT firms typically offer 60 days of formal training for newly hired workers and they even spend months training experienced workers．A study said that Western firms have largely abandoned investing in employees, seeing it as a waste if they quit．But Indian bosses believe that investing in employees ensures the quality of those who stay at the company．
Take the long view
Indian bosses stress far less on shareholders than it is typical at Western business．As a result they're more able to take a long-term view．Western companies can't just ignore their shareholders, but their CEOs can do more to protect their -employees from short-term financial pressures, letting them get on with their jobs．
Work fromtheir strengths
Western companies often think about strategy in terms of chasing customers or pursuing market opportunities, but Indian firms will more often start by identifying their strengths and customers’ needs, and then try to meet those needs．
Act as a role model
Being a personal role model for their employees is an amazing thing for a CEO．If Western bosses could think of themselves as role models, it would have a real impact on their workers．Indian CEOs use their sense of social purpose to _________．
| A．improve the workers' healthcare system |
| B．provide cell phones to people in need |
| C．motivate and encourage their employees |
| D．promote the development of communication systems |
Western firms have largely abandoned investing in employees’ training and development because _______．
| A．it takes too long to complete the formal training of newly hired workers |
| B．they often hire experienced workers who don't need much training |
| C．they are afraid of the losses brought about by the resignation of employees |
| D．they don't care about the quality of the employees in their firms |
Which of the following is TRUE about Western bosses?
| A．They stress on workers more than shareholders． |
| B．They always act as role models for employees． |
| C．They are good at identifying their own strengths． |
| D．They pay closer attention to market opportunities． |
It takes courage to stand up at work．Now more and more people are standing up when they are working on something important．Standing up is in fashion．Medical researchers have found that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit．But I wasn't just looking for better health — standing would also improve how I work and relax my body．
In recent years, many office supply companies have begun to sell adjustable desks．These so-called "sit / stand" models are equipped with an electric motor that lets them shift from chair height to person height at the push of a button．Unfortunately, sit / stand desks tend to be expensive, hard to find and not very easy to test in person．
I discovered that when I worked standing up, my mind was clearer and new ideas kept coming to me．I suspect that this is because when you're standing, you feel a bit unchained from your desk．If I got stuck on a word or sentence as I wrote it, I found myself shaking my arms, bouncing （跳） on my feet or stepping away from the desk for a bit — things I couldn't do in a chair．Often, standing up seemed to relax my mind enough for me to get over creative barriers．
There's another thing about standing for a long time: I tend to get hungrier than I do when I sit on a chair．That feels like confirmation（证实） of the stand-up advocates’ belief that you burn more calories when you stand than when you sit．For this reason alone, I' m hoping that one day mass-market furniture companies can make many low-priced versions of sit / stand desks．We could all work with a bit more standing up．The author likes standing up while working because __________．
| A．he wants to show that he has a lot of courage |
| B．researchers say standing makes one healthier |
| C．he intends to catch up the fashion trend |
| D．he hopes to improve his work and relax himself |
It can be inferred from the text that ________．
| A．adjustable desks are mass-produced now |
| B．adjustable desks are easy to operate |
| C．cheaper adjustable desks will soon be available |
| D．adjustable desks can be tried out easily |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Standing up at work is a better choice． |
| B．Standing up at work takes courage． |
| C．Standing up at work burns more calories． |
| D．Standing up at work will replace traditional sitting． |
Is there a magic cutoff period when children become responsible for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become spectators （audiences） in the lives of their children and shrug, “It’s their life,” and feel nothing?
When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital passage waiting for doctors to put a few stitches（缝线） in my son’s head．I asked, “When do you stop worrying?” The nurse said, “When they get out of the accident stage．” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing．
When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked continually and disrupted the class．As if to read my mind, a teacher said．“Don’t worry．They all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them．” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing．
When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open．A friend said, “They’re trying to find themselves．Don’t worry; in a few years, you can stop worrying．They’ll be adults．” My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing．
By the time I was 50, I was sick and tired of being weak．I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle．There was nothing I could do about it．My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing．
I continued to suffer from their failures, and be absorbed in their disappointments．My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life．I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted（萦绕心头） by my mother’s warm smile and her occasional “You look pale．Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home．Are you depressed about something?” Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry?
One of my children became quite anxious about me recently, saying, “Where were you? I’ve been calling for three days, and no one answered．I was worried．”
I smiled a warm smile．The author intends to tell us in the passage that_______．
| A．parents long for a period when they no longer worry about their children |
| B．there is no time when parents have no worry about their children |
| C．it’s parents’ duty to worry about their children |
| D．there should be a period when parentsdon’t have to worry about their children |
We can infer from the underlined sentence “My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing．” that ______．
| A．her mother shared the same idea as the nurse |
| B．her mother didn’t agree with the nurse |
| C．her mother thought the nurse was lying |
| D．her mother wouldn’t express her opinion upon the matter |
The author mentioned her ages of twenties, thirties, forties and fifty in order to show_______．
| A．the hard times she experiences in her life |
| B．the different stages of her children |
| C．the support she received from her mother |
| D．she had been worrying about her children in her life |
What can we infer from the last sentence?
| A．The mother was happy that her child began to worry about her, too |
| B．Finally the mother didn’t have to worry about her children |
| C．At last the mother could live her own life without worry． |
| D．The mother succeeded in turning her children into adults． |
Which of the following should be the best title?
| A．Life | B．Parents | C．Worry | D．Children |
The cars were honking （鸣叫） on the road one morning as I was walking to the park．I walked on and soon found the cause — a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road．There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again — nothing happened．"No petrol,"
I said to myself and then found myself getting angry．"Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted．
He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out．He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side．"Stupid guy!" I said．"Can't he lend a helping hand? "
I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side．Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing （咒骂） the poor man．The young man took another taxi and went off．
The taxi driver began mending his taxi．"Stupid passenger!" I said to him．"He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up．"Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?"
What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I’d done my bit, with my mouth．But never had I moved to solve the problem．I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?"Why did a traffic jam happen on the road when the author was walking to the park?
| A．There was too much traffic in the street． |
| B．Truck drivers attempted to go ahead of others． |
| C．A taxi driver couldn't start his engine． |
| D．A young man wasn't good at driving． |
The author's attitude toward the passenger is that of __________．
| A．anger | B．respect | C．sympathy | D．guilt |
Why did the author feel guilty?
| A．Because he blamed the driver wrongly． |
| B．Because he didn't help the driver, either． |
| C．Because he tried to help but failed in the end． |
| D．Because he didn't persuade the passenger to help． |
From the incident, the author learnt a lesson that we should _________．
| A．criticize those who don't help |
| B．hurt the self-respect of others no more |
| C．think more of those who are in need |
| D．stop talking and start to help |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号