Sleep deprivation(缺失)is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.
It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.
In literacy(读写能力) tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.
Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.
The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)
“I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show,” says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.
“It’s the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition,” says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. “If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it’s having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction.”
That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering.
1. What did the researchers of Boston College try to find?
A. Why children don’t get enough sleep
B. How many hours children sleep every night
C. The relationship between sleep and test results
D. The relationship between sleep and health
2.Many children suffer from sleep deprivation because _________.
A. they sit in front of the TV for too long
B. they can hardly sleep soundly and deeply
C. their homework occupies too much of their time
D. modern technological devices consume a lot of their time
3.Which of the following countries has the most sleep-deprived students?
A. Japan B. Malta
C. Finland D. Portugal
4.Why are children who get enough sleep also victims?
A. Because they are disturbed by sleep-deprived students
B. Because teaching is driven down by sleep-deprived students
C. Because they have to spend time helping sleep-deprived students
D. Because the teachers waste time disciplining sleep-deprived students
The Catskill Mountains are a year-round playground for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. You will find a number of relaxing inns ready to meet your needs.
Caleb Street’s Inn
Located in the historic village of Catskill at the base of the mountains, Caleb Street’s Inn was built in 1785. It provides a view of the garden and Catskill Creek or guests can step outside for a walk along the Hudson River. A full breakfast is served every morning. Each of the four Pet-friendly rooms offers a private bath and a view of the river and neighboring buildings. Hiking trails(小路), golf courses and historic sites are only a short drive away.
Winter Clove Inn
Nature lovers can enjoy a pleasant location in the Northern Catskill Wilderness Preserve at Winter Clove Inn. With wood floors, each room has a private bath and air conditioning(空调). With active days of tennis, hiking or cross- country skiing ahead, guests don’t have to go far for a breakfast, lunch or dinner beside the fireplace at inn’s restaurant.
Windham House
A former pub built in 1805, Christman’s Windham House is the oldest inn continually operating in the Catskills. The 300 acres of grounds in the town of Windham include a tennis court, golf course, heated pool and a restaurant. Guests can relax on private balconies (阳台) overlooking a golf course and take their meals at Christman’s Windham House Restaurant. The inn is less than 2 miles from the hiking trails of Windham Mountain.
Washington Irving In
If you’re looking for a mountain inn with a Victorian feel, Washington Irving Inn has much to offer. Furnished with antiques, each of the 15 rooms has a private bath. Free breakfast is served. Hikers are a short walk from Kaaterskill Falls and Hunter Mountain trails.
1. What is special about Caleb Street’s Inn?
A. It has a golf course for guest
B. It provides a beautiful view of Kaaterskill Falls
C. It’s decorated with wood floors
D. It allows guests to take their dog or cat with them
2.All the four inns in the passage ______
A. have private bathrooms
B. has air conditioning in the rooms
C. are convenient for hiking
D. serve free breakfast in the morning
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Number sense is not the ability to count. It is the ability to recognize a in number. Human beings are born with this ability. , experiments show that many animals are, too. For example, many birds have good number sense. If a nest has four eggs and you remove one, the bird will not . However, if you remove two, the bird leaves. This means that the bird knows the between two and three.
Another interesting experiment showed a bird's number sense. A man was trying to take a photo of a crow(乌鸦)that had a nest in a tower, but the crow always left when she saw him coming. The bird did not until the man left the tower. The man had an .He took another man with him to the tower. One man left and the other stayed, but they did not the bird. The crow stayed away until the second man left, too. The experiment was with three men and then with four men. But the crow did not return to the nest until all the men were .It was not until five men went into the tower and only four left that they were able to fool the crow.
How good is a human's number sense? It's not very good. For example, babies about fourteen months old almost always notice if something is taken away from a group. But when the number goes beyond three or four, the children are fooled.
It seems that number sense is something we have in common with many animals in this world, and that our human is not much better than a crow's.
1.A. rise B. pattern C. change D. trend
2.A. Importantly B. Surprisingly C. Disappointedly D. Fortunately
3.A. survive B. care C. hatch D. notice
4.A. generally B. sincerely C. casually D. deliberately
5.A. distance B. range C. difference D. interval
6.A. amazing B. annoying C. satisfying D. disturbing
7.A. relax B. recover C. react D. return
8.A. appointment B. excuse C. idea D. explanation
9.A. fool B. hurt C. catch D. kill
10.A. reported B. repeated C. designed D. approved
11.A. confused B. gone C. tired D. drunk
12.A. gradually B. luckily C. strangely D. finally
13.A. single B. small C. local D. new
14.A. seldom B. temporarily C. merely D. often
15.A. sight B. nature C. ability D. belief
—How come you were half an hour late for work this morning, Mike?
—_______My car broke down halfway.
A. Yes, so what? B. No, it’s not my fault
C. Well, who knows? D. Sorry, but I couldn’t help it.
—The dinner was very good. I am so full.
—That’s too bad. But some dessert ________.
A. has been ordered B. will be ordered
C. was going to order D. has ordered
This ______ of culture between Europeans and the Romany led to many nations taking action against them, even banning Romany groups from entering.
A. collision B. switch
C. surplus D. dimension
