Beatrix Potter was a great English writer and artist, best known for her children's books featuring animal characters such as in the children's classic -- The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Beatrix was born into a rich London-based family where she was tutored by very strict private teachers and so spent her youth isolated from other youngsters. During her youth she had a lot of pets and spent vacations in Scotland and also the Lake District. It was at the Lake District that she developed a love of wildlife. She studied the area's natural wonders carefully and painted them continuously. But her old-fashioned, Manchester-born parents discouraged her intellectual improvement, thinking it inappropriate for a young lady. However, her study and watercolour paintings of wild mushrooms made her widely respected within the field of biology. In her 30's, Beatrix Potter wrote the remarkably successful kid's book, The Tale of Pew Rabbit. Close to that time she became secretly engaged to her publisher Norman Warne. This caused a great disagreement with her parents, who did not approve of Beatrix getting married to somebody of lower social status. Sadly, Warne died before the marriage ceremony. Ultimately Beatrix Potter began writing and also illustrating kid's books full-time. Using profits from her books, Beatrix grew to become economically independent of her parents and was eventually in a position to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She extended the property with additional purchases of neighbouring land over time. In her 40's, Bestrix married William Heelis, a local lawyer. She ended up becoming a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to publish as well as illustrate books for children. In all she authored 23 publications. Beatrix died on December 22, 1943, and left the majority of her property to the National Trust. Her books carry on selling well globally, in many different languages. Her stories have been retold in numerous formats including a ballet, movies, and cartoons. Such is her reputation, and that of... In which of the following areas did Beatrix Potter show an interest during her life? A) Writing, biology, farming. B) Drawing, nature, ballet. C) Movies, farming, drawing. D) Writing, mushrooms, travel.
A
Sleeping for less than six hours a night greatly increases the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke , a study has found. It is the stuff of nightmares for those whose busy work schedule or busy family life means getting up early and staying up late. Scientists claim that the modern tendency to delay going to bed in order to get through more of the items on the 'to do' list has serious health consequences. But take care. Those who have too much sleep are also more likely to suffer a heart attack. While the extra sleeping is unlikely to be the cause, long-term illnesses such as heart disease often make sufferers feel tired, so sleeping for longer than nine hours a night may be an early warning sign. Researchers found that those who slept for less than six hours were almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer a heart attack and 15 per cent more at risk of strokes. They believe that not having enough sleep disrupts the balance of two key hormones , ghrelin and leptin , which control the appetite. Poor sleepers tend to eat more and are more likely to be fatter, so are at greater risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, which lead to heart attacks and strokes. Experts recommend adults get at least six or seven hours' shut-eye a night to stay healthy. But as many as 60 per cent of us do not think we are sleeping enough, with a third suffering from sleeplessness. The researchers, from the University of Warwick, warned that trying to push too much into one day by going to bed late and getting up early could lead to serious illnesses later in life. They looked at the sleeping habits of almost 475,000 participants from 15 previous studies across eight countries, including the UK, the U.S., Japan, Sweden and Germany. Their findings, published in the European Heart Journal, show that those who slept for less than six hours were 48 per cent more likely to develop or die from heart disease and 15 per cent more likely to develop or die from a stroke. Not having enough sleep decreases the levels of leptin in... Which of the sentences is true according to the text? A) Researchers found that those who slept for less than six hours were almost 50 per cent more likely to suffer strokes and 15 per cent more at risk of a heart attack. B) Those who have too much sleep aren't likely to suffer a heart attack. C) But as many as 60 per cent of us do not think we are sleeping enough, with a third suffering from sleeplessness. D) Trying to push too much into one day by going to bed early and getting up late could lead to serious illnesses in life
C
Q: For many of us, a little time with our smartphones or iPads before sleep is the highlight of the night. But would you still think it is relaxing if you knew that it damages or destroys your sleep? Scientists say that's exactly what it does. In ancient times, when there were no lamps, telephones or smartphones, the sun was the main source of light. When the sun went down, our brains took that as a signal to start producing melatonin , a chemical that helps us sleep. However, a healthy amount of melatonin can only be produced in complete darkness.Any light in your bedroom--even the one on the alarm clock or the charging indicator on your cellphone--could disturb the process, not to mention something as bright as smartphone and iPad screens. We tend to hold these much closer than a television or laptop, which allows them to shoot far more light straight into our eyes. "This is particularly worrisome in populations such as young adults and adolescents, who already tend to be _ ," said researcher Brittany Wood at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute."Lack of sleep among teens is leading to depression, selfharm, low concentration and poor performance at school," she added. While all lights are the enemy of sleep, not all colors of light have the same effect. Our eyes are particularly sensitive to blue light, which is common during the day. Most of the light coming from electronic screens is blue light and it fools our brain into thinking it's still daytime. By contrast, orange or red light has less influence on melatonin production, because our brains recognize it as a signal that the day is ending, according to The Telegraph. Asking yourself to keep your hands off your smartphone before bedtime might seem unreasonable, but you should at least remember to dim the screen or hold it farther away from your eyes. You could also wear a pair of orange sunglasses that take away the harmful blue light. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) The darker it is, the more melatonin will be produced. B) The lighter it is, the more melatonin will be produced. C) The more melatonin you have, the worse you'll sleep. D) The more electrical equipment you have, the more melatonin will be produced.
A: A