Nowadays the U.S. students are sleepy in school because they spend too much time texting, playing video games, watching TV and using the media in other ways. "Heavy media use interferes with sleep by reducing sleep duration, making it harder to fall asleep, and lowering sleep quality," Meilan Zhang, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, wrote in her research review in the journal, Sleep Medicine. But the relationship between youth's media use and sleep is not so simple, said Michael Gradisar, who authored both that review and the Sleep Medicine meta-analysis. "Technology use is the new evidence when we are trying to answer 'Why are school-age children sleeping less?'" said Mr. Gradisar, an associate professor of psychology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. There may be safe limits to technology use, Mr. Gradisar stated. For instance, recent research results indicate that using a bright screen for an hour before bed or even playing violent video games for less than that will not necessarily interfere with teenagers' sleep, he wrote. But longer periods of usage can be harmful to sleep, Mr. Gradisar added. Rather than delaying school start times, he said, the first step should be educating parents about limiting the hours that their children are using technology before bed, and enforcing a consistent bedtime. Early school start times are also commonly blamed for students' sleepiness, especially for adolescents. Secondary schools around the nation and the world have been delaying start times, often with positive results. Mr. Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center hesitated to put blame to any particular factor. But he did think that cost-saving measures to consolidate bus routes might help explain U.S. students' sleepiness. "For those children who board the bus first, they must get up earlier, may end up sleeping on the way to school, and may end up arriving at school sleepy." he said. Which of the following may be the good way to help kids sleep better? A) Parents should be well educated. B) Technology is forbidden at home. C) Their playing time must be limited. D) They are allowed to go to school early.
C
Tests can be stressful even for the most prepared students,and,unfortunately,test anxiety can actually have a negative impact on your performance.(Just having that knowledge adds to the stress,doesn't it?)Well,the following tips can help you get through your next test with much greater ease--and likely more success! Get Enough Sleep Getting 6 hours of less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit,or lack of sufficient sleep,which can actually make you less sharp mentally and thus negatively affect your performance on tests,even if you spent those missed hours of sleep studying.So it's very important for you to get all of your studying done so you can get a good night of sleep before your big day. Study Smarter Being organized with your studies can help you keep from pulling all-nighters to get all of your studying in and blowing the test because you're exhausted.How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the most important things you need to learn,in order of importance,and hit the items at the top of the list first.That way,if you run out of time,you're mostly covered.Make a list of all the work you have to do,estimate how much time each item will take,and compare that with the amount of hours you have available;this will tell you if you can carefully read or just skim,how many times you can afford to revise papers,and other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done.If you're pressed for time,it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.Oh,and turn off the TV as much as possible until your tests are behind you. Visualize Success Before you fall asleep each night,it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully.Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something,and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can actually help you perform better and feel confident.Being confident as you take your exams can keep you from choking because of the stress.Visualizations can also help you to remember... According to the passage,which of the following about sleep is true? A) Sleep has nothing to do with test anxiety. B) Less sleep can actually save you more time to study. C) Lack of enough sleep can make you slower in mind. D) Less than 6 hours of sleep will lead to your failure in tests.
C
Q: What was your favorite sport during your childhood? Maybe running around the playground or jumping rope for hours would bring you pleasure. At that time you weren't thinking of health, you were just thinking of entertainment . But in this age of high-tech home equipment, the simple joy of jumping rope has been forgotten. I think rediscovering it probably will give you a total-body exercise. Although considered an excellent form of exercise, jumping rope has never been widely accepted because of two reasons. First, most people consider jumping rope to be an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don't think they'll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes in order to achieve a beneficial physical effect. Second, many people regard it as a little boring and overly repetitive --not as something fun or enjoyable. _ . Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce over and over again, players good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double -bounce, a skip, a knee-up, side swings, as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping . Nowadays researchers are discovering that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning. It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres to perform equally to each other . In a word, jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space, yet leading to a much healthier life. According to the researchers, jumping rope _ . A) only prepares the brain for learning B) is suitable for students only C) helps both brain hemispheres work together D) can be dangerous for old people
A: C
Q: Many drivers say the large digital billboards flashing ads every few seconds along Bay Area freeways are just too bright and too distracting. And they may be right. A Swedish study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention concludes that digital billboards hold the gazes of drivers longer than two seconds. Previous studies have shown that anything that takes a driver's eyes off the road for that length of time increases the risks of a crash. "This study proves what is common sense when it comes to digital billboards," says Mary Tracy, president of Scenic America, a national nonprofit group that seeks to limit billboards. "Bright, constantly changing signs on the sides of roads are meant to attract and keep the attention of drivers, and this study confirms that this is exactly what they do." The Federal Highway Administration allowed digital signs for the first time in 2007 after concluding they did not pose a significant danger. But a follow-up report is pending and could be released this year. California has no law banning the billboards, and is one of 39 states that allows them. "We would need to review more research, so it's too early to call for a ban," says Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. "There is a role for digital messaging, such as conveying urgent information and other safety messages." There are more than 1,800 digital billboards nationwide, more than double the number five years ago. While no data indicate an increase in accidents due to the Bay Area signs, many drivers are opposed to them. "Monstrosities" is what Merlin Dorfman of San Jose calls them, while insurance agent David Whitlock says he has found them a major distraction. "They're much too bright at night," he says. "When the advertisement switches from a bright color to a darker one, your eyes cannot adjust fast enough, and you end up losing sight of the roadway." Officials with sign companies could not be reached for comment, but Bryan Parker, an executive vice president for... What is Bryan Parker's attitude towards digital billboards? A) Supportive. B) Indifferent. C) Opposed. D) Uncertain.
A: A