英语听力精选进阶版 6309

Good morning. Are you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after your recommended eight-hour sleep? Or perhaps instead you dropped off for four hours, got up, had a chat, smoked tobacco and visited some neighbours before hitting the sack for another four hours.

A growing number of experts are suggesting that the latter is actually a more natural way for us to recharge our batteries than the eight-hours-in-one-session sleeping pattern that people have come to consider normal.

In researching his book on the subject of shut-eye, Roger Ekirch discovered over 500 historical references¹ to a first and second segmented sleeping pattern. They come from diaries, court records, medical books and literature.

By the late 17th century, street lighting² started to appear in cities and more people began to consider spending the night kipping a waste of valuable time. Around the same time, references to a first and second sleep start to disappear.

So, if you are one of those people who find themselves wide awake in the middle of the night and toss³ and turn unable to return to the land of nod, your insomnia⁴ may not be a medical condition after all.

According to sleep psychologist Gregg Jacobs, "For most of evolution we slept a certain way. Waking up during the night is a part of normal human physiology⁵." But the majority of doctors still don't recognise that one eight-hour slumber⁶ might be unnatural⁷.

So what's the advice for those who after hours of counting sheep still can't nod off? Lie back and relax. It could actually be good for you.

Quiz 小测验

Did humans always try to sleep in one eight-hour session?

No. A growing number of experts are suggesting that the latter is actually a more natural way for us to recharge our batteries than the eight-hours-in-one-session sleeping pattern that people have come to consider normal.

Are there many references to first and second sleep segments⁸ in historical documents?

Yes. Roger Ekirch discovered over 500 historical references to a first and second segmented sleeping pattern.

Why did people start to stay out later at night in the late 17th century?

By the late 17th century, street lighting started to appear in cities and more people began to consider spending the night kipping a waste of valuable time.

Which word in the article means difficulty in sleeping?

Insomnia.

What technique for helping⁹ people fall asleep is mentioned?

Counting sheep.

Glossary 词汇表

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 精神抖擞

to drop off 去睡觉

to hit the sack 去睡觉

to recharge your batteries 养精蓄锐

a sleeping pattern 睡眠习惯

shut-eye 闭上眼睛

to kip （口语化）睡觉/打盹

wide awake 没有困意

to toss and turn 翻来覆去/辗转反侧

the land of nod 睡乡/梦乡

insomnia 失眠

a sleep psychologist 研究睡眠的心理学家

slumber 睡眠

counting sheep 数数

to nod off 入睡

1 references   

n.参考( reference的名词复数 )；证明书；（为方便查询所用的）标记；（帮助或意见的）征求

参考例句：

• Applications with a full curriculum vitae and two references should reach the Principal by June 12th. 申请书连同完整个人简历和两份推荐信必须在6月12日以前送达校长处。
• The book is full of references to growing up in India. 这本书谈到许多在印度怎样长大成人的事。

2 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

3 toss   

n./v.突然抬起，摇摆，扔

参考例句：

• Let's toss to see who pays it.让我们来掷钱币决定谁付账吧。
• The matter made him toss in the bed.那件事使他在床上翻来覆去。

4 insomnia   

n.失眠，失眠症

参考例句：

• Worries and tenseness can lead to insomnia.忧虑和紧张会导致失眠。
• He is suffering from insomnia.他患失眠症。

5 physiology   

n.生理学，生理机能

参考例句：

• He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

6 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。

7 unnatural   

adj.不自然的；反常的

参考例句：

• Did her behaviour seem unnatural in any way?她有任何反常表现吗？
• She has an unnatural smile on her face.她脸上挂着做作的微笑。

8 segments   

部分( segment的名词复数 )； 瓣； [计算机]（字符等的）分段； [动物学]节片

参考例句：

• He is eating oranges in segments. 他正在一瓣瓣地吃橘子。
• Gene cloning provides a means of purifying and propagating specific DNA segments. 基因克隆化提供了一种纯化和扩增特定DNA片段的方法。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。