英语听力精选进阶版 6431

I loved action movies when I was a kid. And I nagged¹ my mum to allow me to go to bed late so that I could watch the ones broadcast after the watershed². They were more interesting. She didn't want me feeling sleepy the following day but she always relented.

A new piece of research suggests that my erratic³ bedtimes might be behind not only my non-stop yawning⁴ at school but also a couple of bad results in tests. A UK study of more than 11,000 seven-year-olds concluded that there is a link between sleep patterns and brain power.

The analysis showed that youngsters⁵ who had no regular bedtime or who went to bed later than 21:00 had lower scores for reading and maths.

The reason? Scientists, led by Prof Amanda Sacker from University College London, think that lack of sleep may disturb natural body rhythms⁷ and impair⁸ how well the brain learns new information.

According to the researchers, by the age of seven more than half the children had a regular bedtime of between 19:30 and 20:30. Maybe much earlier than you and me.

I'm not sure if my mother would agree with this study's results. A reader using the name 'ClaireyBeary77' wrote to the website to say that her five-year-old son goes to sleep around 22:00. After having dinner, doing his homework, playing and watching TV with her, he goes to bed late and does well at school.

Another mother, 'Lisa337', blamed the teachers. She wrote: "I wish someone would tell teachers that plenty of sleep is more important than homework for small children!"

It got me thinking how difficult it must be for kids to hit the sack⁶ today when there are so many interesting things to do. Who can go to bed early and miss hours of excitement with computer games? I would have played all night! And what about your friends on social media? You can't sleep when they are awake somewhere on the other side of the world!

What time did you go to bed when you were a child? Did it cause you any problems?

Quiz 测验

1. Why did the article's author go to bed late?

Because he watched action movies after the watershed.

2. Who did worse on tests presented by the scientists?

Children who went to bed after 21:00 or who didn't have a regular bedtime.

3. How many children in the study went to bed between 19:30 and 20:30?

More than half.

4. In how many activities did the son of 'ClaireyBeary77' engage before going to sleep?

Four: having dinner, doing homework, playing, watching TV.

5. Which expression means 'young people'?

Youngsters.

Glossary 词汇表

to nag 纠缠不休

the watershed 分水岭时间 （在晚9点后才能播出的电视节目）

sleepy 困乏的

to relent 让步

erratic 不规则的

bedtime 就寝时间

to yawn 打哈欠

sleep pattern 睡眠模式

brain power 脑力

the score （考试）分数

lack of sleep 睡眠不足

natural body rhythms 自然的身体节律

to impair 妨碍、削弱

to blame 指责、责怪

to hit the sack 睡觉

awake 醒着的

1 nagged   

adj.经常遭责怪的；被压制的；感到厌烦的；被激怒的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的过去式和过去分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• The old woman nagged (at) her daughter-in-law all day long. 那老太婆一天到晚地挑剔儿媳妇的不是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She nagged him all day long. 她一天到晚地说他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

3 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

4 yawning   

n.打呵欠adj.张着大嘴的，打哈欠的v.打呵欠( yawn的现在分词 )；张开，裂开

参考例句：

• Yawning is often contagious. 打哈欠常易于感染。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• I felt so sleepy I couldn' t stop yawning. 我感到很困，止不住地打呵欠。 来自辞典例句

5 youngsters   

n.孩子( youngster的名词复数 )；少年；青年；年轻人

参考例句：

• We followed the youngsters at a more sedate pace. 我们跟在年轻人后面，步子稍慢一点。
• The camp is for youngsters aged 8 to 14. 这次夏令营是为8至14岁的少年儿童安排的。

6 sack   

n.袋子，劫掠；vt.解雇，劫掠，把...装入袋子

参考例句：

• They made him pay for his offence by giving him the sack.他们解雇了他，从而使他因自己的过错而受到了惩罚。
• If you're late again tomorrow,you'll get the sack!如果你明天再迟到，那就卷铺盖走吧！

7 rhythms   

节奏( rhythm的名词复数 )； 规则变化； 规律； 节律

参考例句：

• Double rhythms, resounding through the lyric depiction and connecting with each other, indicate the thespian place of mankind and the cognition of the writer to this thespian place. 这双重旋律互为表里，表明了人类的某种悲剧性处境以及作家对这种悲剧性处境的感受和认识。
• Stylistically, the term implies loose, rapid painthandling, large rhythms and broken colour. 从风格上来说，这个名称意味着松散而迅速的绘画笔触，奔放的格调，使用强烈配色。

8 impair   

v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少

参考例句：

• Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
• It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。