Question

【题目】 Have you seen your horse prepare for winter? Although it is getting warmer and warmer, many animals are still hibernating (冬眠). It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, we humans almost did.

According to Graham Robb, a British, who has studied the sleeping habits of the French farmers, in the past, farmers in France liked a half-state of human hibernation. As soon as the weather turned cold, people all over France would shut themselves indoors and practice the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months.

Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed greatly since the invention of electric lighting. The business of eight hours continuous sleep is a modern invention.

When historians began studying the texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something regarded as “first sleep”. Now scientists are telling us that people in ancient times most possibly slept in separate periods.

In the past, without the electric light, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves at midnight. The late night period was called “The Watch”. It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals, although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbors.

Some sleep researchers think that a short period of insomnia (失眠) at midnight is not a problem. It is normal. Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping, which happens in the short period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning. This period can be an especially creative time for some people. The inventor, Thomas Edison, used this state to invent many of his new ideas.

Playing with your sleep patterns can be dangerous, and it will lead to worries. Medical science doesn’t help much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural; however, according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need.

【1】The writer gives the example of the French farmers to show that ________.

A.people might become lazy because of too much sleep

B.there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits

C.people would sleep more comfortably in cold weather

D.winter was a season for people to sleep for months nonstop

【2】The late night was called “The Watch” because it was a time for people ________.

A.to discuss ways to catch animalsB.to wake up their family and neighbors

C.to remind others of the timeD.to protect themselves against possible dangers

【3】What does the author advise people to do?

A.Keep the eight-hour sleep pattern.B.Follow their natural sleep habit.

C.See a doctor if they can’t sleep.D.Sleep in the way animals do.

【4】What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A.To explain the reason for insomnia.B.To study the sleep pattern of modem people.

C.To make us know more of human sleep.D.To encourage people to sleep longer.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】B

【4】C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了人类的睡眠史。动物需要冬眠，人为什么不需要冬眠呢？根据英国学者研究，人类也有“半冬眠”的情况。研究人员称，人类的睡眠受到了现代灯光的影响。“8小时睡眠”是现代社会的发明。在过去的时候，人们天黑就睡觉，半夜就醒来照顾牲畜，所以现在有人半夜会醒来，也不奇怪，这是一种先人的习惯。研究还称，早上是人工作效率最高的时段，很多伟人也是利用这段时间来攻克难题，生物钟被打乱的时候，人会感到焦虑。但是用药物来辅助治疗睡眠，根据Warren的理论，是与人的睡眠习惯相反的。

【1】推理判断题。根据第二段内容及关键句“farmers in France liked a half-state of human hibernation.”法国的农民喜欢“半冬眠”的状态。以及第一段“It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, we humans almost did.”太糟糕了，人类不能冬眠，事实上，我们人类几乎做到了。故可以推断出人类睡眠习惯中有冬眠的迹象。故选B。

【2】细节理解题。根据“It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals, although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbors.”正是在那时，人们实际上一直在观察野生动物，尽管他们中的许多人只是四处走动或拜访家人和邻居。可推断出人们在半夜起来实际上是在保护自己并防御可能的危险。故选D。

【3】推理判断题。根据最后一段“Playing with your sleep patterns can be dangerous, and it will lead to worries.”打乱你的生物钟可能是危险的，这会导致忧虑。以及“according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need.”根据沃伦的理论，这与我们所需要的正好相反。可知作者并不同意打乱生物钟，或者使用药物，而是赞成遵循自然睡眠习惯。故选B。

【4】推理判断题。本题要求说明作者写这篇文章的目的。To explain the reason for insomnia.解释失眠的原因；To study the sleep pattern of modem people.研究现代人的睡眠模式；To make us know more of human sleep.让我们更多地了解人类的睡眠；To encourage people to sleep longer.鼓励人们睡得更长。根据文章大意，作者写这篇文章介绍了人类的睡眠史，是阐明了很多人类睡眠的真相，以便让我们更多地了解人类的睡眠。故选C。

阅读理解是最能体现学生英语能力的题型，分值较高。这种题型一般考查学生的细节理解能力，主旨理解能力和推理判断能力。做阅读理解题，首先要准确理解题意，然后根据题意和短文内容选出正确的答案。此题型中推理判断题型较难，要在准确理解题意后，在文中找出相关的内容做出合理的推断。如本题中第3小题，根据最后一段“Playing with your sleep patterns can be dangerous, and it will lead to worries.”打乱你的生物钟可能是危险的，这会导致忧虑。以及“according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need.”根据沃伦的理论，这与我们所需要的正好相反。可以推知作者并不同意打乱生物钟，或者使用药物，而是赞成遵循自然睡眠习惯。故可选出正确答案。