The next time this happens to you, think back if you have had enough sleep over the last 3-5 days. Many adults and even teens have noticed that they crave "midnight snacks" when working or watching TV late.

New research shows that lack of sleep could lead us to have an increased appetite (食欲)- especially for the unhealthy kind.

Recently, researchers at the University of Chicago carried out a study that clearly shows that a lack of sleep actually changes our brain chemistry! Studies were done on two control groups over four days. Both groups had their food and sleep strictly controlled. All of them received three meals. The only difference was that one group was allowed to sleep for 7.5 hours while the other group slept for a little more than four hours.

During the following visit, their sleep patterns were exchanged. After the last night of the session, the volunteers were offered as much food as they wanted to eat. Researchers noticed that in both sessions, people who sleep less ate on an average 300 calories more than those who had slept more. This was much more calories than what their bodies would need to make up for the three fewer hours of sleep.

What Is Going On?

The researchers then analyzed the chemicals (化学成分) in the blood of the people in the study. What they noticed was surprising. High levels of ghrelin (a chemical that makes us hungry) and lower levels of leptin (the chemical that tells the brain that it is satisfied) were found in the people with less sleep.

Even more surprising was that this group had higher levels of endocannabinoids - the same chemical that is caused by drugs such as cannabis (大麻). The endocannabinoid system causes a craving for sugar and fatty foods and leads to overeating even when the body is not hungry. This study suggests that sleep changes help produce chemicals in the body that are similar to taking drugs!

Furthermore, researchers noticed that food cravings continued for a long period of time, well after the lack of sleep. This increases the risk of over-eating for longer periods, leading to obesity (肥胖).

Your body needs 7-8 hours of sleep each night. So, the next time you reach for a bag of chips or a slice of decadent cake, think of the amount of sleep you have had recently!

【1】According to the passage, people want to eat more when they ________.

A．work B．watch TV C．sleep less D．sleep more

【2】The word ‘crave’ in paragraph 2 most probably means ________.

A．hope B．want C．hate D．dislike

【3】From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．people feel guilty about eating chocolate

B．unhealthy food makes people sleep less and less

C．a person’s sleep has nothing to do with his/her appetite

D．a study about sleep and obesity was carried out at the University of Chicago

【4】The chemical that makes us feel hungry is called ________.

A．ghrelin B．leptim

C．cannabis D．endocannabinoids

【5】This article is mainly about ________.

A．researchers working on people’s sleep

B．how people’s sleep influences their appetite

C．how much people need to eat after sleeping less

D．A research about chemicals in the blood of people

A. on the 1950s B. in the 1950s

C. at the 1950’s D. in 1950’s

Most people who celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day aren’t Irish. Every year on March 17, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate this Irish all over the world. There are parades in New York, London, and Tokyo. There are all-night parties in Argentina. People and have fun in the streets of Australia and New Zealand. And of course, there are some celebrations in Ireland, too.

What is Saint Patrick’s Day? Saint Patrick was a priest hundreds of years ago who made many Irish people Christianity(基督教). He was actually born in Britain, but he has become an important in Irish culture. There are many stories about him, killing all the snakes in Ireland and speaking with Irish ancient kings. Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday to remember , but today it is also a day for celebrating Ireland and Irish culture in general. So do people celebrate it? The most way is to wear something green. Green is one of the colors of the Irish flag, and Ireland is also famous for its beautiful green countryside. If you forget to wear green, you may get pinched(捏、掐), pinching people who forget to wear green is another Saint Patrick’s Day tradition. But perhaps the second most common way to celebrate, if you are enough, is to drink lots and lots of Irish beer. Remember only adults can drink beer. Otherwise, you will be punished for being too young.

【1】A．habit B．holiday C．parade D．game

【2】A．drink B．smoke C．fight D．swim

【3】A．take in B．hand in C．bring in D．believe in

【4】A．soldier B．hero C．hunter D．king

【5】A．for example B．along with C．instead of D．such as

【6】A．her B．him C．them D．it

【7】A．how B．why C．when D．where

【8】A．interesting B．special C．common D．strange

【9】A．though B．so C．until D．as

【10】A．brave B．old C．strong D．excited

A. their B. they C. them

-Yes, it is.

A. What's B. Where is C. Is Bill's bag

A. other B. the other

C. another D. others

内容包括：1. 10岁时在电视上认识了科比，从此认识了篮球。

2. 了解了篮球的一些知识

3. 对篮球运动的期盼，希望球坛有更多的科比，让篮球运动更精彩。

参考词汇：indoor, outdoor, popular, a team sport, have good skills

提示： （1）文中不允许出现真实姓名，地名，校名。

（2）短文开头结尾已写好，不计入总词数，字数80个词。

Dear Kobe:

How are you? I am a middle school student. I’m your big fan. I miss you these days.________________________

Sincerely

Martin

Hi！My name is Da Tou.I have a big head and two small hands.I have two big eyes.I am wearing a yellow T-shirt.I have no brothers or sisters.My parents love me very much.

This is my father.He is also my good friend. He has a small head and two big hands, He wears a pair of glasses. He is a reporter(记者)，so he knows a lot. He often plays games with me.

This is my mother.She is a little fat.She often wears an apron(围裙)。She is good at cooking.She works in a shop near our house.My mother is a kind woman.

【1】What does Da Tou look like?

A. He has a small head.

B. He has two big hands.

C. He is wearing a green T-shirt.

D. He has two big eyes.

【2】What is Da Tou’s father’s job?

A. He is a teacher. B. He is a doctor.

C. He is a reporter. D. He is a worker.

【3】Da Tou’s mother is good at ______ .

A. reading B. cooking

C. writing D. playing games

【4】Which is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Da Tou has a brother and a sister.

B. His father wears a pair of glasses.

C. His mother is a kind woman.

D. His mother works in a shop near their house.

【5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A. A good reporter B. Da Tou and his friends

C. A happy boy D. A happy family

①When_I_was_a_little_girl，my_parents_always_asked_me_what_I_wanted_to_be_when_I_grew_up．I used to tell them a general，doctor，guard，and many more that I probably don't remember.But now I really know what I want to be.I want to be a fashion designer.

What made me want to be a fashion designer？I often watch TV.The fashion shows on TV are fascinating.The tall，thin models wear beautiful clothes and walk beautifully on the stage.So I decide to be a designer and design beautiful clothes for people and make them look even better.

I have all kinds of dolls and I enjoy looking at their colorful clothes.I often change my dolls' clothes.I try to put one doll's clothes on another doll and see how it looks.Sometimes a skirt looks nice on one doll，but doesn't look so good on another.

I also like reading fashion magazines.They are quite expensive，but my parents say they will pay for them if I am really interested in reading them.They want me to learn as much as possible.For me，②我会尽最大的努力实现自己的梦想。I believe that one day my parents will take pride in what I can do.

【1】What does the writer want to be now?

________________________________________________________________________

【2】What does the writer think of the fashion shows on TV?

________________________________________________________________________

【3】What does the writer often do with her dolls?

________________________________________________________________________

【4】将画线句子①翻译成汉语。

________________________________________________________________________

【5】将画线句子②翻译成英语。

________________________________________________________________________

【1】What do people in Nancy’s Gym want to do?

A.To enjoy swimming.B.To learn to skate.

C.To lose weight.D.To eat delicious food.

【2】If Mr. Smith goes skating with his child, they need to pay ________ for two hours’ skating.

A.$ 50B.$ 60

C.$ 80D.$ 100

【3】People can go to Water World at ________.

A.8:00 a.m.B.1:30 p.m.

C.9:30 p.m.D.10:00 p.m.

【4】You can call ________ if you want to swim.

A.215-1829B.886-8252

C.215-1982D.455-6223

【5】Which of the following is TRUE?

A.Ice World is only for adults.B.People can go to Nancy’s Gym on Sunday.

C.There are four large pools in Water World.D.Children needn’t pay to go swimming in water World.