成人英语三级

American society is not nap(午睡)friendly. In fact, says David Dinges, a sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvanian School of Medicine, "There's even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep." Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: "Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven."

Wrong. The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them. "We have to totally change our attitude toward napping," says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University, the godfather of sleep research.

Last year a national commission led by Dement identified an "American sleep debt" which one member said was as important as the national debt. The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness: people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving. This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House. According to recent reports, President Clinton is trying to take a half hour snooze(打瞌睡)every afternoon.

About 60% of American adults nap when given the opportunity. We seem to have "a mid afternoon quiet phase" also called "a secondary sleep gate." Sleeping 15 minutes to 2 hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap.

We Superstar of Snooze don't nap to replace lost shut eye or to prepare for a night shift. Rather, we "snack" on sleep, whenever, wherever and at whatever time we feel like it. I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, offices and museums.

1. It is commonly accepted in American society that too much sleep is ______.

A. unreasonable B. criminal C. harmful D. costly

[答案]A

【精析】根据第一段最后一句"There‘s even a prohibition against admitting we need sleep." Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work. To quote a proverb: "Some sleep five hours, nature requires seven, laziness nine and wickedness eleven"，可知A 正确。B、C、D语气太重了。

2. The research done by the Dement Commission shows that Americans ______.

A. don‘t like to naps

B. are terribly worried about their national debt

C. sleep less than is good for them

D. have caused many industrial and traffic accidents

[答案]C

【精析】根据第四段中Sleeping 15 minutes to 2 hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed，可知C正确。

3. The purpose of this article is to ______.

A. warn us of the wickedness of napping

B. explain the danger of sleepiness

C. discuss the side effects of napping

D. convince the reader of the necessity of napping

[答案]D

【精析】根据第四段最后一句话Sleeping 15 minutes to 2 hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed. Clearly, we were born to nap.可知D 正确。

4. The "American sleep debt" (Line 1, Para.3) is the result of ______.

A. the traditional misconception the Americans have about sleep

B. the new sleep policy of Clinton Administration

C. the rapid development of American industry

D. the Americans‘ worry about the danger of sleepiness

[答案]A

【精析】根据文章第二、三段可知A正确。

5. The second sentence of the last paragraph tells us that it is ______.

A. preferable to have a sound sleep before a night shift

B. good practice to eat something light before we go to bed

C. essential to make up for lost sleep

D. natural to take a nap whenever we feel the need for it

[答案]D

【精析】根据文章最后一句话I myself have napped in buses, cars, planes and boats; on floors and beds; and in libraries, office and museums，可知D正确。

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