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Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Judging from recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic (流行病) of sleepiness in the nation. “I can’t think of a single study that hasn’t found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to,” says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
The beginning of our sleep-deficit (睡眠不足) crisis can be traced to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night. “The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark.” By the 1950s and 1960s, the sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. “People cheat on their sleep, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it,” says Dr. David. “They think they’re okay because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous.”
Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community mount, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. “In our society, you’re considered dynamic if you say you only need 5.5 hours’ sleep. If you’re got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition.”
To determine the consequences of sleep deficit, researchers have put subjects through a set of psychological and performance tests requiring them, for instance, to add columns of numbers or recall a passage read to them only minutes earlier. “We’ve found that if you’re in sleep deficit, performance suffers,” says Dr. David. “Short-term memory is weakened, as are abilities to make decisions and to concentrate.”
31. People in the 18th and 19th centuries used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night because they had ________.
A) no drive and ambition
B) no electric lighting
C) the best sleep habits
D) nothing to do in the evening
32. According to Dr. David, Americans ________.
A) are ideally vigorous even under the pressure of life
B) often neglect the consequences of sleep deficit
C) do not know how to relax themselves properly
D) can get by on 6.5 hours of sleep
33. Many Americans believe that ________.
A) sleep is the first thing that can be sacrificed when one is busy
B) they need more sleep to cope with the complexities of everyday life
C) to sleep is something one can do at any time of the day
D) enough sleep promotes people’s drive and ambition
34. The word “subjects” (Line 1, Para. 4) refers to ________.
A) the performance tests used in the study of sleep deficit
B) special branches of knowledge that are being studied
C) people whose behavior or reactions are being studied
D) the psychological consequences of sleep deficit
35. It can be concluded from the passage that one should sleep as many hours as is necessary to ________.
A) improve one’s memory dramatically
B) be considered dynamic by other people
C) maintain one’s daily schedule
D) feel energetic and perform adequately
Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.
The concept of personal choice in relation to health behaviors is an important one. An estimated 90 percent of all illness may be preventable if individuals would make sound personal health choices based upon current medical knowledge. We all enjoy our freedom of choice and do not like to see it restricted when it is within the legal and moral boundaries of society. The structure of American society allows us to make almost all our own personal decisions that may concern our health. If we so desire, we can smoke, drink excessively, refuse to wear seat belts, eat whatever food we want, and live a completely sedentary life-style without any exercise. The freedom to make such personal decisions is a fundamental aspect of our society, although the wisdom of these decisions can be questioned. Personal choices relative to health often cause a difficulty. As one example, a teenager may know the facts relative to smoking cigarettes and health but may be pressured by friends into believing it is the socially accepted thing to do.
A multitude of factors, both inherited and environmental, influence the development of health-related behaviors, and it is beyond the scope of this text to discuss all these factors as they may affect any given individual. However, the decision to adopt a particular health-related behavior is usually one of personal choice. There are healthy choices and there are unhealthy choices. In discussing the morals of personal choice, Fries and Crapo drew a comparison. They suggest that to knowingly give oneself over to a behavior that has a statistical probability of shortening life is similar to attempting suicide. Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life, personal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statistical probability of increased vitality and longevity.
36. The concept of personal choice concerning health is important because ________.
A) personal health choices help cure most illness
B) it helps raise the level of our medical knowledge
C) it is essential to personal freedom in American society
D) wrong decisions could lead to poor health
37. To “live a completely sedentary life-style” (Line 7, Para. 1) in the passage means ________.
A) to “live an inactive life”
B) to “live a decent life”
C) to “live a life with complete freedom”
D) to “live a life of vice”
38. Sound personal health choice is often difficult to make because ________.
A) current medical knowledge is still insufficient
B) there are many factors influencing our decisions
C) few people are willing to trade the quality of life
D) people are usually influenced by the behavior of their friends
39. To knowingly allow oneself to purse unhealthy habits is compared by Fried and Crapo to ________.
A) improving the quality of one’s life
B) limiting one’s personal health choice
C) deliberately ending one’s life
D) breaking the rules of social behavior
40. According to Fries and Crapo sound health choices should be based on ________.
A) personal decisions
B) society’s laws
C) statistical evidence
D) friends’ opinions
