A
Every new parent knows that rocking can calm that uneasy baby when it’s time to take a nap. But the benefits of gentle movement may go beyond the baby stage. Because two new studies show that rocking also helps grown-ups, both human and mouse, get a good night’s sleep.
What should be no surprise is that movement can calm someone. Think of how many times you’ve fallen asleep on a train. But can motion really cause a nap, and make for a deeper sleep?
To find out, researchers invited 18 healthy volunteers for a sleepover. “So they came to the lab and slept one time on the motionless, normal bed. And one night where they got rocked. ” said Aurore Perrault, a sleep researcher at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. “And what we find is that when compared to a motionless night, a whole night of rocking sleep has a beneficial effect not only on sleep beginning but also on sleep continuity. ” Subjects who were rocked also did better on a memory test the next morning than the stiller sleepers.
In the second study, Kompotis, a student at the University of Lausanne, rocked a rack of mice. Whether rocking affects sleep in other species was never before discussed. So the main questions for our study were whether rocking affects sleep in mice and what is the possible system?
Kompotis placed the mouse cages on a platform that moved from side to side. Though mice were rocked four times faster than their human counterparts—a frequency of one back-and-forth per second, or 1 Hertz, worked best—the results were strikingly similar. During rocking at 1 Hertz, time spent asleep increased, and mice fell asleep twice as fast as at still condition. However, additional studies could allow the researchers to identify a new aim for treating sleep disorders, including insomnia(失眠).
Until then, you might think about adding a little swing to your nighttime routine.
【文章大意】这是一篇说明文。研究人员在测试中发现, 那些被摇晃过的人比那些静止不动的人在睡眠方面更好。并且, 后来的测试发现, 摇晃对动物也有促进睡眠的作用。文章还介绍了这项研究的过程。
1. What’s the purpose of the second study in the passage?
A. To do research on the sleep system of other species.
B. To discuss in which case rocking affects baby’s sleep.
C. To see whether rocking affects sleep of other species.
D. To study the influence of rocking on sleep disorders.
【解析】选C。推理判断题。根据第四段中In the second study, Kompotis, a student at the University of Lausanne, rocked a rack of mice. Whether rocking affects sleep in other species was never before discussed. 可知在第二项研究中, 洛桑大学的学生Kompotis摇晃了一组老鼠。以前从未有人讨论过摇晃是否会影响其他物种的睡眠。由此可推知, 第二项研究的目的是观察摇摆是否影响其他物种的睡眠。
2. What do we know about the mice in Paragraph 5?
A. Their sleeping time increased when rocked at 1 Hertz.
B. Their sleep disorder including insomnia was treated.
C. When rocked, they fell asleep twice faster than at still condition.
D. When rocked, they worked faster than their human counterparts.
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据第五段中During rocking at 1 Hertz, time spent asleep increased, and mice fell asleep twice as fast as at still condition. 可知在1赫兹的摇晃中, 老鼠的睡眠时间增加了, 老鼠入睡的速度是静止状态的两倍。由此可知, 当震动频率为1赫兹时, 老鼠的睡眠时间增加。
3. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Rocking Helps Grown-ups Sleep Too.
B. Deep Sleep Needs the Constant Swing.
C. Rocking Greatly Affects Deep Sleep.
D. Rocking Can Treat Sleep Disorders.
【解析】选A。主旨大意题。根据第一段中Because two new studies show that rocking also helps grown-ups, both human and mouse, get a good night’s sleep. 结合文章主要内容可知研究人员在测试中发现, 那些被摇晃过的人比那些静止不动的人在睡眠方面更好。并且, 后来的测试发现, 摇晃对动物也有促进睡眠的作用。文章还介绍了这项研究的过程。
【规律方法】标题归纳题属于深层理解题, 它要求考生在通读全文的基础上, 认真分析主人公的特定心态、文章大意及作者的写作意图。在此基础上, 还应做到概括性、针对性、醒目性的有机结合。
概括性原则: 要求标题应在最大程度上覆盖全文, 囊括文章的主要内容, 体现文章的主题要旨。从全局的角度归纳概括出文章的标题。要防止本末倒置, 主次不分, 以点代面, 以偏概全。
针对性原则: 针对性原则是对标题外延的一种界定。即标题的外延既不能太大也不能太小, 要量体裁衣, 大小适度。
醒目性原则: 标题是文章的点睛之笔, 是文章的灵魂和门面。标题的好坏往往影响文章的可读性。读者往往从标题上决定文章的阅读取舍, 故标题往往比较醒目, 甚至比较离奇, 目的是吸引读者的注意力, 唤起读者阅读文章的兴趣。
如第3小题, 根据第一段中Because two new studies show that rocking also helps grown-ups, both human and mouse, get a good night’s sleep. 可知因为两项新的研究表明, 摇摆也有助于成年人, 包括人类和老鼠, 获得一个良好的睡眠。结合文章主要内容可知研究人员在测试中发现, 那些被摇晃过的人比那些静止不动的人在睡眠方面更好。并且, 后来的测试发现, 摇晃对动物也有促进睡眠的作用。文章还介绍了这项研究的过程。故A选项“摇摆也有助于成年人的睡眠”符合文章标题。
