About 45 percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep, according to a recent survey. However, the benefits of getting enough sleep far outweigh the thrill of watching TV for one more hour or surfing the web. Getting a better night’s sleep will help you lose or keep your weight more effectively. Try these simple steps to improve your quality of sleep.

Take time to relax

So many of us go-go-go until it’s time for bed, but it’s important to take time to slow down and relax before sleeping. Do relaxing things, such as listening to soothing (抚慰的) music or deep breathing. Avoid stimulating (刺激的) activities such as writing e-mails, talking on the phone and watching TV. Some guidelines (指导方针): no e-mail after 8 p.m. and no TV or phone calls after 9 p.m..

Darker is better

Your body regulates your sleep cycle in response to the presence and absence of light, so dim the lights as evening approaches. Try getting ready for bed by candlelight. When you’re ready to sleep, make sure your room is as dark as possible.

Put your thoughts to bed

We all need time to process our day, but bed is not the place to do it if you want to sleep well. Take 10 to 15 minutes to record your thoughts in a journal. This effective technique will capture what’s in your mind so you don’t lie awake. Tell yourself you’re putting your thoughts to bed so that you can go to bed.

No sugar or alcohol before bed

These may wake you up. If you need a snack before bed, make it protein.

Try to get more sleep

Get an extra hour or two of sleep every night for a week and see how you feel. You’ll notice the difference!

1.The purpose of writing this text is to ________________________.

2.According to the text, we know that __________________________.

3. We should take time to slow down because it can _________________________.

About 45 percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep, according to a recent survey. However, the benefits of getting enough sleep far outweigh the thrill of watching TV for one more hour or surfing the web. Getting a better night’s sleep will help you lose or keep your weight more effectively. Try these simple steps to improve your quality of sleep.
Take time to relax
So many of us go-go-go until it’s time for bed, but it’s important to take time to slow down and relax before sleeping. Do relaxing things, such as listening to soothing (抚慰的) music or deep breathing. Avoid stimulating (刺激的) activities such as writing e-mails, talking on the phone and watching TV. Some guidelines (指导方针): no e-mail after 8 p.m. and no TV or phone calls after 9 p.m..
Darker is better
Your body regulates your sleep cycle in response to the presence and absence of light, so dim the lights as evening approaches. Try getting ready for bed by candlelight. When you’re ready to sleep, make sure your room is as dark as possible.
Put your thoughts to bed
We all need time to process our day, but bed is not the place to do it if you want to sleep well. Take 10 to 15 minutes to record your thoughts in a journal. This effective technique will capture what’s in your mind so you don’t lie awake. Tell yourself you’re putting your thoughts to bed so that you can go to bed.
No sugar or alcohol before bed
These may wake you up. If you need a snack before bed, make it protein.
Try to get more sleep
Get an extra hour or two of sleep every night for a week and see how you feel. You’ll notice the difference!
【小题1】The purpose of writing this text is to ________________________.

About 45 percent of Americans don’t get enough sleep, according to a recent survey. However, the benefits of getting enough sleep far outweigh the thrill of watching TV for one more hour or surfing the web. Getting a better night’s sleep will help you lose or keep your weight more effectively. Try these simple steps to improve your quality of sleep.
Take time to relax
So many of us go-go-go until it’s time for bed, but it’s important to take time to slow down and relax before sleeping. Do relaxing things, such as listening to soothing (抚慰的) music or deep breathing. Avoid stimulating (刺激的) activities such as writing e-mails, talking on the phone and watching TV. Some guidelines (指导方针): no e-mail after 8 p.m. and no TV or phone calls after 9 p.m..
Darker is better
Your body regulates your sleep cycle in response to the presence and absence of light, so dim the lights as evening approaches. Try getting ready for bed by candlelight. When you’re ready to sleep, make sure your room is as dark as possible.
Put your thoughts to bed
We all need time to process our day, but bed is not the place to do it if you want to sleep well. Take 10 to 15 minutes to record your thoughts in a journal. This effective technique will capture what’s in your mind so you don’t lie awake. Tell yourself you’re putting your thoughts to bed so that you can go to bed.
No sugar or alcohol before bed
These may wake you up. If you need a snack before bed, make it protein.
Try to get more sleep
Get an extra hour or two of sleep every night for a week and see how you feel. You’ll notice the difference!

1. 1.

   The purpose of writing this text is to ________________________.

   1. A.
      share some ways to slow down and relax before sleeping
   2. B.
      guide readers to improve their quality of sleep
   3. C.
      tell readers the importance of getting a good night’s sleep
   4. D.
      publish the results of a recent survey on quality of sleep
2. 2.

   According to the text, we know that __________________________.

   1. A.
      we should keep our bedrooms in strong light before going to bed
   2. B.
      writing a diary may excite us and influence our sleep
   3. C.
      we should never get up later on weekends than we do on weekdays
   4. D.
      candlelight is a good choice for our bedrooms when we’re getting ready to sleep
3. 3.

   We should take time to slow down because it can _________________________.

   1. A.
      inform us of the importance of sleeping
   2. B.
      signal to our body it’s time to sleep
   3. C.
      tell us to stop watching TV for making phone calls
   4. D.
      tell us not to do stimulating activities

A Narrow Escape
Shortly after the war, my brother and I were invited to spend a few days’ holiday with an uncle who had just returned from abroad. He had rented （租） a cottage in the country, although he hardly spent much time there. We understood the reason for this after our arrival: the cottage had no comfortable furniture in it. Many of the windows were broken and the roof leaked （漏水）, making the whole house wet.
On our first evening, we sat around the fire after supper listening to the stories our uncle told of his many adventures in distant countries. I was so tired after the long train journey that I would have preferred to go to bed; but I could not bear to miss any of my uncle’s exciting stories, He was just in the middle of describing a rather terrifying experience he had once had when there was a loud crash（倒塌声） from the bedroom above, the one where my brother and I were going to sleep.
When we got to the top of the stairs and opened the bedroom door, a strange sight met our eyes. A large part of the ceiling had fallen right on to the pillow（枕头）of my bed.
【小题1】 The uncle disliked the rented cottage for the reason that _____.

A．but he did his best not to miss any stories

B．so he had to go to bed early

C．because he was tired of his uncle’s stories

D．and he was gradually falling asleep while listening

The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.

    “Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.

Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he’d been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.

    “I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.

    “Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.

Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the phone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”

“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.

Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs Higgins finally arrived. She was very calm, quiet and friendly.   “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.

“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.

Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr. Carr?”

The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner. “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again, and I’ll let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’s hand.

Mrs. Higgins thanked the old man for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”

In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.

His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.

This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.

1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear.

   B．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything.

   C．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing.

   D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning.

2.What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?

   A．annoyed                               B．convinced

   C．got over                              D．made less angry

3.What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was ______．

    A．how angry she was                    B．how effectively she handled Mr．Carr

    C．that she didn't cry                       D．that she was able to save him

4.What was the mother's attitude toward Alfred?

    A．She was very strict with him．                           B．She was supportive of him．

    C．She felt disappointed with him．                         D．She was afraid of him．

5.From the last paragraph, we know that Alfred ______．

    A．was no longer a youth                   B．felt proud of his mother

    C．felt guilty and regretful for his deed           D．wanted his mother to be happy