Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it's painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr．Kleitman has a new explanation．He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle．

       During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you're “hot”．That's true．The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak（高峰）．For some people the peak comes before noon．For others it comes in the afternoon or evening．No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues （ 自言自语 ） as: “Get up, John! You'll be late for work again!” The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and- energy peak in the evening．Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has．

       You can't change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better．Habit can help, Dr．Kleitman believes．Maybe you're sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway．Counteract （对抗） your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to．If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour．This won't change your cycle, but you'll get up steam （鼓起干劲） and work better at your low point．

       Get off to a slow start which saves your energy．Get up with a leisurely yawn and stretch．Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor．Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before．Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours．

1．If a person finds getting up early a problem, most probably________．

       A．he is a lazy person

       B．he refuses to follow his own energy cycle

       C．he is not sure when his energy is low

       D．he is at his peak in the afternoon or evening

2．Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?

       A．Unawareness of energy cycles．

       B．Familiar monologues．

       C．A change in a family member's energy cycle．

       D．Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members．

3．If one wants to work more efficiently at his low point in the morning, he should________．

       A．change his energy cycle                  B．overcome his laziness

       C．get up earlier than usual                   D．go to bed earlier

4．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

       A．Getting off to work with a minimum effort helps save one's energy．

       B．Dr．Kleitman explains why people reach their peaks at different hours of day．

       C．Habits help a person adapt to his own energy cycle．

       D．Children have energy cycles, too．

Most of us seem to reach our peak of alertness (警觉) around noon. Soon after that, alertness declines, and sleepiness may set in by mid-afternoon.

Your short-term memory is best during the morning—in fact, about 15 percent more efficient than at any other time of day. So, students, take notice: when you are faced with a morning exam, it really does pay to review your notes right before the test is given.

However, long-term memory is different. Afternoon is the best time for learning materials that you want to recall days, weeks or months later. Politicians, business executives or others who must learn speeches would be smart to do their memorizing during that time of day. You should try to do most of your studying in the afternoon, rather than late at night. Many students believe they memorize better while burning the midnight oil because their short-term recall is better during the early hours of the morning than in the afternoon. But short-term memory won’t help them much several days later, when they face the exam.

By contrast, we tend to do best on tasks related to the process of knowing, understanding, and learning numbers during the morning hours.

What about sports? During afternoon and early evening, you’re able to react the quickest to an outside stimulus—like a baseball speeding toward you. Studies have also shown that late in the day, when your body temperature is peaking, you will consider PE easier and less tiring—whether it actually is or not. That means you are more likely to work harder during a late afternoon or early evening workout, and therefore benefit more from it.  

In fact, all of your senses—taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell—may be at their keenest during late afternoon and early evening. That could be why dinner usually tastes better to us than breakfast.

While all of us follow the same general pattern of ups and downs, the exact timing varies from person to person. It all depends on how your “biological” day is structured. Each of us can increase our knowledge about our individual rhythms. Learn how to listen to the inner beats of your body; let them set the pace of your day. You will live a healthier and happier life.

1.What does the underlined “it really does pay” mean?

A．It will cost a lot.                         B．It requires price.

C．It is very painful.                        D．It is worthwhile.

2.If there is an English exam two weeks later, you should go over English ____________ for days before that.

A．in the afternoon                        B．in the late evening

C．in the early morning                     D．right before the exam

3.From the passage, it can be inferred that ______________.

A．we eat more food at noon

B．we feel most tired if we exercise in the evening

C．it is a good choice to study math in the morning

D．we feel most sleepy before noon

4.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．What’s Your Best Time of the Day for Different Tasks

B．How to Live a Healthier and Happier Life

C．How to Study Efficiently

D．How to Keep Your Best State of Learning