Sleep deprivation(缺失)is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.

    It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.

    In literacy(读写能力) tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.

    Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.

    The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)

    “I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show,” says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.

    “It's the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition,” says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. “If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it's having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction.”

    That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering.

    The management and staff are happy to welcome you and will do all they can to make your stay an enjoyable one.

MEAL TIMES

    Our overnight charge includes a continental-type breakfast.

Breakfast: 7:30-9:30 a. m

Lunch: 12:00-2:00 p. m

Afternoon tea: 4:00-5:30 p. m

Dinner: 7:00-9:15 p. m

    Meals can be served in rooms at a small extra charge. We regret that meals cannot be served outside these times.

    Light refreshments including tea, coffee, biscuits and sandwiches, can be served in rooms between 10:00 a. m. and 11:00 p. m. except during the meal times listed above. Cold drinks are available in the room refrigerator.

ROOM CLEANING

    Please hang the appropriate sign on your door handle if you do not wish to be disturbed. It will be easier for the maids if you can leave the room temporarily at any time between 9:30 a. m. and 4:00 p.m.

VALUABLES

    We are not responsible for the loss of money, jewellery, or other valuables unless they are kept in the safe and signed for by the manager.

DEPARTURES

    Please inform receptionists of your intended leaving before 9:30 a. m. of the day concerned and leave the room by noon to allow for its preparation for incoming guests. If circumstances (情况) require, luggage can be left in the charge of the hall porter.

A SPECIAL REQUEST

    We would respectfully suggest that in consideration of the comfort of other guests, the volume of radios and televisions should be turned down after 11:00 p. m.

"Smart" Idioms

    Today we take a look at the word “smart”.If someone says you are smart,what do they mean?Is it a good thing or something bad?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}This is because the word smart has many meanings.

●That smarts!

    For example,someone could say you look smart or are dressed smartly.That means they like what you are wearing and your physical appearance.To use a slang（俚语）expression,they could say,“You look really cool!”But if something smarts,it can be unkind or hurtful,either physically or mentally.If you accidentally trip over a chair and fall down,you might shout,“Ow!That smarts!”Or if a friend says something that hurts your feelings,you can say you are smarting from the hurtful comments.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

●Smarting

    If you are standing too close to a campfire,you could say your eyes are smarting from the smoke of the fire. Here the word “smarting” means a sharp pain.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}If someone is smart as whip,they are able to think very quickly.

●Street smart and book smart

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Some people are considered street smart.They may not have a strong education.But they are good at dealing with people and problems in the real world.Other people might be book smart.This means they have spent many years in school.But they may not be so smart when dealing with people or real-world problems.

●Don't get smart with me!

    And then there is the definition of smart that means to talk or behave disrespectfully.If you say something disrespectful to your parents,they might say,“Don't get smart with me!”Here,“smart”means to show a lack of respect by saying something unkind.In fact,a child who has a smart mouth makes rude comments,not smart ones.This definition of smart can also be used as a verb.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A.Do they really mean you are smart?

B.People have different attitude toward being smart.

C.However,different people have different ways of being smart.

D.In fact,maybe that person is no longer you friend.

E.The answer is not as easy as you might think.

F.But the most common meaning of smart is to be intelligent.

G.If you smart off to the wrong people,they could hit you in the face.

    Xinhua News—The Beijing government has set out to recruit thousands of university graduates to work as junior officials in rural areas to both improve rural administration and ease the city's employment problems.

    The government plans to recruit 3,000 university graduates this year, 1,000 more than last year, to work as assistants to village heads or party secretaries in suburban areas.

    People interested in jobs in Beijing's rural villages and towns can send applications to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Personnel or log on to www.bjbys.com from February 1 through March 15.

    “We hope university graduates will seize this opportunity to use their knowledge in rural villages and to start their careers,” Sun Zhenyu, the Deputy Director of Beijing Personnel Bureau, told Xinhua News Agency.

    The government has promised successful candidates a monthly salary of 2,000 Yuan in the first year, 2,500 Yuan the second year and 3,000 the third year, provided their performance is up to the required standards, Sun said.

    Wang Lina, who graduated from Beijing Union University last year, was one of the first graduates to find work in the city's countryside. After majoring in Industrial and Commercial Administration, Wang served as the assistant to the village head of Ertiaojie Village in suburban Beijing's Pinggu District. For one project, Wang contacted people at Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences and arranged for the local farmers to receive training in strawberry planting. Her efforts paid off. The village had a plentiful harvest of organic strawberries earlier this year.

    Nationwide, about 150,000 university graduates found employment in rural areas last year, according to the figures provided by the Ministry of Education.

    The ministry predicts that 4.95 million students will graduate from universities across the country this year, 820,000 more than last year. About 1.4 million of them are unlikely to find jobs when they graduate. In Beijing, a record of 200,000 people are expected to graduate from university this year. Less than half of them are expected to be offered jobs, according to Beijing Personnel Bureau.

    Asking a patient to hum(哼唱)piano tunes and play fin instrument while undergoing brain surgery(手术)may sound like a strange request from a doctor．However，that is exactly what a team of brain specialists，led by Pilcher，requested Dan Fabbio to do．

    In 2015，the then 25-year-old musician was diagnosed with a brain tumor(肿瘤)，which was located in the part of the brain known to be active when people listen to and make music．“Removing a tumor from the brain can have significant consequences depending on its location，”Pilcher says．“Both the tumor and the operation can damage tissue and affect communication between different parts of the brain．”

    Fabbio，therefore，feared the surgery would cause him to lose his musical ability．To prevent that from happening，Pilcher and his colleague designed many tests，including asking Fabbio to listen to piano tunes and hum back during MRI scans．This enabled the physicians to locate the area that is vital for music and language processing and create a 3-D map of Fabbio's brain．

    Despite the great starting point，it was not a perfect way to prevent possible damage to the．The only way was to keep the patient awake and ask him to hum piano tunes during the surgery so that the surgeons could identify the areas to avoid．While the surgery went smoothly，the real test came when Fabbio was asked to play a song on his saxophone．The tunehad been simplified to ensure that it would not require too much strength and cause harm to the stitches(缝线)in the brain．He played it faultlessly，and when he finished，the entire operating room erupted in applause．

    The researchers say that a year after the groundbreaking surgery，the young musician can once again hear tunes in everything—even his electric toothbrush．

    Nowadays, parents worry a lot because their children spend hours and hours in front of the TV screen. Because this doesn't happen to only one specific family, many experts warn us that there can be some serious effects of children watching violence on television.

    Children who become addicted(上瘾的) to TV sit down and turn on the TV as soon as they get home. Although they have lots of homework, they become absorbed in TV programs.

    Since they spend tons of time watching TV, they have less time to enjoy real life activities such as playing with friends, playing outdoor sports, or enjoying other kinds of entertainment.

    There are too many violent scenes on TV. Some experts say there are 25 acts of violence per hour on TV. In addition, there are many experiments by psychologists which show how TV violence influences children. Finally, people worry that children tend to imitate what they watch on TV and may start to behave more violently.

    What should be done? First of all, the government should regulate TV violence. It should also encourage people to invent and develop new technology which can block violent scenes from the programs children watch. For example, with a rating system(分级制度) and the V-chip, unfit scenes of violence and sex can be blocked out. Second, parents should monitor what their children watch. At the same time, they should make their children interested in real life activities. Then when the children start to spend more time playing with friends or reading books, parents can stop their monitoring.

    It is a fact that there is more violence on TV today than there was ten years ago. Moreover, violent incidents occur more frequently in real life. It's time to realize how harmful watching TV violence is, and it's time to keep our children from watching violence.