Sleep and Teens--Biology and Behavior

    How much sleep do teens need? And how much sleep are they realistically getting? Based on current data, most teens need about 9-plus hours to have the best or most suitable sleep night{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Many factors combine to decrease sleep in adolescents. We can think in general of two major factors: biological, the brain processes that regulate the amount and timing of sleep, and behavior, all the psychological, parental, societal, cultural features of teen's life.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}These changes lay the ground work for the biological night to occur later during the teen years than before. Circadian Rhythms (daily biological clock) seems to slow down as young people progress through the middle school years. At the same time, the sleep pressure system appears to change in a way that makes it easier to stay awake longer, though without changing the amount of sleep that is needed.

    Moreover, many teens have a "technological playground" in their bedrooms: television, computer with 24/7 Internet access, telephones, electronic game stations, MP3 players, and so forth. These technologies provide instant and constant contact with peers. Societal and media pressure to consume these technologies is now higher than ever. Yet society also requires that teens go to school at a time of day that is at odds with their biological and social lives. So we see teens turn to caffeine, late-night Internet and cramming in activity after activity as a means to keep awake.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Problems emerge for lack of sleep{#blank#}4{#/blank#}For some, grades begin to suffer as they struggle to keep awake during class and while doing homework. And others may simply feel moody, never knowing how to feel or do their best. Worse still, many teens suffer from both physical and mental illness.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}The earlier teens can start this good sleep habit, the easier it will be for them to stay healthy, happy and smart.

A. Sleep experts recommend teens keep consistent sleep and wake schedule

B. Teens may schedule sleep like any other daily activity and make sleep a priority

C. Then they are trapped into a terrible situation where they would never get enough sleep

D. The sleep-wake bio-regulatory factors appear to change significantly during adolescence

E. Some teenagers struggle to wake up in the morning, often resulting in late or missed school

F. Teens may be driven to things that can wake them up because they'll fall asleep if they do not

G. However, it is indicated that most teens fall short of this goal, many by a considerable amount.

    No personal success, achievement, or goal, can be realized without self-discipline.{#blank#}1{#/blank#} It is the ability to control one's impulses, emotions, desires and behavior. To possess it is to make the decisions, take the actions, and carry out your plan regardless of the obstacles, discomfort, or difficulties, that may come your way.

    How to develop self-discipline? We'll explore it together.

    Start with baby steps. No process takes place overnight.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}So, begin by making the decision to go forward and learning what it takes to get there.

     Learn what motivates you and what your bad triggers are.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Sometimes it is very difficult to fight off urges, so know the areas where your resistance is low and how to avoid those situations. Remove the temptations and surround yourself with encouraging items such as motivating slogans and pictures of what you want to achieve.

    Make certain behaviors a routine. Once you have decided what's important to you and which goals to strive for, establish a daily routine that will help you achieve them.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}They can put you in a negative frame of mind and hinder（阻碍）your self-discipline. A poor attitude can also be a bad habit.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Michael Jordan has always maintained that his greatness as a basketball player came as much from his willingness to work hard at this craft, as it did his craft, as it did his talent. It was his desire through discipline and focus that made him one of the best basketball players ever. If it worked for him, it could certainly work for the rest of us.

A. What is self-discipline?

B. Engage in sports activities.

C. Get inspiration from those you admire.

D. You can begin by learning about yourself?

E. If you try to do too much at once, you could injure yourself and have a seatback.

F. Meanwhile, get rid of some of your bad, self-defeating habits, whatever they may be.

G. It does mean learning how to focus your mind and energies on your goals until they are accomplished.

    If you are like most international students, you are probably pretty comfortable reading and writing in English. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Below are some tips to help you to improve your conversational skills.

    Make friends with American students. Many international students end up making friends with a lot of—or only—other international students.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Hanging out with natives not only naturally pushes you to improve your spoken English, but also helps you pick up cultural and social information.

    Learn from American friends. Tell your American friends that you are trying to improve your listening and speaking skills, and would like them to help you. If you pronounce a word incorrectly, or misuse an idiom, you ask them to guide you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Increase your knowledge. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you have been exposed to topics that are likely to be discussed in conversation, you have a much better chance of understanding people when they talk, and of being able to express yourself well.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you have to explain something to someone, you have a strong motivation to pronounce everything as well as you can, and find other ways to explain yourself. Finally, this becomes a good habit. Many people have asked me how I learned to speak English fluently, and I owe most of it to my years of being a math teacher in college for years.

A. It is bad for them to do that.

B. You will make progress this way.

C. If possible, become a teacher at your school.

D. It's a win-win opportunity for international students.

E. Keep up with news and watch popular shows and movies.

F. Explaining everything in a different way counts.

G. You may have trouble in listening and speaking in the language, however.

    The effect of bullying(欺凌) can be serious and even lead to tragedy. Unfortunately, it is still a mostly researched area.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}That year, two students with shotguns, both of whom had been considered gifted and who had been bullied for years, killed 13 people, wounded 24 and then committed suicide. A year later, an analysis by the US government found that bullying played a major role in more than two-thirds of the campus violence.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Numerous invaders throughout history have tried to defend their bullying behavior by claiming that they themselves were bullied. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Although there is no justification for bullying, many of the worst humans in history have indeed bullies and victims of bullying.

    Since bullying is often ignored, it may provide an important clue in crowd behavior and passer-by behavior. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Many of them have suggested bullying as one of the reasons of this becoming less sensitive to violence. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}in this sense, bullying affects not only the bullied but his friends and classmates and the whole society.

A. Research indicates that the victim often becomes the bully.

B. Psychologists have been puzzled by the inactivity of crowds and bystanders when crimes occur in crowded places.

C. More attention should be paid to people's reaction to bullying when it happens.

D. Hitler, for example, is claimed to have been a victim of bullying in his childhood.

E. Campus bullying is becoming a serious problem in some high schools in big cities.

F. The friends and classmates of the bully and the victim also accept the violence as normal.

G. The link between bullying and school violence has attracted increasing attention since 1999.

    Culture means any human behavior that is learned in human society. All of the meaningful parts of a culture are passed on to different generations through tradition or social learning.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Culture exists in agricultural as well as industrialized societies.

    Culture is necessary for the survival and existence of human beings as human beings. Practically everything humans know, think, value, feel, and do is learned through taking part in a sociocultural system.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Here is one of the cases of children growing up apart from human society. In the province of Midnapore in India, the director of a children's home was told by local villagers that there were “ghosts” in the forest. Upon looking into the case, the director found that two children, one about eight years old and the other about six years old, appeared to have been living with a group of wolves in the forest.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}In his diary, the director describes his first view of Kamala (as the older child was named) and Amala (the name given to the younger child):

    Kamala was a terrible-looking being, the head, a big ball of something covering the shoulders.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}Their eyes were bright and sharp, unlike human eyes. They were very fond of raw meat and raw milk. Gradually, as they got stronger, they began going on all fours, and afterwards began to run on all fours, just like squirrels.

    Children learn human language in the same way they learn other kinds of human behavior--by taking part in a cultural community.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. From this viewpoint, all human groups have a culture.

B. These children were the ghosts described by the local people.

C. This statement is well supported by some well-written cases.

D. Human beings can only develop human abilities by the local people.

E. Culture refers only to the high art and classical music of a particular society.

F. Close at its heels there came another terrible creature exactly like the first, but smaller in size.

G. They learn a certain human languages as well as certain kinds of human behavior through their membership in a certain cultural community.

    After a tiring day, your bedroom, a comfortable and inviting space, should be one place where you can finally relax. If the space seems too limited, you can try out these tips to make it look larger.

    ⒈Avoid dark colors and increase natural light.

    In a small room, walls and decoration that are dark can make the area seem even smaller. Choose light color like cream and peach for your walls. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try to allow as much natural light as possible to fall into the room, through the window or the balcony door. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    ⒉Look for furniture that uses wall space.

Choosing furniture that fits into a corner or which can be placed against a wall will greatly increase ground space in your room. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}—--try hanging some on one wall and see the difference it makes.

    ⒊Find creative ways to store your stuff.

    Make full use of the built-in shelves and storing capacities in the kitchen and bathroom. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}You can also look for multi-function furniture: a coffee table with drawers, or a foot stool with interior storage.

    ⒋{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    When doing weekly clean-ups, throw out your old and unused objects and keep only the essential items in view. You can also cut back on the unnecessary appliances. Move the table fan out into the living room during winter. If your bedroom is already small, don't bring in a TV. If you already have one, try moving it out and see if it gains you extra space.

A. Mirrors also create an impression of space.

B. Remove untidy and unnecessary appliances.

C. Store rarely used items in a box under your bed.

D. Purchase the possible less furniture for your room.

E. Bright sunlight can kill some bacteria in your bedroom.

F. Sunlight will brighten the room and make it seem more cheerful.

G. Pillows, curtain covers, and decorative items should also be light in color.