Question

【題目】

Many of us have had this experience: we lie down in a bed other than our own, perhaps at a friend’s house or in a hotel room, and find it difficult to fall asleep. Is it because the bed is uncomfortable? Maybe, but perhaps there can be other reasons.

According to a new study published in Current Biology, a significant reason is what the scientists call “first night effect”. They believe that one side of the brain acts as a “night watch” to warn us about potential (潛在的) dangers. It forces us to stay awake on the first night in a new environment.

For the study, 35 young volunteers were told to sleep in a lab for several days. Meanwhile, researchers watched their brain activities.

According to the researchers, on their first night, the left brains were more active than the right brains and people had a hard time sleeping. However, left-brain activity reduced as days went by, falling even to the point of complete calm. In this process, the volunteers got an increasingly better sleep experience.

The findings suggest that the different rhythms (節(jié)奏) of the sides of the brain influence our sleep. When the two sides work differently, the balance between them is broken. Thus, the brain can’t relax and is sensitive to anything strange in the surroundings, just as it is in the daytime.

“At some level, the brain is continuing to analyze(分析) things, even though you don’t realize the analysis,” US professor Jerome Siegel told Smithsonian Magazine. “If something unusual happens – if a door opens or you hear a key in a lock – you can be alert (警惕的).”

More surprisingly, this situation is similar to the way some animals sleep. Whales, dolphins, and many birds can sleep with half of their brain while the other half stays awake.

If you have ever had what you think is “first night effect”, researchers suggest that you bring your own pillow or sleep in a room similar to your bedroom next time you sleep away from home.

【1】can’t you get to sleep?
Introduction	People can’t fall asleep【2】when staying in a new environment.
Reason	One side of the brain stays awake to warn us about potential (潛在的) dangers.
Process and findings of the【3】	Researchers told some 【4】 to sleep in a lab to watch their brain activities. Too many left-brain activities 【5】the bad sleep experience on the first night. Their left brains became 【6】active as time went by and became calm gradually.
Explanations to findings	Whether you can have a good sleep 【7】on the balance between the two sides of the brain. You yourself don’t realize it,【8】your brain doesn’t stop analyzing things. It’s surprising to find out that the way humans sleep is just【9】 some animals do.
【10】	Take a pillow or live in a similar room when staying in a new place.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】why

【2】easily

【3】study/research

【4】volunteers

【5】caused

【6】less

【7】depends

【8】but

【9】like\as

【10】Advice/ Suggestion(s)/ Tips

【解析】

本文解釋了我們到了一個(gè)新的地方睡不著的原因是因?yàn)椤笆滓剐��?yīng)”，并通過(guò)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)大腦活動(dòng)影響人們?cè)谛颅h(huán)境中的睡眠。

【1】句意：為什么你不能入睡？

根據(jù)Is it because the bed is uncomfortable? Maybe, but perhaps there can be other reasons，可知，整篇文章介紹了為什么到一個(gè)新的地方是無(wú)法入睡的，所以空格處用疑問(wèn)詞why。故答案為why。

【2】句意：當(dāng)人們待在一個(gè)新環(huán)境時(shí)不容易入睡。

空格處是修飾動(dòng)詞fall，所以用副詞。根據(jù)Many of us have had this experience…and find it difficult to fall asleep，可知，空格處用difficult的反義詞easy。easy是形容詞，對(duì)應(yīng)的副詞是easily。故答案為easily。

【3】句意：研究的過(guò)程和結(jié)果。

空格前the是定冠詞，后接名詞。根據(jù)文章的第二段到第五段，都是在描述調(diào)查研究的過(guò)程和結(jié)果，可知，空格處表示“研究”，所以空格處填study/research。故答案為study/research。

【4】句意：研究員讓一些志愿者睡在實(shí)驗(yàn)室里，觀察他們的大腦活動(dòng)。

some后接可數(shù)名詞復(fù)數(shù)或不可數(shù)名詞。根據(jù)For the study, 35 young volunteers were told to sleep in a lab for several days，可知，空格處填volunteers。故答案為volunteers。

【5】句意：過(guò)多的左腦活動(dòng)導(dǎo)致了第一個(gè)晚上的睡眠不好。

空格前activities是主語(yǔ)，空格處缺謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞。根據(jù)According to the researchers, on their first night, the left brains were more active than the right brains and people had a hard time sleeping，可知，第一晚上睡眠不好是由于左腦太活躍而引起的，所以空格處填謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞cause。是在講述過(guò)去發(fā)生的動(dòng)作，所以用一般過(guò)去時(shí)caused。故答案為caused。

【6】句意：隨著時(shí)間的推移，他們的左腦變得不那么活躍，并逐漸地平靜下來(lái)。

根據(jù)However, left-brain activity reduced as days went by, falling even to the point of complete calm，可知，隨著時(shí)間的推移，跟之前相比，左腦沒(méi)有那么活躍，所以空格處填little的比較級(jí)less。故答案為less。

【7】句意：你是否能睡個(gè)好覺取決于大腦兩邊的平衡。

根據(jù)The findings suggest that the different rhythms of the sides of the brain influence our sleep. When the two sides work differently, the balance between them is broken，可知，結(jié)果表明，睡眠質(zhì)量取決于大腦兩邊是否平衡。固定搭配 depend on表示“取決于”。從句Whether you can have a good sleep作主語(yǔ)時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要用三單形式。故答案為depends on。

【8】句意：你自己沒(méi)有意識(shí)到，但是你的大腦沒(méi)有停止過(guò)分析。

空格前有逗號(hào)，且兩句中各有謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞，所以空格處填連詞。根據(jù)At some level, the brain is continuing to analyze things, even though you don’t realize the analysis，可知，盡管你沒(méi)有意識(shí)到，但是你的大腦是沒(méi)有停止分析的，所以空格處填轉(zhuǎn)折連詞but。故答案為but。

【9】句意：令人驚訝的是人類睡覺的方式跟一些動(dòng)物很相似。

根據(jù)More surprisingly, this situation is similar to the way some animals sleep，固定搭配be similar to 表示“與……相似”。所以空格處用介詞like表示“像……”。故答案為like。

【10】句意：建議是當(dāng)待在一個(gè)新的地方時(shí)，可以帶上自己的枕頭或住在一個(gè)相似的房間里。

根據(jù)If you have ever had what you think is “first night effect”, researchers suggest that you bring your own pillow or sleep in a room similar to your bedroom next time you sleep away from home，可知，帶上自己的枕頭或者是睡在跟自己的臥室相似的房間里，這是專家的建議。所以空格處填Suggestion(s)/Advice/Tips。