2014届最新高考英语一轮单元复习 精品阅读理解提升文章精选一百篇(62)
Unit 65 The American Sleep Deficit There are many things that divide Americans. But at least one thing unites us. Most of us -- 64 percent, to be precise -- are sleep-deprived. A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that lack of sleep interferes with the daily activities of 40 percent of adults. Now before you yawn, rub your eyes and hit the snooze button, consider the consequences of living in a nation of sleepyheads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sleep deprivation is responsible for at least 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths a year. But while we have national campaigns against drunk driving and speeding, there is no outcry against driving while sleepy. Maybe it's because we can't measure fatigue with a yawnometer. But I think the real answer lies in our workaholic culture's contempt for a time-waster like sleep. "I never sleep, because sleep is the cousin of death," Nas rapped in "N.Y. State of Mind". "Anything which tends to slow work down is a waste," Thomas Edison said, predicting that the light bulb would make 24-hour workdays possible. And, indeed, over the past century Americans have reduced their average nightly sleep time by more than 20 percent -- wearing the dark circles under their eyes like badges of honor. Our political leaders are particularly proud of how little rest they get. "None of us have had a great deal of sleep," a bleary eyed President Bush said after burning the midnight oil deciding whether or not to bomb Iraq. Unfortunately, there is a strong correlation between poor decision-making and lack of sleep. A NASA study found that 21 percent of pilot errors are related to fatigue. The American Airlines crash in Arkansas earlier this month may have been due to the pilots' impaired judgment after 13 1/2 straight hours on duty. And sleep deprivation has been a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history, including Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez spill, the Challenger explosion and the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Even putting aside disasters like these, sleep deprivation costs US businesses $100 billion a year in accidents and reduced productivity. Prof. Moore-Ede of the Harvard Medical School has recommended napping policies for corporations, an in some offices nap times are starting to replace coffee breaks. Dr. James Maas, author of "Power Sleep", is also an advocate of sleeping on the job: "By napping for 15 to 20 minutes, you can regain creativity and problem-solving skills." Imagination, originality, the ability to think -- all qualities conspicuously lacking in our leaders -are the first casualties of sleep deprivation. Those aspiring to leadership should read history. Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan were all renowned nappers. "Don't think," Churchill warned his colleagues, "you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more." Maybe we should spend more time worrying about how many hours our leaders are sleeping rather than whom they are sleeping with. Now that our budget is in the black, how about turning our attention to the national sleep deficit?
高考英语重点词法击破6
2017届高考英语第一轮单元知识点复习课件12
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:定语从句
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module2 Unit5《Rhythm》作业
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:主谓一致
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module6 Unit16《Stories》学案
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module2 Unit4《Cyberspace》作业
如何轻松驾驭一门外语?英语学习应把握5大原则
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module1 Unit2 《Heroes》作业
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:情态动词和虚拟语气 情态动词
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module1 Unit3 《Celebration》作业
高考英语总复习完形填空训练 八
高考英语重点词法击破4
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module5 Unit14《Careers》学案
俄罗斯家暴合法化 女子应为此自豪 WHAT?!
这种草莓150元一颗,一定很好吃……吧?
性价比最高的十个留学国家
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module1 Unit1 《Lifestyles》作业
高考英语重点词法击破3
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:动词的时态和语态
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module5 Unit13《People》学案
2017届高考英语第一轮单元知识点复习课件10
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:状语从句
2017届高考英语第一轮单元知识点复习课件11
高考英语总复习完形填空训练 七
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module6 Unit18《Beauty》学案
高考英语重点词法击破7
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:动词和短语动词
高考英语北师大版一轮复习精品讲练Module7 Unit 21《Human biology》学案
高考英语语法知识点归纳总结:形容词和副词
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |