SSS 2010-07-05-英语课

时间：2019-01-08 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(七)月

英语课

Teachers get exasperated 1 at students—they don’t pay attention, they’re sleepy, they have bad attitudes. But improvement could be a matter of timing—just start school later. That’s according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Beginning at adolescence 2, kids have what’s called a delayed sleep phase, where they start sleep later and sleep later in the morning. And they need plenty—about nine-and-a-quarter hours a night.

The researchers evaluated 201 Rhode Island high school students whose school pushed back its start time from 8 to 8:30. The kids completed a sleep habits survey before and after the time change.

After the delayed start, the percentage of students who said they got at least eight hours of sleep a night jumped from about 16 to 55 percent. Class attendance improved, and there were fewer visits to the health center for fatigue-related complaints. Plus, the number of students who said they felt unhappy, depressed 3, annoyed or irritated dropped significantly.

Before the study, teachers, coaches and administrators 4 all resisted the later start. After, nearly all voted to keep it in place. A half-hour change for happier, better students? Seems like a good time for all.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American’s 60-Second Science. I’m Cynthia Graber

1 exasperated

adj.恼怒的

We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

2 adolescence

n.青春期，青少年

Adolescence is the process of going from childhood to maturity.青春期是从少年到成年的过渡期。
The film is about the trials and tribulations of adolescence.这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。

3 depressed

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

4 administrators

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师