Sleep: How Much Is Too Much? Most people know that not getting enough sleep is not healthy But is it possible to get too much sleep? Most doctors and scientists seem to think so In fact, too much sleep can make people feel even more tired than getting a normal night’s sleep Doctors recommend that people get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night If a person still feels tired after eight or nine hours of sleep, however, more sleep is not the answer In fact, sleeping more than nine hours a night may be a sign of a medical problem When people sleep too long, they might not get enough sunlight or exercise, and their bodies may tell them that they need more rest This can make people’s bodies weaker, and they may catch colds or even get other, more serious diseases more easily Some scientific studies have shown that people who sleep more than nine hours a night are 50% more likely to get diabetes, and more than 20% more likely to be obese Too much sleep has also been linked to having more headaches, back pain, depression, and even heart disease The problem is not with the quantity of sleep we get, but the quality of sleep There are five main stages of sleep In Stage we fall asleep; in Stage we sleep lightly In Stages and we sleep deeply In Stage 5— REM sleep—we dream When people have poor quality sleep, it usually means that they pass from Stage to Stage 2, and never move on to Stage Without deep sleep, the body does not get enough rest, no matter how long a person sleeps To help this problem, doctors recommend trying to go to sleep and waking up at the same times each day Get fresh air, sunlight, and regular exercise as well If there are still problems, people should visit their doctor for more help According to the title, what is this passage about? A How to fall asleep quickly B How to have a long sleep C Getting too much sleep D Getting too little sleep Read the first paragraph of the passage Choose the correct answer A Sleeping too little is not healthy B Sleeping too much is not healthy C Sleeping too much can make a person feel more tired D All of the above According to the passage, what is a reasonable amount of sleep per night? A 6–7 hours B 7–9 hours C 9–10 hours D More than 10 hours According to the passage, which statement is true about sleeping more than nine hours a night? A Your body will get stronger B You may catch a cold more easily C Your body can fight diseases better D Your body might fall asleep more easily Some studies show that people who sleep too much are _ more likely to get diabetes A less than 20% B 20% C 50% D more than 50% Which of these are some of the problems that have been linked with too much sleep? A Diabetes and stomachaches B Headaches and stress C Back and foot pain D Depression and heart disease In paragraph 5, which expression could be used instead of the quality of sleep? A How well we sleep B How long we sleep C How early we sleep D How late we sleep In Stage of sleep, we spend most of our time _ A falling asleep B in light sleep C in deep sleep D dreaming People who have low-quality sleep may spend their sleeping time in _ A Stage only B Stages and only C Stages and only D Stages 1, 2, and only 10 Which of the following is not mentioned as a way to help the problem of sleeping too much? A Setting a regular sleep schedule B Going to sleep later and waking later than normal C Spending more time outdoors D Trying to exercise regularly Host Families Each year, thousands of young people all over the world travel to a foreign country to study Many of these exchange students stay with native homestay or host families to learn more about the local culture But why would these host families want to invite a foreign student into their home? Phyllis Hanzie, a host mother to several international students over many years, describes her motivation and experience Why become a host family? Mrs Hanzie: The reasons a family decides to host a foreign student are probably as diverse as the families themselves In our case, it was our youngest son He had always been interested in foreign languages and cultures One day, he saw a poster in his high school asking for host families That night, he brought up the idea with us at dinner We discussed the details and decided to give it a try How did you prepare? Mrs Hanzie: We weren’t really sure what to expect We found out several months in advance that our first student would be coming from Japan, and that he would be staying with us as a member of our family for a full year Our whole family tried to learn as much about Japan as we could before his arrival We also spent time corresponding with the student and his family by mail before his arrival in the U.S There was no e-mail back then! Did you have any problems during that year? Mrs Hanzie: Every family has problems sometimes The whole experience actually taught us all that with patience and communication, everything can be worked out How was the experience? Mrs Hanzie: It was a wonderful experience for us all We all learned so much Our Japanese ‘son’ was able to experience life in a ‘typical’ American family And our family was able to learn so much more about the world around us It was a very rewarding experience True or false? All exchange students stay with host families to learn about local culture A True B False True or false? Phyllis Hanzie has hosted only one exchange student in her home A True B False Where did the Hanzies find out about becoming a host family? A Their son had been an exchange student before B Someone at their son’s school told them about it C An exchange student mailed them a letter about it D Their son saw a poster about it on the wall of his school Why did the Hanzies decide to become a host family? A Because their son had studied abroad before B For many different reasons C Because their son asked them to D Because they liked studying about other language and cultures How long did the Hanzie family study about Japan before their exchange student arrived? A One day B Several months C One full year D Before the student arrived How did the Hanzies first contact their exchange student? A By sending an e-mail B By sending a letter C By sending a poster D By calling his family According to the passage, we can infer that A the Hanzies had a lot of problems with their exchange student B the exchange student had a lot of problems with the Hanzies C the Hanzies had problems with their exchange student from time to time D the exchange student didn’t know how to communicate his problems In the last paragraph, by writing ‘son’ in quotation marks, the writer means A Mrs Hanzie thought of the exchange student like her own son B Mrs Hanzie wanted to have another son in her family C Mrs Hanzie didn’t really get along with her exchange student D Mrs Hanzie wishes the exchange student would act like her son From the passage, we can infer that A the Hanzies have more than one son B the Hanzies’ exchange student was younger than their son C the Hanzies’ eldest son is already married D the Hanzies’ son went to stay with their exchange student’s family 10 Which of the following is not mentioned as a positive part of the Hanzies’ experience? A They learned how to speak Japanese from their exchange student B They learned a lot about the world around them C They learned about patience and communication D They learned a lot about Japan