BBC初级口语:The Meaning of Sleep 睡眠的意义
Background: 一项新研究对长期未解的一个科学问题提供了答案，这就是睡眠究竟有什么意义。科学家原来以为睡眠对于大脑修复，保持长期记忆力和扭转清醒时候压力过渡导致的损害都有意义。然而最新的研究之出睡眠主要的作用在于让各种动物更好地适应生存环境。
【文本】
Pythons, bats and giant armadillos are among the longest sleepers at over 18 hours a day. Human babies need 16 hours, and most of us probably feel we need around eight hours sleep to function well.
Professor Jerry Seigel, from the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted a study of the sleep times of a broad range of animals, and found that they vary widely. Some, like migrating birds, can survive long periods without sleeping at all. He believes that shows sleep evolved to conserve energy:
“It's animals that are needlessly active that will not survive, but animals that are most efficient and use their waking time to do vital functions, and are otherwise asleep that will survive.”
Sleep helps make best use of limited resources. In humans, when we're awake, our brain accounts for 20 percent of the energy we use when just sitting around. Sleeping also makes us less likely to get injured and less likely to be detected by predators.
【口语突破】
pythons
蟒蛇类动物
giant armadillos
巨犰狳
function well
正常运作
conducted a study
展开了一项研究
migrating birds
迁徙的鸟类
evolved
演变
conserve energy
保存能量
needlessly
不需要地
survive
生存
vital functions
主要的功能
limited resources
有限的资源
accounts for
占… 的比例
sitting around
闲坐着
get injured
受伤
detected
发现/发觉
predators
捕食其他动物的动物
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重点单词查看全部解释needlessly想一想再看
adv. 不必要地；无用地
function['fʌŋkʃən]想一想再看
n. 功能，函数，职务，重大聚会
vi. 运行
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adj. 至关重要的，生死攸关的，有活力的，致命的
联想记忆X单词vital联想记忆：vit生命，al：极其重要的；充满活力的 vary['vɛəri]
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v. 变化，改变，使多样化
survive[sə'vaiv]想一想再看
vt. 比 ... 活得长，幸免于难，艰难度过
联想记忆X单词survive联想记忆：
sur下面，vive＝live－在下面活着－幸存
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n. 蜜饯，果酱
vt. 保存，与糖放在一起，
con全部+serve保持→全部保持下来→保存；保守 efficient[i'fiʃənt]
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adj. 效率高的，胜任的
联想记忆X单词efficient联想记忆：ef出+fic做，制作+ent→能做出事来→有效率的 range[reindʒ]
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n. 范围，行列，射程，山脉，一系列
v. 排
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adj. 有限的，被限制的
动词limit的过
