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Sleeping sickness

No. 947, March 21, 2012

Page 3, 4, 5

Penalize parasitic young adults

Focus

Background Information

Global Question

Vocabulary

Speaking Time

Culture for everyone

Background InformationInsomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. People who have insomnia have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or both. As a result, they may get too little sleep or have poor-quality sleep. They may not feel refreshed when they wake up.

Insomnia can be acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing). Acute insomnia is common and often is brought on by situations such as stress at work, family pressures, or a traumatic event. Acute insomnia lasts for days or weeks.

Background information

Chronic insomnia lasts for a month or longer. Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary, which means they are the symptom or side effect of some other problem. Certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances can cause secondary insomnia.

In contrast, primary insomnia isn't due to medical problems, medicines, or other substances. It is its own distinct disorder, and its cause isn’t well understood. Many life changes can trigger primary insomnia, including long-lasting stress and emotional upset.

Background Information

Insomnia can cause daytime sleepiness and a lack of energy. It also can make you feel anxious, depressed, or irritable. You may have trouble focusing on tasks, paying attention, learning, and remembering. These problems can prevent you from doing your best at work or school. Insomnia also can cause other serious problems. For example, you may feel drowsy while driving, which could lead to an accident.

Background Information

World Sleep Day

Background Information

The World Sleep Day is an annual event organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) since 2008.It is aimed to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society attention to the burden of sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects; to promote sleep disorders prevention and management.

Through the World Sleep Day the WASM tries to raise awareness of sleep disorders and their better understanding and preventability, and to reduce the burden of sleep problems on society that constitute a global epidemic and threaten health and quality of life for as much as 45% of the world's population.

Background Information

Annual celebration

The World Sleep Day is held annually on the third Friday of March with the exception of the first World Sleep Day that was held on 14 March 2008. Events involving discussions, presentations of educational materials and exhibitions take place around the world and online.

Direction: answer the following questions.

1. On what day falls the World Sleep Day?1. On what day falls the World Sleep Day?

March 21

2. What is likely to be the cause of Liu Qiong’s sleeping sickness?2. What is likely to be the cause of Liu Qiong’s sleeping sickness?

She lives in a communal dorm with roommates chatting, tapping on keyboards and texting all night.

Global Reading

3. What proportion of population is affected by sleep problems in China last year?3. What proportion of population is affected by sleep problems in China last year?

38 percent

4. What harm do Sleep disorders do to people according to Liu Jiaoyan?4. What harm do Sleep disorders do to people according to Liu Jiaoyan?

They can cause health risks such as heart attack, obesity and a weaker immune system.Zz

Global Reading

5. What might be the reasons that younger people experience disrupted sleep?5. What might be the reasons that younger people experience disrupted sleep?

Intensive traffic and light pollution are undermining people’s sleep quality. Besides, all kinds of electronic devices are “competing” with sleeping hours, especially among college students. Another factor which causes sleep disorders among students is the growing pressure of study and career.

6. What should be done to solve the sleep problems of students according to Professor Tan Xiaojun?6. What should be done to solve the sleep problems of students according to Professor Tan Xiaojun?

A healthy lifestyle should be promoted among students as part of their education. It will serve them well for the rest of their lives

Global Reading

Vocabulary

Liu Qiong, 22, whose name has been changed for privacy, is haunted by insomnia.

privacy

n. 隐私，秘密；隐居；私事；不受公众干扰的状态

The press invade people's privacy unjustifiably every day.

每天媒体都会毫无道理地干扰人们的生活。

e.g.

Vocabulary

Liu Qiong, 22, whose name has been changed for privacy, is haunted by insomnia.

haunt

v. Something that haunts a person or organization regularly causes them problems over a long period of time.长期困扰

The stigma of being a bankrupt is likely to haunt him for the rest of his life.

破产的耻辱可能会让他余生不得安宁。

e.g.

Vocabulary

..., which serves as a reminder of the necessity of quality sleep to human health.

serves asIf something serves as a particular thing or serves a particular purpose, it performs a particular function, which is often not its intended function.

She ushered me into the front room, which served as her office.

她把我领进了她用作办公室的前厅。

e.g.

Vocabulary

After a month, she had lost 10 kilograms in weight and was prone to catching colds as winter approached.

be prone to

v. have a tendency to be affected by it or to do it.有…的倾向，易于

People with fair skin who sunburn easily are very prone to develop skin cancer.

皮肤白皙容易晒伤的人极易患皮肤癌。

e.g.

Vocabulary

Tan Xiaojun, ...reckons intensive traffic and light pollution are undermining people’s sleep quality.

intensive

adj. 加强的 ;集中的 ;密集的

Each counsellor undergoes an intensive training programme before beginning work.

每个辅导员在上岗前都要接受密集培训。

e.g.

Vocabulary

Tan Xiaojun, ...reckons intensive traffic and light pollution are undermining people’s sleep quality.

undermine

v. make sth. less strong or less secure than it was before, often by a gradual process or by repeated efforts. （常指逐渐或反复）削弱，损害（情感、体制等）

Offering advice on each and every problem will undermine her feeling of being adult.

对每个问题都给出建议会令她觉得自己不像个成年人。

e.g.

Vocabulary

Gradually, her rating as a top scorer in the university entrance exam faded.

fade

v. to slowly become less intense or less strong. 动词 (记忆 )逐渐模糊 ;(感情 )逐渐变淡 ;(可能性 ) 逐渐变小

Prospects for peace had already started to fade.

和平的前景已经开始日渐暗淡。

e.g.

Discussion

Topic: How to solve sleeping problems?

Speaking Time

Penalize parasitic young adults

1. What should the government do to jolt young people into action according to Jing Tiankui?1. What should the government do to jolt young people into action according to Jing Tiankui?

He proposed that the government rescind social benefits for those young people who refuse to take jobs but instead idle away time at their parents’ home, so as to jolt them into action.2. Why do some people object to Jing's measures?2. Why do some people object to Jing's measures?

Because they think punishing the unemployed is not the answer. It may not be their fault that they can’t find jobs in the first place, and the government stepping in with aggressive action might make things even worse.

Opinion

Direction: Go over the passage and answer the following questions

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