2．Have you winterized your horse yet？Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild，many animals are still hibernating （冬眠）．It's too bad that humans can't hibernate．In fact，as a species，we almost did．
Apparently，at times in the past，peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation．So writes Graham Robb，a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants．As soon as the weather turned cold，people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end．
In line with this，Jeff Warren，a producer at CBC Radio's The Current，tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial（人造的）lighting and the electric bulb．
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages，they noticed something referred to as"first sleep"，which was not clarified，though．Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods．The business of eight hours'uninterrupted sleep is a modem invention．In the past，without the artificial light of the city to bathe in，humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight．The late night period was known as"The Watch"．It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals，although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighhours．
According to some sleep researchers，a short period of insomnia （失眠） at midnight is not a disorder． It is normal．Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping，which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning．This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people．The impressive inventor，Thomas Edison，used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas．
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous，as anxiety may set in．Medical science doesn't help much in this case．It offers us medicines for a full night's continuous sleep，which sounds natural； however，according to Warren's theory，it is really the opposite of what we need．
53．The example of the French peasants shows the fact thatD．
A．people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep．
B．winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end．
C．people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather．
D．there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits．
54．The late night was called"The Watch"because it was a time for peopleC．
A．to set traps to catch animals．
B．to wake up their family and neighbours．
C．to guard against possible dangers．
D．to remind others of the time．
55．What does the author advise people to do？A
A．Follow their natural sleep rhythm．
B．Consult a doctor if they can't sleep．
C．Sleep in the way animals do．
D．Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern．
56．What is the author's purpose in writing the passage？B
A．To give a prescription for insomnia．
B．To throw new light on human sleep．
C．To analyze the sleep pattern of modem people．
D．To urge people to sleep less．
分析 本文介紹了一些睡眠專家的研究成果，這對(duì)人們?nèi)绾螌?duì)待睡眠習(xí)慣有所啟示．屬于科普類說明文．
解答 答案：53．D 細(xì)節(jié)推斷題．根據(jù)第二段講述的內(nèi)容peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation人類有冬眠的跡象；聯(lián)系第一段最后一句In fact，as a species，we almost did分析推定D項(xiàng)符合題意．故選D．
54．C 細(xì)節(jié)推斷題．由第五段中最后一句…It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals，although many of them simply …．故選C．
55．A 細(xì)節(jié)推斷題．綜合分析最后一段內(nèi)容Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous，as anxiety may set in和according to Warren's theory，it is really the opposite of what we need可知作者建議人們遵循自然睡眠規(guī)律，故選A．
56．B 主旨大意題．文章是要闡明人類睡眠的真相；題干中throw light on是解釋，為…提供新線索的意思，故選B．
點(diǎn)評(píng) 閱讀理解是考查語篇理解能力．�？嫉念}型有：推理判斷題；主旨大意題；細(xì)節(jié)理解題；猜測(cè)詞意題．近幾年又出現(xiàn)了兩種新的考查方式：寫作態(tài)度判斷題和文章結(jié)構(gòu)題．解題時(shí)，在讀懂文章的基礎(chǔ)上，還有特別注意掌握題型的特征，尤其是細(xì)節(jié)題和推斷題不可混淆：細(xì)節(jié)題是文章信息的再現(xiàn)；推斷題是文章信息的提�。绢}是廣告類文章，考查主要是以細(xì)節(jié)題為主，細(xì)節(jié)題要注意常用的出題陷阱有：夸大，縮小，張冠李戴，偷梁換柱，無中生有等，做題時(shí)要看清看準(zhǔn)．
