BBC初級口語:The Meaning of Sleep 睡眠的意義
Background: 一項新研究對長期未解的一個科學問題提供了答案，這就是睡眠究竟有什麼意義。科學家原來以爲睡眠對於大腦修復，保持長期記憶力和扭轉清醒時候壓力過渡導致的損害都有意義。然而最新的研究之出睡眠主要的作用在於讓各種動物更好地適應生存環境。
【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.
【口語突破】
pythons
蟒蛇類動物
giant armadillos
巨犰狳
function well
正常運作
conducted a study
展開了一項研究
migrating birds
遷徙的鳥類
evolved
演變
conserve energy
保存能量
needlessly
不需要地
survive
生存
vital functions
主要的功能
limited resources
有限的資源
accounts for
佔… 的比例
sitting around
閒坐着
get injured
受傷
detected
發現/發覺
predators
捕食其他動物的動物
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重點單詞查看全部解釋needlessly想一想再看
adv. 不必要地；無用地
function['fʌŋkʃən]想一想再看
n. 功能，函數，職務，重大聚會
vi. 運行
想一想再看
adj. 至關重要的，生死攸關的，有活力的，致命的
聯想記憶X單詞vital聯想記憶：vit生命，al：極其重要的；充滿活力的 vary['vɛəri]
想一想再看
v. 變化，改變，使多樣化
survive[sə'vaiv]想一想再看
vt. 比 ... 活得長，倖免於難，艱難度過
聯想記憶X單詞survive聯想記憶：
sur下面，vive＝live－在下面活着－倖存
想一想再看
n. 蜜餞，果醬
vt. 保存，與糖放在一起，
con全部+serve保持→全部保持下來→保存；保守 efficient[i'fiʃənt]
想一想再看
adj. 效率高的，勝任的
聯想記憶X單詞efficient聯想記憶：ef出+fic做，製作+ent→能做出事來→有效率的 range[reindʒ]
想一想再看
n. 範圍，行列，射程，山脈，一系列
v. 排
想一想再看
adj. 有限的，被限制的
動詞limit的過
