【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. early riser / ˈɜr li ˈraɪ zər / (n.) – someone who wakes up in the early morning
Example: My sister is an early riser; she usually wakes up at 5:30 a.m.
2. night owl / naɪt aʊl / (n.) – someone who stays up late at night
Example: Andrew is a night owl and gets very little sleep.
3. tolerance / ˈtɒl ər əns / (n.) – the ability to adjust to something
Example: Jake’s tolerance for coffee does not keep him awake at night.
4. syndrome / ˈsɪn droʊm / (n.) – a set of symptoms that characterize a disease or disorder
Example: Michelle is diagnosed with a rare syndrome.
5. tendency / ˈtɛn dən si / (n.) – a quality that makes a person behave in a particular manner
Example: Karen has a tendency to stay up all night.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
According to a recent study by Korean researchers, people who stay up late in the evening are more likely to develop health problems.
Researchers surveyed 1,620 people composed of 47 to 59-year old men and women. With the use of questionnaires, researchers asked the participants whether they were early risers or night owls. The researchers also looked into the participants’ tolerance for glucose, their body composition, and other details about their health and behavior.
Results showed that compared with early risers, men who stayed up late were more at risk of getting diabetes. At the same time, women who were night owls had more than twice the probability of acquiring metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by having an increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
According to researcher Dr. Nan Hee Kim, the explanation for these results may have resulted from the participants’ bad habits. These include having poor quality of sleep and their tendency to get involved in unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, eating late at night, and having an inactive lifestyle.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, there are ways in which a person can get a healthy sleep. One is to keep a sleep schedule, with the same time to sleep and time to wake up, in order to control one’s body clock. Other ways include avoiding naps in the afternoon and doing light exercises. Not having heavy meals at night will also help a person sleep better, as doing so can avoid indigestion that makes sleeping difficult.
|
【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Do you think sleeping late has its advantages? Why is that so?
· After reading the article, would you now sleep earlier than usual? Why or why not?
Discussion B
· Aside from those mentioned in the article, how else can people get a better sleep?
· Do you think taking sleeping pills to be able to sleep is healthy? Why is that so?
