BBC Learning English
Minute English
May 2013
Sleeping for learning
Rob: Hello, I’m Rob and this is 6 Minute English and I’m joined this week by Finn. Hello Finn.
Finn: Hello Rob.
Rob: This week, we’re discussing sleep. New research has shown that not get ting enough sleep – or sleep deprivation отсутствие сна – can have a negative effect on our ability to learn. We’re going to talk about that today and explore some sleep-related language.
Finn: So Rob, are you saying the more sleep I get, the cleverer I will be?
Rob: Not exactly - but we could put that to the test подвергнуть испытанию, тесту now by seeing if you know the answer to this week’s question. This is about Randy Gardner, who hold s the world record for держать рекорд the longest period of time without sleep. Do you know how long he stayed awake for бодрствовать? Was it:
a) 5 days
b) 8 days
c) 11 days
Finn: Rob, I’m going to go for выбирать the ambitious c) 11 days without sleep.
Rob: Well, I’ll let you know the answer at the end of the programme, if you can stay awake that long! Now, let’s talk more about this link between a way in which two things or ideas are related to each other sleep and the ability to learn. Researchers from Boston College in the USA have found the lack of нехватка, недостаток sleep is a significant – so important – factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils. The findings the information that someone has discovered as a result of their study, workcould be relevant to относиться, соответствовать any of us who are trying to learn something.
Finn: That’s true. The most interesting fact is that it is more of a problem in affluent countries развитые страны – so wealthier countries such as the United States, England, France and Saudi Arabia.
Rob: Students here are more affected by to make someone feel strong emotions = подвергаться воздействию, влиянию influences from their home life.
Finn: You’re talking about computers and TVs in their bedrooms and using smartphones?
Rob: Yes, they’re tempted by to make someone want to have or do something, even though they know they really should not = прильщать, завлекать all this technology instead of just getting their heads down to sleep and having a good night’s sleep. The survey a set of questions that you ask a large number of people in order to find out about their opinions or behaviour = обзор, опрос found 80% of 13 and 14-year-olds in the US were identified by to recognize something or discover exactly what it is, what its nature or origin is their teachers as being affected by lack of sleep. The international average was 57%.
Finn: Let’s hear from William Myers who is the Principal someone who is in charge of school, university, the main person in a business or in an organisation at South River High School in the United States. He says this is a challenge for teachers. What other word does he use to mean ‘ lacking in energy ’?
William Myers, Principal at South River High School:
If we didn’t make our classes more engaging pleasant and attracting your interest = привлекательный, увлекательный, we would see a decline in a decrease in the quality, quantity, or importance of something = снижение our performance how well or badly a person, company etc does a particular job or activity = показатель работы, результаты We would see that school-wide общешкольный, and in many of our classes, we would see students who were lethargic feeling as if you have no energy and no interest in doing anything = вялый, апатичный, sleepy, maybe heads down sleepy at the end of the day. So we have to put a lot of work into потратить много сил keeping them alert быть бдительным, наготове and keeping them excited about полный энтузиазма school.
Rob: That’s quite a challenge then! He says classes have to be engaging, so interesting and exciting, to stop students getting sleepy and lacking in energy – the word he used was lethargic.
Finn: Yes, this research looked at the link between the amount students sleep and their test results. Not surprisingly it found children with more sleep achieve higher test results in maths, science and reading. There is a lesson there for all of us – I think. I’ll just shut my eyes, Rob, and have 40 winks a very short sleep.
Rob: You mean a short, light sleep? Can you wait until the end of the programme please? Scientists believe the lack of sleep causes your brain to run on empty to continue doing something even though you no longer have supplies of something you need in order to do it properly. It struggles to absorb to read or hear a large amount of new information and understand it = понимать, улавливать and retain to remember information ideas.
Finn: Actually, scientists say that there are more serious problems with students staying up late поздно ложиться before they hit the sack пойти спать - or got to bed – as we can hear from the BBC’s
Jane O’Brien. Can you identify what they are?
Jane O’Brien, BBC reporter: Here at the Children’s National Medical Centre, doctors are seeing more and more sleep-deprived страдающий недосыпанием kids, and it’s not just affecting their school work. It’s linked to obesity when someone is very fat in a way that is unhealthy = тучность, mood swings перепады настроения and behaviour problems. In fact it’s putting their long-term health at risk подвергать риску, поставить под угрозу.
Finn: So, the lack of sleep can also lead to to cause something to happen or cause someone to do something=привести к каким-то результатам health problems such as obesity – that’s when someone is dangerously overweight – and to mood swings – that’s changes in how someone feels or behaves. So, what is the solution to all of this?
Rob: Well the school day in some countries start later, allowing teenagers a bit of a lie in валяться в постели по утрам. And others have a break in the afternoon – like a siesta. But the real solution is for students to turn in идти спать – or go to bed – earlier.
Finn: This research has also highlighted to make a problem or subject easy to notice so that people pay attention to it = подчеркивать, обращать внимание another problem. Because teachers are simplifying their lessons to take account of the tetchy вспыльчивый, обидчивый – or grumpy раздражительный, сердитый – students, there’s concern that pupils who are getting enough sleep are losing out to not get something good, valuable etc because someone else gets it instead = не иметь успеха, терпеть неудачу in these adjusted lessons. So everyone suffers if someone suffers an unpleasant or difficult experience, or is in a difficult situation, it happens to them or they experience it = страдать, испытывать. OK, well before I go for a lie down please could you let me know the answer to today’s question, Rob?
Rob: Of course. Earlier I asked you about Randy Gardner, who holds the world record for the longest period of time without sleep. I asked you if you knew how long he stayed awake for?
Finn: And I said c) 11 days, 11 long days.
Rob: And you were right. He stayed awake for that incredible 11 days back in 1965. Randy was actually functioning quite well at the end of his research and he could still beat the scientist at pinball. Well, it’s almost time to go but before we do, Finn could you remind us of some of the words we've heard today.
Finn: Yes. We heard:
sleep deprivation
getting their heads down
lethargic
forty winks
to run on empty
hit the sack
mood swings
a siesta
to turn in
tetchy
Rob: Well, that’s all we have time for today. Time for a doze to sleep lightly for a short time = дремота Finn!
Both: I think so. Bye.
LACK [singular, uncountable noun] = when there is not enough of something, or none of it [= shortage]
a complete/total lack of something; an apparent lack of something
for lack of something (=because something is not present or does not exist)/ a distinct/marked lack of something
no lack of something (=plenty of something); a relative/comparative lack of something
no lack of something (=plenty of something)
Lack of
new parents suffering from lack of sleep / Too many teachers are treated with a lack of respect.
comments based on a total lack of information / Does their apparent lack of progress mean they are not doing their job properly? / tours that are cancelled for lack of bookings
There was no lack of willing helpers. / health problems linked to poor diet and a relative lack of exercise
to lack [transitive] = to not have something that you need, or not have enough of it:
Alex’s real problem is that he lacks confidence.
! Do not use the verb lack before 'in' or 'of': We lack ideas (NOT We lack in/of ideas). However, you can use the phrases be lacking in and a lack: We are lacking in ideas OR We have a lack of ideas.
lacking [not before noun] = not having enough of something or any of it
Lacking in
He was lacking in confidence. She seems to be entirely lacking in intelligence.
The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.
SLEEP [uncountable noun]: 1) the natural state of resting your mind and body, usually at night
I didn't get much sleep last night.
Sometimes Mike has a hard time getting to sleep (=succeeding in starting to sleep).
I couldn't get back to sleep (=sleep again after waking up) after he'd rung.
drift/nod/go off to sleep (=start sleeping)
I am sorry, I must have dropped off to sleep for a moment.
in your sleep (=while he is sleeping)
Ed often talks in his sleep. / She died in her sleep later that night.
Her eyes were red through lack of sleep.
a few/a couple of/eight etc hours' sleep
She managed on a few hours' sleep a night.
SLEEP [singular noun]: 2) a period when you are sleeping