四級閱讀模擬題練習(xí)45：為什么缺少睡眠會使人變胖?

熟悉四級閱讀理解題型的同學(xué)應(yīng)該都了解，英語四級考試的閱讀理解材料大多選自《時代》《衛(wèi)報》《今日美國》等外刊。要想閱讀理解這部分拿到高分，必須在平常多閱讀，掌握新詞匯，鍛煉閱讀速度。

為此小編每日精選了《衛(wèi)報》《時代》等外刊上的文章供大家進(jìn)行閱讀練習(xí)。

本篇閱讀材料“為什么缺少睡眠會使人變胖?”選自《讀者文摘》(原文標(biāo)題：Why Lack of Sleep Could Be Making You Fatter )。如果大家覺得比較簡單，就當(dāng)作泛讀材料了解了解，認(rèn)識幾個新單詞或新表達(dá)方式也不錯。如果大家覺得這些材料理解上有難度，不妨當(dāng)做挑戰(zhàn)自己的拔高訓(xùn)練，希望大家都有進(jìn)步^^

Sleepless nights don’t just ruin your mood the next day—they could also damage yourwaistline. According to new research in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sleep deprivation can cause people to pack on extra pounds.

sleep deprivation 睡眠不足

pack on the pounds 長胖;變肥;增加體重

Researchers at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital found that sleep-deprived people seem to burn the same number of calories as the well-rested, but they consume about 300 more calories a day. Given that it takes just 3,500 calories to add a pound to your body, those calories can quickly turn into extra weight.

well-rested 休息充分的

given that 只要是，考慮到;假定，已知

turn into 轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)?變成

But there are several other reasons that sleep loss could lead to weight gain, says sleep disorder specialist Michael Breus. When we get too little shut-eye, our metabolism slows down to conserve energy. That slowdown triggers the release of the hormone cortisol, which increases appetite. Your body thinks it needs more energy, so it asks for more food.

metabolism n. 新陳代謝

trigger v. 引發(fā);引起

appetite n. 食欲;胃口

In a vicious cycle, sleep loss also causes our bodies to release more ghrelin, another hormone that signals hunger, and less leptin, the hormone that tells your stomach that it’s full. With your hormones off-kilter, your body wants more food and lacks the sensitivity to know when to stop eating. Not to mention that being awake more hours gives you more time to snack.

vicious cycle 惡性循環(huán)

not to mention 更不用說;更別提

“The later you’re up at night, the greater the likelihood that you’re going to eat,” Breus says. And “you’re more likely to eat high-fat, high-carb foods.”

likelihood n. 可能性;可能

One other contributing factor to such weight gain is that the body burns the most calories during REM sleep, a deeply restful phase. And less sleep means less time in REM.

For optimal health, experts say you should try to get 7.5 hours of sleep a night. If you have trouble sleeping, stick to a nightly routine, exercise during the day, banish worries to a journal, and keep pre-bedtime activities relaxing.

optimal adj. 最佳的;最理想的

stick to 堅持

banish v. 放逐;驅(qū)逐

Question time:

1. What's the influence of sleep deprivation according to the passage?

2. Why people sleep less gain weight according to the research?