VII.阅读理解(共15小题，每小题1分，计15 分)

A

Babies sleep about eighteen hours a day.Mrs. Thatcher and Napoleon both said they only needed to do it three or four hours a night.No one can live without sleep.But how much do we really need?

Research(研究)by the National Sleep Foundation in Washington says that we all need eight hours’ sleep every night.Scientists have found that people who sleep for less than six and a half hours a night are more often ill than people who sleep for eight hours.Going without sleep also increases(增加)the chance of serious illness.“Workaholics(工作狂)”who sleep for less than five hours often die young，and do less well at work.

The scientists found that adults(成年人)usually sleep for seven hours a night，with 32% sleeping less than six hours.

It also says that the idea that we need less sleep as we get older is completely untrue.“People have no idea how important sleep is to their lives.”Dr. Thomas Roth，director of the Foundation says.“Good health needs good sleep.”

“But not too much of it.”says Professor Jim Horne of Loughborough University,“sleep is like food and drink，”he believes，“you would always like to have a little bit more，but that doesn’t mean you need it.”Professor Horne studied a group of people who could spend as many hours as they wanted in bed，after ten hours they didn’t find it any easier to get up in the morning.And people who sleep for more than nine hours a night die younger than people who usually sleep for seven or eight!

51. How many hours a day do babies sleep?

A. About 8 hours. B. About 3 hours. C. About 4 hours. D. About 18 hours.

52. It’s for your health to work without sleep.

A. good B. healthy C. bad D. useful

53. The word “it” in the sentence “But not too much of it.” means .

A. idea B. sleep C. work D. study

54. Professor Horne found it was not for people to get up in the morning after ten hours’ sleep.

A. easier B. happier C. more important D. more difficult

55. The passage(文章)is about .

A. sports B. food C. sleep D. drink