英闻天下——428 38% of Chinese Suffer From Sleep Disorder

 　　The Lanzhou Railway Bureau is offering discounted sleeper¹ tickets on 19 short-distance train journeys.

 

　　This is the first price adjustment since the Ministry² of Railways was dismantled³ to make way for market fluctuations⁴ in ticket pricing.

 

　　Since the end of the National Peoples Congress on Sunday, the new state-owned company China Railway Corporation is in charge of the country's ticket pricing.

 

　　Discounts are available on services including the Z56, the T76 and the T295 until December 31.

 

　　However, the offer will be suspended during the National Day holiday, from September 30 to October 7.

 

　　The policy means that passengers taking short trips can save almost half the price on some tickets.

 

　　For example, a bottom berth⁵ on the T295 Shanshan-Urumqi service is 30.5 yuan, a reduction of 48 percent.

 

　　Earlier at the mid⁶ of last year, business class at some high speed rail trains from Shanghai to Hangzhou, from Shanghai to Nanjing offered 30% discounted ticket price.

 

　　China Daily

 

　　"38% of Chinese Suffer From Sleep Disorder⁷"

 

　　Chinese Sleep Research Society (CSRS) says nearly 40 percent of Chinese people suffer from various kinds of sleep problems.

 

　　The world average stands at 27 percent.

 

　　Han Fang⁸, head of CSRS, says sleep apnea can raise the death risk of heart disease.

 

　　Currently there are over 80 kinds of sleep disorders⁹, and most people are not aware that sleep disorder can trigger heart disease.

 

　　Every day, more than 3,000 people die of disease related to sleep apnea.

 

　　The annual World Sleep Day is March 21, and this year the theme in China is "Focus on sleep, focus on heart".

 

　　In research led by the Chinese Medical Doctors Association Beijing and Dongguan in Guangdong province are listed as "sleepless¹⁰ cities".

 

　　Zhengzhou and Xiamen are the best for sleeping.

 

　　The research shows the two cities haven't provided a comfortable environment for their residents to sleep.

 

　　At the same time, most residents are not taking sleep seriously.

 

　　The Guardian¹¹

 

　　"UK Increased Recycling Rates Fastest in Europe over Past Decade"

 

　　Official statistics published on Tuesday showed recycling rates in the UK rose faster in the first decade of the millennium¹² than any other country in Europe.

 

　　The UK started from a low base in 2001 – recycling rates were just 12% for all municipal waste.

 

　　However, it increased by the greatest amount by 2010, reaching 39%, on a par¹³ with the average for the EU.

 

　　But the European Environment Agency, which released the figures, warned that many countries will fail to meet a European directive of recycling 50% of waste by 2020. Some countries, such as Germany, Austria and Belgium, already recycle more than half of their waste.

 

　　Others, in particular those in south-eastern Europe, are straggling far behind: Greece only recycles 18%, up from 9% in 2001, while Romania recycles just 1%. In a few cases, countries have gone backwards¹⁴, with Norway's rates falling from 44% to 42%, and Finland's dropping from 34% to 33%.

 

　　Australia Network News

 

　　"Concussion¹⁵ Treatment to Bring Football Heads Together"

 

　　The heads of Australia's four football codes will meet in Melbourne tomorrow to discuss how to deal with concussion in their sports.

 

　　They are hoping to work out a common plan of attack for treating and researching the condition.

 

　　The move comes as US sporting bodies enact¹⁶ new guidelines to ensure US athletes suspected of concussion are removed from play immediately.

 

　　Clinical neuropsychologist Dr Andrew Gardner, who will speak at the two-day Melbourne meeting, says Australian sporting bodies are heading in a similar direction.

 

　　The Melbourne conference will hear from all codes about their current practice in dealing¹⁷ with concussion.

 

　　Most are using similar assessment¹⁸ tools and will not let players back on the field until they are cleared.

 

　　The AFL is finalising new guidelines, which are expected to be released tomorrow.

 

　　Meanwhile the NRL recently changed its protocols¹⁹ to make sure players showing signs of concussion do not return to the game that day or thereafter until they are cleared by the club doctor.

1 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

4 fluctuations   

波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table. 他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• There were so many unpredictable fluctuations on the Stock Exchange. 股票市场瞬息万变。

5 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

6 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

7 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

8 fang   

n.尖牙，犬牙

参考例句：

• Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
• The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。

9 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 sleepless   

adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的

参考例句：

• The situation gave her many sleepless nights.这种情况害她一连好多天睡不好觉。
• One evening I heard a tale that rendered me sleepless for nights.一天晚上，我听说了一个传闻，把我搞得一连几夜都不能入睡。

11 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

12 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

13 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

14 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

15 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

16 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

17 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

18 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

19 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网