《英语流行话题阅读:语境识词4500》65 The American Sleep Deficit

　　Unit 65
The American Sleep Deficit¹
There are many things that divide Americans. But at least one thing unites us. Most of us -- 64 percent, to be precise -- are sleep-deprived. A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that lack of sleep interferes² with the daily activities of 40 percent of adults.
Now before you yawn, rub your eyes and hit the snooze button, consider the consequences of living in a nation of sleepyheads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sleep deprivation³ is responsible for at least 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths a year. But while we have national campaigns against drunk driving and speeding, there is no outcry against driving while sleepy. Maybe it's because we can't measure fatigue⁴ with a yawnometer. But I think the real answer lies in our workaholic culture's contempt for a time-waster like sleep. "I never sleep, because sleep is the cousin of death," Nas rapped in "N.Y. State of Mind".
"Anything which tends to slow work down is a waste," Thomas Edison said, predicting that the light bulb would make 24-hour workdays possible. And, indeed, over the past century Americans have reduced their average nightly sleep time by more than 20 percent -- wearing the dark circles under their eyes like badges of honor. Our political leaders are particularly proud of how little rest they get. "None of us have had a great deal of sleep," a bleary eyed President Bush said after burning the midnight oil deciding whether or not to bomb Iraq.
Unfortunately, there is a strong correlation⁵ between poor decision-making and lack of sleep. A NASA study found that 21 percent of pilot errors are related to fatigue. The American Airlines crash in Arkansas earlier this month may have been due to the pilots' impaired⁶ judgment⁷ after 13 1/2 straight hours on duty. And sleep deprivation has been a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history, including Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez spill, the Challenger explosion and the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
Even putting aside disasters like these, sleep deprivation costs US businesses $100 billion a year in accidents and reduced productivity. Prof. Moore-Ede of the Harvard Medical School has recommended napping policies for corporations, an in some offices nap times are starting to replace coffee breaks. Dr. James Maas, author of "Power Sleep", is also an advocate of sleeping on the job: "By napping for 15 to 20 minutes, you can regain⁸ creativity and problem-solving skills."
Imagination, originality⁹, the ability to think -- all qualities conspicuously¹⁰ lacking in our leaders -are the first casualties of sleep deprivation. Those aspiring¹¹ to leadership should read history. Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan were all renowned¹² nappers. "Don't think," Churchill warned his colleagues, "you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more."
Maybe we should spend more time worrying about how many hours our leaders are sleeping rather than whom they are sleeping with. Now that our budget is in the black, how about turning our attention to the national sleep deficit?

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

3 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

4 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

5 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

6 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

8 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

9 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。

10 conspicuously   

ad.明显地，惹人注目地

参考例句：

• France remained a conspicuously uneasy country. 法国依然是个明显不太平的国家。
• She figured conspicuously in the public debate on the issue. 她在该问题的公开辩论中很引人注目。

11 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

12 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。