Passage 5 THE MYSTERY OF SLEEP
Sleep takes up precious time and leaves us vulnerable, so why do we do it?
A. The question of why we sleep has been on people’s minds at least since the time of Aristotle,
who believed that the warming and cooling of the body as a result of digestion caused sleep.
Though we know this is incorrect today, other early theories have held up better. The possibility
of a ‘sleep toxin’ – a substance that built up during the day, causing drowsiness, and was
subsequently relieved by sleep – was put forward by Henri Pieron in the early 1900s, and this
concept is not unlike some contemporary ideas about sleep that researchers are pursuing today. It
was not until 1953 that Nathaniel Kleitman and his colleagues identified two different kinds of
sleep; REM and non-REM sleep. Many say that this breakthrough paved the way for modern
sleep research. But since then, despite the great deal of effort that has been made to better
understand sleep, it is still largely a mysterious phenomenon.
B. Among living things, sleep is practically universal. Even jellyfish, which have no brains,
experience something called sleep pressure – the need to rest longer after being kept awake. Tiny
worms, with only a few neurons, spend time in a sleep-like state and die more quickly when
exposed to stress if this state is prevented. Sharks and dolphins, which must keep moving at all
times in order to breathe, have the ability to sleep with one hemisphere of the brain at a time. Yet,
when an animal sleeps, it cannot protect itself from danger, it cannot eat or reproduce. Sleep is
high-risk and costly, so why is it such a universal phenomenon? Clearly, it must be important.
C. One theory about the reason for sleep is that it arose simply as a way to save energy. If there
were times when it was difficult or hazardous for an animal to move around, then it might make
sense for them to simply enter a sleep state when all of their physical systems slow down. That
way, they would require less food, and could hide away from danger. The observation that
animals with few natural predators, lions, for example, sleep up to 15 hours a day, while small
prey animals seldom sleep more than 5 hours a day, seems to contradict this, however. In
addition, the objection has been raised that sleep only lowers the metabolism by 10-15 per cent,
so not much energy is, in fact, saved. According to Serge Daan, a researcher who studied arctic
ground squirrels, something else must be taking place. He found that the ground squirrels would
periodically come out of their suspended-animation-like state of hibernation in order to sleep.
For these animals, sleep was actually energetically expensive, so it must serve some other
essential purpose.
D. It is well established that the act of sleeping is important for essential brain functions such as
memory and learning. A rapidly increasing body of cognitive research suggests that sleep allows
us to consolidate and process information that has been acquired during the day. Sleep scientist
Matthew Walker used MRI scans to visualise activity in the brains of people who were learning a
series of finger movements. One group was allowed to sleep and the other was not. He found
differences in the areas of the brain that were activated when they recalled the movements; the
group that had slept showed less activity in the brain, and better recollection of the task. In other
words, the way the memory was stored had become more efficient. Walker believes that this
could explain why toddlers, who are constantly learning new motor skills, require so much more
sleep than adults. Furthermore, Ted Abel, while assistant professor at the University of
Pennsylvania, found that mice deprived of sleep for the first five hours after learning did not
remember their physical surroundings, while their memory of facts and events was not affected.
This result allowed him to specify that sleep regulates memory in a specific part of the brain, the
hippocampus, which is responsible for memories related to spatial and contextual information.
But despite numerous studies, there are still more questions than answers on the role of sleep in
memory and learning.
E. Another theory about the role of sleep is that it is essential for cleanup and repair in the brain
and body. Support for this theory is provided by research that shows periods of REM sleep
increase following periods of sleep deprivation and strenuous physical activity. During sleep, the
body also increases its rate of cell division and protein synthesis, further suggesting that repair
and restoration occurs during sleeping periods. Recently, new evidence supporting the repair and
restoration theory has been uncovered. Research has shown that the cellular structure of the brain
is altered during sleep, and more space forms between cells. This allows fluid to move between
the cells and flush out toxic waste products. It is believed that these toxins increase in the central
nervous system during waking times, and the restorative function of sleep is a consequence of
their removal.
F. It may seem that all of this new evidence is not making the question of why we sleep any
clearer; indeed, the evidence seems to point to different explanations. In this context, it seems
important to remember that there may not be one correct answer, but instead it could be a
combination. While the idea that sleep is a method of energy conservation seems to be falling out
of favour, it seems more and more likely that benefits for memory and learning, the cleanup of
the brain and the repair of the body can all be attributed to a good night’s sleep.
Questions 96-101: There are six paragraphs marked A-F in the passage. In which paragraph
is the following mentioned? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
96. how researchers can see what is happening inside the brain D
97. how many reasons for sleep there might realistically be F
98. an example of lack of sleep being deadly B
99. a particular discovery that was essential for how we view sleep today A
100. how sleep might have arisen from threatening conditions C
101. how the brain physically changes during sleep E
Questions 102-104: Look at the following statement and the list of researchers below. Match
each statement with the correct researcher, A-E. Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered box provided.
A Henri Pieron
B Nathaniel Kleitman
C Serge Daan
D Matthew Walker
E Ted Abel
102. Sleep is essential for the recollection only of certain types of memory. E
103. The fact that sleep requirements vary with age alludes to its role. D
104. A chemical that promotes sleep accumulates throughout the day. A
Questions 105-106: Choose TWO letters, A-E. Which TWO theories does the writer question
the validity of? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered box provided.
A Sleep pressure is proof of the necessity of sleep.
B Animals’ sleeping habits are related to their place on the food chain.
C Sleep is related to changes in body temperature.
D Sleep prevents the unnecessary burning of calories.
E There are different types of sleep with different functions.
Questions 107-108: Choose TWO letters, A-E. Which TWO points does the writer mention in
support of the importance of sleep for memory? Write your answers in the corresponding
numbered box provided.
A During sleep, unimportant memories are removed.
B Sleep makes recollection more effortless.
Nghĩa là nó more efficient á, đoạn D thấy nha
C Sleep results in more activity throughout the brain.
D The function of a specific brain region is affected by sleep.
E Sleep duration modifies learning
Câu E klq vì ngta đang hỏi về memory
