Listening
Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- adolescent / ˌæd əˈles ənt / (n.) – a young person who is developing into an adult
Example:Studies have found that social media can affect how adolescents perform in school.
- burn the midnight oil / bɜrn ðə ˈmɪdˌnaɪt ɔɪl / (idiom) – to study or work until late at night
Example:She has been burning the midnight oil since yesterday because the exams are happening soon.
- plague / pleɪg / (v.) – to cause serious problems for someone or something over a long period
Example:Global trade issues are plaguing countries and making basic items more expensive.
- pilot / ˈpaɪ lət / (v.) – to test something new to find out if it will be successful
Example:Some high school students are piloting a new summer program about how to manage money.
- chronic / ˈkrɑː nɪk / (adj.) – happening continuously for a long time, especially something bad
Example:The new president shared long-term solutions to chronic problems like poverty and pollution.
Article
Read the text below.
The topic of a new course at Mansfield Senior High School is one that teenagers across the country are having trouble with: How to Get to Sleep.
One ninth grader in the class says his method is to scroll through TikTok until he nods off. Another teen says she often falls asleep while on a late-night group chat with friends. Not everyone takes part in class discussions; some students are slumped over their desks napping.
Sleep training is no longer just for newborns. Some schools are taking it upon themselves to teach teenagers how to get a good night’s sleep.
“It might sound odd to say that kids in high school have to learn the skills to sleep,” says Mansfield health teacher Tony Davis, who has incorporated a newly released sleep curriculum into a state-required high school health class. “But you’d be shocked how many just don’t know how to sleep.”
Adolescents burning the midnight oil is nothing new; teens are biologically programmed to stay up later as their circadian rhythms shift with puberty. But studies show teenagers are more sleep deprived than ever, and experts believe it could be playing a role in the youth mental health crisis and other problems plaguing schools, including behavioral and attendance issues.
“Walk into any high school in America, and you will see kids asleep. Whether it’s on a desk, outside on the ground or on a bench, or on a couch the school has allotted for naps—because they are exhausted,” says Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Education. Pope has surveyed high school students for more than a decade and leads parent sessions for schools around California on the importance of teen sleep. “Sleep is directly connected with mental health. There is not going to be anyone who argues with that.”
The district’s high school is piloting the new curriculum, “Sleep to Be a Better You,” hoping to improve academic success and reduce chronic absences, when a student misses more than 10% of the school year.
During the six-part course, students are asked to keep daily sleep logs for six weeks and rate their mood and energy levels.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Some schools are now teaching teenagers how to sleep better as part of their health classes. Do you think learning how to sleep well should be taught at school like math or science, or is it something parents should teach at home? Why? Discuss.
- What can you say about the quality of your sleep? What are some things that help you fall asleep? Is there anything that keeps you awake at night? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Some students are so tired during the day that they sleep during class. Should schools allow short naps to help students feel more awake and ready to learn? Why or why not? What actions do you think teachers should take if they catch a student sleeping in class? Discuss.
- Is it normal in your culture for people to take naps during the day? Why or why not? If students and workers were allowed to take short naps during the day, do you think they would learn or work better? Why or why not? Discuss.
