You are going to read four reviews of books about sleep and dreams. For questions 1-10, choose from the reviews (A-D). The reviews may be chosen more than once.
Which review
1 emphasises how enjoyable sleep is?
2 says certain aspects of our lives are becoming less distinct from one another?
3 points out that many people share a mistaken belief?
4 describes the structure of the book?
5 explains why we have certain experiences?
6 mentions a practical problem faced by scientists?
7 says the book shows that major developments have occurred in a field?
8 says the writer deals with issues that cause debate?
9 comments that our lack of knowledge regarding sleep is surprising?
10 says the reader learns how a technological advance caused problems?
Four books about sleep
A Sleepfaring
Why do we sleep? Are we sleeping enough? How can we tackle sleep problems? Jim Horne finds answers to these questions and many more in Sleepfaring, a journey through the science and the secrets of sleep. He reveals what goes on in our brains during sleep, and also gives some hints from the latest sleep research that may just help you get a better night’s rest. In recent years, understanding sleep has become increasingly important, as people work longer hours, styles of working have altered, and the separation between workplace and home is being reduced by cell phones and the internet. Horne draws on the latest research to reveal what science has discovered about sleep. Nor does Horne avoid controversial topics; challenging, for example, the conventional wisdom on the amount of sleep we actually need. For anyone wishing to know more about the many mysterious processes that begin when we close our eyes each night, Sleepfaring offers a wealth of insight and information.
B Dreaming
What is dreaming? Why are dreams so strange and why are they so hard to remember? In this fascinating book, Harvard researcher Allan Hobson offers an intriguing look at our nightly journey through the world of dreams. He describes how the theory of dreaming has advanced dramatically. We have learned that, in dreaming, some areas of the brain are very active – the visual and auditory centres, for instance – while others are completely shut down, including the centres for self-awareness, logic, and memory. Thus we can have visually vivid dreams, but be utterly unaware that the sequence of events or localities may be bizarre and, quite often, impossible. And because the memory centre is inactive, we don’t remember the dream at all, unless we wake up while it is in progress. With special boxed features that highlight intriguing questions – Do we dream in colour? (yes), Do animals dream? (probably) – Dreaming offers a cutting-edge account of the most mysterious area of our mental life.
C Counting Sheep
Even though we will devote a third of our lives to sleep, we still know remarkably little about its origins and purpose. Does getting up early really benefit us? Can some people really exist on just a few hours’ sleep a night? Does everybody dream? Do fish dream? How did people cope before alarm clocks and caffeine? And is anybody getting enough sleep? Paul Martin’s Counting Sheep answers these questions and more in this illuminating work of popular science. Even the wonders of yawning are explained in full. To sleep, to dream: Counting Sheep reflects the centrality of these activities to our lives and can help readers respect, understand, and appreciate that delicious time when they’re lost to the world.
D Dreamland
Reporter Randall provides a brisk tour of sleep research and what it means for individuals hoping to feel well rested. The author engaged with sleep research in part because of his sleepwalking. Researching the world of sleep is obviously difficult because sleeping subjects selected for studies rarely remember anything specific. Nonetheless, Randall interviewed sleep researchers and read academic papers to learn what he could from those who devote their careers to the science of sleep. The book is not a continuous narrative but rather a loose progression of chapters about different sleep-related issues. For example, Randall explains how the invention of electricity led to countless cases of sleep deprivation; the lack of utter darkness after sunset is often the enemy of sound sleep. He also emphasises the too-often neglected common-sense realisation that sleep is no void; rather, it is perhaps one third of the puzzle of living well.
Answer
1 C 2 A 3 D 4 D 5 B
6 D 7 B 8 A 9 C 10 D