The Darkest Island
In a city, there are lights from cars and lamps all around. Many houses have lights on, and some businesses keep their lights on all night for safety reasons. By keeping lights on, people can see the roads well and feel relieved at night. However, others find it ( 18 ). When the night is too bright, the light can disturb people’s sleep. Additionally, the lives of animals are often in danger. Nowadays, such problems are caused by what is called “light pollution,” and it poses a challenge for almost every city in the world.
The people living in Sark, a small island near southern England, have done a lot to deal with this problem. They wanted to prevent their community from being bright with lights. Therefore, people cannot ( 19 ) on the streets of Sark. With no cars, there is no need to place streetlights for safe driving. Walking and riding horses and bicycles are allowed when going somewhere. They buy lights when they really need them. However, they make sure to point lights to the ground.
On the island known for its amazingly dark skies, people can see beautiful stars. This has attracted many people from all over the world. The number of people who visit the island is increasing. Surprisingly, as many as 60,000 tourists come to the island every year. ( 20 ), the island’s population is getting smaller. The authority began to look for 500 new residents. They will probably face a new problem when new people arrive on this dark sky island.
The quality of people’s sleep is greatly ( 21 ). For example, some people have had the experience of not being able to sleep because of noise from their neighbors or busy roads. Other people may have had trouble falling asleep because of light coming in from outside and light from the screens of digital devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers. However, many experts are saying that another very important environmental factor is the temperature.
In the evening, as the air cools down, so does the human body’s internal temperature. This is because the brain sends out a signal to the body that it is time to sleep. Then, the body starts to relax, and people’s breathing becomes deeper and slower. This is similar to what bears do in the winter. They keep ( 22 ). By doing so, they can make their body functions slow down to the lowest level.
This means the opposite is also true. It becomes difficult for people to sleep when the temperature is too warm. A warm temperature makes it difficult for the human body to cool down. ( 23 ), people roll over in bed on a hot summer night to try to feel more comfortable. This is their reaction to try to escape from the heat. One solution is for people to take a warm shower before going to bed. The human body’s internal body temperature starts to drop after a shower.
Dear Joshua,
I wanted to update you on the decisions made during last week’s teachers’ meeting regarding textbook selection for the next semester. Since you were absent, I will give you a summary. In the meeting, we agreed to use two main textbooks, Your Daily English and English First. These books cover important grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills. In addition to these, we also want to use online resources to go along with our teaching materials.
Your Daily English focuses on practical communication skills, with dialogues, exercises, and real-life examples. It’s for our second-year students. On the other hand, English First is designed for beginners. This book does not just give students grammar and vocabulary, as traditional textbooks often do. Instead, it also teaches these skills in stories that children of our students’ age are more likely to enjoy.
As you are the expert in this area, I would like you to check both textbooks and see what online resources you recommend. We all agree that your opinions about this matter should be heard before the next meeting. Please share your thoughts by next Friday. Since I want everyone to see your choice and reasons for it, please send us a group e-mail.
Anastasia Jenkins
English Department
Diaries
Although different people write diaries for different reasons, most people have probably tried writing one at least once in their lives. One of the common reasons why people keep a diary is to reduce stress. By writing down ideas and thoughts that they do not want others to hear or know, they can calm down some emotions. Writing down what they have done, especially during important events such as vacations, is also a common means to organize their memories.
Morris Villarroel, a Spanish scientist and professor, started trying to organize his memories. When Villarroel turned forty, he was not sure what he had done by then. Even though he had some photos and journals, they were not enough to explain his forty years. To make sure he knows what he has accomplished when he turns eighty, he decided to keep a diary. However, his idea of keeping a diary was unique. He started to write down what he was doing and how he was feeling every fifteen to thirty minutes.
His effort to record what he had done did not end there. Soon after, he started taking pictures to document his life. He attached a small camera to his shirt and set it to take a photo around him automatically every thirty seconds. The number of photos he took in a day ranged from one thousand to two thousand. Of course, most of the photos were of boring everyday things like his hand, his computer, his food, and just people walking in front of him.
However, he learned several things from this experience. By checking what he had written, he found some patterns. This allowed him to realize that he often felt stressed while driving to work. Therefore, he has decided to take the train and walk. He also noticed a few things, so he improved his lectures. These things were so minor that he could have forgotten without the diary. With a detailed record of his life, he can now remember his life clearly, and he says that the last ten years felt much longer than the ones before.
