Chinstrap penguins sleep in short bursts for babies

廣東 涂麗平

對父母來說，睡眠不足是經常發生的事情，尤其是孩子剛出生的時候，父母為了照顧孩子，幾乎每隔一段時間就要醒一次。同樣有這個煩惱的還有帽帶企鵝。它們每次只睡4秒，這樣的微睡眠，一天要進行10,000次。

1Chinstrap penguins in the Antarctica have adapted to harsh conditions by sleeping in a very unusual way.They sleep in short bursts—about four seconds at a time.By doing this thousands of times daily, they get about 11 hours of sleep a day.

2Chinstrap penguins get their name from the thin black line under their chins, which looks like a strap holding on a black hat or helmet.Like other penguins, they spend much of their time in the water, catching fish to eat.But when the time comes to raise their young, they return to land.

3Raising young penguins is a challenge.The eggs are often laid in nests made of small rocks to keep the eggs from freezing.One parent takes care of the nest for long periods of time, while the other parent hunts for food.The parent must constantly keep a sharp lookout.Birds called brown skuas target the eggs and young penguins of careless parents.Other penguins in these crowded areas may take stones from the nest, putting the young in danger.

4But it's hard to stay alert and protect a nest 24 hours a day.Getting a good night's sleep could be deadly for the young.So chinstrap penguins have found an unusual way of solving the problem.In a new study, scientists report that chinstrap penguins take thousands of tiny naps each day.Each nap—or “microsleep”—lasts only about 4 seconds.

5The scientists became curious about whether the penguins were sleeping after one scientist, Won Young Lee, noticed that the chinstrap parents were constantly blinking their eyes.So they attached tiny electrical devices to the heads of 14 chinstrap penguins.The devices allowed the scientists to measure the brain activity of the penguins.At the same time,the scientists recorded the birds on video.Eleven days of studying the penguins revealed that the tired parents were actually sleeping—very often, and for very short time periods.

6It's not clear if the microsleeps allow the penguins to actually feel rested.But the penguins are able to keep the pattern up for weeks, which allows them to protect their nests, eggs and babies.

Reading Check

Gist1.What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A.Chinstrap penguins' sleeping habits.

B.Chinstrap penguins' living conditions.

C.Chinstrap penguins' appearance.

D.Chinstrap penguins' difficulty in raising young penguins.

Inference2.Why do chinstrap penguins sleep in short bursts?

A.To enjoy longer sleeping hours.

B.To stay warm in the cold climate.

C.To stay alert and protect their nests.

D.To adapt to their special lifestyle.

Detail3.What is a threat to the eggs and the young chinstrap penguins?

A.The freezing temperatures.

B.Birds called brown skuas.

C.The lack of food.

D.The short bursts of sleep.

Detail 4.How did the scientists measure the chinstrap penguins' brain activity?

A.By observing their sleep patterns.

B.By tracking their daily routines.

C.By conducting interviews with the penguins.

D.By attaching tiny electrical devices to the heads of the penguins.

Language Study

Ⅰ.日積月累

nestn.巢

microsleepn.微睡眠

harsh conditions 嚴酷的條件

skuas 賊鷗（褐色掠食性海鳥）

sleep in short bursts 短暫地睡眠

hunt for food 尋找食物

stay alert 保持警覺

electrical devices 電子設備

Ⅱ.語法填空

Chinstrap penguins have 1.________ unusual sleep method, which is crucial for their survival and childcare.These birds, 2.________(name) for their distinctive facial marking, sleep in brief four-second bursts, totaling about eleven 3.________(hour) a day.This allows them 4.________(protect) their young from threats, such as brown skuas and stone-stealing penguins.Chinstrap penguins create nests by 5.________(use) small rocks to keep their eggs from the freezing temperatures during the breeding season.Parenting duties change between guarding the nest 6.________ fishing.To maintain constant alertness, the penguins have adapted to microsleeps, 7.________(enable) them to react quickly to predators while still getting the rest they need.Researchers confirmed this sleeping pattern through a study 8.________ they attached brain activity monitoring devices to the penguins and observed their behavior.Over eleven days, the data showed that these parents 9.________(be) indeed sleeping in these short intervals.Whether these microsleeps are as restorative as longer sleep periods remains unknown, but they are enough for the penguins to 10.________(success) raise their young during the breeding season.