¢ñ.ÔĶÁÀí½â

A

[2023·ÇൺÊÐÆÚÄ©¿¼ÊÔ]I did an experiment last week. No, nothing involving test tubes or beakers (ÉÕ±­). Instead, I experimented with not watching the news right before I went to bed.

This is a long­time habit of mine so it's probably not surprising that the first couple of nights I got a little twitchy when news time rolled around and I wasn't watching. To distract myself, I went to bed a little earlier and read. Wow, what a treat that was! I love to read but I don't always make the time for it so this felt quite luxurious. On the nights I didn't read, I spent a little extra time petting my dog, Henry. He loved it. There's never enough ear scratching for him. The compromise nights were when I had a book in one hand and was petting the dog with the other. Happy all around!

The funny thing about happiness is that it's a whole lot easier to feel when you're not being bombarded (ºäÕ¨) by images of bad news. It's not like skipping the late news means that I don't know what's going on in the world. I still do read, listen to, and watch news stories. Just not right before I go to bed. That makes it easier to fall asleep and then stay asleep without dreaming about crime, wars, or natural disasters. (Although that dream I had about going to the prom might count as a natural disaster£¡) It's definitely a much gentler way to end the day. I like it so much that I'm going to not only continue the no news before bed practice, but I'm also going to experiment with turning off other electronics earlier in the evening, things like the computer and smartphone.

Do you have any experience with turning off your electronics early in the evening? Does setting a particular time, like digital Quiet Hours, work? Please share any tips you have. Something tells me that this could be a little more challenging for me than no news.

1£®What does the underlined word “twitchy” mean?

A£®Angry.    B£®Sad.

C£®Anxious.    D£®Pleased.

2£®What did the author do to distract himself from watching news?

A£®To treat himself with snacks.

B£®To read to his dog.

C£®To turn off the TV.

D£®To read in bed.

3£®What's the result of the author's experiment?

A£®He had more time to walk his dog.

B£®He was less exposed to images of bad news.

C£®He was cut off from the current world.

D£®He had nightmares.

4£®What does the author intend to do by writing the text?

A£®To encourage the readers to cut down time on electronics.

B£®To gather the readers' advice in watching TV.

C£®To share the effect of watching news.

D£®To tell the readers the importance of reading.