California First State to Govern School Start Times加州成為美國第一個立法延後上學時間的州

【摘要2020.2.2.蘋果】

In the mornings, high school students in California will soon get to sleep in. That’s because the state government has created a new law that requires high schools to start at 8:30 a.m. or later. Currently, the average start time is 8:00 a.m. Many kids, however, have extra classes or practice after school is over. Some even have activities that begin before school starts.

As a result, many students go to bed late and get up early, which causes them to feel tired and sleepy at school. Experts say that teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. If teens don’t get enough sleep, they are more likely to suffer from depression and have weight problems.

美國加州的高中生很快地就能在早上多補點眠了。這是因為該州政府立了一條新法要求高中早上八點半或更晚才上學。目前平均的上學時間為早上八點。但許多孩子放學後有額外的課程或是練習。有些人甚至在上學前就有活動。

因此，許多學生要晚睡早起，導致他們在學校會感到疲倦想睡。專家表示，青少年每晚需要八至十小時的睡眠。如果青少年睡眠不足，他們就更有可能罹患憂鬱症以及有體重方面問題。

生活必備字詞

◎sleep in　　晚起，睡到很晚才起床
◎average a. 平均的；一般的
The average age of the students in this class is 17.
◎suffer from...　　得╱罹患⋯⋯病
Harry suffers from a fear of heights.
◎depression n. 憂鬱（症）；沮喪