# Sleep study on modern-day hunter-gatherers dispels popular notions - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 1） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2026.1.7成都大学 - 题目数：13 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/a48a3f04-fc87-4b43-bc11-56c0d0beaa98（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 A The sleep troubles common in modern life have long been blamed on our industrial society, from the city lights, long work hours and commutes, to caffeine and the Internet. Sleep researchers often look back on a time when humans were able to get more rest by sleeping and waking to the rhythms of the sun. It turns out that may not be quite right. In fact, our ancestors may not have been getting the recommended eight hours of sleep, either. B In a recent study, researchers traveled all over the world to examine sleep in some of the world's last remaining hunter-gatherer societies - the Hadza of Tanzania, the San of Namibia, and the Tsimane of Bolivia. Cut off from media, electricity and other distractions, these pre-industrial societies are thought to sleep the way humans did more than 10,000 years ago. Traveling to where they lived, often in humid remote locations, researchers used medical devices to record the sleeping habits of 94 of these tribespeople and ended up collecting data representing 1,165 days. C They found very similar sleep pattems despite their geographic isolation. On average, all three groups sleep a little less than 6.5 hours a night, do not take naps, and don't go to sleep when it gets dark. Like many of us, the Hadza, San, and Tsimane spend more time in bed from 6.9 to 8.5 hours - than they do actually sleeping. This adds up to a sleep efficiency that is very similar to today's industrial populations. D According to Jerome Siegel, director of the University of California's Center for Sleep Research, evidence suggests sleep habits may not be environmental or cultural, but central to the physical makeup of humans. These findings question the millions of dollars that have been spent on research that tries to explain why some sleepers get only about six hours of sleep a night. Also, such findings question whether lack of sleep is a cause of obesity, mood disorders, and other physical and mental illnesses which have become so common in recent decades. Scientists have documented that people's energy often falls in the mid-afternoon. Some have suggested that it's because we've managed to suppress a natural desire for a nap. E However, the new study provides evidence that this is unlikely, and that napping was actually rare in hunter-gatherer societies. The researchers estimated that naps may have occurred on up to 7 percent of winter days and 22 percent of summer days. They noted that their devices were only good at detecting longer naps, so it is possible that some of the study subjects took naps that were short, perhaps 15 minutes or less. F Another fascinating finding from the study had to do with the circadian rhythms, our daily activity cycles related to sunlight. Instead of going to sleep right at dusk, tribespeople were staying awake an average of between 2.5 and 4.4 hours after sunset. All three tribes had fires going, but the light itself was much lower than you might get from a light bulb. They did, however, have a tendency to wake up anywhere between an hour before and an hour after sunrise. G Siegel and his co-authors investigated this further by looking into the significance of temperature. They found that it also played a big role, though was somewhat less important than light in influencing sleep patterns. They wrote that "sleep in both the winter and summer usually occurred during the period of cooling and that waking times usually occurred near the height of the daily warming trend." H The tribespeople that were studied are different from people living in modern conditions in a number of respects. Importantly, almost none of them were troubled by sleeplessness. In interviews with the researchers conducted through interpreters, only 1.5 to 2.5 percent of the study subjects said they had severe difficulties sleeping more than once a year. This figure is far lower than the 10 to 30 percent recorded in many industrialized countries today. Siegel suggested that 'mimicking aspects of the natural environment' may therefore help treat some sleep disorders. I The tribespeople are also much healthier. Not a single one is overweight, indicating their overall higher levels of physical fitness. They also tended to have healthier hearts. Thus comes a critical question. If we can't blame our health problems on our lack of sleep, could it be that the reason we feel so unrested is because of poor health? ## 题目与答案 ### 1. 1 Scientists studied hunter-gatherer societies because their sleep patterns are assumed to be similar to those of humans more than 10,000 years ago. 1 Scientists studied hunter-gatherer societies because their sleep patterns are assumed to be similar to those of humans more than 10,000 years ago. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：Cut off from media, electricity and other distractions, these pre-industrial societies are thought to sleep the way humans did more than 10,000 years ago 同义替换：「hunter-gatherer」↔「pre-industrial」；「assumed to be」↔「thought to」 ### 10. ·scientists found that 10_____ had almost as much influence on sleep patterns as light. ·scientists found that 10_____ had almost as much influence on sleep patterns as light. **答案**：temperature 原文定位：They found that it also played a big role, though was somewhat less important than light in influencing sleep patterns 同义替换：「had almost as much influence」↔「played a big role」 ### 11. Differences between tribespeople and people in industrialised regions ·11_____ is something that very few of the tribespeople suffered from Differences between tribespeople and people in industrialised regions ·11_____ is something that very few of the tribespeople suffered from **答案**：sleeplessness 原文定位：Importantly, almost none of them were troubled by sleeplessness 同义替换：「very few」↔「almost none」；「suffered from」↔「troubled by」 ### 12. ·the environment of tribespeople may have been more suitable for sleep ·tribespeople had better fitness than industrialised populations and were not 12_____ . ·the environment of tribespeople may have been more suitable for sleep ·tribespeople had better fitness than industrialised populations and were not 12_____ . **答案**：overweight 原文定位：Not a single one is overweight, indicating their overall higher levels of physical fitness ### 13. ·tribespeople also had stronger 13_____ . ·tribespeople also had stronger 13_____ . **答案**：hearts 原文定位：They also tended to have healthier hearts 同义替换：「stronger」↔「healthier」 ### 2. 2 The medical devices used in the research were especially designed for humid conditions. 2 The medical devices used in the research were especially designed for humid conditions. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN 原文定位：Traveling to where they lived, often in humid remote locations, researchers used medical devices to record the sleeping habits ### 3. 3 Researchers found that tribespeople stayed longer in bed than inhabitants of industrialised regions. 3 Researchers found that tribespeople stayed longer in bed than inhabitants of industrialised regions. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：FALSE 原文定位：Like many of us, the Hadza, San, and Tsimane spend more time in bed from 6.9 to 8.5 hours - than they do actually sleeping. This adds up to a sleep efficiency that is very similar to today's industrial populations 同义替换：「tribespeople」↔「Hadza, San, and Tsimane」；「stayed longer」↔「spend more time」；「inhabitants」↔「industrial」 ### 4. 4 Jerome Siegel believes that environment and culture have little effect on sleep patterns. 4 Jerome Siegel believes that environment and culture have little effect on sleep patterns. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：evidence suggests sleep habits may not be environmental or cultural, but central to the physical makeup of humans 同义替换：「believes」↔「suggests」；「have little effect」↔「may not be」 ### 5. New Evidence on Sleep Patterns New ideas about napping ·scientists have recorded an afternoon drop in 5_____ . New Evidence on Sleep Patterns New ideas about napping ·scientists have recorded an afternoon drop in 5_____ . **答案**：energy 原文定位：Scientists have documented that people's energy often falls in the mid-afternoon 同义替换：「recorded」↔「documented」 ### 6. ·studies of hunter-gatherer societies show that napping was rare and occurred more often during the 6_____ . ·studies of hunter-gatherer societies show that napping was rare and occurred more often during the 6_____ . **答案**：summer 原文定位：The researchers estimated that naps may have occurred on up to 7 percent of winter days and 22 percent of summer days ### 7. ·the devices may not have detected 7_____ naps. ·the devices may not have detected 7_____ naps. **答案**：short 原文定位：their devices were only good at detecting longer naps, so it is possible that some of the study subjects took naps that were short, perhaps 15 minutes or less 同义替换：「may not have detected」↔「only good at detecting longer naps」 ### 8. Daily activity cycles ·the tribespeople went to sleep several hours after sunset ·even with 8_____ there was little light Daily activity cycles ·the tribespeople went to sleep several hours after sunset ·even with 8_____ there was little light **答案**：fires 原文定位：All three tribes had fires going, but the light itself was much lower than you might get from a light bulb 同义替换：「little」↔「much lower」 ### 9. ·tribespeople usually woke up around 9_____ . ·tribespeople usually woke up around 9_____ . **答案**：sunrise 原文定位：They did, however, have a tendency to wake up anywhere between an hour before and an hour after sunrise 同义替换：「usually woke up around」↔「wake up anywhere between an hour before and an hour after」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。