“Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock’”

According to “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock,’” why do experts recommend against using electronic readers and similar devices when going to bed?

• The light from the screen can upset the body’s internal clock.

• Reading is too stimulating for people who are trying to sleep.

• The screen can catch fire and cause serious injuries and even death.

• People are too tempted to engage in social media if the screen is on.

According to “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock,’” what is the purpose of melatonin? Choose two options.

• It gets the body ready to sleep.

• It makes the body alert and restless.

• It tells the body that darkness has fallen.

• It increases the body’s resistance to sleep.

• It helps the brain awaken from a deep sleep.

In “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock,’” the author describes a study comparing the effects of reading on an electronic device before bed with the effects of reading printed books. What were the effects of reading on the electronic device? Choose three options.

• People had deeper sleep.

• People took longer to fall asleep.

• People awoke feeling more rested.

• People felt more tired in the morning.

• People took longer to become alert the next morning.

What concern did lighting scientist Mariana Figueiro express about the study in Boston, as explained in “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock’”?

• The results might not apply in real life.

• The scientists involved did not look at all the facts.

• The study might not lead people to change their behavior.

• The information could cause a drop in the sale of tablet computers.

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Read these sentences from “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock.’”

Over two weeks, each spent four hours reading each evening before a 10 p.m. bedtime. The volunteers read on an [electronic device] for five nights in a row. On another five consecutive evenings they read a printed book.

Based on context, choose the correct meaning of consecutive.

• happening occasionally

• beginning after a delay

• taking place at unusual times

• following one another without stopping

Part A Answer: following one another without stopping

Part B Which phrase from the sentences best supports the answer to Part A?

• Over two weeks

• each spent four hours

• in a row

• a printed book

Use context clues to determine the most likely meaning of environment as it is used in this quotation by sleep researcher Anne-Marie Chang in “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock.’”

“And these effects might be worse in the real world as opposed to the controlled environment we used.”

• beliefs

• reasons

• beginnings

• setting

Choose the most likely meaning of previously as it is used in this passage from “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock.’” Use context clues to help you.

A co-author of the study, she works at Pennsylvania State University in University Park. Previously, she worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

• with great interest

• in a friendly way

• at an earlier time

• at the same time

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A Given the details in “Screen Time Can Mess with the Body’s ‘Clock,’” choose the most likely long-term effect of using an e-reader before bed.

• Many people may stop trying to sleep.

• A small number of people may sleep too much.

• Most people may not have any long-term issues.

• Some people may develop serious medical issues.

Part A Answer: Some people may develop serious medical issues.

Part B Which quotation from the selection best supports the answer to Part A?

• Sleep experts at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., found that the light from a tablet computer upsets the body’s internal clock.

• Electronic devices with lit screens are now hugely popular. They have added another source of artificial light at night

• This experiment was done in a laboratory setting under very dim lights. And that, she says, may not mimic how most people use e-readers—or read printed books.

• Regularly getting too little sleep can pose important health risks. For instance, studies have shown that it can up the risk of everything from obesity, diabetes and depression to car accidents.