Response-to-Text Writing Directions: Read the passage below and write an essay
about it.
Summarize the main ideas of the passage in your own words.
Then respond to one or more of these ideas.
The summary should be a small part of your essay (about 20%). The rest of it (about
80%) should focus on your own
ideas. Explain how one or more ideas from the article
relate to something you have
experienced, seen, read, or learned about.
You will have 90 minutes to complete your essay.
Getting Enough Sleep
Did you get enough sleep last night? Scientists say that people need between
seven and nine hours of sleep per night to be at their best, but 35% of Americans sleep
less than this amount. There are multiple reasons why people don't get enough sleep and
it really affects how your brain functions.
Many people in the United States work long hours. Paul Martin, author of
Counting Sheep: The Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams, points out that most
people spend much more time working and commuting than sleeping. In part, this is
because American culture places a high value on hard work and much less
value on
good
sleep. Those who work a lot are seen as industrious, whereas those who
sleep a lot may
be viewed as lazy.
At the end of the day, screens are a big temptation. It's so easy to watch
television, play video games or scroll through social media
. The pull to watch
just one
more video or read just one more post can be
almost impossible to resist. It gets late
very
quickly and suddenly, you don't have
enough time to sleep. Even worse, the light from
screens tells your mind to stay awake and
makes it harder to sleep. In addition, when
you
have a lot of screen time before bed,
your quality of sleep will not be as good, either.
People who don't get enough sleep often suffer from cognitive impairment. For
instance, they may have trouble with emotional
regulation, remembering things or
making good decisions. This is
because high quality sleep isn't just for your body
. It's a
time when your mind restores
and repairs itself. In addition, that's when your memories
are consolidated, which in turns
help you remember information you learned that
day.
Sleep is very important for our physical and emotional wellbeing. However, to get
more sleep, we may need to change
our habits and routines.
about it.
Summarize the main ideas of the passage in your own words.
Then respond to one or more of these ideas.
The summary should be a small part of your essay (about 20%). The rest of it (about
80%) should focus on your own
ideas. Explain how one or more ideas from the article
relate to something you have
experienced, seen, read, or learned about.
You will have 90 minutes to complete your essay.
Getting Enough Sleep
Did you get enough sleep last night? Scientists say that people need between
seven and nine hours of sleep per night to be at their best, but 35% of Americans sleep
less than this amount. There are multiple reasons why people don't get enough sleep and
it really affects how your brain functions.
Many people in the United States work long hours. Paul Martin, author of
Counting Sheep: The Science and Pleasures of Sleep and Dreams, points out that most
people spend much more time working and commuting than sleeping. In part, this is
because American culture places a high value on hard work and much less
value on
good
sleep. Those who work a lot are seen as industrious, whereas those who
sleep a lot may
be viewed as lazy.
At the end of the day, screens are a big temptation. It's so easy to watch
television, play video games or scroll through social media
. The pull to watch
just one
more video or read just one more post can be
almost impossible to resist. It gets late
very
quickly and suddenly, you don't have
enough time to sleep. Even worse, the light from
screens tells your mind to stay awake and
makes it harder to sleep. In addition, when
you
have a lot of screen time before bed,
your quality of sleep will not be as good, either.
People who don't get enough sleep often suffer from cognitive impairment. For
instance, they may have trouble with emotional
regulation, remembering things or
making good decisions. This is
because high quality sleep isn't just for your body
. It's a
time when your mind restores
and repairs itself. In addition, that's when your memories
are consolidated, which in turns
help you remember information you learned that
day.
Sleep is very important for our physical and emotional wellbeing. However, to get
more sleep, we may need to change
our habits and routines.