It is reported that many middle school students are just not getting enough sleep, especially during the school week. The problem seems to get ________ (bad) as they get older. Year 7 students sleep 8.4 hours in a school night, and Year 9 students only 6.9 hours.

    It's also reported that not getting enough sleep can cause ________ (problem) in a student's life. Many students fall ________ (sleep) in school or while doing their homework, so it is not ________ (surprise) that they get lower grades than those who get enough sleep. Scientists suggest nine hours a night for middle school students. Of the students who feel ________ (happy) and nervous, 73% don't get enough sleep at night.

    Why aren't students getting enough sleep? Many students have one of the ________ (follow) things, like telephone, television, or computer in their bedrooms. ________ (use) them on a school night not only takes their time away from homework, but also makes ________ difficult for them to sleep. As a result, many students can't sleep before 11 p. m., yet they must get up early ________ (go) to school.

    Scientists also suggest students should not do exciting activities for an hour ________ bedtime.

    It's school time again! You're probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared (害怕的) on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and even a new school. Luckily, these "new" worries only stick around for a little while. Let's find out more about going to a new school.

    Most teachers kick off the new school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you'll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class, too. When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules and school rules so you'll know what's allowed and what's not. Please pay close attention.

    You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day, but it's a great day to make new friends, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don't. Make the first move and you'll be glad, and so will your new friends!

    Seeing friends you haven't seen in a while can make the first day a good one. You can make the day feel special by wearing clothes that you really like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on one of your vacations, or a pair of sneakers (运动鞋). It also can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the things you need, such as pencils, folders, and whatever else you'll be needing. But make sure that you pack them the night before in case you don't have time in the morning.

    The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named "DriveLAB" in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.

    Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated (隔绝) and inactive.

    Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.

    These include custom-made navigation (导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: "For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.

    "But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to."

    Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains:" The DriveLAB is helping us to understand what the key stress points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems.

    "For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We're looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.

    "We hope that our work will help with technological solutions (解决方案) to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel."