Ejercicio B · Inglés PAU Madrid Ordinaria Lunes 2023

TEXTO B

How Global Warming is Cutting Sleep Across the World

Humans spend about a third of their lives asleep, yet a growing number of people do not sleep enough. When adults do not receive the recommended amount of sleep, they may have issues with concentration. Long-term effects can include an increased risk of some health concerns like cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. Global warming does not help.

People worldwide are likely to lose 50 to 58 hours of sleep a year by 2099 due to the climate crises, a new study revealed. Researchers used wristbands with internal accelerometers to measure sleep duration in over 47,000 adults across 68 countries for an average of six months. A single night over 30 degrees Celsius reduces sleep time by about a quarter hour per person. Based on the research, the elderly lost twice the amount of sleep per degree of warming compared with young or middle-aged adults. Women were also about 25% more affected by the rising temperatures than men.

The amount of sleep people received during the first month of summer, when people were less familiar with the heat, and the last month of summer was very similar. This similarity in sleep loss indicated that people cannot adapt to higher temperatures over time. Additionally, results showed that people did not appear to recover the sleep they lost during a warm night in the two weeks after a temperature spike.

Air conditioning may allow people to adapt to the warmer temperatures, but it's not a reliable, long-term solution. People living in lower-income countries have less access to air conditioning, which could further the equality divide. In addition, air conditioners release greenhouse gas emissions, which naturally increase global warming.

Adapted from “Expect to lose up to 58 hours of sleep a year by 2099. Here's why,” CNN, May 24, 2022. <https://edition.cnn.com/2022/05/24/health/sleep-loss-global-warming-study-wellness/>

QUESTIONS

B.1.- Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

A lack of sleep might affect a person’s capacity to focus.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

By the end of this century, people will probably sleep longer than now.

TRUE

FALSE

B.2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

According to the study, how do age and gender interfere in sleep loss?

b)

Mention two reasons why air conditioning is not a proper solution.