English, baby!

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Naps
小睡

Date: Oct 08 2010

Themes: Work

Grammar: Zero Conditional

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Intro

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Basketball superstar LeBron James recently said that he takes a nap every day. And if he does it, shouldn’t everybody?

In some cultures, it’s common to lie down and rest or even sleep in the middle of the day. But in the U.S., not many people take naps during the work week, except for children. A quick nap can be a good way to refresh oneself after a late night. But people who nap all the time are usually seen as lazy. Find out if Amy and Devan like to catch some zzz’s in the middle of the day.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Devan

Amy: I wish that I were a person who could take naps. It seems like such a nice thing to do and such a good way to refresh yourself if you’re, you know…if you didn’t sleep well or if you’re having a hard day.

Devan: So why don’t you take naps?

Amy: I just can’t do it. I just can’t go to sleep in the daytime. I don’t know. I try, and I just end up lying there, you know, for hours, potentially, just staring at the ceiling. Do you take naps?

Devan: Sometimes I’ll take like a power nap, like right after I get off work I’ll take a quick 20 minute nap. But I can’t take a nap longer than that, because if I fall asleep for hours in the middle of the day, then when I wake up I feel really awful. Like I just need a really quick power nap to get me re-energized, but if I sleep too long then I’m gonna want to sleep all night and then I’ll wake up again at three o’clock in the morning. But you know, in a lot of cultures it’s very common to have like a siesta or a nap in the middle of the day, and I wonder why in the United States that hasn’t really become a common practice.

Amy: Sometimes I’ll just take it easy in the middle of the day, if I’m feeling tired and I need to have a little break, just watch TV for a half an hour or do something mindless to relax. But I just…I kind of feel the same way you do, like if I really lay down and tried to take a nap in the middle of the day, it would be really hard to get up and go back to work. I don’t know how people do it.

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Discussion

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Amy doesn’t take naps, because she finds it difficult to fall asleep in the middle of the day. But sometimes she wishes she could take naps, because it seems like a good way to refresh oneself in the middle of the day.

Devan sometimes likes to take short naps after work, but she doesn’t like to sleep for a long time when she takes a nap. If she takes a long nap, she has a hard time getting up and doing anything productive afterward.

Is it common to take a nap in the afternoon in your country? Do you enjoy taking naps?

Comments

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Snazz De

United Kingdom

I guess naps are good for the mind because when the mind is stressed up 1 can fall sick or may be pass out. I will say everyone with tiring works should try taking naps:)

kukuka

Ukraine

It's not common here in my country, but sometimes I do feel like I need to take a nap as I feel terribly tired…not often though.

Jasmine Nilar

Myanmar

i also like taking a nap when i stay home on Sundays….

eri3330

Japan

Hi,Today, I also took a nap only 10 minutes after lunch.

It's not effective with sleep deeply.

ma qianqian

China

It's very commen in China, like me,i take naps everyday after lunch even in winter. In summer we have two hours to rest in the middle of the day, so after lunch it's very conventional way to take naps. I feel really energetic in the afternoon after a nap in the noon.

tiara2tiara

Philippines

I like the sound of the word siesta.. I always love to take a nap especially if I have a long day at work. But just like Devan, it's gonna be hard to take a nap longer than the usual 20 minutes or 30 minutes. She's right, you're going to feel super awful. I love siesta.

XJOLIVET

France

Dear all,

when you getting old, after a long an sharp week, it is amazing to get the chance to refresh youself with a good nap.

florence1118

China

i dont like naps and i dont take naps cause naps do not make me feel refresh but tired…

lolekesh

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

nap is good but not too much.

ahmedghieth9

Egypt

i dont like take a nap cause that make me all night is wake up the best ting in sleep early

alhgag

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

nap is not good because it's not enough for a sleep somtimes i nap but rarely

nilufarkk

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

nap? nap is good for health , of course for children , if we sleep to night good , we never need to nap .

~Happy tears~

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

I take a nap every day after comming back from uni ^^ , for an hour or more,, it makes me refresh , I think taking a nap is good for health:)

mari mina

Egypt

I Think It's Not a Normal way to refresh ourselves , It's make us very lazy and not active during the rest of the day. As we endure our body and power emotion in this sleepy mood and we want 2 continue even if we seem awake , we can not concentrate well.

Romio79

Russian Federation

It's not common practice in Russia. Some people do other don't. As for me I would't mind to take a nap in the middle of a day 'cause it's really hard to work in the first hours after you just have a dinner. So power nap would be excelent to refresh. Instead of that I have to drink coffee

china-66

China

hello

GerM

Spain

I don't think naps are healthy or harmful. It depens what your body needs. Some people sleep deeply during the night so they don't need a nap. In my case I feel better doing a short nap every day, but no more than 25 minutes!!, otherwise i get ungry and feel awful..