Notes
nyctinasty /ˈnɪktɪˌnæstɪ/: 夜間反応現象
clover: クローバー;
droop うなだれる;
dandelions /ˈdændɪlaɪənz/: タンポポ;
red clover: 赤色のクローバー;
water lily: スイレン；
petals: 花びら;
feather duster; 羽毛のほうき;
resemble (…に)似ている;

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Some plants sleep at night. During the day, their leaves stand up straight, but at night they droop down as if they are sleeping. This is called nyctinasty, and it happens because of changes in light and temperature. Clover and dandelions are some plants that sleep. Scientists don’t know why plants sleep, but they think it helps them save energy and protect themselves from bad weather.

Now, let’s take a look at some plants that sleep. Red clover’s three small leaves close at night to indicate it’s “sleeping”. Water lilies open up when the sun comes out but close their petals when the sun sets, signaling that they’re going to “sleep”. When dandelions sleep, their petals stand upright, resembling a yellow feather duster from far away.
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Note
stylish おしゃれな；

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On Sunday, a friend showed me his new e-bike. It was cool! It was small, and it had a battery inside the frame, not on the outside. The bicycle folded up so that it was easy to take on a trip. According to the company website, you can go up to 80 kilometers on the battery, so you don’t have to worry about the battery dying on your way back home from work. Electric bicycles have been around for more than 20 years, but they used to be very expensive. The batteries have gotten cheaper, the motors have gotten lighter, and the electronics have gotten better, but until now, I never thought they were stylish. His bicycle changed my mind.　(by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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