Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the “on/off” button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the “close” button on a lift.

Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts’ “close” buttons are a complete scam (騙局), at least in the US － the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.

It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.

But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren’t completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.

“Perceived (能夠感知的) control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “ having a lack of control is associated with depression.”

Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don’t do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats (溫度調(diào)節(jié)器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.

But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little “white lies”, they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.

“That habit is here to stay,” John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. “Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?”

1. What was the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A. To analyze the functions of fake buttons.

B. To describe some different kinds of fake buttons.

C. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.

D. To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.

2. In America, the “close” buttons on lifts _______.

A. are fake for the convenience of disabled people

B. work only when people press them hard for a while

C. were specially designed to give people a sense of control

D. cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case

3. The underlined part “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.

A. making people more patient

B. giving people perceived control

C. helping people to build up confidence

D. making people with depression feel better

4.According to John Kounios, people who press fake buttons ______.

A. should give up this habit

B. probably do so to kill time

C. consider what they do to be meaningless

D. don’t know that what they press is fake

練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆陜西西安市高三上第三次模擬考英語卷（解析版） 題型：單詞拼寫

單詞拼寫

1.He is a social boy, ____________(更喜歡) talking face to face to chatting online.

2.I found him ___________(埋頭) in reading when I came in.

3.Since everyone is born ________(平等), why can’t the workers demand higher salaries?

4.The villages __________(毀壞) completely in the earthquake has been rebuilt.

5.The ___________(大學畢業(yè)生) are not in great demand nowadays.

6.—Do you mean that we are stuck here?

—__________(確實如此), my dear.

7.He lay beneath his _________(枕頭) and soon fell asleep.

8.The smoke rose___________(直直地) up into the air and disappeared.

9.Her _______________(電子的) dictionary is not so useful as before.

10.It is unfair that he gets very little in ________(報答) for his hard work.

11.The house________(屬于) to him was sold out.

12.The __________(入口) to the hall has been blocked.

13.__________(如今) more and more students are addicted to computer games.

14.We have been _____________(罰款) for parking the car in an improper place.

15.All his dreams have come into _____________(現(xiàn)實).

16.Xi’an __________(事變) had a deep influence on him at that time.

17.Those _____________(過路人) were indifferent to the beggar.

18.A _______________(某個) girl fell in love with him.

19.His ___________(身體的) condition is not satisfactory.

20.He ____________(繼任) his father as the manager when he retired.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2016-2017學年黑龍江哈爾濱六中高二上期末考試英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

The other day I heard a few local musicians talking:

“I hate all the terrible pianos in this town. I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They can’t even understand a bit of music.”

“I’m never playing in that club again. Too many drunks and nobody listens to us.”

But, one younger musician said, “There are a few clubs that book my band a few nights a month, and I’m trying to find other places to play. I’m also looking to book a few summer festivals this year.”

I’ve heard that you are the average of the five people whom you spend the most time with, or to put it another way, you are who your friends are.

Attitudes are important. Whether they’re positive or negative, they’re rubbing off on you. If you’re around people who complain about lack of work and about other musicians, or blame others, and you play the role of victim, chances are you will start to as well. So it’s time to take a look at the people you call “friends”.

This is an easy exercise: Make a list of the people who you hang out with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don’t become friends with people who fall below that standard.

Keep successful people around you and your own chances for success will be much better. Ask them how they do it. Ask if they will help you get the work you’re looking for, or maybe give you some advice to help you on your career path.

1.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed

B. How to make friendship last for ever

C. You are who your friends are

D. Friends are the most important in one’s success

2.The musicians’ words at the beginning are written mainly to show ________.

A. the musicians’ living conditions are quite poor

B. people have poor taste in music

C. people have different attitudes towards the same thing

D. young people have greater chances of succeeding

3.By taking the exercise mentioned in Paragraph 7(underlined), you can ________.

A. improve a lot in making more friends

B. come to the right way of making friends

C. develop a better relationship with your friends

D. arrange the time with your friends properly

4.The passage is mainly written for ________.

A. musicians B. managers

C. negative people D. people wanting to succeed

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆河北衡水中學高三上期七調(diào)英語試卷（解析版） 題型：七選五

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。

Theme park getaways are popular with families, but they sure aren’t cheap. Happily, there are some golden rules of ticket-buying that apply to pretty much every theme park, and they can help you chip away at the cost of tickets. 1..

●Buy tickets online.

Never ever pay the walk-up ticket price at a theme park. 2..You're guaranteed to save a significant sum-sometimes as much as $$ 20 per ticket-even for same-day tickets.

●Buy in advance.

3..For instance, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, slices off $$25 per ticket when you make your purchase at least three days ahead.

● 4..

This one is a universal no-brainer. Single-day ticket prices at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, are about 30 percent less than admission on Saturdays and Sundays. But the big bonus is that lines will be much shorter, allowing you to spend less time waiting in lines and more time having fun.

●Go in the afternoon.

5..For example, Hersheypark’s sunset tickets allow entry after 4 pm or 5 pm, depending on the day. You'll still get between four to six hours of fun before the park closes, and you'll pay up to 50 percent less than the full-day ticket price.

A. Avoid weekends.

B. Buy more tickets than you need.

C. Here are some ways to lower your theme park spending.

D. At larger parks, you’ll save money when you buy a package.

E. Instead, visit the theme park website and print out your tickets before you go.

F. Some parks offer deeply discounted tickets for visitors arriving later in the day.

G. Most theme parks offer a price cut if you buy tickets at least a few days before you arrive.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆河北衡水中學高三上期末考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：完成句子

第三節(jié) 句子填空

1.Your children _____ ______ ______(行為表現(xiàn)好).

2.Einstein ______ ________(堅持)his opinion and went on with his research.

3.It _____ ______(被想到)him that he had an important conference to attend the next morning.

4.The sound of happy laughter ______ _____(回憶起)memories of his childhood.

5.I accepted the job _____ ____(毫不猶豫).

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆福建省漳州市八校高三上學期期末聯(lián)考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：短文改錯

下面短文中共有10處語言錯誤，請在有錯誤的地方增加、刪除或修改某個單詞．

增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符號（∧），并在其下面寫上該加的詞．

刪除：把多余的詞用斜線（\）劃掉．

修改：在錯詞下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞．

注意：1．每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞；

2．只允許修改10處，多者（從第11處起）不計分．

Ten years ago, when I began my senior high school study, I found them extremely difficult to learn English well because there were so much new words and grammar rules to recite. Hard though I might try, but I still did poorly in the English exams. Frank speaking, it was hardest time in my life.One day, I was considered giving up when suddenly my mother found my problem. She told me that if I didn’t complete that I wanted to do, it could directly influence my future. Under the help of my mother, I made rapid progresses in English little by little. At the end of the term I get the highest mark in English.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆遼寧實驗中學等五校高三上期末聯(lián)考英語卷（解析版） 題型：書面表達

假定你是高中生李華，你們學校要在三月十日舉辦英語配音比賽（dubbing contest），你想?yún)①�，但是不知道該選什么電影。你給筆友Peter寫封郵件，請他推薦。

要求： 1. 主題是關于友誼； 2. 時間限定在4到5分鐘； 3. 每個節(jié)目最多6個角色。

注意：1. 詞數(shù)100左右；2. 可以適當增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2017屆湖北部分重點中學高三新考試大綱適應性考試英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Don't have plenty of time for reading? If you are interested in non-fiction books, here are good choices for you.

A Room of One's Own

This essay by English writer Virginia Woolf is based on several lectures given to two woman's colleges at Cambridge University to 1928. In it, Woolf describes that it's circumstance not talent that allows men to be more successful at writing. Women, in other word, spend so much time cooking, cleaning, and tending to their children that they have no time left for art. To write well, therefore, a woman must have a "room of her own".

The Art of War

Written by Chinese warrior SunZi in the 5th century BC, The Art of War widely considered to be one of the best books about military strategy in human history. Containing of 13 chapters, each detailing a separate aspect of warfare, the book has been translated into every major language and has thousands of editions. For centuries, it has been cited (引用) and praised by world leaders both for its detailed study of military strategy (軍事策略） and its phibsophical (哲學的）examination of strong, effective leadership.

Letter to My Daughter

This 2009 book of essays and poems by Maya Angelou，a respectable American poet, is written for the daughter never had—the millions of women, both young and old，that she considers to be her "family." From the viewpoint of a caring, older relative, this book contains lessons selected from her own life experiences, including the birth of her only child，a son，as well as the formation and loss of friendships,

A Brief History of Time

If you' re short on time，then why not read about，well，the creation of time? This 1998 from brilliant scientist and mathematician Stephen Hawking explores mind-bending question s about the creation of the universe, including if and when it will end，and if so, how? Despite heavy subject matter, Hawkimg addresses these questions in a way that's easy to understand, even for those who know little about physics.

1.What can we learns about the contents of the books?

A. A Room of One's Own talks about more than writing,

B. The Art of War also gives definition of philosophy.

C. Letter to My Daughter is actually a common family letter.

D. A Brief History of Time mainly focuses on the mailer of time.

2.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Woolf looks down, upon men in writing.

B. The book by SunZi is helpful in policy-making.

C. Mgya devotes herself to fighting for women's rights.

D. As a physicist, Hawking is equally famous in writing.

3.What is the purpose of the pasaage?

A. To promote of the four books.

B. To make comments on the four books,

C. To recommend the four books to readers.

D. To make comparisons between the four books.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2016-2017學年四川省樂山市高二上學期期末考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

It’s an ordinary morning，like all the others．But instead of being woken up by the buzzing of an alarm clock, you’ll be roused by the smell of freshly made coffee，light entering your room as the curtains open automatically，and a gentle back massage（按摩）provided by your high-tech bed.

This is what a typical(典型的) person's life will be like two decades from now，according to The Guardian. Want to know more?

After you get up, your apartment will be like an electronic orchestra with you as the conductor. With simple moves of your hand and spoken instructions, you’ll be able to control your apartment’s temperature, humidity, music and lighting. You’ll be able to look through the day’s news on translucent screens while your breakfast waits for you in the automatic oven.

As you move into your kitchen, you might accidentally hit your toe on a cupboard. If you do, you’ll grab your cell phone and open the diagnostics(診斷) app. Inside your phone there will be a tiny microchip(芯片) that uses X-ray waves to scan your body. The scan will tell whether your toe is bruised or broken.

After breakfast, your driverless car will take you to work. While you “drive”, your central computer system will suggest a list of chores(家務事) that your housekeeping robots can do that day and it will also remind you to buy a gift for your mother’s upcoming birthday.

As you can see, with the help of advanced technology, our lives will be more efficient(有效率的). Technology will mitigate our forgetfulness and free us of many small burdens that distract us, such as buying a ticket. Our brain will therefore be able to focus on more important things like preparing for a presentation or doing “deep thinking”.

However, the development of technology might have some disadvantages as well. By 2036, we’ll be relying heavily on the virtual(虛擬的) world, which will mean that all of our data will be stored in the cloud, a remote digital storage system with near limitless capacity(容量). That will increase the possibility of someone else accessing, sharing or manipulating(操控) our personal information.

1.What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To stress the importance of developing technology.

B. To remind people not to depend too much on computers．

C. To introduce one new invention that will benefit our future lives.

D. To describe how advanced technologies will affect our future lives.

2.According to the text, in two decades, ________.

A. you’ll be able to rely on an electronic orchestra to wake you up instead of an alarm clock

B. a tiny microchip in your phone will treat you when you are sick

C. you will be able to adjust the conditions of your apartment via oral instructions or simple hand gestures

D. technology will be smart enough to help us with important things like preparing for a presentation

3.What does the underlined word “mitigate” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A. Make up for. B. Worsen. C. Cure. D. Take advantage of.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案