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 trick, 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 (能够感知的)control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being," Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, “Having a lack of control is connected with depression (抑郁).”
Experts have expressed 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 (温度调节器)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 describe some different kinds of fake buttons. |
| B．To explore people's different habits when it comes to pushing buttons. |
| C．To tell the uses of fake buttons. |
| D．To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons. |
| A．Buttons in the USA. |
| B．Buttons Always Lie. |
| C．Buttons May not Work. |
| D．"Close" Buttons on lifts. |
| A．don't know that what they press is fake. |
| B．should give up this habit. |
| C．consider what they do to be meaningless. |
| D．probably do so to kill time. |
| A．were specially designed to give people a sense of control. |
| B．are fake for the convenience of disabled people. |
| C．work only when people press them hard for a while. |
| D．cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】In 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the Explorers (探险者) landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise. “Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”
H. G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969 , human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities,” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness, H. G. Wells’ “moon people” would agree. Would you?
1. The explorers in H. G. Wells’ story were surprised to find that the “moon people”________.| A．understood their language |
| B．knew so much about the earth |
| C．lived in so many underground cities |
| D．were ahead of them in space technology |
| A．Traveling to outer space. | B．Using the earth’s inner space |
| C．Meeting the “moon people”again. | D．Discovering the moon’s inner space. |
| A．Tunnels, gardens, offices. | B．Gardens, car parks, power stations. |
| C．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas. | D．Offices, shopping areas, power stations. |
| A．Taisei is a Korean company. |
| B．Supporters of underground development prefer to build down rather than build up. |
| C．The designers of Taisei corporation imagine using surface space for flats. |
| D．The designers of Taisei corporation imagine using underground space for public parks. |
| A．Enjoy living underground | B．Building down, not up |
| C．Alice Cities—cities of the future | D．Space travel with H. G. Wells |
【推荐2】America's Best Designed City
Named as the “20-Minute City”and”America’s Best Designed City”,Buffalo’s world-class design makes getting around an easy job.Forbes magazine declared Buffalo the “best U.S. city” for commuting.
In fact, Buffalo’s average commute time—it has been clocked at 20 minutes—is the second-shortest of the country’s 52 largest cities. That translates to an enhanced quality of life for our faculty, staff and students, who enjoy stress-free travel regardless of where they’re headed around the region.
Best Planned City
Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture(园林设计）, called Buffalo “the best planned city, as to its streets, public places, and grounds, in the United States, if not the world." Visit us and you'll be surprised at our tremendous geography, street designs, parks, neighborhoods and architecture.
Public Transportation
Buffalo’s Metro Bus provides quick, economical service throughout the city and suburbs.The Metro Rail line connects UB’s（Buffalo University） South Campus with downtown Buffalo, including UB's Downtown Campus, and the neighborhoods in between. Rides above ground are free in downtown Buffalo. UB employees who are regular commuters might wish to take advantage of the NYS-Ride program that allows pretax dollars to be used for monthly passes.
Need a Ride?
Free campus busing and shuttles(班车） that make it easy to get around on campus and in between campuses. Mall and market shuttles that take students to nearby grocery stores and a local shopping mall. Weekend and holiday express bus service to New York City and other cities.We can also enjoy the world’s leading car-sharing service here.Bicycle-sharing program lets rides rent bikes for short trips around campus.
1. What is the Buffalo proud of?| A．It’s job market | B．Its public transport |
| C．Its home design | D．Its quality life |
| A．To praise Buffalo’s city design |
| B．To praise the city’s public transport |
| C．To tell us where to pay a visit in the city |
| D．To show Frederick’s part to the city |
| A．Bicycles are free for students to use in the campus of UB |
| B．Students don’t have to pay while traveling in Buffalo. |
| C．Buffalo University provides easy commuting services. |
| D．Buffalo provides free car-sharing services to students. |
【推荐3】Political activists from South Korea gathered signatures of people on Saturday to prevent the push to deploy(部署) a U.S. missile shield - Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD萨德) in their country.
At the Gwanghwamun square in central Seoul (首尔), where the people ever lit candles to force former President Park Geun-hye out of office, the campaign was carried out to urge lawmakers to stop the hurried push for THAAD deployment.
On March 6, some equipment of the THAAD was flown to a U.S. military(军事的) base south of Seoul. One THAAD battery consists of complicated fire and control units and some other equipment. Local broadcasting station KBS reported that the AN/TPY-2 radar(雷达)was supposed to be delivered to South Korea on March 16, but it was not confirmed as the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) refused to tell the arrival of other THAAD equipment.
The hurry deployment "is illegal and against the law," said a person who refused to tell his name. She said their advice would be presented next week to the leaders of major political parties. The campaign started online a week ago, and it had already collected around 5,000 signatures. They are targeting 10,000 signatures to be gathered. The organizing groups would call on the government to stop all deployment procedures. The Seoul-Washington agreement to put one THAAD battery was announced in July last year without any parliamentary（国会的）ap
proval and public consensus.
"Lawmakers must stop telling. They must act," said the activist. They claimed the THAAD plan lacked the people's agreement and is against people's rights to peaceful, healthy life and environmental protection, which are guaranteed by the law. The Gwanghwamun square was packed with people holding cards that read "Opposition to THAAD." Residents made their way to the capital city and chanted the famous slogan "THAAD Out, Peace In." Some put a flag with anti-THAAD slogan over their shoulders, while children held a blue, rubber balloon that was stamped with anti-THAAD slogan.
In addition to opposition at home, China and Russia have strongly opposed THAAD in South Korea as it can spy on their countries, thus damaging security of the two countries.
Under the Seoul-Washington agreement, THAAD in South Korea will be operated by the USFK. Seoul has claimed the X-band radar is only aimed at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) threats, but South Korea's military has no right to be engaged in the operation.
1. On Saturday, people from South Korean gathered signatures at the Gwanghwamun square in central Seoul to .| A．force former President Park Geun-hye out of office |
| B．welcome the arrival of other THAAD equipment |
| C．prevent the deployment of THAAD in South Korea |
| D．gather 10,000 signatures only |
| A．The deployment of THAAD was opposed by the people from South Korea but not by other countries. |
| B．THAAD will be operated by the USFK but not the South Korea's military. |
| C．The activists think the lawmakers act as much as they tell. |
| D．The campaign was started online and 10,000 signatures had been gathered. |
| A．opposition | B．awareness |
| C．agreement | D．security |
【推荐1】Eating out is such a pleasure ― the food, the wine, the joy of having it all brought to you by someone else ― that it’s a pity to ruin the experience by sharing it with other people.
Well, I do like visiting restaurants with friends. But dining out alone has its own very special attractions. For a start you can give all your attention to the food. There’s nothing worse than having to invent and deliver an opinion on school league tables or Sanchez’s move to Manchester United, plus listen to everyone else’s opinions, when all you really want to do is enjoy each mouthful along the way.
A second great thing about eating out alone is the chance to combine food with one of life’s other true pleasures: reading. You have to plan this carefully: Indian or Chinese restaurants are best ― you need food you can eat with just one hand, leaving the other free to hold your reading material.
But perhaps the biggest attraction of a table for one is the chance it gives to people-watching. Restaurants and the different reasons for visiting them ― first date, business meeting, night out with friends ― produce human behaviour of surprising richness and variety. Will the man selling his business idea get any joy out of his possible investor(投资者)? Will the married couple think of anything to say to each other before their main courses arrive?
This “human zoo” part of eating out alone is one of the reasons I’d hate to be famous: everyone would be watching you, so you wouldn’t be able to watch them. The snooker player Steve Davis says this was one of the strangest consequences(后果) of becoming well-known: he got very worried about his eating in public, almost to the level of doubting whether he was “doing it right.”
So next time you’re considering your eating out choices, remember the advice of the businessman Nubar Gulbenkian: “The best number for a dinner party is two ― myself and a super head waiter.”
1. What does the text mainly talk about?| A．The reasons for eating out alone. |
| B．The trouble with eating in public. |
| C．The suggestions about dining out. |
| D．The fear of making dining choices. |
| A．One can fix one’s eyes on the food. |
| B．One can enjoy reading while eating. |
| C．One is likely to come across famous people. |
| D．One is given the chance to watch other diners. |
| A．Steve Davis cared too much about table manners. |
| B．Famous people are always the center of attention. |
| C．Being famous may ruin the joy of eating out alone. |
| D．Being watched seems far better than watching others. |
| A．Dining with friends. | B．Chatting over dinner. |
| C．Having a table for one. | D．Sharing a table with a waiter. |
【推荐2】Parents and kids alike love sports, and it is easy to get caught up in a game and become focused on winning.
Sportsmanship requires that players never cheat. It might seem easier to win by doing things in a different way like cheating, but everyone has to follow the rules because they ensure sports can be played in an organized way. Good sportsmen want to win because they follow the rules and train hard.
In youth sports, it is important to encourage even those players who are the least skilled to have fun playing in the game. Parents, coaches, and even other players have an important role in allowing less talented teammates to take part.
Team sports work best when each individual supports the team. Praise teammates for what they do well and encourage them when they make mistakes.
| A．Everyone should have a chance to play. |
| B．It is very important to respect the other team. |
| C．Avoid complaint, argument, and unkind actions. |
| D．Respect the decisions of referees and other officials. |
| E．Yet there is much more to be gained than a winning record. |
| F．Good sportsmanship may seem hard to explain with one sentence. |
| G．Never support any effort to win that attempts to go around the rules. |
【推荐3】Life is precious, and we only get one shot at it.
1.
If you spend a half to an hour poking around on your phone before getting out of bed, you are not making the most of your life. People who have a driving purpose in life don’t spend time lounging around on their phone in bed.
To someone with a purpose, waking up is a refreshing welcome to another day of hard yet meaningful work.
2. You don’t feel ready for bed at the end of each day.
People whose days are filled with purposeful activities feel tired at the end of the day. Whether it’s mental or physical work, purposeful activity uses up all your energy and leaves you ready to go to bed each day. When you aren’t making the most of your life, on the other hand, you aren’t tired at the end of the day.
3. You spend more of your time planning than doing.
If you spend more of your time daydreaming, planning or thinking about the future than you do working to bring about that future, you are not making the most of your life. People who make something of themselves pick a goal for the future and then work hard to make that goal happen.
Think about professional weightlifters. They spend a little bit of their time researching how to lift weights more effectively, and a lot of time lifting weights.
4. You worry about what others think of you.
High achievers may worry about what people who matter think of them, but they don’t worry about what their friends or pop culture thinks.
Instead of doing what others approve of, find a guiding purpose you can be true to even when the world turns against you.
| A．You find it a big deal to wake up. |
| B．You don’t get out of bed quickly upon waking. |
| C．They seldom communicate their plans to people around. |
| D．You are, quite literally, not making the most of your energy. |
| E．They are too busy getting things done to care about others’ opinions. |
| F．Someone daydreaming all the time isn’t spending all their time doing. |
| G．Are you merely passing the time instead of making the most of your one life? |
【推荐1】When a sharp chest pain woke me up around 3 A.M., I had the obvious question: Was this truly panic-worthy?
I thought about dialing 911, but then I noticed that… well, the pain was on the right side of my chest rather than the left. My breathing wasn’t labored. My heart wasn’t beating fast. So like millions before me, I compared my symptoms with those on the search engine. On top of the screen was an article entitled “16 Causes of Right Side Chest Pain.” Bingo, I thought—except it was an ad. I moved on to the actual search results, which were headlined “17 Causes of Pain in the Right Side of the Chest” and “26 Causes of Chest Pain & Tightness.” When I got to “3 Types of Chest Pain That Won’t Kill You,” I started wondering: What were all these weird articles?
The titles were about making use of search engine’s algorithm (算法) to grab people’s attention at their weak moments. This is called search-engine optimization, or SEO: the art and science of engineering for higher placement in the search results and getting people to click on the links. Unlike a lot of “medical information” online, SEO itself is in fact based on the scientific method called stand-out. We notice things that stand out—like oddly precise numbers.
I still needed information, though, so I clicked on a result from WebMD. I had seen that site before, and it didn’t seem like it contained fake information. I was barely a paragraph or two in when I noticed links about lung cancer symptoms. Huh? Lung cancer often causes no pain until its later stages. Then I realized that the information about lung cancer was an ad, but the “ad” sign was barely noticeable. During an emergency it is obviously not the best time to scare people into clicking links for unlikely diseases. Indeed, if you clicked on these “lung cancer symptoms,” the browser took you eventually to a site advertising a lung cancer medicine. Ugh.
Having medical information online be financed by advertisers or drug companies — or supplement manufacturers — is certainly not healthy. They often have an incentive (动机) to scare us. It’s a lose-lose situation. Sometimes we do need to be worried and seek medical care. Other times it’s just fearmongering clicks. But who can tell when one is in crisis?
1. When the author searched her symptoms online, she was trying to find out whether _____.| A．she needed to call for an ambulance immediately |
| B．she should visit a medical professional for advice |
| C．there was an effective medicine for her chest pain |
| D．her pain was a sign of some kind of heart problem |
16 Causes of Pain in the Right Side of the Chest that Won’t Kill You
| A．“16.” | B．“Causes of Pain.” |
| C．“Right Side of the Chest.” | D．“Kill You.” |
| A．Its information is too scary and worrying for browsers. |
| B．It is not a specialized website of lung cancer symptoms. |
| C．It is not designed for treating emergency situations. |
| D．It is probably sponsored by medical companies. |
【推荐2】The first CCTV (closed-circuit television) cameras appeared in Britain in 1953, and by the 1960s there were already a few cameras in major streets in London. Today, there are more than four million CCTV cameras across the country.
That’s one camera for every fourteen people. The cameras are there to film dangerous or illegal behaviour. With new software, they can recognize the faces of known criminals, and a new kind of CCTV in the Netherlands can discover angry voices and warn the police of trouble. But these cameras don’t just watch criminals; they watch all of us, almost all of the time. Every time we go into a shop, or use a cash machine, or travel on public transport, a camera records our actions.
The amount of surveillance (监视) in towns and cities across Britain is increasing. Some goods in shops now have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags (标签) stuck on them. When you pick up one of these things, the RFID tag sends a radio message to a CCTV camera and the camera starts filming you. Shops say that this technology helps to catch shoplifters — but only by treating everybody as a possible criminal.
Cameras and tags are not the only ways of monitoring our actions. Every time you make or receive a call on your mobile phone, the phone company knows the number of the phone you are calling and how long the call lasts. It is even possible to work out your exact location.
And what about satellites? Are they watching us from space? How much can they see? Anybody with a computer can download Google Earth and get satellite photos of the entire world.
Even when you are at home, you are not necessarily safe from surveillance. When you use your computer to visit websites, you are probably sending and receiving cookies without realizing it. Cookies move information from your computer to the website and record which websites you visit. Modern technology is making it easier and easier to stay in touch, but it is also making it nearly impossible for us to hide.
1. What are CCTV cameras mainly used to do?| A．To film street crime. |
| B．To warn the police of trouble. |
| C．To record everybody’s actions. |
| D．To educate people on safety. |
| A．a thing is stolen |
| B．the cameras start filming |
| C．somebody goes into the shop |
| D．a thing with the tag is picked up |
| A．Earth helpers. |
| B．Stars in space. |
| C．Eyes in the sky. |
| D．Google photographers. |
| A．Somebody Is Watching You |
| B．Technology Is Changing Our Lives |
| C．The Camera Is Being Used Everywhere |
| D．The World Is Becoming a Safer Place to Live in |
【推荐3】In a working site near Paris, several people are busy cleaning a canvas (画布), trying to correct the pains of time: the repairing of 22 paintings of Notre-Dame (巴黎圣母院) which was damaged by a fire in April 2019, is “a race against time”.
The project of repairing these works, which must be returned to the building for its reopening in 2024, is a unique one compared to others.
“Two years may seem like a long time, but that’s the time it takes to do the job of simply one canvas like The Triumph of Job, which is behind us,” one expert Laurence said, pointing out the huge work several meters high by the Italian artist Guido Reni, which was hung behind her back.
“You do not touch a canvas without knowing its medical history”, underlines Lavit, heritage curator (馆长) at the Center of research and repair of the Museums of France.
Once this history is known, the paintings move on to cleaning. The protector-repairer Pasquali stresses that it is a team effort.
Opposite her is Hulot, an expert in repair. One object of his attention is The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by French artist Lubin Baugin. His job is to make sure that the canvases do not break.
Meanwhile, another team takes care of the frames (框架). “The heat of the fire dried and weaken the wood,” comments Galopin.
Once all these steps have been completed, the paintings are stored in a special room. It takes between 8 and 10 people to move them safely. They will remain there until the reopening of the church.
1. What do we know about the repair work?| A．Its focus is on cleaning a canvas. | B．It is considered as the pains of time. |
| C．It is different from all other projects. | D．Its working site is in the city of Paris. |
| A．The paintings were badly damaged in the 2019 fire. |
| B．Workers need to spend two years studying one canvas. |
| C．The huge work of an Italian artist should be returned soon. |
| D．The project is to be completed by the reopening of the building. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Moving on to cleaning. | B．Taking care of the frames. |
| C．Storing the paintings in a room. | D．Getting to know its medical history. |
