The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been found years ago — by McDonald’s. According to a new study from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, small non-food rewards — like the toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals — stimulate the same reward centers in the brain as food does.
The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people would choose a smaller meal if it was paired with a non-food item.
They found that the majority of both kids and adults chose a half-sized portion when combined with a prize. Both options were priced the same.
Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults choose the smaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket (彩票), with a $10, $ 50 or $100 payout, and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
“The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere prospect of a relatively small monetary award is interesting,” says Reimann. “One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally inspiring than certainty awards. The uncertainty of winning provides added attraction and desirability through emotional ‘thrills’. The possibility of receiving an award also produces a state of hope — a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding.” In other words, there’s a reason why people like to gamble.
How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa weekend. Or maybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a future date. That would get you back in the restaurant — and make you eat a little less.
1.What do we learn about McDonald’s inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals?
A.It may throw light on people’s desire to find a secret.
B.It has proved to be key to McDonald’s business success.
C.It appeals to kid’s curiosity to find out what is hidden inside.
D.It may be a pleasant way for kids to reduce their food intake.
2.What is the finding of the researchers led by Martin Reimann?
A.Reducing food intake is not that difficult if people go to McDonald’s more.
B.Most kids and adults don’t actually feel hungry when they eat half of their meal.
C.Eating a smaller portion of food does good to the health of kids and adults alike.
D.Most kids and adults would choose a smaller meal that came with a non-food item.
3.What is most interesting in Martin Reimann’s finding?
A.Kids preferred an award in the form of money to one in the form of a toy.
B.Adults chose the smaller portion on the mere promise of a future award.
C.Both kids and adults felt satisfied with only half of their meal portions.
D.Neither children nor adults could resist the temptation of a free toy.
4.What can we infer from Martin Reimann’s finding?
A.People should eat much less if they wish to stay healthy and happy.
B.More fast food restaurants are likely to follow McDonald’s example.
C.We can lead people to eat less while helping the restaurant business.
D.More studies are needed to find out the influence of emotion on behavior.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been found years ago — by McDonald’s. According to a new study from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, small non-food rewards — like the toys in McDonald’s Happy Meals — stimulate the same reward centers in the brain as food does.
The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people would choose a smaller meal if it was paired with a non-food item.
They found that the majority of both kids and adults chose a half-sized portion when combined with a prize. Both options were priced the same.
Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults choose the smaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket (彩票), with a $10, $ 50 or $100 payout, and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
“The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere prospect of a relatively small monetary award is interesting,” says Reimann. “One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally inspiring than certainty awards. The uncertainty of winning provides added attraction and desirability through emotional ‘thrills’. The possibility of receiving an award also produces a state of hope — a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding.” In other words, there’s a reason why people like to gamble.
How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa weekend. Or maybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a future date. That would get you back in the restaurant — and make you eat a little less.
1.What do we learn about McDonald’s inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals?
A.It may throw light on people’s desire to find a secret.
B.It has proved to be key to McDonald’s business success.
C.It appeals to kid’s curiosity to find out what is hidden inside.
D.It may be a pleasant way for kids to reduce their food intake.
2.What is the finding of the researchers led by Martin Reimann?
A.Reducing food intake is not that difficult if people go to McDonald’s more.
B.Most kids and adults don’t actually feel hungry when they eat half of their meal.
C.Eating a smaller portion of food does good to the health of kids and adults alike.
D.Most kids and adults would choose a smaller meal that came with a non-food item.
3.What is most interesting in Martin Reimann’s finding?
A.Kids preferred an award in the form of money to one in the form of a toy.
B.Adults chose the smaller portion on the mere promise of a future award.
C.Both kids and adults felt satisfied with only half of their meal portions.
D.Neither children nor adults could resist the temptation of a free toy.
4.What can we infer from Martin Reimann’s finding?
A.People should eat much less if they wish to stay healthy and happy.
B.More fast food restaurants are likely to follow McDonald’s example.
C.We can lead people to eat less while helping the restaurant business.
D.More studies are needed to find out the influence of emotion on behavior.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
What does it take to be successful?
Many books have been written about the secrets of success. 1. Four key qualities stand out.
1. Vision.
Successful people visualize what they want. They have a picture in their mind of what their business will be like when they achieve their goals. This allows them to make decisions that support their vision. Most people couldn’t see what Bill Gates saw:that computers could have a value for personal uses. 2.
2. Determination.
Successful people are determined. You won’t find one successful person who hasn’t experienced any setbacks. Michael Jordan says,” I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. 3.…I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
3. 4.
Where other people see problems and limitations, successful people see possibilities and opportunities. When the web took off in the mid-1990s, computer programmer Pierre Omidyar saw the potential of the internet to connect people around the world instantly. So he created eBay, a hugely successful online market where individuals compete with big companies.
4. Enthusiasm.
5. Jecan-paul Gaultier had no formal training in design, but loved creating clothing and at a young age began sending his drawings to famous French designers. One of these designers recognized his talent and hired him as an assistant. Later, he set up his own line of clothing. And it quickly became a global success.
A. Creativity,
B. Responsibility.
C. I have lost almost 300 games.
D. Successful people love what they do.
E. However, who on earth have those secrets?
F. Today, most of us can't imagine life without a computer.
G. But what special qualities do successful people have in common?
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
It hurts to keep secrets. Secrecy (保密) is associated with lower well-being, worse health, and less satisfying relationships. Research has linked secrecy to increased anxiety, depression, symptoms of poor health, and even the more rapid progression of disease. There is a seemingly obvious explanation for these harms: hiding secrets is hard work. You have to watch what you say.
New research, however, suggests that the harm of secrets doesn’t really come from the hiding after all. The real problem with keeping a secret is not that you have to hide it, but that you have to live with it, and think about it.
To better understand the harms of secrecy, researchers first set out to understand what secrets people keep, and how often they keep them. They found that 97% of people have at least one secret at any given moment, and people have, on average, 13 secrets.
Across several studies, researchers asked participants to estimate how frequently they hid their secret during conversations with others, and also how frequently they thought about the secret outside of social interactions. They found that the more frequently people simply thought about their secrets, the lower their well-being.
Following up this research, a new paper reveals why thinking about secrets is so harmful. Turning the question around, the consequences of telling secrets are examined. Researchers found that when a person reveals a secret to a third party, it does not reduce how often they have to hide the secret from others who are still kept in the dark. Rather, it reduces how often their mind wanders toward the secret in irrelevant moments.
Therefore, if you choose to still keep something secret, talking to another person can make the world of difference. Secrets don’t have to hurt as much as they do.
1.Which is not one of the harms of keeping secrets?
A. Being physically sick. B. Mental problems.
C. Harmed relationships. D. Hiding somewhere.
2.Why is keeping secrets so harmful?
A. Because you must hide them.
B. Because you often think about them.
C. Because it’s difficult to keep secrets.
D. Because you must watch what to say.
3.How can people reduce the harm of keeping secrets?
A. By working hard. B. By keeping 13 secrets.
C. By thinking about the secrets. D. By telling secrets to a third person.
4.Which is the text probably taken from?
A. An advertisement B. A research report
C. A biology textbook. D. A travel brochure.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
I may not be the wisest person on this planet.but I will tell you a little secret to happiness:Help other,,and live life.It is that simple.Just help a friend study for a test,or volunteer at a nursing home .I learned this after a long,hard search.
I was feeling really down because my long4ime friend had died.Then I started a six-week volunteering at a nursing home all day every Saturday.My routine was to serve the meal and clean up.After that,I would wait for the head nurse to tell me what to do.
One day I was told to go to Room 117 to make sure the patient was all right.In the room I found a boy of eight sitting in his bed watching a movie.I was shocked to see a child in this seemingly forgotten nursing home for the old.He was so small and weak that you had to look closely to find him.He motioned for me to sit down.I grabbed his medical chart from which later I found out he had a terminal illness.
We started to talk,and I found out that his family rarely visited,and all he did ever7 day was watch TV.I wanted to cry for him,and for my lost friend.As we talked,he had a smile on his face,and I asked him why.
"The entire two hours I've been here you've never lost that smile.With this horrible disease,how do you still manage to stay happy?"
He thought for a moment,and then said that too many people are dead even before they die.
They walk around feeling that God has cursed (诅咒) them and that they have nothing to live for.
The boy said that he would not be like that.He wakes every morning thankful to see another sunrise.He keeps his window open so that he can smell the flowers and feel the heat of the sun.He also said that he has hope.
"Too many people haven't seen much of that around here," he said," Life is full of hope and we need to live life before it is gone."
I don’t know what happened to him.I assume he passed away,but his lesson lives on.I now wake up and live each day to the fullest.The key to life is not money or fame,but the lessons we learn from it.
1.The nursing home in the passage is mainly for_______
A. the elderly B. the homeless
C. the disabled D. the abandoned
2.The boy stayed happy mainly due to_______.
A. wonderful TV programs
B. his positive attitude
C. good medical condition
D. others' encouragement
3.The writer participated in the volunteering job in order to_______.
A. find out the secret
B. search for help
C. enrich experiences
D. get out of sadness
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. A Lesson in Hope
B. The Life of a Sick Boy
C. A Voluntary Job
D. The Meaning of Life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I may not be the wisest person on this planet. but I will tell you a little secret to happiness: Help other,, and live life. It is that simple. Just help a friend study for a test, or volunteer at a nursing home . I learned this after a long, hard search.
I was feeling really down because my long4ime friend had died. Then I started a six-week volunteering at a nursing home all day every Saturday. My routine was to serve the meal and clean up. After that, I would wait for the head nurse to tell me what to do.
One day I was told to go to Room 117 to make sure the patient was all righL. In the room I found a boy of eight sitting in his bed watching a movie. I was shocked to see a child in this seemingly forgotten nursing home for the old. He was so small and weak that you had to look closely to find him. He motioned for me to sit down. I grabbed his medical chart from which later I found out he had a terminal illness.
We started to talk, and I found out that his family rarely visited, and all he did ever7 day was watch TV. I wanted to cry for him, and for my lost friend. As we talked, he had a smile on his face, and I asked him why.
"The entire two hours I've been here you've never lost that smile. With this horrible disease, how do you still manage to stay happy?"
He thought for a moment, and then said that too many people are dead even before they die.
They walk around feeling that God has cursed (诅咒) them and that they have nothing to live for.
The boy said that he would not be like that. He wakes every morning thankful to see another sunrise. He keeps his window open so that he can smell the flowers and feel the heat of the sun. He also said that he has hope.
"Too many people haven't seen much of that around here," he said," Life is full of hope and we need to live life before it is gone. "
I don’t know what happened to him. I assume he passed away, but his lesson lives on. I now wake up and live each day to the fullest. The key to life is not money or fame, but the lessons we learn from it.
1.The nursing home in the passage is mainly for _
A. the elderly B. the homeless
C. the disabled D. the abandoned
2.The boy stayed happy mainly due to .
A. wonderful TV programs
B. his positive attitude
C. good medical condition
D. others' encouragement
3.The writer participated in the volunteering job in order to .
A. find out the secret
B. search for help
C. enrich experiences
D. get out of sadness
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. A Lesson in Hope
B. The Life of a Sick Boy
C. A Voluntary Job
D. The Meaning of Life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
As the famous expert ______, the secret _____happiness is to think about positive things and stay optimistic.
A. retells; on B. reminds; to C. remarks; of D. respects; in
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow the aging process and protect against heart disease, according to the study.
Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As people get older their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible to certain illnesses.
But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres - a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results are exciting because they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.
"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer."
He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added: "Although it might sound absurd, it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process."
Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
1.The passage mentions all of the items listed below except_______.
A. The findings haven’t been confirmed entirely.
B. People become easily infected with some illnesses when they get older.
C. Vitamin D obtained through fish, eggs and breakfast cereals accounts for 10 percent of the body’s supply.
D. The discovery could help explain how vitamin D has a positive effect on cancer.
2.The phrase “demonstrate for” in the 7th paragraph probably means________.
A. claim B. prove C. think D. provide
3.It can be inferred that________.
A. Women with high levels of vitamin D have shorter telomeres.
B. Studies have confirmed the findings.
C. Sunshine may be a cause of the risk of skin cancer.
D. If someone has heart disease, sunshine may help him to relieve the disease.
4.The main idea of the passage is that_________.
A. Vitamin D can help protect against cancer and heart disease.
B. sunshine helps keep you young.
C. what effect vitamin D has on human’s body.
D. high levels of vitamin D make people keep young.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have disclosed.
Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study.
Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA.As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they are easy to have illnesses.
But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres - a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results are exciting because they prove for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D.
"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer."
He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added: "Although it might sound absurd(荒谬的), it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process."
Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
1.What’s the best title of this passage?
A.Sunshine helps to keep you young.
B.Vitamin D has a protective effect on many diseases.
C.Telomeres - a biological marker of ageing.
D.People have found the secret to having a long life.
2.How can people get Vitamin D?
A.through water. B. through sunshine.
C.through food. D.both B and C.
3.Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A.women with high levels of vitamin D shows a sign of being biologically younger and healthier.
B.vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases.
C.too much sunshine may increase our risk of skin cancer.
D.It has been proved that sunshine helps to keep you young.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Losing weight may not be just about what you eat________when you eat it, according to a new study.
A.so B.and C.but D.for
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Losing weight may not be just about what you eat________ when you eat it, according to a new study.
A.so B.and C.but D.for
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析