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 (骗局), 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 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 (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workplace.
Pedestrian(行人) crosswalk buttons don’t live up to their names either. Pressing them used to help make the traffic signals change faster, but that was before computer-controlled traffic signals were introduced.
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 analyze the functions of fake buttons.
C. To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.
D. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.
2.In America, the “close” buttons on lifts _______.
A. work only when people press them hard for a while
B. cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case
C. are fake for the convenience of disabled people
D. were specially designed to give people a sense of control
3.The underlined part “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.
A. helping people to build up confidence
B. making people more patient
C. giving people perceived control
D. making people with depression feel better
4.According to John Kounios, people who press fake buttons ______.
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
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
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(骗局), 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 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(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 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
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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 (骗局), 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 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 (温度调节器) because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workplace.
Pedestrian(行人) crosswalk buttons don’t live up to their names either. Pressing them used to help make the traffic signals change faster, but that was before computer-controlled traffic signals were introduced.
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 analyze the functions of fake buttons.
C. To explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.
D. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.
2.In America, the “close” buttons on lifts _______.
A. work only when people press them hard for a while
B. cannot speed up the process of closing the door in any case
C. are fake for the convenience of disabled people
D. were specially designed to give people a sense of control
3.The underlined part “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 6 refers to _______.
A. helping people to build up confidence
B. making people more patient
C. giving people perceived control
D. making people with depression feel better
4.According to John Kounios, people who press fake buttons ______.
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
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
No one can deny that buttons are an important device. 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 (骗局), 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 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 (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 explore people’s different habits when it comes to pushing buttons.
B. To describe some different kinds of fake buttons.
C. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.
D. To analyze the functions of fake 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. consider what they do to be meaningless
C. probably do so to kill time
D. don’t know that what they press is fake
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Whenever we see a button on a doorbell or on a remote, we may press it. This is true in most cases. But some buttons are actually fake(假的), like the “close” button on an elevator．
Many people are in the habit of pressing the “close” button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the elevator doors to shut. But according to experts, the buttons are a complete trick—the doors will not close any faster however hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, making sure that all elevators stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only firefighters and maintenance workers(维修工) can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys. But to normal elevator 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. Experts have showed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, pedestrian crosswalk buttons don't live up to their names. Pressing them used to help make the traffic signals change faster, but that was before computer-controlled traffic signals were introduced.
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 at Drexel University in the US, told The New York Times. “After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not try the chance?”
1.The author writes the text to______________.
A. inform readers of kinds of fake button
B. analyze what roles fake buttons play
C. explore different ways to push buttons
D. explain why fake buttons were introduced
2.The underlined “for this same purpose” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to_____________.
A. making people more patient
B. improving people’s bad mood
C. helping people build up confidence
D. offering people a sense of control
3.What can we know from John Kounios’ words?
A. Pressing fake buttons is of no meaning at all.
B. People don't know that what they press is fake.
C. Some people press fake buttons just to kill time.
D. People are supposed to quit pressing fake buttons.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Whenever we see a button on a doorbell or on a remote, we may press it. This is true in most cases. But some buttons are actually fake（假的）， like the“ close＂ button on an elevator．
Many people are in the habit of pressing the "close" button because they don’t have the patience to wait for the elevator doors to shut. But according to experts, the buttons are a complete trick- the doors will not close any faster however hard you press
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, making sure that all elevators stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only firefighters and maintenance workers(维修工) can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys. But to normal elevator 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. Experts have showed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives for this same purpose. For example, pedestrian crosswalk buttons don't live up to their names. Pressing them used to help make the traffic signals change faster, but that was before computer-controlled traffic signals were introduced.
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 at Drexel University in the US, told The New York Times. “After all, I’ve got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not try the chance?”
1.The author writes the text to______________
A. analyze what roles fake buttons play
B. inform readers of kinds of fake button
C. explore different ways to push buttons
D. explain why fake buttons were introduced
2.The underlined “for this same purpose " in Paragraph 4 probably refers to_____________.
A. making people more patent
B. improving people 's bad mood
C. offering people a sense of control
D. helping people build up confidence
3.What can we know from John Kounios’ words?
A. Pressing fake buttons is of no meaning at all
B. People don't know that what they press is fake
C. Some people press fake buttons Just to kill time
D. People are supposed to quit Pressing fake buttons
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Come and see me whenever _______.
A．you are convenient
B. you will be convenient
C．it is convenient to you
D. it will be convenient to you
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Come and see me whenever ________.
A．it is convenient to you
B．you are convenient
C．you will be convenient
D．it will be convenient to you
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Come and see me whenever ____.
| A．you are convenient | B．you will be convenient |
| C．it is convenient to you | D．it was he convenient to you |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Have you ever pressed the pedestrian button at a crosswalk and wondered if it really worked? They’re called “placebo(安慰剂）buttons”一buttons that mechanically sound and can be pushed，but provide no functionality.
In New York City, only about 100 of the 1, 000 crosswalk buttons actually function. Crosswalk signals were generally installed before traffic jam had reached today’s levels.
But while their function was taken over by more advanced systems—such as automated lights or traffic sensors — the physical buttons were often kept, rather than being replaced at further expense. Other cities，such as Boston，Dallas and Seattle，have gone through a similar process, leaving them with their own placebo pedestrian buttons. In London, which has 6, 000 traffic signals, pressing the pedestrian button results in a reliable “Wait” light. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the “green man”— or “pedestrian stage” in traffic signal design profession — will appear any sooner.
“We do have some crossings where the green light comes on automatically, but we still ask people to press the button because that enables accessible features,’’ said Glynn Barton, director of network management at Transport for London.
These features, such as blind tracks and hearable traffic signals, help people with visual disorder cross the road and only function when the button is pressed. As for the lights, a growing number of them are now combined and become a part of an electronic system that detects traffic and adjusts time frequency accordingly (giving priority to buses if they’re running late, for example), which means that pressing the button has no effect.
According to Langer, a Harvard psychologist, placebo buttons give us the illusion (错觉)of control — and something to do in situations where the alternative would be doing nothing. In the case of pedestrian crossings, they may even make us safer by forcing us to pay attention to our surroundings. “They serve a psychological purpose at the very least,” she added.
1.Why are the physical buttons still kept in some cities?
A. Because it may cost money to replace them.
B. Because they remain as memories of a city.
C. Because do have real functions in traffic.
D. Because they can result in reliable lights.
2.Which of the following word can replace the underline word “features” in Paragraph 4?
A. Functions. B. Uses.
C. Equipment. D. Facilities.
3.If you pressed a “placebo button” in London, what would happen?
A. All traffic would be affected. B. Some kind of sound might appear.
C. Pedestrians came first to cross the road. D. “Green man” were bound to show up earlier.
4.What can we know about “placebo buttons” from Langer’s words?
A. They can really control traffic. B. They serve little functions.
C. They may work mentally. D. They can help the blind.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The machine is so advanced that it will start ______ you press the button.
A. constantly B. cautiously
C. instantly D. severely
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析