2016年12月 · 第3套 · 5 题

2016年12月英语四级（第3套 · 含听力）仔细阅读 Passage 2

本页为 2016年12月英语四级（第3套 · 含听力）仔细阅读 Passage 2 的完整原文、正确答案与逐题解析（原文约 322 词，共 5 题）。建议先自己做一遍，再对照解析看定位与同义改写。

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原文

The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been cracked 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 opted for 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, 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.
He theorizes that it is the emotional component of these intangible prizes that make them more effective than options with hard odds included.
"One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally provoking than certainty awards," says Reimann. "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 dessert to be claimed only on a future date. That would get you back in the restaurant-and make you eat a little less.

答案与逐题解析

答案速查

51D
52D
53B
54A
55C

  1. 51What do we learn about McDonald's inclusion of toys in its happy meals?

    • A. It may shed light on people's desire to crack 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.

    答案D

    解析这是一道细节理解题。根据文章第一段'small non-food rewards-like the toys in Mc…

  2. 52What 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. More 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.

    答案D

    解析这是一道细节理解题。根据文章第三段'They found that the majority of both kids …

  3. 53What 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 choose the smaller portion on the more 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.

    答案B

    解析这是一道细节理解题。根据文章第四段'Even more interesting is that the promise …

  4. 54How does Martin Reimann interpret his finding?

    • A. The emotional component of the prize is at work.
    • B. People now care more about quality than quantity.
    • C. People prefer certainty awards to possible awards.
    • D. The desire for future rewards is overwhelming.

    答案A

    解析这是一道细节理解题。根据文章第六段'He theorizes that it is the emotional comp…

  5. 55What 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 impact of emotion on behavior.

    答案C

    解析这是一道推理判断题。根据文章最后一段'One possibility is a healthy option that …

本卷其他题型

同一套卷的其它部分，可逐篇对照练习。

听力

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选词填空

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长篇阅读匹配

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仔细阅读 Passage 1

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翻译与写作

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