高考英语二轮复习外刊阅读训练：我们为什么打哈欠

高考英语外刊阅读理解训练——我们为什么打哈欠？——改编自Whydoweyawn?Yawning:ABiologicalandSocialBehaviourWe'vealldoneit-letoutabigyawn,maybebecausewe'reboredortired,ormaybejustseeingothersyawncansetusoff.Butisthisbiologicalfunctioncontagious,andwhat'sthereasonbehindit?Althoughmanypeoplethinkweyawntotakeinmoreoxygen,researchsuggeststhatthereisnoclearbiologicalreason.Thelatesttheorysuggeststhatyawningcoolsthebraindownandpreventsitfromoverheatinglikealaptopfan.Thismayexplainwhyweyawnmoreinwarmtemperatures.Interestingly,wetendtoyawnmorewhenwe'reexhaustedandreadyforanap.Furthermore,oncewestart,wecan'tstopuntiltheyawnrunsitscourse!Butwhatmakesyawningparticularlycompellingisthatit'shighlycontagious.ResearchbyJohnDrury,aSussexUniversityresearcher,foundthatyawningisanautomaticresponseandthatdogs,animals,andhumansallyawnwhentheyseeothersyawning,whethertheywanttoornot.Druryalsodiscoveredthatoursocialgroupandclosenesstothosearounduslinkedtoourpropensitytoinitiatethebehavior.AnotherstudyconductedbytheUniversityofNottinghamconfirmedthatyawningiscontagiousbetweenhumans,andourinabilitytoresistyawningwhenweobserveothersislimited.Theyfurtherfoundthatwhenvolunteersweretoldtheycouldn'tyawn,theirurgetodosoincreaseddrastically.Studieshavediscoveredthatelectricalstimulationcanincreasepeople'sdesiretoyawn,offeringpotentialbenefitsfortreatingotherneurologicalconditions,suchasTourette's,whichrelatestothesameareaofthebrain.Inconclusion,yawningremainssomethingmysteriousandintriguing,creepinguponusevenwhenwearenotparticularlytired.So,ifyousuddenlyfeellikeyawningwhilereadingthisarticle,rememberthatit'snormal!【重点词汇】1.yawning/ˈjɔː.nɪŋ/n.打哈欠；呵欠2.biological/baɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl/adj.生物学的3.social/ˈsəʊʃl/adj.社交的4.behaviour/bɪˈheɪvjə(r)/n.行为5.bored/bɔːd/adj.无聊的；厌烦的6.tired/taɪə(r)d/adj.疲倦的7.contagious/kənˈteɪdʒəs/adj.传染性的8.reason/ˈriːzn/n.原因9.theory/ˈθɪəri/n.理论10.brain/breɪn/n.大脑11.prevent/prɪˈvent/v.防止；预防12.overheating/ˌəʊvərˈhiːtɪŋ/n.过热13.laptop/ˈlæptɒp/n.便携式电脑14.temperature/ˈtemprətʃə(r)/n.温度15.exhausted/ɪɡˈzɒstɪd/adj.精疲力尽的16.nap/næp/n./v.小睡；打盹17.compelling/kəmˈpelɪŋ/adj.引人注目的18.researcher/rɪˈsɜː.tʃə(r)/n.研究人员19.Sussex/ˈsʌsɪks/n.苏塞克斯（一个地名）20.identify/aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/v.认同；确认21.exhibit/ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/v.表现；展出22.limited/ˈlɪmɪtɪd/adj.有限的23.electricity/ɪlekˈtrɪsəti/n.电力；电24.stimulation/ˌstɪmjʊˈleɪʃən/n.刺激25.neurological/njʊəˈrɒlədʒɪkəl/adj.神经学的26.Tourette's/'tʊrets/n.抽动症（一种神经系统疾病）27.mysterious/mɪˈstɪəriəs/adj.神秘的28.intriguing/ɪnˈtriːɡɪŋ/adj.有趣的；耐人寻味的29.normal/ˈnɔːml/adj.正常的30.urge/ɜːdʒ/v./n.强烈的欲望31.volunteer/ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/n.志愿者32.observe/əbˈzɜːv/v.观察；注意到33.potential/pəʊˈtenʃl/adj.潜在的；可能的34.benefit/ˈbenɪfɪt/n.益处；好处35.neurologicalcondition神经系统疾病36.warmtemperature暖和的气温37.socialgroup社交团体38.cognitivebehaviour认知行为39.electricalstimulation电刺激40.uncontrollableurge不可控制的欲望41.resistyawning抵制打哈欠的冲动42.initiatebehavior开始行为43.humanandanimalbehavior动物和人类的行为44.automaticresponse自动反应45.neurologicalfunction神经功能46.expressboredom表达无聊47.exhibitcontagiousbehavior展现传染性行为48.experienceexhaustion经历疲惫49.relevantneurologicalresearch相关神经学研究50.intriguingbiologicalphenomenon引人入胜的生物现象【阅读理解练习题】1.Whatisthelatesttheoryaboutwhyweyawn?A)Totakeinmoreoxygen.B)Toreleasestressandtension.C)Tocooldownthebrain.D)Toincreasecirculation.答案：C解析：根据文章的第二段，最新的理论认为，打哈欠可以让我们的大脑冷却下来，防止过热。因此选择C。2.Whendowetendtoyawnmore?A)Incooltemperatures.B)Whenwearebored.C)Whenweneedmoreoxygen.D)Whenwearetired.答案：D解析：文章提到我们在疲惫困倦时会打哈欠。因此选择D。3.Whydowefindyawningparticularlycompelling?A)Itcoolsthebrainandreleasesstress.B)Itofferspotentialbenefitsfortreatingneurologicalconditions.C)It'scontagiousandlinkedtooursocialgroup.D)Ithelpsustakeinmoreoxygen.答案：C解析：文章提到打哈欠是一种自动反应，并且当我们看到其他人打哈欠时，我们都会感染到这种行为，无论我们是否愿意。而且我们接近周围人的程度与我们发起这种行为的倾向有关。因此选择C。4.WhatdidastudybytheUniversityofNottinghamdiscoveraboutpeople'surgetoyawn?A)Itcanbepreventedwithelectricalstimulation.B)Itdoesn'texistwhenweobserveothersyawning.C)It'shighlycontagiousbetweenhumans.D)Itincreaseswhenvolunteersaretoldnottoyawn.答案：D解析：文章提到诺丁汉大学的一项研究发现，当志愿者被告知不能打哈欠时，他们的欲望急剧增加。因此选择D。5.Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutyawningintheconclusion?A)Itremainsamysteriousandinterestingbehavior.B)It'sasignofboredomorlackofoxygen.C)It'sauselessbiologicalfunction.D)It'salwayslinkedtoneurologicalconditions.答案：A解析：文章提到打哈欠仍然是一个神秘而有趣的行为。因此选择A。6.Whichresearcherledastudyintocontagiousyawning?A)JohnDrury.B)TheUniversityofNottingham.C)Ananonymousscientist.D)ASussexUniversityprofessor.答案：A解析：文章提到由Sussex大学的研究人员JohnDrury领导的一个研究表明打哈欠是一种自动反应，无论他们是否想要打哈欠，都会看到其他人打哈欠。因此选择A。7.Whatpotentialbenefitsofelectricalstimulationwerediscoveredbyresearchers?A)Itcanpreventpeoplefromyawninguncontrollably.B)Itcancooldownthebrain.C)ItcantreatTourette's.D)Itcanincreasecirculation.答案：C解析：文章提到研究发现电刺激可以增加人们打哈欠的欲望，这对治疗同样涉及大脑相同区域的其他神经系统疾病（如抽动秽语综合征）可能具有潜在好处，因此选择C。8.WhatdidtheUniversityofNottinghamstudyconfirmaboutcontagiousyawning?A)It'sacompletelyvoluntarybehavior.B)Dogsarenotaffectedbyhumanyawning.C)Itcanonlybetriggeredbyextremefatigue.D)Oururgetoyawnislimitedwhenweobserveothers.答案：D解析：文章提到诺丁汉大学的一项研究证实打哈欠是在人类之间是有感染性的，而且当我们观察别人的时候，我们不能抵制自己的欲望，这种感染性是有限的。因此选择D。【全文逐句对照翻译】打哈欠:一种生物学和社会行为Yawning:ABiologicalandSocialBehaviour我们都有过这样的经历——打一个大大的哈欠，也许是因为我们无聊或累了，或者只是看到别人打哈欠会让我们生气。We'vealldoneit-letoutabigyawn,maybebecausewe'reboredortired,ormaybejustseeingothersyawncansetusoff.但这种生物功能会传染吗?其背后的原因是什么?Butisthisbiologicalfunctioncontagious,andwhat'sthereasonbehindit?尽管许多人认为我们打哈欠是为了吸入更多的氧气，但研究表明，这并没有明确的生物学原因。Althoughmanypeoplethinkweyawntotakeinmoreoxygen,researchsuggeststhatthereisnoclearbiologicalreason.最新的理论表明，打哈欠可以给大脑降温，防止大脑过热，就像笔记本电脑的风扇一样。Thelatesttheorysuggeststhatyawningcoolsthebraindownandpreventsitfromoverheatinglikealaptopfan.这也许可以解释为什么我们在温暖的天气里更容易打哈欠。Thismayexplainwhyweyawnmoreinwarmtemperatures.有趣的是，当我们疲惫不堪，准备小睡时，我们往往会打更多的哈欠。Interestingly,wetendtoyawnmorewhenwe'reexhaustedandreadyforanap.此外，一旦我们开始打哈欠，我们就不能停下来，直到哈欠结束!Furthermore,oncewestart,wecan'tstopuntiltheyawnrunsitscourse!但打哈欠之所以特别引人注目，是因为它具有高度传染性。Butwhatmakesyawningparticularlycompellingisthatit'shighlycontagious.苏塞克斯大学研究员约翰·德鲁里的研究发现，打哈欠是一种自动反应，狗、动物和人类在看到别人打哈欠时都会打哈欠，不管他们是否愿意。ResearchbyJohnDrury,aSussexUniversityresearcher,foundthatyawningisanautomaticresponseandthatdogs,animals,andhumansallyawnwhentheyseeothersyawning,whethertheywanttoornot.德鲁里还发现，我们的社会群体和与周围人的亲密程度与我们发起这种行为的倾向有关。Druryalsodiscoveredthatoursocialgroupandclosenesstothosearounduslinkedtoourpropensitytoinitiatethebehavior.诺丁汉大学进行的另一项研究证实，打哈欠在人与人之间是会传染的，当我们观察别人时，我们对打哈欠的抵抗力是有限的。AnotherstudyconductedbytheUniversityofNottinghamconfirmedthatyawningiscontagiousbetwe