Question

Whenever we see a button, we want to press it because we know that something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example, on a doorbell. But some buttons are actually fake(假的), 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.

“A sense of control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being,” said Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor at Harvard University. Experts also added 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 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.

1.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To explore the functions of fake buttons.

B. To describe different fake buttons.

C. To analyze various habits of pushing buttons.

D. To explain the disadvantages of fake buttons.

2.What can we learn about the “close” buttons on a lift in America?

A. They work when people press them hard.

B. They were designed for a sense of control.

C. They never speed up the door-closing process.

D. They take the safety of the disabled into account.

3.What can we infer about pedestrian crosswalk buttons?

A. They can make people feel better.

B. They help computers work faster.

C. They can control the traffic signals.

D. They help pedestrians cross safely.

4.Which may be the best title for the passage?

A. Buttons in the USA.    B. Buttons Always Lie

C. Buttons May not Work    D. “Close” Buttons on Lifts

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】作者介绍了生活中在很多场合都有许多假按钮。虽然是假的，但是在许多人看来，尤其是心理专家看来，可以给人们减压，增加舒适感。

1. 推理判断题。本文主要介绍了生活中出现的假按钮，并且分析了这些假按钮给人们带来的各个方面的作用，故推断作者写这篇文章的目的是介绍假按钮，选B。

2. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段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.可知，美国电梯上的“关闭”按钮考虑了残疾人的需要，故选D。

3. 推理判断题。倒数第三段中Ellen J. Langer教授说“A sense of control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being.（掌控的感觉很重要。它减轻了压力，增加舒适感。）”，接下来就举了人行横道按钮的例子，说明人行横道按钮会让行人感觉更舒服，故选A。

4. 主旨大意题。本文主要是讲在公共场所有一些假的按钮，并不起真正的作用，只是在心理上会带来一定的作用，故选C。

【名师点睛】

主旨大意题主要考查学生对所读材料(或所读材料片断)中心思想的概括。做这类题时，考生应通读全文，把握文章大意或中心思想，同时注意文章的主题句，因为主题句表达中心思想，其他句子均围绕主题句进行展开。主题句通常位于文章第一段首句、第一段末句或全文末句等地方，但位于段落中间(通常是第一段或最后一段的中间)也是完全可能的。同时，主题词关键词也是非常重要的，有时候可以直接看出答案。主旨大意题的考查形式很多，如概括标题、主题、段意、中心思想等。

比如第四题，标题概括题就属于主旨大意题。首先通读全文，你会发现文章主要是谈论假按钮的问题，第一段的最后一句就引出了这个概念，然后中间段落讲述了假按钮的来历，以及假按钮带来的一些积极影响，再对四个选项进行分析排除：A项范围太大，只提到了按钮，没有单独提出假按钮；B项也是如此，都不能选；D项范围太狭窄，只提到了电梯上的关闭按钮，不能概括文章大意；C项“不能工作的按钮”就是指全文一直讲述的假按钮，为正确答案。