Question

    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.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

本文为说明文。人行道上的行人按钮，电梯里“关门”按钮，你怀疑过它们的效果吗？本文说明了这些被称为“安慰剂按钮”存在的原因。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段“the physical buttons were often kept，rather than being replaced at further expense”可知，这些按钮没有替换掉是因为换掉它们花费的成本更多。Boston也经历过类似的问题。故选A。

2.词义猜测题。根据第五段中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.“这些设施，如盲道和可听到的交通信号，帮助有视觉障碍的人过马路，只有按下按钮才能发挥作用。”可推知，第四段中划线词的意思是“设施”。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段中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.可知，如果你在伦敦按下“安慰剂按钮”，可能会出现某种声音。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中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.从Langer的话中，我们可知“palcebo buttons”给我们被控制的错觉，因此推断 对我们的心理可能造成影响。故选C。