Question

    Has the volume in a restaurant ever made you finish your meal early? If so, you're not alone. Restaurants handle diners in various ways to influence food choices and consumption, from lighting to menu to server presentation. Unfortunately for those headache-prone restaurant goers, some places also choose to turn up the tunes and the background noise.

Chef Mario Batali is often blamed for the phenomenon of very loud or noisy restaurants in the 1990s, when he decided to flood the dining room with the same loud tunes he was playing in his kitchen. And other chefs followed suit. Some restaurateurs felt a "livelier" atmosphere encouraged more customers, but a side "benefit" was quicker table turnover, thus increasing the number of people who could dine in a specific evening.

A 1985 study out of Fairfield University looked at how chewing speed varied according to the type of music being played. Although the volume level was kept the same for both musical situations, it's important to note that fast-tempo (节奏) music often gives the impression of being louder than slower music.

"A significant increase in the number of bites per minute was found, and the effect was largest for fast music," the researchers wrote in the study. So, the faster, louder music gets people to down their food more quickly, relieving the table for future customers.

There re opinions about whether or not this is a sound practice. "A restaurant that places profit above dining experience often plays loud music with a fast tempo that puts diners under pressure 10 eat more quickly, even if that means they're less able to enjoy their meal," writes Dr. Neel Burton in Psychology Today, adding that loud, fast music reduces appetite.

What's more, some would-be repeat diners will shy away for fear of another very loud meal. The non-profit group Action on Hearing Loss found in a 2016 survey of nearly 1,500 people that 91% of those who view a restaurant as too noisy would choose not to return.

1.Why did some bosses of the restaurants favour loud music?

A.It might help attract more customers.

B.It was the favorite kind of music of them.

C.It made the restaurants softer and sweeter.

D.It could increase the popularity of their restaurants.

2.What plays the most important role in the effect of music on diners according to the passage?

A.Its content. B.Its length.

C.Its speed. D.Its quality.

3.What is Dr. Neel Burton's attitude towards flooding restaurants with noisy music?

A.Doubtful. B.Disapproving.

C.Positive. D.Objective.

4.What could be a suitable tile for the text?

A.What People Think of Loud Restaurants

B.Are Customers Made to Eat Quickly?

C.Why Loud Restaurants Are Popular Today

D.Does Loud Music Really Benefit Restaurants?

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了，如今很多饭店都喜欢播放响亮的音乐，响亮的音乐可以提高顾客的就餐速度，但却会因此失掉大部分潜在的顾客。

1.

细节理解题。由第二段中的“Some restaurateurs felt a "livelier" atmosphere encouraged more customers, but a side "benefit" was quicker table turnover, thus increasing the number of people who could dine in a specific evening.”（一些餐馆老板认为“更活跃”的气氛鼓励了更多的顾客，但另一个“好处”是更快的餐桌周转，从而增加了在特定晚上就餐的人数。），可知餐馆老板喜欢响亮的音乐是因为这可能有助于吸引更多的顾客。故选A项。

2.

细节理解题。由第三段中的“Although the volume level was kept the same for both musical situations, it's important to note that fast-tempo (节奏) music often gives the impression of being louder than slower music.”（尽管两种音乐环境下的音量水平保持不变，但要注意的是，快节奏音乐通常给人的印象是比慢节奏的音乐声音大。），可知速度在音乐对就餐者的影响中起着最重要的作用。故选C项。

3.

推理判断题。由倒数第二段中的“"A restaurant that places profit above dining experience often plays loud music with a fast tempo that puts diners under pressure 10 eat more quickly, even if that means they're less able to enjoy their meal," writes Dr. Neel Burton in Psychology Today, adding that loud, fast music reduces appetite.”（Neel Burton博士在《今日心理学》杂志上写道，一家把利润放在就餐体验之上的餐厅，经常以快节奏播放喧闹的音乐，让食客吃得更快，即使这意味着他们无法享受美食，”他补充道，响亮、快速的音乐会降低食欲。），可推断出Neel Burton博士对就餐使用响亮的音乐持反对态度。故选B项。

4.

主旨大意题。阅读文章可知，本文一、二段从饭店播放音乐开始说起，后面四段围绕音乐对顾客的影响进行分析并得出：播放响亮的音乐可以提高顾客就餐速度，但会失去大部分潜在顾客，因此文章讲的是“大声的音乐真的有益于餐馆吗？”。故选D项。