Question

    Have you got an addictive nature? Are you unable to stop yourself joining in your favorite computer games? This probably describes most of us because its only human nature to not want to miss out on something that everyone else is talking about.

Most crazes arrive suddenly and enthusiasm for them spreads quickly. They become a talking point on social media; we read about them, give them a try and, before we know it, we are hooked (钩住). In the past, these have been objects such as toys and games. Maybe you were the proud owner of a Rubik’s cube, which became the best-selling toy of all time-around 350 million have been sold so far.

Now, technology is driving the latest crazes. Games such as Angry Birds and Minecraft are crazes available on smartphones and computers that have been hard to put down.

Our addiction to crazes has been analyzed by scientists. One of them, Dr Ben Michaels, a clinical psychologist, explains that we want to experience the benefit that another person, or group of people, have experienced from something and this “hooks into an ancient evolutionary (进化的) fear of being left behind or abandoned by our tribes”; we have to join in or lose out.

Although becoming addicted to a computer game might not seem like a ‘benefit’, it can at least give you popularity among your friends. It allows you to learn new skills and gives you something to talk about at parties!

But fashions come and go and most crazes are just a flash in the pan so if one of them is not your cup of tea, don’t worry: there’ll be a new craze arriving very soon. Look at the addiction to loom bands (橡皮筋) - those little bands you could make jewellery and other things out of. For a brief period they were the must-have item for any schoolchild, now they’re the bargain bucket item in a discount shop or worse still, trash filling up our landfill sites! What crazes have you been addicted to?

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A.A lot of people usually talk about the latest crazes on the Internet.

B.The toy “Rubik’s Cube” was not very popular when it was launched.

C.The majority of crazes usually last for a long time.

D.Loom bands are always thrown away in some discount shop.

2.Why are we so addictive to crazes according to Dr. Ben?

A.We just want to benefit from what others have experienced.

B.We have the evolutionary fear of being left behind or missing out by our groups.

C.Some crazes are so attractive that we can’t refuse them.

D.Crazes can bring us so many benefits.

3.Which of the following is NOT the benefit of being addicted to a particular craze?

A.Getting popularity among your friends

B.Learning new skills

C.Having something to talk about at parties

D.Improving communication ability

4.What is possibly the best title of the text?

A.The Addiction to Computer Games

B.The Fear of Missing out

C.The Benefits of Crazes

D.Nature of Humans

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.D

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，介绍了“错失恐惧”这一心理现象。

1.

推理判断题。根据第一段和第二段中的“This probably describes most of us because its only human nature to not want to miss out on something that everyone else is talking about. Most crazes arrive suddenly and enthusiasm for them spreads quickly. They become a talking point on social media; we read about them, give them a try”可知这可能适用于我们大多数人，因为不想错过别人都在谈论的东西是人类的天性。大部分流行一时的东西是突然变得很受欢迎的，人们对它们的热情扩散的很快。它们会成为社交媒体上的话题;我们会了解它们并尝试。由此推知，因为不想错过别人都在谈论的东西，很多人经常会谈论网上最新的流行。故选A项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第四段中的“One of them, Dr Ben Michaels, a clinical psychologist, explains that we want to experience the benefit that another person, or group of people, have experienced from something and this “hooks into an ancient evolutionary (进化的) fear of being left behind or abandoned by our tribes”; we have to join in or lose out.”可知本·麦克(博士临床心理学家)解释说,我们想体验另一个人或者另一群人从某个东西中获得的好处,而这种心理 “引出了一种古老的进化了的恐惧，即害怕被我们的群体落下或抛弃。”;我们要么加入，要么出局。”也就是说我们对这种流行一时的东西这么狂热的原因就是因为有这种害怕被落下或抛弃的恐惧。故选B项。

3.

细节理解题。根据第五段中的“it can at least give you popularity among your friends. It allows you to learn new skills and gives you something to talk about at parties!”可知这种上瘾但它至少能让你在朋友中更受欢迎。它能让你学到新技能，让你在聚会上有话题可谈。而选项D（提高沟通能力）在原文中并没有提到。故选D项。

4.

主旨大意题。本文第一段提出不想错过别人都在谈论的东西是人类的天性，后文进一步解释了这个心理现象，并引用心理学家的话解释了原因，最后一段作者提出时尚来来去去，大多数流行一时的东西只是昙花一现，所以不必追求潮流。也就是说全文是围绕人们不想错过最新的流行的东西这一件事再写，B项（害怕错过）可以体现这一心理，最能概括全文，故选B项。