Do you ever feel angry about someone who stands too close, talks too loudly or makes eye contact for too long? Why do we feel uncomfortable with those “close talkers”? Or with strangers who stand very near to us in a line?
Scholars began to study personal space decades ago. They found that humans tend to avoid eye contact if they feel someone is standing too close. They put a distance between themselves and strangers.
According to scientists, personal space involves not only an imaginary space around the body, but around all the senses. People may feel their space is being violated when they encounter an unwelcome sound, scent or stare: the woman on the bus shouting into her mobile phone or the co-worker sitting next to you putting on some perfume you don?t like. Whether people in recent times have become more protective of their personal space is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show passengers? strong desire to have some space to themselves.
In a recent survey from Trip Advisor, travelers said if they had to pay for certain benefits, they would rather have larger seats and more legroom than extra food.
Scholars know that commuters hold newspapers in front of them to read, but also to shield themselves from strangers. They know that college students unconsciously sit at positions where they can avoid direct eye contact.
“If you videotape people at a library table, it?s very clear what seat people will take,” said Professor Dane Archer. One of the corner seats will go first, followed by the chair diagonally (斜对角) opposite because that is farthest away.
“If you break those rules, it?s fascinating,” Archer added. “People will pile up books as if to make a wall.”
21. When someone stands too close to you on the bus, you may feel_______. A) unsafe B) uneasy C) alert D) curious
22. What is the author?s attitude towards those “close talkers” on the bus? A) Hostile. B) Friendly. C) Critical. D) Indifferent.
23. What would air passengers like to have in return if they had to pay for certain benefits? A) More gifts and souvenirs. B) More comfortable rest rooms. C) More choices of foods and drinks. D) More personal spaces on the plane.
24. If someone makes eye contact too long in the reading room, you will pile up books in front of you so as_________.
A) to hide your awkwardness B) to show indifference to the stare C) to protect your personal space D) to give the stare an angry look
25. In this passage the author tries to tell us that we should________. A) behave properly in public places B) respect people?s personal space C) keep a distance from strangers D) choose a good seat for ourselves
Nowadays nearly everyone has suffered from a bad attack of forgetfulness when a password is needed.
The company computer. The home computer. Banking and ATM machines. Websites. Car and home security systems. The list goes on. It does not take long to accumulate a dozen or more passwords.
Scribbling them down on slips of paper or simply using the same password for anything and everything is how most people cope with the overload. The negative aspect of this is that either way makes it easier for hackers to invade computer privacy.
Researchers are now trying to do something about this by moving forward what may be an answer to the password puzzle—pictures.
Many companies are looking into various ways that images can be used to replace the standard, easily-forgotten string of letters and numbers. Pictures are much easier to remember. Researchers are also working on picture passwords that will make it more difficult for the average hacker.
Take, for instance, the screens available through aNew Yorkcompany, Passlogix. One picture shows a standard bar scene. The password is created by making up a drink from the various items pictured. The order in which the items are selected becomes the password.
Researchers at theUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley, who have studied the habit of computer users say laziness plays a major role in most people?s choice of passwords. Nonetheless, forgetting passwords is a common problem of the computer era. It?s more of a problem than hacking, in fact, particularly for major corporations that must maintain help desks for their computer-using employees---often round the clock. How much does it cost a company each time an employee forgets a password?
No one knows, but people who are pushing the picture passwords contend they will save companies a lot of money because recalling images is so much easier.
26. The first three paragraphs center on_______. A) why people are so forgetful in the computer era B) what happens when so many passwords are needed C) why hackers can so easily invade computer privacy D) what people usually do when they choose their passwords
27. Using the same password for anything and everything may lead to_____. A) the users? laziness B) people?s forgetfulness
C) the theft of personal information D) the loss of a large sum of money
28. When used as password, pictures have one big advantage over letters and numbers: ________.
A) they are more deeply stored in our memory B) they are easy to be combined and ordered C) they are closely linked with our daily life D) they are colorful and can arouse our imagination
29. In this passage the phrase “round the clock” means_________. A) in no time B) day and night C) for a period of time D) as round as a clock
30. Which of the following might be the best title for this passage? A) Passwords, a Product of the Computer Era B) Forgetfulness, a Big Headache for People C) Hackers, the Invader of Computer Privacy D) Pictures, a Solution to the Password Puzzle
Honesty is the best policy, as the English saying goes. Unfortunately, honesty often deserts us when nobody is watching, British psychologists reported last week.
Researchers atUK?sNewcastleUniversityset up an experiment in their psychology department?s coffee room.
They set a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk on the counter and hung up a sign listing the price for drinks. People helping themselves to a cup of tea or coffee were supposed to put a few cents into a box nearby.
The scientists hung a poster above the money box and alternated each week between images of gazing eyes and pictures of flowers.
The researchers found that staff paid 2.76 times more for their drinks when the image of the eyes was hung.
“Frankly we were shocked by the size of the effect,” said Gilbert Roberts, one of the researchers.
Eyes are known to be a powerful perceptual signal for humans, scientists say. “Even though the eyes were not real, they still seemed to make people behave more honestly,” said the leader of the study.
Researchers believe the effect throws light on our evolutionary past. It may arise from behavioral traits that developed when early humans formed social groups to strengthen their chances of survival. For social groups to work, individuals had to cooperate, rather than act selfishly.
“There?s an argument that if nobody is watching us, it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we are being watched we should behave better. So people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us,” one scientist said.
The new finding indicates that people have striking response to eyes. That might be because eyes and faces send a strong biological signal we have evolved to respond to. The finding can be put to practical use. For example, images of eyes could boost ticket sales on public transport and improve surveillance systems to prevent antisocial behavior. 31. The old saying “Honesty is the best policy” may be interpreted as________. A) “It?s better to be honest” B) “Honesty is our best quality” C) “Being honest pays off” D) “The policy makes us honest”
32. The researchers make the experiment with the purpose of finding_____. A) if pictures can affect people?s choice of their drinks B) if pictures of eyes can make people more watchful
C) if people have different responses to the same picture
D) if people behave better when they feel they are being watched
33. In the week when pictures of gazing eyes are hung above the money box, ________. A) people will line up to get their drinks B) fewer people will come to buy their drinks C) people will pay more for their drinks D) some people will pay for their drinks
34. When we say “to throw light on something”, we mean________. A) “to make it look brighter” B) “to make it known to people” C) “to draw people?s attention to it” D) “to make it easier to understand”
35. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this article? A) People may behave dishonestly when there?s no one around. B) Photos of human eyes have a positive effect on people?s behavior C) Humans have a stronger response to eyes than to flowers D) The scientists? new finding may have many practical uses.
Recent attempts by the US government to write its documents in “plain English” show just how important it is to express ideas clearly in words.
US citizens and businesses have long complained that many of the government?s rules are written in overly technical, complicated language.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has particularly been the subject of much criticism and debate.
This agency makes and enforces rules to ensure employee health and safety on the job. The problem is, even after reading the rules several times, employees often don?t know what is expected of them.
Some politicians then began to speak out, saying the agency needed to make its regulations more “user-friendly.” One congressman complained employees needed “an interpreter to explain the OSHA regulations.” Others added while large corporations could