阅读理解。
Many researchers used to think yawning (打呵欠) was necessary for increasing oxygen intake to the
lungs (肺), while others insisted it was to increase blood pressure and the heart rate.
While both findings are correct, new studies show that the main point of yawning is to relax.
Researchers point out that we have a tendency to yawn before big events-athletes yawn before races, pilots
yawn before take-offs, and students yawn before exams. Humans are not the only creatures who yawn.
Animals have been observed to yawn before feeding time. while wild animals have a tendency to yawn
before fights.
New findings also show that yawing might be a handover from our ancestors, and represents a need
for change. Our ancestors passed it to us with other life skills. Even babies yawn as they change positions,
but children do not begin to copy other people's yawns until the age of four or five.
Strangely enough yawning is also related to respect. Hundreds and thousands of years ago,the campfire
(篝火) served as the main gathering point for members of groups. Researchers claim that as people sat
around the fire, warming themselves, they would yawn if the leader yawned, as a mark of respect. Those
who were more supportive of the leader tended to yawn more easily.
Despite all these findings, scientists still haven't figured out why we yawn before bedtime. Then again,
it may be another way of demanding a change-enough of TV, it's time to go to bed!
1. What is the text mainly about?
A. People who tend to yawn.
B. Why we yawn.
C. The history of yawning
D. The disadvantages of yawning.
2. According to researchers, yawning before an exam suggests that _____.
A. you need to relax.
B. you don't like taking exams
C. you want to control your heart rate
D. you're sleepy
3. The underlined word "handover" in the third paragraph probably refers to _____.
A. a need for change
B. something our ancestors have passed on to us
C. the way in which people copy others'yawns
D. a lost life skill
4. From the fourth paragraph we can leam that _____.
A. people used to yaxvn to draw attention
B. people yawn when they feel warm
C. yawning happened at night in ancient times
D. yawning was a social skill in ancient times
