Everyone hates to wait in lines. We get that anxious feeling that our precious life is slipping away while we’re doing something so meaningless. But it’s not always the length of the wait we find so unbearable. Some people camp outside Apple stores for an entire night just to get their hands on the latest product. But waiting 10 minutes in a grocery store just to buy a drink? Forget it.
Our behavior when waiting is only partly decided by the length of the wait. “Often the psychology of queuing is more important than the statistics of the wait itself,” notes the MIT researcher Richard Larson.
One apparent aspect of queuing psychology is that we get bored when we wait in line. This issue is solved in many ways, from magazines in hospital waiting rooms to mirrors in elevators so that we can check our appearance.
We really hate it when we expect a short wait and then get a long one. But studies show that we are much more patient when we are given an idea of how long we’ll be waiting.
Walt Disney Co knows this better than anyone else. It posts estimated waiting times for attractions in its theme parks. But according to Larson, these times are overestimated so that visitors get to the front of the queue more quickly than they expect. It keeps them happy.
But perhaps the biggest influence on our feelings about waiting in a line has to do with our sense of fairness. When it comes to queues, the universally acknowledged standard is first come, first served. Any departure from this principle is regarded as unfair and can lead to violent queue anger.
You’ve probably experienced mild queue anger yourself in fast food restaurants, watching people in the other line zoom ahead of you, cursing yourself for having chosen the “wrong” line. In order to solve this problem, the serpentine(蛇形) line was invented. The serpentine line guides all customers into one big snaking queue, separated by ropes or barriers. When you reach the head of the queue, you are directed to the next available server, or teller, or customs official. The serpentine line isn’t always faster than multi-lines before an array(排) of cash registers. But it offers important comfort: you absolutely never have to see someone arrive after you and get served before you.
In life, waiting is inevitable. But a better understanding of the psychology of waiting can help make it a bit more bearable. When all else fails, bring a book or a smart phone will also do.
【小題1】In the 1st paragraph, the author intends to tell us_____.

A．why people are crazy about Apple’s products
B．people waste their precious time in queuing
C．waiting time is not the only cause for people’s hate in queuing
D．the psychology is the real reason why people hate to wait in lines
【小題2】Walt Disney Co makes people queuing happily by_____.
A．having people queue in serpentine line
B．letting people know how long they will wait exactly
C．making people queue shorter than they are informed
D．offering people magazines to read when waiting in lines
【小題3】Serpentine line was invented to_____.
A．make the waiting line move faster
B．guarantee the first-come-first-served principle
C．solve the problem of feeling bored in queuing
D．guide all customers into one big snaking queue
【小題4】The main purpose of the passage is _____.
A．to explain the advantages of serpentine line
B．to introduce ways of saving time in queuing
C．to offer an explanation of the psychology of queuing
D．to analyze the psychology of people queuing for Apple products


【小題1】C
【小題2】C
【小題3】B
【小題4】C

解析試題分析：每個(gè)人都討厭排隊(duì)，這是因?yàn)樗麄兊呐抨?duì)心理問題。如何讓排隊(duì)變得更高效呢？理解人們的心理很重要，文章給出了讓人們安心等待的方法。
【小題1】細(xì)節(jié)題：從第一段的句子：But it’s not always the length of the wait we find so unbearable.可知作者想告訴我們排隊(duì)等侯的時(shí)間，不是人們討厭排隊(duì)的唯一的原因，選C
【小題2】細(xì)節(jié)題：從文章第五段的句子：It posts estimated waiting times for attractions in its theme parks. But according to Larson, these times are overestimated so that visitors get to the front of the queue more quickly than they expect. It keeps them happy.可知Walt Disney Co 讓顧客快樂的排隊(duì)，是通過使人們排隊(duì)的時(shí)間比他們被通知的短，選C
【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)題：從文章倒數(shù)第二段的句子：The serpentine line isn’t always faster than multi-lines before an array(排) of cash registers. But it offers important comfort: you absolutely never have to see someone arrive after you and get served before you.可知Serpentine line 被發(fā)明是為了保證先到先得的原則，選B
【小題4】寫作意圖題：從全篇文章和文章第二段的句子：“Often the psychology of queuing is more important than the statistics of the wait itself,”可知作者的目的是提供排隊(duì)心理的解釋，和如何緩解人們排隊(duì)焦慮的心理。選C
考點(diǎn)：考查社會(huì)現(xiàn)象類短文

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

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【小題1】The underlined word“opponents”in Paragraph 3 means            ．

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Urbanization
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In 1990，fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas.Today，over 82% of Americans live in cities.Only about 2% live on farms.__ 【小題3】__
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A．That kept cities very small. 
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The great 19th century explorer John Muir once said: “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”
【小題1】Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?

A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone.
B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries.
C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend.
D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things.
【小題2】Traveling alone is challenging because        .
A．it will finally build your character
B．you have to make things on your own
C．you depend on yourself whatever happens
D．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others
【小題3】What can we infer about Chris Richardson?
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