Why do we yawn?
新素养 推理探究 Do you yawn? There are about 20 reasons that scientists think are possible for yawning after research. They do not know exactly why yawning happens, but they do know many facts about yawning.
We know that everyone yawns in the same way. First you open your mouth slowly. Your mouth stays open for about five seconds. You take in a lot of air and then push it out. Then you quickly close your mouth. We also know that yawning is contagious. When you see someone yawn, you yawn too.
Many people say they yawn because they are bored or tired. That might be true. People do often yawn before they sleep and after they wake up. However, we know that people also yawn when they are excited or nervous. Olympic runners, for example, often yawn before a race. Why is that? In 2007, scientists found that a yawn can help a warm brain cool down.
Some scientists believe that yawning makes you notice things more quickly. When you yawn, you breathe deeply. You also stretch(绷紧) the muscles(肌肉) in your face, mouth, and neck. Your eardrums stretch too. Maybe this helps you to be quicker to notice things.
In some countries, people think yawning is not nice. People put their hands over their mouth to cover a yawn. In other countries, people think yawning is healthy. They think that opening the mouth very big can let good things in. When they breathe out, they think that bad things go out of the body with the air.
Scientists do not spend much time studying yawning. That is probably because yawning does not hurt. It is just something we do.
()4. What does the underlined word “contagious” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Able to spread quickly. B. Able to breathe easily.
C. Able to change easily. D. Able to sleep quickly.
()5. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5?
A. Reasons for yawning. B. Advantages of yawning.
C. Disadvantages of yawning. D. Different ideas about yawning.
()6. 新考法 篇章结构 What would be the best structure of the passage?

The first time I ate Sichuan hot pot was in Changchun in northeastern China. I had only been in China for a week when Rui, my new Chinese friend, asked me, “Have you ever had hot pot?”
“No, what is it?” I answered.
“It’s good. You’ll like it. See you tonight at 7?”
And so it was decided.
The hot pot restaurant was popular in the city. We found a table at the far end of a room. Soon, a large hot pot arrived. The hot pot itself had two sides. On one side was a cloudy white broth. The broth on the other side was covered with bright red oil.
“Is that red pepper oil?” I asked.
“Yes,” Rui answered. “You should try it. If you like spicy(辛辣的) food, you’ll really enjoy it.”
Rui picked up a thin slice of lamb with his chopsticks and then put it in the red broth. In seconds, it was cooked, and he put it on my small plate. “If it’s too spicy, you can use the other broth—it’s not spicy at all because it doesn’t have any peppers in it,” Rui pointed to the cloudy white broth on the other side of the pot.
“No,” I said, “this is fine.”
But it was more than fine: It was spicy, mouth-numbing, and amazing. I ate and ate until the restaurant was almost closed. I just couldn’t get enough of it.
For hundreds of years, millions of Chinese people have felt the same way: They just can’t get enough hot pot. It has always been their favourite food.
What makes Sichuan hot pot different from other hot pots is the use of huajiao. It is said that the spicy food helps people get through Sichuan’s hot and wet weather.
Nearly as famous as the Sichuan hot pot is the Beijing hot pot. The Beijing hot pot uses lamb and many of the same ingredients(配料) as the Sichuan hot pot, but has a lighter taste. The north-east Chinese hot pot usually contains pork and pickled cabbage, while the Guangdong hot pot uses the chicken or fish broth, and is known for its wide range of ingredients. In fact, while lamb hot pot is quite popular, almost any kind of ingredient can be found in hot pot cooking. There are as many kinds of hot pots as there are cooks.
In China, people like to joke that there is no problem that a hot pot can’t solve. The fire from a hot pot can melt just about any icy disagreement and warm just about any heart. Over a hot pot, people can talk and share not just food, but friendship. While the food may soon be forgotten, these friendships stay with us forever. Even today, when I think of hot pot, my friend Rui’s face immediately comes to mind, and I remember all the good times I spent with him.
()7. What does the underlined word “it” in the passage mean?
A. Expecting to try hot pot next week.
B. Seeing an old friend in Changchun.
C. Going out to eat hot pot at 7 that evening.
D. Recommending a well-known restaurant.
()8. 新考法 图片选择 What kind of hot pot did the writer try according to the passage?

()9. 新考法 句意理解 What does the underlined sentence “There are as many kinds of hot pots as there are cooks.” probably mean?
A. People can make hot pots as they want.
B. Making hot pots is easy for most cooks.
C. Hot pots come in different types in China.
D. Each cook has different ways to cook hot pots.
()10. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Spicy Food Tastes Great
B. Hot Pots Fix Everything
C. Tastes Change, Friendships Remain
D. Stomachs Satisfied, Hearts Warmed