Yawning is something we all do – maybe because we’re bored carrying out tedious tasks or because we’re tired. Sometimes, just seeing other people yawn can set you off. But is this biological function really contagious, and why do we do it in the first place?
Many of us think we open our mouths when we yawn to take in more oxygen, but in fact it appears there is no clear biological reason. According to BBC Bitesize, new research suggests it might be because yawning cools the brain down and prevents it from overheating, much like the fan in your laptop. This might be why we’re more likely to feel drowsy and yawn in warm temperatures.
What is clear is that we yawn more when we’re exhausted and ready for a nap, and we can’t control when we do it – once we start, there’s no stopping us! But it’s also true that yawning is a very contagious behaviour. John Drury, a researcher from Sussex University, told the BBC that “it’s meant to be automatic; it’s something that you can’t stop. Dogs yawn when their owners yawn, animals yawn to each other. It happens whether you want to or not.”
His research into this cognitive behaviour found that there is a connection with our social group and how close we are to the people in it. If we identify with the person who exhibits the behaviour, we are likely to copy it too.
Other research by the University of Nottingham in 2017 found similar results. They asked volunteers to watch other people yawn. They found their ability to resist yawning when others around them yawned was limited. And the urge to yawn was increased when people were told they couldn’t. They also found, when using electrical stimulation, that they were able to increase people’s desire to yawn. These findings, they say, could be useful because it could help treat other conditions like Tourette’s, which involve the same area of the brain.
What is certain is that a yawn can creep up on us at any time even when we think we’re not tired – but, I hope, not when you’re reading this article!
詞匯表
yawning 打哈欠 bored 感到無(wú)聊的 tired 疲倦的，累的 set sb. off 使某人開(kāi)始做某事 biological function 生物功能 contagious 有感染力的，會(huì)蔓延的 oxygen 氧氣 overheat 使……變得過(guò)熱 drowsy 昏昏欲睡的 exhausted 精疲力盡的 a nap 小睡，打盹 behaviour 行為 automatic 不自覺(jué)的，無(wú)意識(shí)的 cognitive 認(rèn)知的 identify with sb. 與某人產(chǎn)生共鳴 exhibit 表現(xiàn)出 resist 抗拒 urge 強(qiáng)烈的欲望 electrical stimulation 電刺激 creep up on sb. 不知不覺(jué)中體驗(yàn)到，悄悄接近某人
測(cè)驗(yàn)與練習(xí)
1. 閱讀課文并回答問(wèn)題。
1. According to one researcher, what does yawning stop from overheating?
2. True or false? We yawn more to take in more oxygen.
3. What happens when people are told not to yawn?
4. True or false? We are more likely to yawn when someone we know yawns.
1. I find walking to work every day a bit _______, so I might start cycling instead.
contagious tedious automatic drowsy
2. When my sister started crying at the wedding, it _______ and we were all in floods of tears!
set one off set it off set us off set you off
3. I’m not going out tonight: I’ve worked two nightshifts and I’m _______.
drowsy a nap overheating exhausted
4. I’m supposed to be on a diet, but it’s hard to _______ all the chocolate people bring into the office.
resist urge exhibit contagious
5. He found it hard to _______ his team as he had come from a different background.
identity with identify on identify with identify at
答案
1. 閱讀課文并回答問(wèn)題。
1. According to one researcher, what does yawning stop from overheating? The research suggests yawning cools the brain down and prevents it from overheating.
2. True or false? We yawn more to take in more oxygen. False. It appears there is no clear biological reason for yawning.
3. What happens when people are told not to yawn? The urge to yawn was increased when people were told not to yawn.
4. True or false? We are more likely to yawn when someone we know yawns. True. Research from Sussex University found that if we identify with the person who yawns we are likely to copy them.
5. How can we stop ourselves yawning? You can’t. It happens whether you want to or not.
