单选题 .  The secret to eating less and being happy about it may have been cracked years ago—by McDonald's. According to a new study from Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab, small non-food rewards—like the toys in McDonald's Happy Meals—stimulate the same reward centers in the brain as food does.
    The researchers, led by Martin Reimann, carried out a series of experiments to see if people would choose a smaller meal if it was paired with a non-food item.
    They found that the majority of both kids and adults opted for a half-sized portion when combined with a prize. Both options were priced the same.
    Even more interesting is that the promise of a future reward was enough to make adults choose the smaller portion. One of the prizes used was a lottery ticket (彩票), with a $10, $50 or $100 payout, and this was as effective as a tangible gift in persuading people to eat less.
    "The fact that participants were willing to substitute part of a food item for the mere prospect of a relatively small monetary award is interesting," says Reimann.
    He theorizes that it is the emotional component of these intangible prizes that make them effective. In fact, vaguely-stated possibilities of winning a prized were more effective than options with hard odds included.
    "One explanation for this finding is that possible awards may be more emotionally provoking than certainty awards," says Reimann. "The uncertainty of winning provides added attraction and desirability through emotional 'thrills.' The possibility of receiving an award also produces a state of hope—a state that is in itself psychologically rewarding." In other words, there's a reason why people like to gamble.
    How might this knowledge be used to help people eat more healthily?
    One possibility is a healthy option that offers the chance to win a spa (温泉疗养) weekend. Or maybe the reward of a half-sized portion could be a half-sized dessert to be claimed only on a future date. That would get you back in the restaurant—and make you eat a little less.1.  What do we learn about McDonald's inclusion of toys in its Happy Meals? ______
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 根据题干中的McDonald's和toys in its Happy Meals定位至前3段。
   本题询问麦当劳Happy Meals套餐放有玩具这一做法。第1段首句实际是说，麦当劳的某种做法能让人少吃些，同时仍能快乐些。第2句指，这做法就是Happy Meals套餐放有玩具，而这种做法能像食物一样刺激大脑的“奖励中心”(stimulate the same reward centers)。第2、3段进一步说明研究的具体发现，指出无论是孩子还是成年人，当食物配有奖品时，大部分人会选择分量减半的套餐(a half-sized portion)。由此可推断D项“这是让孩子们减少食物摄入的好办法”。
   A项利用原词crack和secret作干扰，文中出现The secret to...have been cracked...是说明多年以前麦当劳或许就已经发现了既吃少些又能保持快乐的秘密。而A项说的是“可以解释人们破解秘密的意愿”，两者所述并不相同。B项“被证实是麦当劳成功的关键”和C项“激发孩子要找出里面有什么的好奇心”都没有原文依据，可以排除。
[参考译文] 麦当劳或许多年以前就已经发现了既吃少些又能保持快乐的秘密。康奈尔大学食品及品牌实验室的一项新研究表明：非食品的小奖励，比如麦当劳开心乐园套餐里的玩具，也能像食物一样刺激大脑的“奖励中心”。
   由马丁·莱曼为首的研究人员进行了一系列的实验，看人们会不会因为搭配有非食物奖励而选择分量较少的套餐。
   他们发现，无论是孩子还是成年人，当食物配有奖品时，大部分人会选择分量减半的套餐。而这两种套餐价格相同。
   更有意思的是，哪怕只是承诺将来会得到回报，就足以让成年人选择更少的分量。比如说送彩票，告诉他们有可能会得到10美元、50美元或100美元的回报，就能和实物礼品一样，达到说服他们少吃一点的效果。
   莱曼说：“参与者乐意将部分食物替换为赢取数目相对较小的金钱奖励的机会，这种现象很有趣。”
   他提出一种理论，认为是这些非实物奖励产生的情感因素使然。事实上，含糊其辞的获奖几率比起确凿的概率选择更有效。
   这个发现可以这样解释：“获奖的可能性比起一定会中奖更能激发人们的情感。获奖的不确定性产生的“刺激感”可以增加吸引力和渴望度。获奖的可能性同样会让人有所期待，这种心态本身就是一种心理回报。”换句话说，人们喜欢赌博是有原因的。
   如何将这学问用于实际，帮助人们更健康地饮食呢?
   可以这么做：健康的餐食配以有机会赢取周末温泉的奖励。又或者如果顾客将食物分量减半，将会获得半份甜品，但是仅供下次享用。这种做法会让你再次光顾餐厅，同时让你少吃点。