Many people list hiccups(嗝)as one of the most annoying problems which are associated with human being. For a group of people, continuous hiccups can seriously harm the quality of life. In the year 2017, the question “what causes hiccups?” was the most searched medical question. That’s how much of an issue these hiccups are and it also reflects that this problem is so widespread in our daily life.
Dr. All Seifi, a professor of the University of Texas, was tired of the traditional methods which are used to dispel hiccups, like drinking water or varying breathing techniques. He then came up with the idea that a straw(吸管)could help interrupt hiccups. The straw, which goes by the marketing name HiccAway, requires more power than regular straws in order to draw up liquid. Drinking with this straw can lower the diaphragm(隔膜)while first opening it and then closing it. Doing so stimulates the nerves at the same time, allowing the brain to reset and stop the hiccups.
Dr. James Alvarez of the University of Texas gathered 249 volunteers to use the straw and report back their results. About 92% of the participants said that HiccAway helped their hiccups go away. When it comes to effectiveness, this straw received a score of 4.58 out of 5. About 90% of participants marked it as more effective than traditional home methods. A majority of the participants reported several occasions when they always suffer from hiccups, while about 11 reported daily hiccups issues, and 53 reported that they suffered from hiccups weekly. The frequent sufferers reported back success rates that were consistently as high as people who didn’t suffer from them as often.
The one issue is that hiccups are an issue where placebo effect(安慰作用)could likely come into play. A lot of people swear by solutions that do not end up working for others. It is not clear how this trial could be conducted in a more scientific way.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “dispel” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Challenge. | B．Secure. | C．Terrify. | D．Remove. |
| A．It was beneficial for their brainpower. |
| B．It was helpful for them to behave actively. |
| C．It was more effective than traditional ones. |
| D．It was good for them to improve their ability. |
| A．Its experimental result. | B．Its experimental process. |
| C．Its major function. | D．Its wide popularity. |
| A．Many people hope that hiccups should be soon cured. |
| B．The new method should be approved by scientists. |
| C．The study has caught people’s attention on hiccups. |
| D．A further research should be involved in the study. |
