Question

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Tips for waiting in line

We’ve all been there — when lining up at the supermarket checkout counter, the lines next to us always seem to be moving faster than the one we are standing in.  1. . It has also offered tips on picking the fastest line.

●2.

A cart (购物车) full of items doesn’t tell the whole story. Every person requires a fixed amount of time to say hello, pay, say goodbye and clear out of the lane. And that amount of time is an average of 41 seconds per person. 3. . This means if there are five people ahead of you, each with 10 items in their carts, the waiting time will be 355 seconds. But if there is only one person ahead of you, with 50 items in the cart, the waiting time is 191 seconds. You do the math.

● Study the customers

How many people are ahead of you is one thing, and who they are is another. 4. The items in their carts are also important. For example, four bottles of the same milk will definitely go faster than four completely different items.

● Go left

According to a research, around 90 percent of people are right-handed. 5. . So heading to the opposite direction — left — will give you a better chance of finding a faster line.

A. Choose a “snaky line”

B. Pick someone with a full cart

C. It means a majority of people tend to naturally go to the right

D. The person at the head of the line goes to the next available counter

E. On the other hand, the time that each item takes to be rung up is only three seconds

F. For example, if they are old people, they tend to move slower and delay the checkout process

G. Now The New York Times gives you some deep understanding into the math and psychology of queuing

Answer

1.G

2.B

3.E

4.F

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了几个排队的技巧。

1.《纽约时报》让你对一些关于排队的数学和心理学有深入了解。）符合上下文，故选G。

2. 考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。此空是本段的主题句。根据文中第一句句意：装满东西的购物车并不能说明等待时间长。故这里此空用B（挑选排在购物车满的人后面。）符合上下文，故选B。

3.

4. 考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。空前句意：你前面有多少人是一回事，他们是谁是另一回事。故这里F（例如，如果他们是老年人，他们可能移动得更慢，延迟结算过程。）符合上下文，故选F。

5. 考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。空前句意：根据一项研究，大约90%的人喜欢在右边。空后句意：因此，走到相反的方向——左边——会给你找到更快队伍的更好的机会。故这里选C（那意味着绝大多数人可能很自然的去右边。）符合上下文，故选C。

考点：考查对文章的整体内容和结构以及上下文逻辑意义的理解和掌握。

【名师点睛】

在答题中，应首先略读一下短文，了解一下短文的大致意思，然后把几个选项含义理解透，尤其注意意思相近，表达有交叉的选项之间的区别。然后再细读短文，把答案填入合适位置。答题时可以把含义相近的几个选项轮流填入同一处位置，反复阅读，反复体会，找出最佳选项，对于实在没有把握的小题可以留待最后完成。完成短文后，再认真通读一遍全文，看看上下语意是否通顺，是否符合逻辑关系。比如：本文第36小题，根据空前句意：当在超市收银台排队时，我们旁边的队伍似乎总是比我们站的队伍移动的快。空后句意：它也会提供一些选择最快队伍的技术。故这里G（现在The New York Times让你对一些关于排队的数学和心理学有深入了解。）符合上下文，故选G。

另外，做题时要注意文章的首段和每一段的首句或尾句，因为它们往往就是文章的主题句。阅读中要注意要点之间的关系。