We eat what our friends eat, according to a new study presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economic Association’s 2013 annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (U of I) and Oklahoma State University, provided fresh confirmation of how much our environment influences our eating habits. The scientific team analyzed the lunch receipts from a restaurant in Stillwater, Oklahoma that agreed to use three menus designed by the researchers for three months in 2010. One group of diners — the control group — used the restaurant’s original menus with item and price listings. The second group received menus with calorie counts and the third group used menus that had both calorie counts and a traffic light symbol designed to indicate calorie ranges. A green traffic light meant a food option was 400 calories or less, a yellow light indicated 401 calories to 800 calories and a red light was placed next to choices with more than 800 calories. By analyzing diners’ receipts, the researchers found interesting patterns in what patrons(老主顾)ordered. They also interviewed servers and found that people who were part of larger parties and received menus with traffic lights typically ordered healthier options, which the researchers say suggests the influence of peer pressure. The researchers then created a model to assess how customers felt about their choices. Based on the popularity of menu items, the researchers determined the probability that individuals were satisfied with their choice. Interestingly, this gauge(测量标准)of satisfaction was influenced by expected factors such as price and calories, but also by fellow diners’ menu choices as well. They found that even if a customer initially felt less satisfied about their choice of say, a salad, they felt better about it if their friends ordered an item within the same menu category. “The big takeaway from this research is that people were happier if they were making similar choices to those sitting around them,” study author Brenna Ellison, an economist at the U of I, said in a statement. “If my peers are ordering higher-calorie items or spending more money, then I am also happier, or at least less unhappy, if I order higher-calorie foods and spend more money.” So if you’re hoping to eat better, try dining with friends who do too. 33. The scientific team came to their conclusion by ________. A. analyzing receipts from diners using specially designed menus. B. studying information from the receipts C. comparing calorie counts and ranges that appear in different menus D. analyzing the connection between diner’s choices and calorie counts 34. According to the research findings, those who ordered healthier options tended to ______. A. ask the servers for recommendations and notice the calorie counts B. eat with friends and be concerned about calorie ranges of the food C. be more affected by their friends’ preference of the choice of food D. have a much unhealthier eating habit when they ate alone 35. The word “takeaway” is closest in meaning to ________. A. conclusion B. success C. illustration D. judgment
答案:BBA