▶ Your Answer :
The reading and the lecture are both
about the causes of yawning. The reading presents three possible answers for this,
but the lecturer from the listening feels none of these explanations are plausible.
To begin with, the author from the
reading argues that yawning is one method we use to communicate our feelings.
The article mentions that people tend to yawn when they see another person do
the same, which means that they are communicating through this behavior. The lecturer from the listening cast doubt on this theory. She contends that the goal of
yawning is not communication because we yawn wherever we are regardless of the presence of other people. To be more specific, we yawn a lot even if we are
alone. Additionally, she claims that when we are in a public place, we try to suppress
our yawning, meaning that we are not really communicating.
Next, the writer from the reading suggests that we are
trying to make our ear pressure and the air pressure equal when yawning. In the
article, it is said that yawning equalizes the air and ear pressure by
releasing the pressure in the ear. The lecturer, however, rebuts this by mentioning that
if we yawn to adjust the pressure, yawning must be limited to certain
circumstances, where the elevation is changing. She elaborates on this by bringing up the point that we yawn in
every environment where we do not need to adapt to the new pressure.
Finally, the author from the reading posits that
yawning serves as the purpose of making us more vigilant. Moreover, it is stated in
the article that yawning allows the mouth to be exposed to cold air, helping
our brain function better. In contrast, the lecturer's position is that yawning
does not make us more alert. She notes that most people can sleep more easily
after yawning, and yawning rather has relaxing effects by stretching our
muscles of face and throat. This suggests that yawning is not a method to stay alert. |