PTE考生目前最大的问题之一就是PTE练习题的缺乏
Lots of things influence how your dinner may taste to you: 许多东西能对你大快朵颐的心情产生影响：
how it’s presented on a plate, how hungry you are and of course, your taste buds. 如何摆盘、你的饥饿感以及当然，还有你的味觉享受。
But researchers wanted to know if early courses—appetizers—influence the taste of a meal, and truly do whet your appetite. 但是研究人员想要了解餐前的开胃小菜是否能对整个一餐产生影响，进而真正刺激到你的味蕾。
Researchers had 64 volunteers eat one of two meals. 研究人员让64名志愿者品尝2种类型的餐食的其中一种。
The meals were the same—bruschetta as an appetizer and an entree of pasta with garlic and oil. 主菜是一模一样，开胃小菜是意大利烤面包片，而之后则是加入油蒜的主菜面食。
The pasta that everyone got was prepared to be only so-so. 呈现在每位志愿者面前的主菜面食都很普通。
But some of the volunteers first got a bruschetta that was made to be mediocre, while the others got one that was stellar. 但第一组志愿者品尝的是平平无奇的烤面包片，但其他人拿到的却是上等的意大利特色面包。
Then the volunteers rated the meals. 餐后志愿者们会进行点评。
And people who ate the good appetizer thought their entree was even worse than did people who had the middling appetizer. 品尝到美味面包开胃小菜的志愿者认为自己的主食相比另外一组要更逊一筹。
The study is in the journal Food Quality and Preference. 这项研究已在《食物质量及偏好》期刊上发表。
This work builds on previous studies that have focused on the perception of food and drink, and other sensory experience. 这是基于先前关注对食物及饮料的认知，以及其他感官体验研究基础之上所进行。
In one investigation for example, researchers found that hearing a loud sound first then makes a soft sound seem to sound even softer. 比如在一项调查中研究人员发现先听嘈杂的音乐后再听柔和的音乐会让后者听起来更动人。
Researchers call this effect hedonic contrast—the perception or pleasure gained from something is affected by how it compares to other similar stimuli. 研究者们称这是愉悦感的对比效应—人们从某样事物中获得的认知及快乐会同其他影响进行比较。
Maybe keep that fact in mind—or on the tip of your tongue—next time you plan your courses. 在下次准备饭菜的时候，要将这点铭记于心，或者让你的舌头也牢记这点。
