D. it may be a sign that you don't care for your friend

　　D

　　It is no secret that millions of people around the world struggle with weight loss. But what if getting rid of unwanted pounds was as simple as distracting (分心) yourself?

　　Now a lot of scientists pay attention to this field and a growing body of research shows that learning to distract yourself may help reduce your food desires.

　　In the short run it might also help keep crazy overeating in check. In one study researchers had fifty five overweight patients do distraction tasks to control their food desires. There were three movements designed by the researchers, including tapping the forehead and ear with an index finger, tapping a toe on the floor, or simply staring at a wall. Among them the finger tapping seemed to help the most, compared with the others.

　　In another study scientists looked at the brain activity of overweight participants as they viewed images of desirable food such as pizza and ice cream. The researchers then observed how mental distraction techniques affected their brain activity. The techniques included thinking about things other than food, accepting the food thoughts and recognizing that they are just thoughts and don't need to be acted upon, thinking about the long-term consequences of overeating, and focusing on the immediate reward of eating the food. The study found that thinking about bad long-term consequences was the best technique for controlling the urge to eat. The technique also caused brain activity in regions related to inhibitory (抑制性) contro1.

　　Researchers don't yet understand how thinking about food in particular ways helps control eating desires, and they are not advocating distraction techniques as a silver bullet for weight loss. But the studies stress the central role of the brain in wishing for food, and how techniques to distract the brain may be part of weight loss puzzle.

32. Which works the best in controlling food desires according to the first study?

　A. Staring at a wall. B. Tapping a toe on the floor.

　C. Tapping the forehead and ear. D. Staring at others' activities.

33. What is the most effective way to distract people from the food according to the second study?

　A. Focusing on the immediate reward of eating it.

　B. Thinking about other things instead of the food.

　C. Accepting the food thoughts but not eating it.

　D. Thinking about the bad results of overeating.

34. What does the underlined phrase "a silver bullet" in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. An effective solution. B. A precious tool