Why do people read negative Internet comments and do other things that will obviously be painful? Because humans have an inherent need to  1  uncertainty, according to a recent study in Psychological Science. The new research reveals that the need to know is so strong that people will  2  to satisfy their curiosity even when it is clear the answer will  3  .

In a series of four experiments, behavioral scientists at the University of Chicago and the Wisconsin School of Business tested students' willingness to  4  themselves to unpleasant stimuli in an effort to satisfy curiosity. For one5, each participant was shown a pile of pens that the researcher claimed were from a previous experiment. The twist? Half of the pens would  6  an electric shock when clicked.

Twenty-seven students were told which pens were electrified; another twenty-seven were told only that some were electrified. 7  left alone in the room, the students who did not know which ones would shock them clicked more pens and incurred more shocks than the students who knew what would  8  .Subsequent experiments reproduced this effect with other stimuli,  9  the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard and photographs of disgusting insects.

The drive to  10  is deeply rooted in humans, much the same as the basic drives for  11  or shelter, says Christopher Hsee of the University of Chicago. Curiosity is often considered a good instinct-it can  12  new scientific advances, for instance-but sometimes such  13  can backfire. The insight that curiosity can drive you to do  14  things is a profound one.

Unhealthy curiosity is possible to  15  , however. In a final experiment, participants who were encouraged to  16  how they would feel after viewing an unpleasant picture were less likely to  17  to see such an image. These results suggest that imagining the  18  of following through on one's curiosity ahead of time can help determine  19  it is worth the endeavor."Thinking about long-term  20  is key to reducing the possible negative effects of curiosity ,"  Hsee says. In other words,  don't read online comments.

 l.[A] protect  [B] resolve  [C] discuss  [D] ignore

 2.[A] refuse  [B] wait   [C] regret   [D] seek

 3.[A] hurt  [B] last   [C] mislead  [D] rise

 4.[A] alert    [B] tie   [C] treat    [D] expose

 5.[A] message [B] review  [C] trial    [D] concept

 6.[A] remove  [B] weaken  [C] interrupt  [D] deliver

 7.[A] When   [B] If   [C] Though  [D] Unless

 8.[A] continue   [B] happen  [C] disappear   [D] change

 9.[A] rather than [B] regardless of  [C] such as  [D] owing to

 10.[A] discover   [B] forgive  [C] forget   [D] disagree

 ll.[A] pay   [B] marriage   [C] schooling   [D] food

 12.[A] lead to [B] rest on  [C] learn from  [D] begin with

 13.[A] withdrawal [B] persistence  [C] inquiry  [D] diligence

 14.[A] self-reliant [B] self-destructive [C]self-evident [D] self-deceptive

 15.[A] define  [B] resist   [C] replace  [D] trace

 16.[A] overlook   [B] predict  [C] design  [D] conceal

 17.[A] remember  [B] promise  [C] choose  [D] pretend

 18.[A] relief  [B] plan    [C] duty    [D] outcome

 19.[A] why   [B] whether   [C] where  [D] how

 20.[A] consequences   [B] investments   [C] strategies  [D] limitations