Feature

Question

The Mystery of Hiccups

Rebecca Sparling

1Hiccups are an annoying little fact of life. While the strange condition often lasts for only a few moments, some people suffer from hiccups for much longer. Iowa farmer Charles Osborne had the hiccups for sixty-eight years. Other than the hiccups, Osborne lived a relatively healthy life. Doctors couldn’t find any reason for Osborne’s hiccups. His case remains a medical mystery. Luckily, most cases of hiccups resolve themselves in a matter of minutes.

2Hiccups are an interruption of your breathing pattern. When you breathe normally, you take in air through your nose or mouth. The air passes through the throat on its way to your lungs. Of course, food also passes through the throat as it travels to the stomach. Your epiglottis keeps food and air going in the right directions. This tiny valve opens your airway wide when you breathe in and closes when you eat.

3A dome-shaped muscle called the diaphragm assists in the breathing process. The diaphragm sits between the chest and the stomach. When you breathe in, the diaphragm pulls down to help open your airway. The muscle pushes up when you breathe out. Sometimes, the diaphragm will shudder, causing you to take a short, quick breath. The closing epiglottis interrupts the breath and a hiccup escapes your mouth.

4Your diaphragm might shudder for several different reasons. Swallowing too much food or too much air is the main cause of hiccups. Eating spicy foods or drinking fizzy sodas can also upset the diaphragm. Scientists have found that rapid changes in temperature in or outside the body might contribute to hiccups. This is why you might find your breathing interrupted after taking a sip of hot cocoa on a chilly day. Shock, excitement, and anxiety can also cause an attack of the hiccups.

5Because hiccups are uncomfortable, most people want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Many people have their own special treatments for the hiccups. Some people believe that a spoonful of sugar is the best solution to a severe case of hiccups. Others hold their breath to interrupt their breathing patterns, allowing their diaphragms time to calm down. Other tricks include drinking a large glass of water, breathing into a paper bag, and drinking a cup of tea. Sometimes people try to scare the hiccups away. These people think a sudden surprise will cause their diaphragms to start working properly again. Whatever method you choose, remember that hiccups usually stop all by themselves. If you take a few deep breaths, your hiccups should go away in no time.
Question

The author MOST LIKELY chose the picture included with the passage to
Responses

A Show that the cure to hiccups is to avoid drinking carbonated drinks.Show that the cure to hiccups is to avoid drinking carbonated drinks.

B Suggest that bears get hiccups too and that this is a serious problem..Suggest that bears get hiccups too and that this is a serious problem..

C Lighten up the mood and suggest that the "mystery" is not a serious one.Lighten up the mood and suggest that the "mystery" is not a serious one.

D Give a diagram of where in the body hiccups occur so people can fix them.Give a diagram of where in the body hiccups occur so people can fix them.

Answer 1

The author MOST LIKELY chose the picture included with the passage to:

C. Lighten up the mood and suggest that the "mystery" is not a serious one.

This choice aligns with the overall tone of the passage, which discusses hiccups in an informative but light-hearted manner and emphasizes that they are usually a temporary and non-serious issue.