What is the first thing you want to do when you see someone yawn(打哈欠)? You want to yawn, too! Yawning is contagious.

    Scientists have found that all people yawn. Babies start to yawn even before they are born. The earliest yawn takes place when a baby is still inside its mother. When young children are about one year old, they start to yawn when they see others yawning. That's why scientists seem to think yawning is contagious.

    It's no secret that yawning is contagious, but why do we yawn? Well, scientists are not really sure.

    Some think we yawn because we feel bored. Recently scientists studied two groups of students between the ages of 17 and 19. One group watched music videos, and the other watched a boring color test. Scientists compared the numbers of their yawns and found that the color test group yawned more times than the video group.

    Another reason about yawning has to do with breathing. Some scientists believe that when we are bored or tired, we breathe more slowly. As our breathing slows down, we cannot get rid of(去除) enough carbon dioxide (CO₂) in our bodies. When there is too much carbon dioxide, our bodies will tell the brains (大脑) to breathe deeply. The result is a big yawn.                                                           

    In 2007, scientists suggested a new reason. They said that the reason people yawned was to cool down their brains. These scientists found that people who were warmer than others yawned more often.

    Scientists are still trying to find out why yawning happens and why it is so contagious. But they are only sure that when one person yawns, almost everyone else nearby wants to yawn, too.