Almost everyone gossips. And a new study finds that people spend about 52 minutes per day, on average, talking to someone about others who are not present
But here’s the surprise: Despite the assumption that most gossip is trash talk, the study finds the majority of gossip is nonjudgmental chat.
“People love to talk about others,” says Jeremy Cone, a psychologist at Williams College. “Think about your own conversations with a family member or friend: You talk about everyday things that keep you connected. You share your daughter got her driver’s license or your uncle has a kidney stone. Much of it is just documenting facts.”
Of course, the study also finds that some gossip is negative or mean-spirited. About 15% of the gossip included some type of negative judgement.
But even negative gossip can serve a purpose, as more research has found.
“I think gossiping can be a smart thing to do,” says Elena Martinescu who has studied gossip in the workplace. “It allows people to keep track of what’s going on and form social connection with other people.”
Research has shown that gossip can help build group cohesion (凝聚力) and cooperation. “When you gossip, you can keep track of who is contributing to the group and who's being selfish,” Martinescu explains. “And by sharing this information, you can exclude those group members who are social loafers (游手好闲的人).”
“We also found negative gossip makes people likely to repair the aspects of their behavior that they were criticized for,” Martinescu says.
So, say, for instance, you were criticized for always arriving at work late. Hearing that gossip about yourself may motivate you to want to be on time.
Of course, this isn’t a license to be loose lips or to repeat baseless claims that can damage someone’s reputation unfairly. But confiding (吐露个人隐私) in your friends and colleagues and sharing impressions about another person — even when they’re negative — may be helpful.
1. Why do people often gossip according to Jeremy Cone?| A．Because gossip can satisfy their curiosity. | B．Because they can share social information. |
| C．Because they want to correct others’ mistakes. | D．Because spreading negative facts is unavoidable. |
| A．People can be improved in an all-round way. | B．People can get rid of immoral behavior rapidly. |
| C．People can be kept informed of others' privacy. | D．People can change their behavior for the better.. |
| A．It is plain to see that people gossip all the time. |
| B．Based on the study, the majority of gossip is trash talk. |
| C．It’s advisable that we turn a deaf ear to negative gossip. |
| D．It’s likely that gossip helps us know more about one's quality. |
| A．Gossip is the last thing people could do. | B．Gossip should be advocated by the society. |
| C．Gossip may not be as harmful as it sounds. | D．Gossip is the best way to build social bonds. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】It is so easy to just go home and shut your door without getting to know your neighbors. But being an active neighbor will turn your living place into a kinder and more caring neighborhood.
Then get out of your comfort zone and make efforts to know more about your neighbors.
Another way to show your neighbors that you care is by making your small acts of kindness a regular practice. This can be cleaning up the litter or even cleaning up after the pets have made a mess on your block.
Remind yourself that being connected feels good and boosts your mood in the long run. If you take the first step, your small acts of kindness can encourage others to pay that kindness forward.
| A．Or if you have an amazing garden |
| B．Remember, every small gesture counts |
| C．If you want to be respected and cared by your neighbors |
| D．For example, ask for their names and learn what they do for work |
| E．Your attitudes towards your friends also set an example for your kids |
| F．It doesn’t take a lot of money or a generous gesture to be an active neighbor |
| G．In the end, more and more people in the neighborhood will feel much better |
【推荐2】How would you feel if you were invited to the moon? If you found a gold coin, would you save it, give it to charity or use it for a holiday? Personality quizzes of this kind, known as “psychometrics”, have bothered many job seekers. Now, it is being applied to the oldest problem in finance: will a borrower repay?
In rich countries, lenders use credit scores to weigh risk. But just 7% of Africans and 13% of South Asians are covered by credit bureaus (征信机构). Bailey Klinger of the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL), which explores new kinds of credit data, argues that psychometrics could include many more people in the financial system. Everyone has a personality, after all.
Judging character is not new. Psychometrics attempts to make it a science. The model developed by EFL has undergone many tests and adapted to different cultures. Its collected data reflect something unnoticed. For instance, young optimists are risky, but old ones are safe.
Clever design cuts cheating. There are no obvious right answers; responses are cross-checked for consistency. The model monitors mouse movements for signs of indecision or distraction. When borrowers lie to get a loan, they often do so in predictable ways. In an EFL test, people are shown pictures of five drinks and asked which one they would be. Choosing water over something with small bubbles may be a sign of cheating.
This sounds fanciful, but there is evidence that it works. In one Indonesian bank, combining psychometrics with existing customer data cut default (违约) rates for small businesses by 45%. A study by the World Bank found that EFL’s model increased lending to those without a credit history.
The technique needs further development. At present, turning to credit bureaus is still the best way to tell if somebody will repay a loan. But bureaus improve more slowly than technology. Lenders will find ever more ways to look into their customers’ souls.
1. What are the figures intended to show in paragraph 2?| A．Uncertain property of poor people. | B．Racial discrimination from lenders. |
| C．Current weakness of credit bureaus. | D．Great risks brought by credit scores. |
| A．Its data confirm some ideas. | B．It has been greatly improved. |
| C．Its effects vary with cultures. | D．It can’t tell characters exactly. |
| A．Lenders’ answers. | B．Drinks with bubbles. |
| C．Borrowers’ responses. | D．Pictures of five drinks. |
| A．It is beyond the expectation | B．It will replace credit bureaus. |
| C．It will be mature in the future. | D．It has won most lenders’ love. |
【推荐3】The art of public speaking began in ancient Greece over 2,000 years go. Now, twitter, instant messaging, e-mail, blogs and chat forums offer rival approaches to communication - but none can replace the role of a great speech.
The spoken word can handle various vital functions: persuading or inspiring, informing, paying tribute, entertaining, or simply introducing someone or something or accepting something. Over the past year, the human voice has helped guide us over the ups and downs of what was certainly a stormy time.
Persuasion is used in dealing with or reconciling different points of view. When the leaders met in Copenhagen in December 2009, persuasive words from activists encouraged them to commit themselves to firmer action. Inspirational speeches confront the emotions. They focus on topics and matters that are close to people's hearts. During wars, generals used inspiring speeches to prepare the troops for battle.
A speech that conveys knowledge and enhances understanding can inform us. The information must be clear, accurate, and expressed in meaningful and interesting way. When the H1N1 pandemic（流行病）was announced, the idea of "swine flu" scared many people. Informative speeches from World Health Organization officials helped people to keep their panic under control so they could take sensible precautions.
Sad events are never easy to deal with, but a speech that pays tribute to the loss of a loved one and gives praise for their contribution can be comforting. Madonna's speech about Michael Jackson, after his death, highlighted the fact that he will continue to live on through his music.
It's not only in world forums where public speaking plays an important role. It can also be surprisingly helpful in the course of our own lives.
If you're taking part in a debate you need to persuade the listeners of the soundness of your argument. In sports, athletes know the importance of a pep talk（鼓舞士气的讲话）before a match to inspire teammates. You yourself may be asked to do a presentation at college or work to inform the others about an area of vital importance.
On a more personal level, a friend may be upset and need comforting. Or you might be asked to introduce a speaker at a family event or to speak at a wedding, where your language will be needed to move people or make them laugh.
Great speaking ability is not something we're born with. Even Barack Obama works hard to perfect every speech. For a brilliant speech, there are rules that you can put to good use. To learn those rules, you have to practice and learn from some outstanding speeches in the past.
1. The author thinks the spoken word is still irreplaceable because _______.| A．it has always been used to inspire or persuade people. |
| B．it has a big role to play in the entertainment business. |
| C．it plays important roles in human communication. |
| D．it is of great use in everyday-life context. |
| A．Speeches at world forums can lead to effective solutions to world problems. |
| B．Speeches from medical authorities can calm people down in times of pandemics. |
| C．The morale of soldiers before a battle can be boosted by senior officers' speeches. |
| D．Speeches paying tribute to the dead can comfort the mourners. |
| A．It comes from observing rules. |
| B．It can be perfected with easy effort. |
| C．It can be acquired from birth. |
| D．It comes from learning and practice. |
| A．Public speaking in international forums. |
| B．The many uses of public speaking. |
| C．Public speaking in daily life context. |
| D．The rules of public speaking. |
【推荐1】As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes（笔画）of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school(小学). And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
"When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it."
"I'm not in the mood(状态) to write when faced with a pen and paper."
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said "Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them"
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的)and in universities, some professors are asking students to hand in their homework and essays written by hand.
1. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?| A．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing. |
| B．To Type or To Hand Write |
| C．Writing By Computer Will Replace Writing By Hand |
| D．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters. |
| A．they are usually asked to e-mail their Homework and Essays |
| B．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| C．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China. |
| A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting, |
| C．Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s self-confidence |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
| A．getting bored with | B．getting dependent on |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting curious about |
【推荐2】Before she leaves home in San Francisco, California, Jennifer Schaefer, puts on long sleeves and a big hat she calls her “personal umbrella.” With her fair skin, red hair, memories of bad childhood sunburn, and a family history of skin cancer, Schaefer is painfully aware of the danger of exposure to ultraviolet(紫外线) radiation, which accounts for the vast majority of skin cancers.
So she finds it unbelievable how few people bother with sun safety, with most preferring sun worship to sun protection. “In our culture, it’s almost funny to be too protected,” she says, highlighting the way her friends tease her when she puts on her bathing suit-a protective 'rash guard' top and knee-length board shorts.＂We're slowly starting to become aware of the long-term effects of the sun, but it's like global warming-people are not going to make serious changes until they feel a direct impact."
That impact has helped push Australians, who are famous for sun loving, into changing their behavior. With its high solar ultraviolet levels and mostly fair-skinned population, Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. But after decades of increase, the melanoma(黑色瘤) rate began to stay at a steady level in the mid-1990s.The incidence of melanoma among young people's is now falling, as national surveys show that most Australians-more than 70% of adults and 55%of adolescents-no longer prefer a tan(棕褐色).
A 2013 study shows that, in addition to Australis, a handful of countries-notably New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Norway, the Czech Republic(for women)and the United States(for white men)-have melanoma rates that are declining or stabilizing among young people.
Back in San Francisco, Jennifer Schaefer is doing her best to educate the next generation. Her eldest daughter automatically puts on a hat to go outside. “Habits really start in children-it is like brushing your teeth,” she says.
1. By describing Schaefer's bathing suit, the author suggests that Schaefer_____.| A．does not mind the teasing by her friends |
| B．attaches great importance to sun protection |
| C．goes to extreme measures to avoid the sun |
| D．is more interested in surfing than sunbathing |
| A．Sun protection programs are developing quickly. |
| B．Their citizens prefer to be pale rather than get tanned. |
| C．Skin cancer rates are not increasing among the young. |
| D．Women and white men have the lowest rates of melanoma. |
| A．It makes the conclusion more meaningful. |
| B．It makes a complex concept easier to understand. |
| C．A serious topic is made more cheerful and attractive. |
| D．A familiar example supports the point made by the author. |
| A．To help individuals know how to make medical decisions. |
| B．To call for more research into ultraviolet radiation effect. |
| C．To draw the public's attention to ultraviolet radiation effect. |
| D．To honor a mother for her research into ultraviolet radiation. |
【推荐3】“The mangoes nearly killed us,” said Julie McKenzie with a smile and a celebratory sundowner drink in her hand, (pleasant) recalling the backbreaking 10-hour shifts harvesting tropical fruit in northern Australia.
For the past few weeks, the 60-year-old grandmother has been working alongside her 64-year-old husband, Ian McKenzie, picking grapes in the heat of summer in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.
The couple from the port city of Newcastle, north of Sydney, are grey nomads (游牧民；不断更换工作的人), a growing cohort (一群人) of older Australians who have swapped (交换) the comfort and familiarity of the suburbs for a life on the road following the fruit-picking trail.
The exact numbers of grey nomads crisscrossing Australia (贯穿澳大利亚) are unknown, but academics have estimated there are tens of thousands constantly on the move, and around a quarter of those have sold their homes. For some, trips away can last for a few months, while others travel indefinitely. Unlike itinerant snowbirds (流动的候鸟族) in North America, who travel south in recreational vehicles to escape the winter, Australia’s wandering retirees do it year-round.
“It is quite a phenomenon,” said Tim Harcourt, an economist at the University of New South Wales Business School. “Retired people don’t want to stop working. They want to combine a bit of fruit picking, a bit of leisure and a bit of traveling in their retirement. There is actually a shortage of people needed for fruit picking, so having these experienced workers is a really good thing,” he said.
In other corners of the world, including Spain and Sweden, the fruit picking industry is beset (v.困扰/ adj.充满的) by poor conditions and meager (少的；不足的) wages, and often involves unskilled migrants or illegal immigrants.
Retirees join the fruit picking trail for different reasons. Some do it for a change of lifestyle; some do it to escape boredom. For the McKenzies, a health scare followed by brain surgery prompted (促使) 64-year-old Ian McKenzie to walk away from the pressures of his old life working in logistics in search of something more peaceful. “After about four months (on the road) all the stress seemed to drop away…and we realized that we were free and we could do what we wanted to,” he explained. “We’ll do anything and have done anything.”
1. How do the McKenzies feel about their life now?| A．Tough and unbearable. | B．Happy and hasty. |
| C．Adventurous and relaxed. | D．Tough but pleasant. |
| A．Snowbirds travel in recreational vehicles but grey nomads travel in vans. |
| B．Grey nomads sold their houses but the snowbirds keep their property. |
| C．Snowbirds travel in winters but grey nomads are always on the move. |
| D．Grey nomads work a lot while snowbirds travel for recreational purpose. |
| A．providing experienced service |
| B．enjoying their work without complaining |
| C．doing everything legally |
| D．staying on the farm for a very long time |
| A．To change their lifestyle. | B．To avoid boredom. |
| C．To maintain their health. | D．To make a fortune. |
【推荐1】The amount of plastic pollution in the oceans is rapidly increasing. This is problematic, as at least 700 species of sea animals — including sharks, whales seabirds and turtles — can be trapped in the stuff or mistake it for a tasty snack. While we know that some species seem to eat plastic because it looks like jellyfish or some other food source, less research has been carried out into what sea plastic smells like to sea animals.
But now, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found that the coating of algae and microbes (藻类、微生物) that naturally builds up on ocean plastics causes the rubbish to give off the smell of food.
The researchers took 15 healthy turtles, each around five months old and placed them in a laboratory aquarium (水族箱). They then piped in clean water, clean plastic, turtle food, and plastic that had been down in the sea environment for five weeks. The turtles showed no reaction to the smell of clean water or clean plastic. But when they were exposed to the smells of ocean plastic or turtle food, they exhibited hunting behaviour — like sticking their noses out of the water and showing increased activity.
“This finding is important because it’s the first demonstration that the smell of ocean plastics causes animals to eat them,” said Dr Kenneth J Lohmann, who took part in the study.
“It’s common to find the sea turtles with their digestive systems fully or partially blocked because they’ve eaten plastic materials There also are increasing reports of sea turtles that have been ill and stranded on the beach due to their swallow of plastic.”
“Once these plastics are in the ocean we don’t have a good way to remove them or prevent them from smelling like food” said Lohmann. “The best thing we can do is to keep plastic from getting into the ocean at all.”
1. What does the new research mainly focus on?| A．What has caused the sea plastic pollution. |
| B．What sea plastic smells like to sea animals. |
| C．How dangerous the sea environment is. |
| D．How dangerous the sea plastic pollution is. |
| A．The turtles of 5 months old are the most healthy ones. |
| B．The turtles prefer dirty environments to clean ones. |
| C．The clean plastic has no certain smell to attract turtles. |
| D．The clean plastic is more dangerous than the ocean plastic. |
| A．trapped | B．rescued | C．harmed | D．treated |
| A．Sea turtles and sea environment | B．Sea turtles and their enemies |
| C．Sea turtles and sea food chain | D．Sea turtles and sea plastics |
【推荐2】Life on the ISS
Waking up
Mission control wakes the crew up by turning on the lights at 6 a.m. The day starts the same as it would on Earth. While you wet your brush with water that will stick to its bristles (刷毛), the toothbrush and the tube of toothpaste can be left to float in the air, which is rarely seen on earth. After breakfast, the crew calls down to mission control for a planning conference to run through the day’s schedule.
Maintenance
Then it is time for household chores. Most days, the ISS requires routine maintenance and safety checks. One day it might be moving some supplies; another day could involve repairing an essential piece of equipment.
A visit to the gym
One of the main aims of the ISS is to discover how weightlessness affects the human body. Astronauts lose muscle strength in space and are more likely to break their bones once they return to Earth. To slow this process down, each crew member is required to exercise for at least two hours a day.
Mealtimes
Food comes in several forms. Dehydrated (脱水的) meals come in small bags, and spices are also available, just like on the table back home. But salt and pepper have been transformed into liquids.
Experiments
Each astronaut spends part of their day on experiments in the labs on the ISS, so that scientists back on Earth can better understand how the conditions in space affect things. Mice, ants, fish and worms have all been sent to the station to see how zero-gravity affects their bodies and behavior.
Free time
Once the crew has finished their scheduled tasks for the day, they are free to spend any remaining time they have left from their evening. Perhaps the most popular pastime is to simply watch the Earth spinning silently below the station.
1. According to the article, ISS astronauts’ daily routine is different from ours on Earth in terms of the way they _____.| A．work out | B．having their meals |
| C．brush their teeth | D．do household chores |
| A．do experiments on animals | B．have pepper with their food |
| C．decide their own work schedules | D．carry out routine maintenance alone |
| A．The ISS acts as a scientific research lab in outer space. |
| B．Mission control is of little importance to the success of a space mission. |
| C．In the long term, zero-gravity has no negative effect on the human body. |
| D．Astronauts rarely watch the Earth from the ISS for fear of getting homesick. |
【推荐3】In the animal kingdom, killer whales (虎鲸) are social stars: they travel in varied family groups, care for grandchildren, and even imitate human speech. Now, scientists are adding one more behavior to the list: forming fast friendships. A new study shows killer whales can rival animals such as chimpanzees and macaques (a kind of monkey), and even humans when it comes to the kind of “social touch” that indicates strong bonds.
Some ocean animals maintain social structures — including male dolphins that learn the “names” of their close allies (盟友). But there is little data about wild killer whales. That’s where drone (无人机) technology came in. Michael Weiss, a behavioral ecologist, teamed up with his colleagues to launch drones, flying them 30 to 120 meters above a group of killer whales. That was high enough not to trouble the whales, marking the first time drones have been used to study friendly physical contact in whales.
The researchers recorded over 800 instances of physical contact between individuals. Those included hugs, back-to-back and nose-to-nose touches between pairs of whales. Other whales playfully threw young whales into the air, letting them fall into the water. Besides, the drone images revealed clear preferences among individuals, usually for one “best friend” of the same sex and age. Take J49 and J51 — two distantly related young males aged 9 and 6 — for instance. “Every time you see a group of whales, those two are right there interacting with each other,” Weiss says.
The young led most of these interactions, rather than the older females or males. Older males in particular were less important. “The young individuals really seem to be the glue holding the groups together,” Weiss says. As individuals age, this gradual loss of “centrality” is known in many social mammals, including humans. That finding is “especially appealing” to Stacey Tecot, who wasn’t involved in the study. “Scientists have long observed this social aging trend in animals, but there are still many unanswered questions,” she says. That’s certainly on the researchers’ radar. “We’re already gathering new data, with more advanced equipment,” says Weiss.
1. What does the underlined word “rival” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Benefit from. | B．Be equal to. | C．Depend on. | D．Be fond of. |
| A．The research method. | B．The variety of species. |
| C．The size of the research team. | D．The time spent on the research. |
| A．They have a stable friendship. | B．Their interactions are more complicated. |
| C．Their communicating ways change frequently. | D．They prefer playing with young female whales. |
| A．More researchers will be involved in the study. |
| B．Other scientists take a negative attitude to the research. |
| C．Researchers will collect more data to study killer whales. |
| D．Researchers will uncover the social aging trend in animals soon. |
