Jamie Goldfarb had finished reading the last bedtime book to her three-year-old son, Kai, when he told her he was hungry. The mum usually complied with such requests since Kai had difficulty feeding as a baby. But this time, as she headed downstairs to fetch a banana, she heard him murmur, “Now that’s how you get a fourth book.”
Goldfarb was astonished that her sweet child would tell her a lie, but experts would say that Kai was engaging in complicated cognitive reasoning (认知推理) in his successful attempt for extra storytime. And according to researchers, lying provides a rich workout for developing brains.
Though experts agree that there’s no particular area in the brain leading to telling lies, certain regions of the brain are engaged during the construction of a lie. The brain must also juggle (兼顾) emotions, memories, and knowledge about another person, as well as think about alternative paths the lie could take. “It’s really a whole network of complex interactions (互动),” says US psychologist Immordino-Yang. And that’s why the ability to lie develops over time, as a young brain develops.
Starting around two years old, a child is probably going to tell his first lie to keep from getting in trouble — and he probably won’t be very good at it. Older preschool-age children tend to try to lie as a way to make themselves look better. “They may claim they did something that they didn’t do because they want to get praise, or they exaggerate (夸张) because they want the parent to think, ‘Oh wow, you’re amazing,’” says Victoria Talwar, author of the book The Truth About Lying. As children enter elementary school, their more-developed brains can craft more complex lies.
Parents might feel disappointed when they catch their children being untruthful, but experts advise avoiding shaming them — or calling them liars. “That won’t necessarily promote the behaviour you want,” Talwar says. Instead, she suggests parents focus on the behaviour they’d like a child to exhibit and use language that encourages truth-telling. When the lie is more involved, experts recommend having a direct conversation about it.
8. What do the underlined words “complied with” in paragraph 1 mean?
A.Let down. | B.Relied on. | C.Gave in to. | D.Made use of. |
9. What can we learn about telling lies from paragraph 3?
A.It is unavoidable in children’s life. |
B.It is based on complex brain activities. |
C.It is controlled by a specific area in the brain. |
D.It is likely to hold back the development of brains. |
10. What is the main reason why older preschool-age children lie?
A.To have fun. | B.To protect others. |
C.To win praise. | D.To avoid getting in trouble. |
11. What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.Suggestions on solving children’s lies. |
B.Possible harm to children if they are called liars. |
C.Influence of children’s lies on parent-child relationships. |
D.Relationships between children’s telling lies and their daily behaviour. |