Question

“Mind your own business．” we’re told．“Don’t talk about others behind their backs．”The problem with this advice is that，not only is it unrealistic，it’s also counterproductive(起反作用的)．

    Common sense holds that gossip(流言蜚语)hurts people’s feelings and damages relationships．But recent research shows the opposite—that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip．

    Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior．“If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly，his gossip is letting you in on something，”says Dr．Ralph Rosnow of Temple University．“Gossip says：these are the boundaries and you are crossing them．You’re not abiding by the rules and you’d better get back in line．” Seen this way，gossip is a way to communicate criticism(批评)without conflict(冲突)，giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face．

    On the other hand，what about ill-willed gossip，the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don’t and，in nearly every country in the world，gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers．According to researchers，however，this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective(正确地)．“If we read bad news about well-known people，or get the frightful details of our neighbors’ bad situation over a cup of coffee，our own problems begin to pale in comparison(对比)，”says Dr．Jack Levin of Northeastern University．

    However，that doesn’t mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing，either．Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they’re under a lot of stress．This might be because while they’re busy talking about other people，they’re also busy thinking what other people are saying about them．
1.What is the purpose of the text?

A．To encourage us to spread gossip about others．

B．To prevent us from spreading gossip about others。

C．To make a comparison between good gossip and bad gossip．

D．To recognize certain positive functions of gossip．

2.According to the passage，people in general think that__________．

A．it’s a bad habit to gossip

B．nobody pays attention to gossip

C．not all the gossip you hear is worth believing

D．it’s necessary to have a nice gossip with a friend or neighbor

3.The underlined phrase “abiding by” in Paragraph 3 most probably means“________”．

A．making                                B．breaking                                C．obeying                  D．changing

4.It could be learned from the passage that__________.

A. people under much stress enjoy gossiping about others.

B. in a way gossip helps us deal with our own problems.

C. in fact most people tend to believe gossip.

D. the more there is gossip, the stronger relationships become between people.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：作者从两句生活中常听到的话引入本文，“管好你自己的事。”我们被告诉。“不要在背后谈论别人。”这一建议的问题在于，它不仅是不现实的，这也是起反作用的。接下来作者从对八卦的正面作用与反面作用进行了事实例举，从中可以选择正确的方式进行闲聊，八卦是一个社会普遍存在的现象。

1.细节理解题。问题：短文的目的是什么？分析：通过读全文发现主要目的是讲正确对待八卦的正面认识。故选：D

2.细节理解题。问题：根据短文，一般人们的想法？分析原句：“Mind your own business．”we’re told．“Don’t talk about others behind their backs。”句意：“管好你自己的事。”我们被告诉。“不要在背后谈论别人。”其实在生活经常会听到这样的告诫，说明多数是认为闲聊是不好的，故选：A

3.细节理解题。问题：在第三段中这个短语的最接近的意思？分析原文：Gossip says：these are the boundaries and you are crossing them．You’re not abiding by the rules and you’d better get back in line．句意：八卦说:这些都是你穿越的边界和你不遵守规则,你最好回来。规则为不遵守，也就是划线的词组为遵守，结合选项making 做；breaking破坏；obeying遵守；changing改变。从中得知答案，故选：C

4.细节理解题。问题：通过短文能了解到什么?结合选项：第一项：人们在压力下享受关于别人的闲语。第二项：通过八卦能帮助我们处理自己的问题。第三项：事实上大多数人倾向于相信流言蜚语。第四项：八卦越多，人们之间的关系变得越强。了解短文的内容得知只用第二项符合，故选：B

考点：社会现象类阅读。