Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. A recent research shows people tend to tell more lies in phone conversations than they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded and can come back to haunt you appears to be the key to the finding.
Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation for each medium. He found that lies made up 14 percent of emails, 21 percent of instant messages, 27 percent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 of phone calls.
His results to be presented at the conference on human-computer interaction in Vienna, Austria, in April, have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be the biggest liars, reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable, the detachment（非直接接触）of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to be more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of communication.
But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and whether it occurs in real time. “People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to account,” he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.
“People are also more likely to lie in real time in an instant message or phone call than if they have time to think of a response,” say Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous responses to an unexpected demand, such as, “Do you like my dress?”
Hancock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But, given his result, work assessment where honesty is a priority, might be best done using email.
1.Hancock’s study focuses on ______.
A. the consequences of lying in various communications media
B. the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas
C. people are less likely to lie in instant messages
D. people’s honesty levels across a range of communications media
2.Hancock’s research finding surprised those who believed that ______.
A. people are less likely to lie in instant messages
B. people are unlikely to lie in face-to-face interactions
C. people are most likely to lie in email communication
D. people are twice as likely to lie in phone conversations
3.According to the passage, why are people more likely to tell the truth through certain media of communication?
A. They are afraid of leaving behind traces of their lies.
B. They believe that honesty is the best policy.
C. They tend to be relaxed when using those media.
D. They are most practiced at those forms of communication.
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. honesty should be encouraged in interpersonal communications
B. more employers will use emails to communicate with their employees
C. suitable media should be chosen for different communication purposes
D. email is now the dominant medium of communication within a company
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. Green said, "Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would 21 ."
Blue interrupted, "You only think about the 22 , but consider the sky and the sea. 23 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 24 ."
Yellow chuckled（笑道）, "You are all so serious. I bring laughter, fun, and 25 into the world."
Orange started next to blow her trumpet, "I am the color of health and strength. I may be 26 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. When I fill the sky 27 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 28 to any of you."
Red could stand it 29 and he shouted out, "I am the ruler of all of you. I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to 30 truth. I am also the color of passion and of love."
Then came Purple and Indigo（深蓝）….
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 31 . Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder. Rain started to pour down 32 . The colors crouched（蜷缩）down 33 , drawing close to one another for comfort.
In the midst of the clamor（叫嚷）, rain began to speak, "You foolish colors, fighting 34
yourselves, each trying to dominate 35 . Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 36 ? Join hands with 37 and come to me."
Doing as they were told, the colors 38 and joined hands. They formed a colorful rainbow. From then on, whenever a good rain 39 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky. They remember to 40 one another.
1.A. stay B. leave C. go out D. die
2.A. earth B. moon C. star D. sun
3.A. That is B. I am C. It is D. This is
4.A. anything B. nothing C. something D. everything
5.A. warmth B. sadness C. depression D. anxiety
6.A. usual B. normal C. common D. scarce
7.A. at midnight B. at noon or at night C. at sunrise or sunset D. during the day
8.A. gift B. honor C. thought D. respect
9.A. for more B. any more C. very much D. no longer
10.A. turn to B. fight for C. struggle with D. bend over
11.A. superiority B. disadvantages C. inferiority D. weakness
12.A. gently B. quietly C. violently D. peacefully
13.A. with care B. in fear C. by chance D. on purpose
14.A. amongst B. by C. for D. against
15.A. others B. themselves C. the other D. the rest
16.A. equal and simple B. ordinary and similar C. more or less D. unique and different
17.A. each other B. me C. one another D. them
18.A. combined B. separated C. united D. divided
19.A. cleans B. washes C. brightens D. dampens
20.A. appreciate B. quarrel with C. ignore D. praise
Traffic is bad, ______ in the city center during the rush hours.
A. particularly B. terribly C. mostly D. normally
—What made Alice so upset? —______.
A. Peter’s leaving without saying goodbye B. Peter left without saying goodbye
C. Peter was leaving without saying goodbye D. Peter had left without saying goodbye
Every Monday morning, students in our school would stand at attention, watching the national flag ______.
A. raising B. rising C. being risen D. being raised
Getting out of the crowded bus, ______
A. her cell phone was found missing B. her cell phone was nowhere to be found
C.she found her cell phone missing D. Her cell phone couldn’t be found
