Question

“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?” Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining, Tori brags, “You bet I did. Sean told me two days ago.”

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman. I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic–breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.” In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of  belonging or even superiority(优越感).

Gossip also can have a third effect: it strengthens unwritten, unspoken rules about how people should act. Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group. Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said, then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention. The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation. The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news, think about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story” might have.

1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to        .

A. introduce a topic    B. present an argument

C. describe the characters    D. clarify his writing purpose

2.An important negative effects of gossip is that it        .

A. breaks up relationships    B. embarrasses the listener

C. spreads information around    D. causes unpleasant experiences

3.In the author’s opinion, many people like to gossip because it        .

A. gives them a feeling of pleasure    B. helps them to make more friends

C. makes them better at telling stories    D. enables them to meet important people

Answer

1. A

2. D

3. A

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章讨论了传言的危害并举出了例子和人们为什么喜欢传闲话，说闲话带给人们的满足感以及流言带来的影响。

1.推理判断题。答案定位在第三段Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话).即我们的话题很多都是闲话，可知开头的对话是为了引出本文的主题，故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group. 流言蜚语的一个重要负面影响是它会带来不愉快的经历，故选D。

3.细节理解题。答案定位在第五段The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us.可知人们散播传言是因为它会带来快乐感，故选A。