Question

    When there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust?

According to a new study in the online PLOSOne, people make their decisions to trust others largely based on their faces. Your appearance can do a lot for you, especially if you are in the financial industry. The more trustworthy you look, the more likely people will buy what you’re selling.

Researchers from Britain’s University of Warwick Business School, University College London, and Dartmouth College, US, did a number of experiments.

The research team used computer software to make 40 faces, from the least to the most trustworthy-looking. The study said that the difference between a trustworthy face and one that isn’t as trustworthy comes from features that look slightly angry or slightly happy, even when the face is at rest. However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted. Researchers gave participants some money and asked them which face they trusted to invest the money for them. Then researchers gave some good and bad information about the people with these faces, and asked the participants again whom they trusted. The results showed that even if they got different information, the participants didn’t change their choices. They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces.

Chris Olivola, one of the study’s authors, said in the University of Warwick’s press release: “It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them.”

1.According to the study, which of the following faces is most likely to be trusted?

A.An embarrassed face. B.A disappointed face.

C.A smiling face. D.A nervous face.

2.What do we know about the experiments?

A.Most participants gave their money to the trustworthy-looking faces.

B.Researchers took photos of the 40 people’s faces in colleges.

C.The trustworthy faces were given good information.

D.Participants liked to choose the faces with good information.

3.Which of the following best explains “instincts” underlined in the last paragraph?

A.Feelings rather than opinions or ideas based on facts.

B.Judgements that are easily changed by others.

C.Good information that are given by people around.

D.Opinions that grow out of social practice.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.Why people trust a stranger with good appearance.

B.People usually judge strangers according to their faces.

C.How different information affects people’s decisions.

D.Why the research team carried out the experiment.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.A

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项调查研究，发现人们会对笑脸更信任，会把钱给值得信任的脸，由此研究人员得出结论，人们往往会看脸来判断陌生人。

1.细节理解题。第四段中的However, a slightly happy face is more likely to be trusted. 然而，一张略带快乐的脸更有可能被信任。只有快乐才会笑，可知笑脸是最值得信任的脸，选项C切题，故选C。

2.细节理解题。第四段的最后They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces. 他们仍然更有可能把钱投资在更值得信赖的面孔上。这就是我们从试验中知道的：绝大多数参与者把钱给了更值得信赖的面孔。选项A切题，故选A。

3.词义猜测题。根据倒数第二段They were still more likely to invest their money with the more trustworthy-looking faces.他们仍然更可能把钱投给那些看起来更值得信任的人。以及画线词后的内容about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them是对画线词的解释：我们是否觉得某人值得信任。可知，画线词所在句子的意思就是我们只从“看起来是的”角度来评判一个人，而不是根据事实或所给的信息来评判，所以画线词是感觉而非建立在事实基础之上的观点或者意见，选项A切题，故选A。

4.主旨大意题。文章一开始的When there are some strangers in front of us, which of them will we trust? 当我们面前有陌生人时，我们信任他们中的哪一个？提出了问题。文章最后的It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them. 看来，我们仍然愿意带着自己的直觉去思考，就是我们认为某人是否看起来可以信任他们。这是调查研究的发现。所以文章主要是介绍了这样一项调查研究发现：人们通常根据他们的脸来判断陌生人。选项B切题，故选B。