Question

Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. The first study to compare honesty across a range of communication media has found that people are twice as likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded―and can come back to haunt (困扰) 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 percent of phone calls.

His results to be presented at the conference on humancomputer 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 lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practised 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 a instant message or phone call―than if they have time to think of a response,says Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous (脱口而出的) 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.

(   ) 5. 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

(   ) 6. 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

(   ) 7. 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.

(   ) 8. According to Hancock the telephone is a preferable medium for promoting sales because         .

   A. salesmen can talk directly to their customers

   B. salesmen may feel less restrained to exaggerate

   C. salesmen can impress customers as being trustworthy

   D. salesmen may pass on instant messages effectively

Answer 1

5. D细节理解题。题干Hancock的研究集中在哪方面。第1段第2句：比较在使用交流媒介时诚实程度的第一项研究发现，人们在电话中说谎的可能性是在电子邮件中的两倍。这里提到的研究就是Hancock的研究，故答案为D项。

6. C细节理解题。根据题干需要在文中定位的依然是Hancock的研究，但关键是给人们带来的惊讶，对于哪些人来说由第3段第1 、2句：他的研究使心理学家大吃一惊。有的原以为人们写电子邮件时最容易撒谎，他们推断说，欺骗使人不舒服，电子邮件不需要直接接触会使撒谎变得容易些，故答案为C项。

7. A推理判断题。题干是根据这篇短文，为什么使用某种媒介交流时人们更易说实话？第4 段2、3句：如果知道交流的内容事后能被用来再次阅读，人们似乎就害怕撒谎。这就是为什么电子邮件中的谎言比电话中少的原因，故答案为A项，他们害怕留下撒谎的痕迹。

8. B推理判断题。题干是根据Hancock的研究，电话是促销的可取媒介。第6段第2句：电话可能是销售的最好媒介，打电话时雇员可以夸大事实，故答案为B项，在夸大事实时推销员会感到受限制较少。