How Many Lies Do the Children Tell You? Mothers who feel their children don’t ap

How Many Lies Do the Children Tell You?

Mothers who feel their childrendon’t appreciate them can add another complaint to the list: half the time,their children are lying to them. A study designed to expose the truth about lyingshows that undergraduates lie to their mothers in 46% of their conversations.Still, mums should feel better than-total strangers, who are told lies anastonishing 77% of the time.

Bella DePaulo and a team ofpsychologists from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, asked 77undergraduates to keep a record of all their conversations for a week, andwrite down whether they lied at any time. DePaulo named lying broadly, as “whenyou intentionally try to mislead someone”, so she would catch the smallest oflies.

The students told an average oftwo lies a day. They said they had been studying when they had been out drinking.One told his parents that a textbook cost $50 rather than $20 so that theywould send him extra money. Female students constantly told their plain-lookingroommates that they were pretty. “They are everyday lies,” says DePaulo.

DePaulo and her colleaguesconclude that people tend to tell fewer lies to those they feel closest to.College students lied to their best friends 28% of the time but lied toacquaintances 48% of the time. In close relationships, people were more likelyto tell “kind-hearted” lies, designed to protect feelings, rather thanself-serving lies.

DePaulo finds that unmarriedlovers can expect less honesty than best friends because of the insecurity thatcomes with romance.

Mothers can take heart from oneother finding. They may have been lied to, but at least their children talkedto them. The students were recorded telling few lies to their fathers becausethey had little interaction with them.

1. Female students lied to their roommates to ________.

    A. get money fromthem                B.offer them the services

    C. gain moresecurity                 D. make them happy

2. According to the passage, college students told fewer lies to________.

    A.mothers                          B. best friends

    C.acquaintances                      D.romantic partners

3. Which of the following statements is correct ?

    A. Undergraduates lie totheir mothers in 77% of their conversations.

    B. Strangers become veryannoyed when children tell lies to them.

    C. Compared with mothers,students’ fathers are told fewer lies.

    D. Best friends canexpect more insecurity than unmarried lovers.

4.What is the purpose of this article ?

    A. To present afact.                   B. To argue an idea.

    C. To tell astory.                      D.To explain a theory.

试题答案

【答案】

DBCA

【解析】略