Security guard, truck driver, salesperson—year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job dismal—unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement—these three gigs stand out for another reason: They’re characterized either by a lack of conversation or by obligatory but meaningless small talk.
Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under investigation. In one study, researchers eavesdropped on undergraduates for four days, then cataloged each overheard conversation as either “small talk” (“What do you have there? Popcorn? Yummy!”) or “substantive” (“So did they get divorced soon after?”). They found that the second type correlated with happiness—the happiest students had roughly twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the least content students.
But don’t write off chitchat just yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote bonding. Late last year, Princeton researchers reported that ring-tailed lemurs reserve their call-and-response conversations, akin to human chitchat, for the animals they groom the most. This suggests that small talk maintains closeness with loved ones, and isn’t merely the stuff of awkward exchanges with strangers.
Still, bantering with strangers could brighten your morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists gave Chicago commuters varying directions about whether to talk with fellow train passengers—something they typically avoided. Those told to chat with others reported a more pleasant journey than those told to “enjoy your solitude” or to do whatever they normally would. None of the chatters reported being rebuffed. And the results held for introverts and extroverts alike—which makes sense, since acting extroverted has a positive effect on introverts.
Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talk into something bigger. In one study, people who were rated “less curious” by researchers had trouble getting a conversation rolling on their own, and had greater luck building closeness with others when they were supplied with questions that encouraged personal disclosure (“When did you last cry in front of someone?”). But people who were deemed “curious” needed no help transforming conversations about mundane things like favorite holidays into intimate exchanges. A “curious mind-set,” the authors concluded, can lead to “positive social interactions.”
36. In Paragraph 1, the primary reason why the three jobs are the unhappiest is that （ ）.
37. What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
38. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 indicates that （ ）.
39. The conclusion drawn from Paragraph 4 is that （ ）.
40. The underlined phrase in Paragraph 5 means （ ）.
41. The author’s attitude towards “small talk” is （ ）.
问题1选项
A.promotional prospects of their jobs are dim
B.they are obligated to engage in meaningless manual labor
C.their jobs often lack a fixed schedule
D.their jobs are normally short of meaningful conversations
问题2选项
A.45% of conversation among the least content students is substantive.
B.The researchers in the study joined the undergraduates’ conversations.
C.A higher percentage of chitchat benefits the undergraduates’ well-being.
D.Happy students tended to have substantive conversations.
问题3选项
A.small talk undermines bonding between lemurs
B.most small talk lemurs have is with their loved ones
C.human chitchat differs significantly from that of lemurs
D.lemurs’ call-and-response talks seem to be awkward exchanges
问题4选项
A.those told to chat were extroverts
B.being sociable influenced extroverts positively
C.those told to “enjoy your solitude” were introverts
D.chatting with strangers is conducive to a good train ride
问题5选项
A.starting a conversation
B.getting sidetracked
C.talking while driving
D.halting a conversation
问题6选项
A.affirmative
B.sarcastic
C.indifferent
D.curious
第1题:D
第2题:D
第3题:B
第4题:D
第5题:A
第6题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
In Paragraph 1, the primary reason why the three jobs are the unhappiest is that（ ）.
在第1段中，这三种工作最不快乐的主要原因是：（ ）。
A. promotional prospects of their jobs are dim A. 他们的工作的晋升前景很暗淡
B. they are obligated to engage in meaningless manual labor B. 他们有义务从事无意义的体力劳动
C. their jobs often lack a fixed schedule C. 他们的工作往往没有固定的时间表
D. their jobs are normally short of meaningful conversations D. 他们的工作通常缺少有意义的谈话
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the primary reason可以定位到文章第一段最后一句“这三份工作之所以尤为突出，还有另一个原因：它们的特点要么是缺乏交谈，要么是强制性但毫无意义的闲聊（either by a lack of conversation or by obligatory but meaningless small talk）”，说明这三种工作最不快乐的主要原因是它们缺少有意义的交谈。因此D选项“他们的工作通常缺少有意义的谈话”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“他们的工作的晋升前景很暗淡”和C选项“他们的工作往往没有固定的时间表”，由Although many factors can make a job dismal—unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement（虽然有很多因素会让一份工作令人沮丧——不寻常的工作时间、低工资、没有晋升机会）可知，晋升前景暗淡和没有固定的时间表只是原因之一，不是最主要的原因，属于本末倒置；
B选项“他们有义务从事无意义的体力劳动”，由by obligatory but meaningless small talk（强制性但毫无意义的闲聊）可知，这些工作中强制性但无意义的是谈话而不是体力劳动，属于偷换概念。
第2题:
【选项释义】
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2? 从第2段可以推断出什么？
A. 45% of conversation among the least content students is substantive. A. 最不满足的学生中45%的谈话是实质性的。
B. The researchers in the study joined the undergraduates’ conversations. B. 该研究中的研究人员加入了本科生的对话。
C. A higher percentage of chitchat benefits the undergraduates’ well-being. C. 较高比例的闲谈有利于本科生的幸福感。
D. Happy students tended to have substantive conversations. D. 快乐的学生倾向于进行实质性的谈话。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Paragraph 2可以定位到第二段倒数第二句“最快乐的学生的实质性谈话大约是最不快乐的学生的两倍（twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones）”，说明快乐的学生比起不快乐的学生更倾向于进行实质性谈话。因此D选项“快乐的学生倾向于进行实质性的谈话。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“内容最少的学生中45%的谈话是实质性的。”，由Small talk, meanwhile, made up only 10 percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the least content students.（同时，闲聊只占他们交谈的10%，而在最不满足的学生中，闲聊占了近30%。）可知，最不满足的学生中30%的谈话是闲聊，即70%的谈话是实质性的，属于曲解原文；
B选项“该研究中的研究人员加入了本科生的对话。”，由In one study, researchers eavesdropped on undergraduates for four days（在一项研究中，研究人员对大学生进行了为期四天的窃听）可知，研究人员是窃听大学生的谈话，而没有加入他们，属于反向干扰；
C选项“较高比例的闲谈有利于本科生的幸福感。”，由the happiest students had roughly twice as many substantive talks as the unhappiest ones（最快乐的学生的实质性谈话大约是最不快乐的学生的两倍）可知，实质性对话比例较高的本科生更幸福，属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 indicates that（ ）.
第3段中划线的句子表明：（ ）。
A. small talk undermines bonding between lemurs A. 闲谈破坏了狐猴之间的联系
B. most small talk lemurs have is with their loved ones B. 狐猴的大部分闲谈都是与它们的爱人进行的
C. human chitchat differs significantly from that of lemurs C. 人类的闲谈与狐猴的闲谈有很大不同
D. lemurs’ call-and-response talks seem to be awkward exchanges D. 狐猴的呼应式谈话似乎是尴尬的交流
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The underlined sentence可以定位到文章第三段第三句“去年年底，普林斯顿大学的研究人员报告说，环尾狐猴把它们的呼应式对话（类似于人类的闲聊）留给了它们最常梳理毛发的动物（for the animals they groom the most）”，说明狐猴的闲谈大部分给了它们最亲近的爱人。因此B选项“狐猴的大部分闲谈都是与它们的爱人进行的”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“闲谈破坏了狐猴之间的联系”，由Scientists believe that small talk could promote bonding.（科学家认为，闲聊可以促进亲密关系。）可知，闲谈不会破坏亲密关系，属于反向干扰；
C选项“人类的闲谈与狐猴的闲谈有很大不同”，由their call-and-response conversations, akin to human chitchat（它们的呼应式对话，类似于人类的闲聊）可知，人类和狐猴的闲谈是相似的，属于反向干扰；
D选项“狐猴的呼应式谈话似乎是尴尬的交流”，由This suggests that small talk maintains closeness with loved ones, and isn’t merely the stuff of awkward exchanges with strangers.（这表明，闲聊可以保持与所爱之人的亲密，而不仅仅是与陌生人尴尬交流的内容。）可知，狐猴的呼应式谈话拉近了亲密关系，并不尴尬，属于反向干扰。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The conclusion drawn from Paragraph 4 is that（ ）.
从第4段得出的结论是：（ ）。
A. those told to chat were extroverts A. 那些被告知要聊天的人是外向的人
B. being sociable influenced extroverts positively B. 善于交际对外向型的人有积极的影响
C. those told to “enjoy your solitude” were introverts C. 那些被告知要“享受孤独”的人是内向型的人
D. chatting with strangers is conducive to a good train ride D. 与陌生人聊天有利于享受火车旅行的乐趣
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Paragraph 4可以定位到文章第四段第三句“那些被告知与他人聊天的人比那些被告知‘享受孤独’或做他们通常会做的事情的人更愉快（a more pleasant journey）”，说明在火车上与陌生人闲聊有利于开启一段愉快的旅程。因此D选项“与陌生人聊天有利于享受火车旅行的乐趣”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“那些被告知要聊天的人是外向的人”和C选项“那些被告知要‘享受孤独’的人是内向型的人”，由And the results held for introverts and extroverts alike（结果对内向者和外向者都适用）可知，实验没有根据内向和外向的区分来告知聊天还是享受孤独，属于曲解原文；
B选项“善于交际对外向型的人有积极的影响”，由since acting extroverted has a positive effect on introverts（因为表现得外向对内向者有积极影响）可知，善于交际是对内向的人有积极影响，属于反向干扰。
第5题:
【选项释义】
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 5 means（ ）.
第5段中划线的短语的意思是（ ）。
A. starting a conversation A. 开始谈话
B. getting sidetracked B. 绕道而行
C. talking while driving C. 开车时说话
D. halting a conversation D. 停止谈话
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The underlined phrase可以定位到文章第五段第二句“在一项研究中，被研究人员评为‘不那么好奇’的人很难getting a conversation rolling on their own，而当他们被问到鼓励个人披露的问题时，他们更容易与他人建立亲密关系”，下文说到“但那些被认为‘好奇’的人不需要别人的帮助，就能把最喜欢的假期这样的日常话题转化为亲密的交流（transforming conversations about mundane things like favorite holidays into intimate exchanges）”，说明不好奇的人很难自己展开谈话。因此A选项“开始谈话”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“绕道而行”，C选项“开车时说话”和D选项“停止谈话”在文中均无法体现，属于无中生有。
第6题:
【选项释义】
The author’s attitude towards “small talk” is（ ）.
作者对“闲谈”的态度是（ ）。
A. affirmative A. 肯定的
B. sarcastic B. 讽刺的
C. indifferent C. 无动于衷的
D. curious D. 好奇的
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】结合全文，作者提到了闲聊可能有助于建立联系（small talk could promote bonding.），并且提到了科学家对此进行的研究，以及闲聊对于亲密关系的维护作用（small talk maintains closeness with loved ones），由此可知，作者对闲谈持有肯定的态度。因此A选项“肯定的”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“讽刺的”，C选项“无动于衷的”和D选项“好奇的”在文中均无法体现，属于无中生有。
