Question

At 9:00 Dick Spivak’s bank telephoned and said his payment was late. ‘The check is in the post,’ Dick replied quickly. At 11:45 Dick left for a 12:00 meeting across town. Arriving late, he explained that traffic had been bad. That evening, Dick’s girlfriend wore a new dress. He hated it. ‘It looks just great on you,’ he said.

Three lies in one day! Yet Dick Spivak is just an ordinary man. Each time, he told himself that sometimes the truth causes too many problems. Most of us tell much the same white lies, harmless untruths that help to save trouble. How often do we tell white lies? It depends in part on our age, education, and even where we live. According to one U.S. study, women are more truthful than men, and honesty increases as we get older.

While most people use little white lies to make life easier, the majority of Americans care about honesty in both public and personal life. They say that people today are less honest than they were ten years ago. Although it is believed that things are getting worse, lying seems to be an age-old human problem. The French philosopher (哲学家) Vauvenarges, writing in the eighteenth century, touched on the truth when he wrote, ‘All men are born truthful and die liars (说谎者).’

1.When the writer says ‘Dick Spivak is just an ordinary man’, he means _________.

A. it is common that people tell white lies

B. Dick could do nothing about bad traffic

C. it is common that people move their payment to a later time

D. Dick found it hard to deal with everyday problems

2.According to the text, most Americans _________.

A. hate white lies B. believe white lies

C. consider others dishonest D. value honesty

3.Vauvenarges’ remark suggests (暗示) that _________.

A. lying is an age-old human problem

B. dishonesty increases as people get older

C. people were dishonest in the 18th century

D. it is social conditions that make people tell lies

Answer 1

1.A

2.D

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文通过迪克·斯皮瓦克一天所说的三个谎言来说明现在的年轻的人为了减少在生活中的麻烦而选择说一些不伤害人的白色谎言，然后作者讲了一些他对于白色谎言的看法。

1. lies in one day! Yet Dick Spivak is just an ordinary man. Each time, he told himself that sometimes the truth causes too many problems. Most of us tell much the same white lies, harmless untruths that help to save trouble.（三个谎言的一天！迪克·斯皮瓦克也是一个普通人。每次，他告诉自己，有时实话实说会招致许多问题。我们中的许多人会说一些无恶意的、虚假的白色谎言来帮助解决问题）。作者举这个例子是为了说明迪克跟大多数人一样说一些白色谎言是司空见惯的，故选A.

2. most people use little white lies to make life easier, the majority of Americans care about honesty in both public and personal life.（虽然大多数人用白色谎言使生活变得轻松，但是大多数美国人在意在公共场合和私人生活里的诚实）可知美国人还是比较看重诚实的，故选D.

3. it is believed that things are getting worse, lying seems to be an age-old human problem.（虽然事情可能会变得更糟，但是说谎似乎是人类由来已久的古老问题）可知人们喜欢说一些白色谎言不是一天两天的事；最后一段的开头也说了人们为了生活的更轻松而选择说一些白色谎言，所以Vauvenarges的名言从侧面反映出社交环境使人们说谎，故选D.

考点：考查议论文阅读