With her eyes shining, Tori brags，“You bet I did, Sean told me two days ago.”

　　Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about? It just happened to be yours truly, Adam Freedman, I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true. Still, Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School, including me. Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话)。I have noticed three effects of gossip: it can hurt people, it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction, and it can cause social pressures in a group.

　　An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about. Usually, gossip spreads information about a topic-breakups, trouble at home, even dropping out-that a person would rather keep secret. The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is, the juicier the gossip it makes. Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie. People often think of gossipers as harmless, but cruel lies can cause pain.

　　If we know that gossip can be harmful, then why do so many of us do it? The answer lies in another effect of gossip: the satisfaction it gives us. Sharing the latest rumor(传言)can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t. Similarly, hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.” In other words, gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).

【2017届山西省右玉一中高考英语外研版一轮复习练习：Book 7 Module 5-6（含答案）】相关文章：

★ 2017高考四川省广安市英语阅读理解一轮系列训练：5（含解析）

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习大题冲关秘籍阅读理解七选五：体验真题（含解析）

★ 2017年高考英语二轮复习精品资料：专题14 阅读理解（押题专练）（原卷版）

★ 湖南省汝城二中2014届高考英语一轮复习阅读训练 (37)

★ 2014届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(十八)必修3Module 6《Old and New》（外研版）

★ 【课堂新坐标】2017届高考英语（通用版）二轮复习短文改错专题训练：训练4 短文改错（Ⅳ）（含解析）

★ （安徽专用）2014届高考英语一轮复习方案 作业手册（10）模块4 《Unit 10 Money》（含解析） 北师大版必修1

★ 贵州省贵阳市2014高考英语（新人教版）一轮阅读训练（36）附答案

★ 【课堂新坐标】2017届高考英语（通用版）二轮复习短文改错专题训练：模式1 缺一词（含解析）

★ 2014届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(二十五)必修5Module 1《British and American English》（外研版）