Question

【题目】I'm sure we've all done something a little dishonest in our lives—maybe copying someone's work, or being given too much change in a shop and keeping quiet about it. Or maybe I'm wrong—maybe you’re a good, upstanding citizen who believes that honesty is the best policy.

We may agree that admitting our mistakes and behaving in a genuine and decent way is the right way to lead our lives but is there something in our human nature that makes us unscrupulous? For example, in some shops and car parks you can find an honesty box—a box where you pay for something by putting money in it. But it does provide a temptation(诱惑) to get away with not paying the full amount.

Philip Graves, a psychologist, suggests that this temptation is part of our evolution. He says: we have evolved with the ability to be dishonest. It's part of our evolutionary psychological make up—because if we can gain an advantage over the people around us, we have a greater chance of surviving.

So why do we place such importance on being honest if we benefit from being dishonest? It's because it is selfish behavior. If everybody acted selfishly and dishonestly all the time, the world would be a very unpleasant place. So, for societies to work together we need to trust each other and therefore we need to be honest.

Being trustworthy with money is of course extremely important for an economy to survive and there are laws to protect us from dishonest practices. But being honest with words is another matter; saying what we think to someone can be embarrassing. Is honest always the best policy?

【1】Which of the underlined words is similar to "dishonest" in meaning?

A. upstanding

B. decent

C. unscrupulous

D. trustworthy

【2】If there is an honesty box in a shop, what should a customer do?

A. Take some money out if in need.

B. Donate some money to the charities.

C. Get away without paying the right amount.

D. Put in the amount of money one should pay for his buying.

【3】What can we learn according to Philip Graves?

A. Men are born to be dishonest.

B. One will be criticized if he is dishonest.

C. Dishonesty is of some benefit to survival.

D. Breaking the balance is kind of dishonesty.

【4】The author may NOT agree that ________.

A. honesty is based on working together

B. not all social members accept dishonesty

C. dishonest economic behaviors will be punished

D. being dishonest with words sometimes is acceptable

Answer 1

【答案】“dishonest”C选项unscrupulous无道德原则的。

【解析】你诚实吗？你撒过慌、骗过人吗？在生活、工作中，诚实一定是上策吗？本文中心理学家Philip Graves和你讨论“诚实守信”是人的本能还是社交生活的必然产物。

【1】词义猜测题。根据maybe copying someone's work, or being given too much change in a shop and keeping quiet about it.抄袭别人的作品、对多找给的零钱保持沉默的行为，以及is there something in our human nature that makes us unscrupulous?得知，划线词意为“不诚实的”。A. upstanding挺拔的；诚实的; B. decent正派的；得体的；C. unscrupulous无道德原则的；没有节操的；D. trustworthy可信赖的。故选C。

【2】推理判断题。根据第二段in some shops and car parks you can find an honesty box—a box where you pay for something by putting money in it.可知，顾客应该往诚实箱里为自己的消费投正确数量的钱。故选D。

【3】推理判断题。根据It' s part of our evolutionary psychological make up—because if we can gain an advantage over the people around us, we have a greater chance of surviving.可知，这位心理学家Philip Graves认为人类进化出了不诚实的能力，因为如果我们能比周围的人有优势，我们有更大的生存机会。故选C。

【4】细节理解题。本题可以运用排除法，根据Or maybe I'm wrong—maybe you’re a good, upstanding citizen who believes that honesty is the best policy.得知，B项Not all social members accept dishonesty.（不是所有人都接受不诚实的行为。）B项是正确的。根据there are laws to

protect us from dishonest practices.可知，C项Dishonest economic behaviors will be punished. （不诚信的经济行为会受到法律的制裁。）C项也是正确的，再根据But being honest with words is another matter; saying what we think to someone can be embarrassing可知，D项Being dishonest with words sometimes is acceptable.（偶尔说婉转的假话是可以接受的。）故选A。

1.C【解题剖析】此题属于猜测词义中的（3）：依据下定义，作解释、打比喻等猜测词义。答案需要找unscrupulous的句子，表示补充说明关系。

【答案定位】根据maybe copying someone's work, or being given too much change in a shop and keeping quiet about it.抄袭别人的作品、对多找给的零钱保持沉默的行为，以及is there something in our human nature that makes us unscrupulous?可推知，划线词意为“不诚实的”。

【推理关系】题干Which of the underlined words is similar to"dishonest" in meaning?

文章内容is there something in our human nature that makes us unscrupulous?