Use of English (2018)

Trust is a tricky business. On the one hand, it’s a necessary condition [1] many worthwhile things: child care, friendships, etc. On the other hand, putting your [2] in the wrong place often carries a high [3].

[4], why do we trust at all? Well, because it feels good. [5] people place their trust in an individual or an institution, their brains release oxytocin, a hormone that [6] pleasurable feelings and triggers the herding instinct that prompts humans to [7] with one another. Scientists have found that exposure [8] this hormone puts us in a trusting [9]: In a Swiss study, researchers sprayed oxytocin into the noses of half the subjects; those subjects were ready to lend significantly higher amounts of money to strangers than were their [10] who inhaled something else.

[11] for us, we also have a sixth sense for dishonesty that may [12] us. A Canadian study found that children as young as 14 months can differentiate [13] a credible person and a dishonest one. Sixty toddlers were each [14] to an adult tester holding a plastic container. The tester would ask, “What’s in here?” before looking into the container, smiling, and exclaiming, “Wow!” Each subject was then invited to look [15]. Half of them found a toy; the other half [16] the container was empty—and realized the tester had [17] them.

Among the children who had not been tricked, the majority were [18] to cooperate with the tester in learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership. [19], only five of the 30 children paired with the “[20]” tester participated in a follow-up activity.

[A]on

[B]like

[C]for

[D]from

[A]faith

[B]concern

[C]attention

[D]interest

[A]benefit

[B]debt

[C]hope

[D]price

[A]Therefore

[B]Then

[C]Instead

[D]Again

[A]Until

[B]Unless

[C]Although

[D]When

[A]selects

[B]produces

[C]applies

[D]maintains

[A]consult

[B]compete

[C]connect

[D]compare

[A]at

[B]by

[C]of

[D]to

[A]context

[B]mood

[C]period

[D]circle

10.

[A]counterparts

[B]substitutes

[C]colleagues

[D]supporters

11.

[A]Funny

[B]Lucky

[C]Odd

[D]Ironic

12.

[A]monitor

[B]protect

[C]surprise

[D]delight

13.

[A]between

[B]within

[C]toward

[D]over

14.

[A]transferred

[B]added

[C]introduced

[D]entrusted

15.

[A]out

[B]back

[C]around

[D]inside

16.

[A]discovered

[B]proved

[C]insisted

[D]remembered

17.

[A]betrayed

[B]wronged

[C]fooled

[D]mocked

18.

[A]forced

[B]willing

[C]hesitant

[D]entitled

19.

[A]In contrast

[B]As a result

[C]On the whole

[D]For instance

20.

[A]inflexible

[B]incapable

[C]unreliable

[D]unsuitable

答案与解析 (Answers)

1. [C] for. 解析：a necessary condition for... 固定搭配，意为“...的必要条件”。

2. [A] faith. 解析：put one's faith in... 固定搭配，意为“信任/相信...”。

3. [D] price. 解析：carry a high price 意为“付出高昂代价”。信任错人代价惨重。

4. [B] Then. 解析：承接上文的矛盾。既然信任有风险，“那么（Then）”我们为什么还要信任？

5. [D] When. 解析：引导时间状语从句。“当（When）”人们信任他人时，大脑释放催产素。

6. [B] produces. 解析：激素“产生（produces）”愉悦感。其他选项：selects选择，applies应用，maintains维持。

7. [C] connect. 解析：促使人类与他人“建立联系/交往（connect）”。符合从众/群居本能。

8. [D] to. 解析：exposure to... 固定搭配，意为“暴露于.../接触...”。

9. [B] mood. 解析：in a trusting mood 意为“处于一种信任的心境/情绪中”。

10. [A] counterparts. 解析：counterparts 指“实验中对应的另一组人”。吸入催产素的一组比“对应组”借钱更多。

11. [B] Lucky. 解析：幸运的是（Lucky for us），我们也有识别不诚实的第六感。

12. [B] protect. 解析：这种感官可以“保护（protect）”我们免受欺骗。

13. [A] between. 解析：differentiate between A and B 固定搭配，意为“区分A和B”。

14. [C] introduced. 解析：be introduced to sb 被介绍给某人。幼儿被介绍给一名成年测试员。

15. [D] inside. 解析：测试员先看容器里面，随后幼儿也被邀请看“里面（inside）”。

16. [A] discovered. 解析：另一半幼儿“发现（discovered）”容器是空的。

17. [C] fooled. 解析：意识到测试员“愚弄/欺骗（fooled）”了他们。

18. [B] willing. 解析：be willing to do sth 乐意做某事。没被骗的孩子乐意与测试员合作。

19. [A] In contrast. 解析：相比之下（In contrast），被骗的孩子中只有少数参与后续活动。

20. [C] unreliable. 解析：指代前文那个骗人的测试员，即“不可靠的（unreliable）”测试员。

核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)

1. 催产素的生物作用：
"When people place their trust in an individual... their brains release oxytocin, a hormone that produces pleasurable feelings and triggers the herding instinct..."
 【解析】oxytocin（催产素）是同位语成分。that 引导定语从句修饰 hormone，包含了两个并列的谓语 produces 和 triggers。 
【翻译】当人们信任某个人或机构时，他们的大脑会释放催产素，这是一种能产生愉悦感并触发促使人类彼此联系的从众本能的荷尔蒙。 
2. 实验对照结构的表达：
"Those subjects were ready to lend significantly higher amounts of money to strangers than were their counterparts who inhaled something else."
 【解析】这是一个包含比较级和倒装结构的句子。than were their counterparts 是为了避免头重脚轻进行的倒装，主语是 counterparts。 
【翻译】相比于那些吸入其他物质的对照组，这些（吸入催产素的）受试者愿意借给陌生人明显更多的钱。 
3. 幼儿的心理防御机制：
"Among the children who had not been tricked, the majority were willing to cooperate with the tester in learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership."
 【解析】Among... 介词短语作状语。demonstrating that... 是现在分词短语作结果状语，进一步解释了合作行为背后的心理动机。 
【翻译】在那些没有被欺骗的孩子中，大多数人愿意配合测试员学习新技能，这表明他们信任他的领导。 