Almost everyone gossips. And a new study finds that people spend about 52 minutes per day, on average, talking to someone about others who are not present
But here’s the surprise: Despite the assumption that most gossip is trash talk, the study finds the majority of gossip is nonjudgmental chat.
“People love to talk about others,” says Jeremy Cone, a psychologist at Williams College. “Think about your own conversations with a family member or friend: You talk about everyday things that keep you connected. You share your daughter got her driver’s license or your uncle has a kidney stone. Much of it is just documenting facts.”
Of course, the study also finds that some gossip is negative or mean-spirited. About 15% of the gossip included some type of negative judgement.
But even negative gossip can serve a purpose, as more research has found.
“I think gossiping can be a smart thing to do,” says Elena Martinescu who has studied gossip in the workplace. “It allows people to keep track of what’s going on and form social connection with other people.”
Research has shown that gossip can help build group cohesion (凝聚力) and cooperation. “When you gossip, you can keep track of who is contributing to the group and who's being selfish,” Martinescu explains. “And by sharing this information, you can exclude those group members who are social loafers (游手好闲的人).”
“We also found negative gossip makes people likely to repair the aspects of their behavior that they were criticized for,” Martinescu says.
So, say, for instance, you were criticized for always arriving at work late. Hearing that gossip about yourself may motivate you to want to be on time.
Of course, this isn’t a license to be loose lips or to repeat baseless claims that can damage someone’s reputation unfairly. But confiding (吐露个人隐私) in your friends and colleagues and sharing impressions about another person — even when they’re negative — may be helpful.
【小题1】Why do people often gossip according to Jeremy Cone?| A．Because gossip can satisfy their curiosity. | B．Because they can share social information. |
| C．Because they want to correct others’ mistakes. | D．Because spreading negative facts is unavoidable. |
| A．People can be improved in an all-round way. | B．People can get rid of immoral behavior rapidly. |
| C．People can be kept informed of others' privacy. | D．People can change their behavior for the better.. |
| A．It is plain to see that people gossip all the time. |
| B．Based on the study, the majority of gossip is trash talk. |
| C．It’s advisable that we turn a deaf ear to negative gossip. |
| D．It’s likely that gossip helps us know more about one's quality. |
| A．Gossip is the last thing people could do. | B．Gossip should be advocated by the society. |
| C．Gossip may not be as harmful as it sounds. | D．Gossip is the best way to build social bonds. |
One of the most crucial experiences we can have in our lives is the connection we have with other human beings.
Certainly a challenge that we come across when we try to build relationships is a desire or an expectation that people will think like we do. Life, however, would be very dull f we were all the same. So accepting and celebrating that we are all different is a great starting point.
Listen effectively.
Active or reflective listening is the single most useful and important listening skill.
Give people your time.
Giving time to people is also a huge gift. In a world where time is of the essence and we are trying to fit in more than one lifetime, we don’t always have the time to give to our loved ones, friends, and work colleagues. Technology has somewhat weakened our ability build a good relation.
Develop your communication skills.
| A．Learn to trust more. |
| B．Accept and celebrate differences. |
| C．We are active in checking out our understanding. |
| D．Poor interaction in the workplace can lead to a culture of blame. |
| E．We attempt to multi-task by texting and talking at the same time. |
| F．Almost everyone has a mobile phone and many people have two or more. |
| G．Positive and supportive relationships will help us to feel healthier, happier. |
Most people can think of a time when they were in a bad mood after a long day at work and a shop assistant gave them a warm smile. Or maybe they overheard their bus-mate speaking German and ended up filling the morning commute（通勤）with a stimulating conversation about an upcoming trip.
Nicholas Epley, a psychologist at the University of Chicago conducted a study. Participants speaking to strangers on public transportation during their morning commutes reported having a more enjoyable commute.
Epley shared why speaking to strangers may have such a mood boosting impact. Loneliness, Epley explained, is one of the most dangerous social stressors and is even more physically harmful than obesity（肥胖）. “It’s larger than air pollution, which we spend an awful lot of time worrying about.” Making connections with those around us can reduce loneliness and its harmful impacts.
Despite all the benefits of conversing with strangers, there are some factors that hold people back from new social connections.
Psychologist Gillian Sandstrom thinks that people don’t talk with strangers, simply because most people don’t have the skills or confidence to do so. To address this, she ran London-based events to help people gain confidence in initiating conversations with strangers. Sandstrom said, “By the end, those participants don’t want to stop talking.”
Sandstrom wanted to take this success a step further and she started hosting events where people were forced to talk with strangers. For example, using the app GooseChase, Sandstrom made a campaign that required participants to talk to people with a variety of characteristics. This event was also successful with four fifths of participants sharing that they learned something new, and nearly half hoping to keep in touch with a new-found friend.
People spend so much of our day around strangers, such as in line at the store, on public transportation, and in the office. Why not take advantage of being around people you don’t know? Flash a smile or start up a conversation, and you will make two people’s day nicer.
【小题1】Why does Nicholas Epley mention air pollution?| A．To show the strong impact of loneliness on mood. |
| B．To highlight the significance of making connections. |
| C．To introduce the benefits of conversing with strangers. |
| D．To prove the necessity of creating a good environment. |
| A．They provide new job opportunities. |
| B．They are highly enjoyed by the participants. |
| C．They boost people’s confidence in society. |
| D．They explore why people don’t talk to strangers. |
| A．By referring to quotes. | B．By listing examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By showing statistics. |
| A．To urge people to interact with strangers. |
| B．To relieve commuters from awkwardness. |
| C．To help people improve communication skills. |
| D．To remind people to pay attention to their surroundings. |
Do’s and Don’ts of Donating
Giving up your unused or unwanted stuff is a great way to make space in your home for the items that you do enjoy on a regular basis. Not sure where to start? Here are some do’s and don’ts of donating your belongings.
Do Prepare Your Clothes
You’ve thoroughly cleaned out your closet and drawers, and have a mountain of clothing waiting to be donated.
The number one rule of donating your stuff is to make sure that it’s in good, usable condition. Don’t pass along old clothes or furniture, chipped dishes, books that are missing pages, or toys with lost pieces. Nobody wants to accept your damaged belongings. Find a local company that will recycle these items instead.
Don’t even think of donating these items
With a little common sense it’s easy to figure out items that are ideal for donations.
Don’t donate large appliances
Major appliances such as stoves, fridges, freezers, washers and dryers typically reside on the ‘do not donate’ list due to health and safety reasons. All items accepted for donation must be thoroughly clean and in good working order. With secondhand appliances, it can be difficult to guarantee that they fit the bill.
Don’t donate recalled items
Every so often a product recall hits the news headlines. Highchairs, toys, holiday lights for Christmas trees—the list of recalled items due to safety concerns is endless.
| A．They’re all acceptable items for donation, too. |
| B．Instead of donating an unwanted large appliance, call your local trash collection company and arrange for their safe disposal. |
| C．But unfortunately some people will throw away the contents of their home without a second thought. |
| D．Before you bag up these pieces, inspect each one to ensure that they’re in good condition and ready to be owned by someone else. |
| E．Don’t donate damaged items. |
| F．Clothes aren’t the only household items that can be donated. |
| G．Never donate recalled items! |
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