St. Paul didn’t like it. Moses warned his people against it. Hesiod declared it "mischievous" and "hard to get rid of it," but Oscar Wilder said, "Gossip is charming." "History is merely gossip," he wrote in one of his famous plays. "But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality." In past time, under Jewish law, gossipmongers might be fined or flogged. The Puritans put them in stocks or ducking stools, but no punishment seemed to have-the desired effect of preventing gossip, which has continued uninterruptedly across the back fences of the centuries. Today, however, the much-maligned human foible is being looked at in a different light. Psychologists, sociologists, philosophers, even evolutionary biologists are concluding that gossip may not be so bad after all. Gossip is "an intrinsically valuable activity," philosophy professor Aaron Ben-Ze’ev states in a book he has edited, entitled Good Gossip. For one thing, gossip helps us acquire information that we need to know that doesn’t come through ordinary channels, such as: "What was the real reason so-and-so was fired from. the office" Gossip also is a form of social bonding, Dr. Ben-Ze’ev says. It is "a kind of sharing" that also "satisfies the tribal need--namely, the need to belong to and be accepted by a unique group." What’s more, the professor notes, "Gossip is enjoyable." Another gossip groupie, Dr. Ronald De Sousa, a professor of philosophy at the University of Toronto, describes gossip basically as a form of indiscretion and a "saintly virtue", by which he means that the knowledge spread by gossip will usually end up being slightly beneficial. "It seems likely that a world in which all information were universally available would be preferable to a world where immense power resides in the control of secrets," he writes. Still, everybody knows that gossip can have its ill effects, especially on the poor wretch being gossiped about. And people should refrain from certain kinds of gossip that might be harmful, even though the ducking stool is long out of fashion. By the way, there is also an interesting strain of gossip called medical gossip, which in its best form, according to researchers Jerry M. Suls and Franklin Goodkin, can motivate people with symptoms of serious illness, but who are unaware of it, to seek medical help. So go ahead and gossip. But remember, if (as often is the case among gossipers) you should suddenly become one of the gossipers instead, it is best to employ the foolproof defense recommended by Plato, who may have learned the lesson from Socrates, who as you know was the victim of gossip spread that he was corrupting the youth of Athens: when men speak ill of thee, so live that nobody will believe them. Or, as Will Rogers said, "Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.\ By "Gossip also is a form of social bonding" (Paragraph 5), Professor Aaron Ben-Ze’ev means gossip
A. is a valuable source of social information.
B. produces a joy that most people in society need.
C. brings people the feel of being part of a group.
D. satisfies people’s need of being unusual.
There (1) not one type of reading but several according to your reasons for reading. To read carefully, you have to (2) your reading speed and technique (3) your aim (4) reading. Skimming is a technique necessary for quick and efficient reading.When skimming, you (5) the reading (6) quickly in order to get the (7) of it, to know how it is organized, (8) an idea of the tone or the intention of the writer. Skimming is (9) an activity which (10) an overall view of the text and (11) a definite reading competence.Skimming doesn’t need reading all the material, but it doesn’t mean that it is an (12) skill for the lazy, because it need a high degree of alertness and concentration.When you read, you usually start with (13) understanding and move towards detailed understanding rather than working the other way round. But (14) is also used after you have already carefully studied and you need to (15) the major ideas and concepts.In order to be able to skim quickly and (16) through a text, you should know where to look for what you want. In preview skimming you read the introductory information, the headings and subheadings, and the summary, if one is provided. (17) this skimming, decide whether to read the material more thoroughly, and select the appropriate speed (18) you read.The same procedure (19) for preview skimming could also be used to get an overview. Another method would be to read only key words. This is done by omitting the unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences.In order to skim efficiently and fulfill your purpose, (20) practice is necessary. Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)20()
A. a number of
B. an amount of
C. many
D. a few