Passage 2 Not long ago, 20,000 middle- and high-...
Passage 2 Not long ago, 20,000 middle- and high-school students were surveyed (调查). 92 percent of the teenagers admitted having lied to their parents in the previous year, and 73 percent of them call themselves as “serial liars”, people continually lying. Despite these admissions, 91 percent of all those people said they were “satisfied with my own character”. Think how often we hear the expressions “I’ll call you” or “I’m sorry, but he stepped out”. And then there are professions, such as lawyers and consultants (顾问), whose members seem to specialize in shaping the truth to suit clients’ (当事人) needs. Little white lies become widespread, and the reasons we give each other for telling lies are familiar. “What’s wrong with that?” How often do we praise people for how well they look, or express our appreciation for gifts, when we don’t really mean it? Surely, these “nice lies” are harmless and well intended, a necessary social lubricant (润滑剂). But, we should remember the words of English novelist Sir Walter Scott, who wrote, “What a tangled (错综复杂的) web we weave (编), when first we practice to deceive.” Even seemingly harmless lies can have unexpected consequences. Psychological obstacles disappear; the ability to make more distinction can become dull; the liar’s awareness of his chances of being caught may become dull. By itself, that kind of lie is of no great consequence. Still, the endless build-up of these lies does matter. Once they’ve become common enough, even the small untruths that are not meant to hurt will encourage a certain doubt and loss of trust. When trust is damaged, the community as a whole suffers; and when it is destroyed, societies collapse. Are all white lies to be avoided at all costs? The most understandable and forgivable lies are an exchange of the principle of trust for the principle of caring, like telling children about Santa Claus, or lying to someone to give him a surprise party. But a president of an institute says, “Still, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to give our friends and associates the authority to lie to us whenever they think it is for our own good.” Which of the following statements is NOT true about the survey?
A、Most of the school students surveyed said they had lied.
B、A larger percent of the students said they had lied constantly.
C、Most of the students didn’t feel sorry about their lying behavior.
D、Those students who had never lied were happy about their character.