朋友为何有时不可靠

Why friends are sometimes unreliable

常速 | 五级（难）| 336词 | 2min8s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. According to the text, what is one personality trait linked to being unreliable?  

A. Being overly organized.  

B. Being less conscientious.  

C. Being more extroverted.  

D. Being highly agreeable.  

Q2. What is one reason technology makes it easier for people to cancel plans?  

A. It eliminates the need for real-life interaction.  

B. It provides instant gratification through social media.  

C. It allows people to cancel plans with minimal effort.  

D. It encourages people to confront their friends directly.  

Q3. What does the 2017 study suggest about American millennials?  

A. They are more likely to withdraw from social commitments.  

B. They prefer face-to-face communication over text messages.  

C. They are less likely to use social media for cancellations.  

D. They value real-life interactions more than older generations.  

Q4. What can be inferred about older generations compared to millennials regarding social commitments?  

A. They are more likely to use technology to cancel plans.  

B. They are less likely to withdraw from social arrangements.  

C. They are equally comfortable with last-minute cancellations.  

D. They are more likely to overbook themselves socially.  

Q5. What is the main purpose of the text?  

A. To explore why people are reluctant to confront their friends.  

B. To analyze the reasons behind people being unreliable.  

C. To suggest ways to improve time management skills.  

D. To compare social habits across different generations.  

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Why friends are sometimes unreliable

Do you have a friend who happily agrees to your plans, only to disappear when the time eventually comes? Maybe they flake on you and cancel last minute, or just don’t tell you and then ghost you completely. Or just maybe, it’s you that sometimes lets people down. What lies behind this reluctance to keep to engagements?

flake v. 爽约，失信  

reluctance n. 不情愿，勉强  

It could be our personality traits. (Q1) According to psychology professor Richard Koestner, less conscientious or agreeable people tend to have less concern for others and are more likely to overbook themselves socially. While this can be due to bad time management, it can also be because people are afraid of confrontation and saying no to their friends, so end up agreeing to things that they don’t really want to do.

trait n. 特性，特点

Technology could be another factor behind people’s willingness to back out of social commitments. Firstly, (Q2) being able to cancel plans with a simple text message or pressing a ‘not attending’ button on an invitation, rather than doing it face-to-face or through an awkward phone call, is a much more frictionless way to say you have changed your mind. On top of this, people have become used to the instant gratification offered by social media and streaming platforms. Does this make real-life interaction seem mundane and arduous by comparison? Could it be generational? (Q3) A 2017 study found that 45% of American millennials saw nothing wrong with withdrawing from social arrangements. (Q4) Older generations were less likely to pull out of events that they had been invited to.

mundane adj. 平凡的，乏味的  

arduous adj. 艰难的，费力的  

Whatever lies behind it, psychologists have advice for us. Kurt Gray from the University of North Carolina recommends a simple phone call to reinforce human connection. Andrea Bonior from Georgetown University tells us to gently let our friends know that being let down disrupts us and makes us feel less valued. Caution is important though. Life coach Kira Asatryan reminds us that sometime people withdraw, not out of disrespect, but because they themselves feel anxious, stressed or sad.

disrespect n. 不尊重，轻视  

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。根据“According to psychology professor Richard Koestner, less conscientious or agreeable people tend to have less concern for others and are more likely to overbook themselves socially.”，可知缺乏责任心或不太随和的人往往不太关心他人，更可能在社交上安排过度，更容易失信。正确答案为B。  

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。根据“Being able to cancel plans with a simple text message or pressing a ‘not attending’ button on an invitation, rather than doing it face-to-face or through an awkward phone call, is a much more frictionless way to say you have changed your mind.”，可知科技发展使得通过简单的短信或点击按钮就能取消计划，无需当面沟通或通过尴尬的电话，也就是说花费极少精力就能取消计划。正确答案为C。  

Q3. A.【解析】细节题。根据“A 2017 study found that 45% of American millennials saw nothing wrong with withdrawing from social arrangements.”，可知2017年的研究发现，45%的美国千禧一代认为退出社交安排并无不妥，说明他们更容易反悔爽约。正确答案为A。  

Q4. B.【解析】推理题。根据“Older generations were less likely to pull out of events that they had been invited to.”，可知老一辈人不太可能退出他们被邀请的活动，从中可以推断，老一辈人相比千禧一代更少取消已定的社交活动，因此正确答案为B。  

Q5. B.【解析】主旨题。根据全文，文章主要讨论了人们有时不可靠的原因，包括性格特质、科技和代际差异的影响，因此正确答案为B。  

（本文图片来源于摄图网，版权归摄图网所有)