英语听力精选进阶版 6328

It's official – rich people really are stuck-up, at least according to one recent piece of research.

A series of studies into unethical behaviour across the social classes has shown that posh people are more likely to cheat, lie and be greedy than people who are less well-off.

Researchers from the University of California secretly observed people's behaviour in the real world and in a number of studies in the laboratory 2.

The research showed that upper-class individuals are more likely to break the law while driving and take valued goods from others. 

In the first study, researchers hid by a crossroads in San Francisco and spied on drivers who were meant to stop and wait their turn before driving on. Whenever a car arrived at the junction 3, the scientists ranked the driver's class according to the model, age and appearance of the car. Nearly 250 drivers were observed. About 8% of those in the less classy cars cut people up, but drivers in the most prestigious 4 cars did so around one third of the time.

The results were similar when a pedestrian 5 tried to cross. Drivers of the cheapest, oldest cars were most likely to slow down and give way, but those in the most fancy 6 cars ignored the pedestrian around 45% of the time.

The researchers also found a strong link between social status and greed 1 and selfishness, a connection they think might widen 7 economic inequality between the rich and poor.

In several laboratory studies, the scientists found that the higher a person's class, the more likely they were to tell lies in negotiations 8 and cheat for money.

It seems that the riff-raff always beat the toffs – at least when it comes to morals 9.

Quiz 小测验

1.Is this statement true, false or not given? Studies show that people from lower classes are more likely to cheat and lie than people from upper classes.

False. People who are high in social class are more likely to cheat, lie and be greedy than people who are less well-off.

2. Is this statement true, false or not given? The experiments were all carried out in the laboratory.

False. Researchers secretly observed people's behaviour in the real world and in a number of studies in the laboratory.

3. Look at the article. What expression means to let someone else go before you, especially when driving?

To give way.

4. Look at the article. What is another word meaning 'classy'?

Fancy or posh.

5.Look at the article. What other phrases are used to describe upper-class people?

Posh people, toffs.

Glossary 词汇表

stuck-up （形容词）自视清高/瞧不起人的（贬义词）

unethical 不道德的

posh 清高势利眼的（稍稍带有贬义）

well-off 富裕的/处境好的

upper-class 上等阶层

to spy on someone 暗中监视某人

classy 上等的/豪华的

to cut someone up （开车）霸道挤人

prestigious 名贵（车）

a pedestrian 行人

to give way  (to someone)让行

fancy 上等的/豪华的

social status 社会地位

economic inequality 经济不平等

the riff-raff （带有贬义的非正式词语）指缺乏教养的劳动阶层

a toff （带有贬义的非正式词语）指来自上流阶层的人