第二節(jié) 完型填空（共20小題；每小題1分，滿分20分）

　　　請認真閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

Don’t hide criticism

　　“Politeness is another word for deception.” This is the view of James W. Pennebaker, chair of the psychology department at the University of Texas at Austin, US. He was quoted in a recent Wall Street Journal article about a speech   36   many of us share——“verbal tee-ups.”

　　What are verbal tee-ups? They are like a cushion to   37   the blow when one wants to   38   bad or unpleasant news．For example，have you ever been told by your friend：“I am telling you this because I love you，but you really need to lose weight.” Or by your colleague：“No   39  , but to be honest, I think your presentation   40   the point.”

　　A Slate article gives a few examples of other verbal tee-ups. You can   41   yourself from your unpleasant words by starting it with “Please understand…” You can even try to manage your listener's  42  : “Don't take this the wrong way, but…” or “Don't get mad, but…”

　　Some verbal tee-ups are simply   43  . For example, “I'm not saying…,” or “I don't mean to say…” Such as, “I am not saying we should stop seeing each other, but I need some space to think about our  44  .”

　　For the speakers, verbal tee-ups are used to make it easier to say something   45  . They sound   46   and polite. But Pennebaker, who   47   these phrases, says in many cases, the point of these phrases “is to formalize social relations so you don't have to   48   your true self.”

　　Elizabeth Bernstein, who wrote the Wall Street Journal article, says these sayings so frequently   49   untruth that they can be confusing, even when used in a neutral context. “They often lead to a   50   in personal communications because listeners   51   to take those types of statements in a negative light” she says.

　　To   52   the damage of verbal tee-ups, we need to be more aware of what we are going to say. If you are feeling a need to use them a lot, then perhaps you should   53  the possibility that you are saying too many unpleasant things to other people. For example, “To be perfectly honest…” often comes before   54   comments. If you are taking the trouble to   55   your honesty now, maybe you aren't always truthful.

36. A. method B. habit C. system D. benefit

37. A. soften B. strengthen C. harden  D. deepen

38. A. transfer B. express C. deliver D. explain

39. A. offense B. wonder C. comment D. rush

40. A. grasped B. changed C. missed D. mistook

41. A. disable B. discover C. discourage D. distance 

42. A. reflection B. reaction C. satisfaction D. action

43. A. excuses B. truth C. requests D. dishonesty

44. A. relationship B. business C. decision D. cooperation

45. A. difficult B. scary C. complex D. confusing

46. A. anxious B. formal  C. official  D. important

47. A. stresses B. promotes C. studies D. advocates

48. A. prove B. hide C. consider D reveal

49. A. equal  B. signal  C. discover D. challenge

50. A. breakthrough B. breakout C. breakup D. breakdown 

51. A. attempt B. prefer C. refuse D. tend 

52. A. fix B. rid C. reduce D. manage

53. A. deny B. consider C. confirm D. resist

54. A. positive B. objective C. negative D. subjective

55. A. announce B. support C. change D. represent
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