I wonder if you realize just how many others share your problem. It is so common for people to distort the truth about themselves. Sometimes it's just an invented excuse when you're late for something or a pretence that you like someone you don't. These white lies don't usually harm anyone and indeed often help smooth over difficult social situations. They certainly are embarrassing if exposed but, on the whole, they're easily forgiven.
What you describe is a habit of lying that is more serious than this. I suspect that the lies you tell are ways of defending an idea you have of your own worth. People who have doubts about their own self-esteem often worry that others will judge them as harshly as they feel they deserve because of a secret idea that they are pretty worthless. In other words, they create a false picture of themselves, a picture of someone who meets all the expectations they think others have of them. And as you say, that causes problems—since they have to keep living up to that image. At the same time, they have to tell further lie to cover the stories they have already told. According to some authorities, this is particularly among women especially those who have few opportunities to develop an adequate sense of self-worth.
I suggest you give yourself one day during which you stick solidly to the truth about yourself. Give yourself a small treat at the end of the day if you have managed to keep it up. Wait a week and then try it again. Once you have achieved three separate lie-free days, see if you can cope with three days running, then extend it to a whole week. Don't make a promise to yourself that you will never lie again because almost certainly you will — it's too much to take on at once. Try to change things little by little, by setting yourself manageable targets. After a while, you'll wonder why you ever had the problem at all.
1.This passage is a reply to someone who_______.
A.keeps a habit of lying for vain reasons
B.works hard to meet others' expectations
C.does not know the truth about himself and is too sure of himself
D.does not know how to make a realistic plan for himself
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？
A.White lies often cause embarrassment in social situations.
B.It is important for women to have an adequate sense of self-worth.
C.It takes a little time to get rid of your habit.
D.Take exercise like running if you are free and keep it up.
3.The expression "living up to" (Line 6, Para. 2) can best be replaced by_________.
A.growing up with B.living with C.seeking D.sticking to
4.In the last paragraph the writer implies that_______.
A.you will solve the problem with patience and a strong will
B.you must be hard on yourself to accomplish something
C.your problem lies in the fact that you hasten to make promises
D.you must set different targets at different stages of your life
5.The writer suggested that______.
A.you should promise yourself never to lie again
B.you should get rid of bad habit gradually
C.you can manage your lying target well
D.you can get rid of the bad habit in the interval of three days
長難例句分析
［長難例句］Sometimes it's just an invented excuse when you're late for something or a pretence that you like someone you don't.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是it's just an invented excuse... or a pretence。when引導的是時間狀語。a pretence后面是that引導的同位語從句。
［參考譯文］有時候這僅僅是當你遲到的時候編造理由或是假裝喜歡一個其實并不喜歡的人。
［長難例句］People who have doubts about their own self-esteem often worry that others will judge them as harshly as they feel they deserve because of a secret idea that they are pretty worthless.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是People...worry that...because of...。people后面是who引導的定語從句，that從句在主句的謂語動詞worry后面作賓語。在這個賓語從句中，as harshly as they feel they deserve作狀語成分修飾動詞judge。最后是由because of引導介詞短語作原因狀語。
［參考譯文］那些懷疑自己尊嚴的人常擔心他人會苛刻地評價他們，就像他們因心里認為自己一文不值而感到自己應得的那樣。
［長難例句］Don't make a promise to yourself that you will never lie again because almost certainly you will — it's too much to take on at once.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句是一個祈使句，主干是Don't make a promise...。that引導的是同位語從句，修飾a promise。because...will是原因狀語成分；破折號后面是對這個原因進行進一步的解釋。
［參考譯文］不要對自己許諾不再說謊，因為無疑你會說謊——馬上就付諸實施太難。
全文參考譯文
我不知道你是否意識到，有著和你一樣問題的人有多少。人們歪曲有關(guān)自己的事實是非常普遍的事情。有時候這只是當你遲到的時候編造理由或是假裝喜歡一個事實上并不喜歡的人。這些善意的謊言通常不會傷害任何人，而且的確會有助于緩和一些難為人的社交處境。如果被揭穿，這些謊言當然很令人尷尬，不過一般來說，這些謊言輕易就會得到人們的原諒。
你所描述的是一種說謊的習慣，比起上面那種情況要嚴重得多。我懷疑你說的謊是捍衛(wèi)自己價值觀的方式。那些懷疑自己尊嚴的人常擔心別人會苛刻地評價他們，就像他們因心里認為自己一文不值而感到自己應得的那樣。換句話說，他們對自己的認識是錯誤的。他們認為自己是一個能夠滿足他人所有期望的人。就像你所說的，這會引發(fā)問題——因為他們必須不負眾望。同時，他們還要說更多的謊來圓說過的謊。一些專家認為這種情況在女性當中極其普遍，尤其是那些沒有機會充分認識自身價值的女性。
我建議你給自己一天的時間，在這一天內(nèi)你完全堅持做真正的自己。若你能夠堅持到底，在一天結(jié)束時給自己一個小小的獎勵。待下一周再嘗試一次。一旦你可以成功地在這單獨三天里不說謊，看看你是否能夠連續(xù)三天做到這一點，接下來把它延長到一個星期。不要對自己許諾不再說謊，因為無疑你會說謊——馬上就付諸實施太難。通過樹立可達到的目標，一點一滴地努力改變情況。一陣子之后，你就會納悶為什么你曾經(jīng)有過這種問題。
題目答案與解析
1.本篇文章是對什么人的回應？
A.出于虛榮而把撒謊當做習慣的人?！ .努力工作以達到別人期望的人。
C.不了解自己，自視過高的人?！ .不知道如何為自己制定現(xiàn)實計劃的人。
【答案】A
【解析】綜觀全文，這是一篇勸人改變習慣、不再說謊的文章。從文章的第二段可知，這部分著重解釋了說謊的種種原因，其中很多原因都與虛榮（vain）有關(guān)。因此，文章是給因為虛榮而有說謊習慣的人寫的。因此A項為正確答案。
2.按照本篇文章，以下各項敘述中哪項是正確的？
A.善意的謊言通常會導致難為人的社交處境。
B.對女性來說，對自我價值有足夠的認識是很重要的。
C.改掉習慣要花一點時間。
D.空閑時間進行跑步之類的鍛煉并且堅持下去。
【答案】B
【解析】本題的依據(jù)是文章第二段的最后一句話According to some authorities，this is particularly among women especially those who have few opportunities to develop an adequate sense of self-worth，從中可知B項是正確答案。
3.“l(fā)iving up to”（第二段第六行）用_______代替最為適宜？
A.和……一起成長 B.和……一起生活 C.尋找 D.相符
【答案】D
【解析】本題中，living up to的意思是“符合”，與D項意思一致。因此D項為正確答案。
4.在文章最后一段，作者暗示_________。
A.有耐心和堅強的意志，就能解決問題 B.如果要完成事情必須堅強
C.你的問題在于許諾太快 D.你必須在生命的不同階段定下不同的目標
【答案】A
【解析】本題可參照文章最后一段的最后兩句話，從中可以推知，要改變說謊的習慣需要時間、耐心和意志。因此A項是正確答案。
5.作者建議______。
A.你可以跟自己許愿說不再撒謊 B.你可以逐步克服壞毛病
C.你可以很好地管理撒謊目標 D.你可以以三天為周期去克服壞習慣
【答案】B
【解析】在文章的最后一段中可以看出，作者建議對方要逐漸改掉壞毛病，不要急功近利。
