Diagnostic Exercise 4

Featured question types: Vocabulary, Views justification

Featured question formats: Multiple-choice, Short response, Extended response

Read Text 1 and answer questions 1–5 on page 3.

Text 1

How to gossip like a (responsible) pro

1 [1] Gossip gets a bad rap these days, because believe it or not, engaging in a bit of
tittle-tattle can in fact be beneficial—assuming you do it right. When you feel the urge
to speak about someone behind their back, follow these simple rules to make sure you
do so in a responsible and positive way.

5 [2] Think before you speak

[3] These are words to live by in any situation, of course, but especially so when it
comes to talking about other people. Consider the following before you decide to share
that juicy titbit: Who are you with? What is their relationship to the person(s)
involved? What is their likely reaction to learning the information? Are there other
10 people around you who might be eavesdropping on the conversation? And, most
importantly, ask yourself why you are sharing the information in the first place. Are
you simply looking to stab someone in the back? Well, then everyone involved would
almost certainly be better off if you just kept your mouth shut.

[4] Don’t gossip out of self-interest

15 [5] We’ve all probably found ourselves in a situation where we were tempted to
engage in gossip merely for personal gain—as a means of ingratiating ourselves to
someone, for example. Gossip is inherently interesting to most people, so the thinking
here is that by sharing it, you yourself will be seen as interesting by extension, and be
better liked as a result. This is a terrible reason to gossip, however, as it has a tendency
20 to lead to your telling more and more malicious—or even slanderous—stories just to
stay relevant.

[6] Don’t exaggerate

[7] Embellishing a story makes it more interesting by definition, so it’s no wonder that
a lot of us feel the need to add a few lurid details to the news we share about others.
25 Whatever your justification for exaggerating a story, however, remember that doing so
is a form of lying, which is a practice with a well-proven propensity for getting even
the most adept practitioner into trouble further down the line. As there’s always
someone out there who knows the truth, you’d do better to stick to it from the start.

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Read Text 2 and answer questions 1–12 on pages 3–4.

Text 2

Can gossip be a force for good?

1 [1] While gossiping may no longer be a crime punishable by having your head encased in a
spiked iron cage, as was the case in 17th-century Britain, it is still very much frowned upon.
Some academics, however, have recently started coming around to the idea that gossiping
can in fact be a good thing, not only for the individual but also for society as a whole. Below
5 is a short extract from a transcript of a debate between two professors, Rubin Wong and
Olivia Liu, who are discussing this issue.
[2] Prof. Wong: Call me old-fashioned but I fail to see how gossiping could ever be
considered a societal good. A fundamental requirement for any well-functioning society,
and for any successful individual relationship within it, is trust. And if there’s one thing
10 that’s guaranteed to erode trust it’s finding out that people you considered your friends are
spreading vicious lies and rumours about you.
[3] Prof. Liu: Well, certainly, I would of course never endorse spreading vicious lies and
rumours, but that is a very narrow—and frankly rather antiquated—definition of gossip. In
the academic world, we generally define it as any talk about someone who isn’t present.
15 Yes, it is typically entertaining talk, and yes, it often describes behaviour about which we
can make a moral judgement. But that is why gossip can be so useful: it is an incredibly
effective means of cultivating and spreading societal norms. When we hear people around
us criticize someone for, say, being greedy and selfish, we learn that that is unacceptable
behaviour and therefore refrain from engaging in it ourselves.
20 [4] Prof. Wong: I would argue that chastising our friends and acquaintances behind their
backs is probably not the best way to educate people about what is moral and what isn’t. We
certainly have far less destructive options available to us for that, such as teaching and
reinforcing positive behaviour in school, and punishing bad behaviour. The truth of the
matter is that being the victim of gossip can be a source of considerable stress, which in turn
25 can have wide-ranging ill effects on both physical and mental health. And don’t think for a
second that because you’re the one engaging in the gossip, you’ll never be a target yourself.
Because as the saying goes, ‘Who gossips with you will gossip about you.’
[5] Prof. Liu: I take it, then, that you are unacquainted with the 2012 study published in the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology which found that gossiping can actually reduce
30 stress? In this study, subjects were told about another person’s anti-social behaviour or
an injustice, and as a result their heart rates increased. However, when they were
able to gossip about the person, or the situation, it soothed them and brought their
heart rates down. In other words, the simple act of gossiping can in fact reduce
people’s stress levels. And that’s to say nothing about the numerous other proven
35 benefits associated with the act of gossiping, such as how it helps people bond,
reduces feelings of loneliness, etc.
[6] Prof. Wong: I have no doubt that the perpetrators of gossip get something out of it. After
all, talk about other people makes up more than three quarters of our conversations,
according to studies, so it clearly has great appeal. My concern, however, is for the victims. I
40 suppose that is where we differ, Professor Liu.

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Read Text 1 and answer questions 1–5. (9 marks)
1 What does it mean to get ‘a bad rap’ (line 1)?
To be …
A less popular than before.
B unfairly criticized.
C under intense debate. A B C D
D increasingly misunderstood.    

2 Find TWO words or phrases in paragraph 1 that have similar meanings to ‘gossip’.
(2 marks)
i)
ii)

3 Which word in paragraph 3 means ‘piece of gossip’?

4 Find a word or phrase in paragraph 3 which can be replaced by ‘listening in‘.

5 Find a word in paragraphs 5–7 which has a similar meaning to each word given below.
(4 marks)
i) ‘advantage’
ii) ‘mean’
iii) ‘surprise’
iv) ‘skilful’

Read Text 2 and answer questions 6–12. (11 marks)

6 According to paragraph 1, does the writer believe society as a whole has changed its
attitude towards gossiping since the 17th century? Give a reason for your answer from
the text.

7 Why does Professor Liu refer to himself as ‘old-fashioned’ (line 7)? Give a reason for
your answer based on paragraphs 1–2.

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8 Which word can replace ‘erode’ (line 10)?
A undermine
B boost
C complement A B C D
D facilitate    

9 According to paragraph 3, does professor Liu believe it is good to ‘make a moral

judgment’ (line 16) about someone’s behaviour? Give a reason for your answer from
the text.

10 Look at the word ‘narrow’ (line 13). The word has different meanings. Read the extract
of the dictionary entry for ‘narrow’ below and decide which meaning corresponds to
the meaning in line 13.
A measuring a short distance from one side to the other
B only just achieved or avoided
C limited in variety or numbers A B C D
D limited in a way that ignores others’ opinions    

11 Find a word in paragraphs 4–5 which has a similar meaning to each word given below.
(5 marks)
i) ‘harmful’
ii) ‘significant’
iii) ‘unfamiliar’
iv) ‘countless’
v) ‘connect’

12 Based on his comments in paragraph 6, does Professor Wong believe that Professor Liu
cares about the victims of gossip? Provide evidence from the text to support your
answer.

END OF DIAGNOSTIC EXERCISE 4

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These diagnostic exercises may be adapted by teachers. OUP accepts no responsibility for changes made to original materials.