Задание №150623: Задание 4

Task 4 Всероссийская олимпиада школьников по английскому языку 2026 г. заключительный этап стр. 5 из 8 Read the text and answer questions 26-40 below. Lies, Gossip, and People You Thought You Knew When were you last lied to? To your knowledge, obviously. Was the lie something that mattered? Was the liar convincing? And how did you react? Perhaps with anger, (26) … or contempt – like my grandmother, who had a stock retort for anyone who tried to pull the wool over her eyes: “I hate liars. They’re worse than thieves.” Did you feel afterwards that you’d been easy to fool? If so, you’d be in good company. We tend to assume communication is honest except when verified as incorrect. And that is something to be thankful for; otherwise we’d live in a suspicious world. Less helpfully, many of us believe that dishonesty reveals itself through body language. In popular imagination, liars look (27) … , they fidget, cough or avoid eye contact. Unfortunately, these cues are unreliable. People who convince themselves of their own truthfulness while lying may behave no differently from anyone else. Empirical research shows it is difficult to identify even deliberate liars from their behaviour. A meta-analysis examining more than 200 studies found that people’s ability to distinguish truth from lies is barely better than chance. A more recent review reinforced this conclusion: we are generally poor judges of deception. However, who we believe – and why – becomes more complex within certain relationships. I once knew a woman called Julia, who was attractive, charming and seemingly kind. She was generous with cake, hugs and praise, and appeared to be a sympathetic listener. I loved her for these qualities, yet I often felt guarded in her company for reasons I could not articulate. Her compliments were so warm one could feel dizzied. In this context, when she made improbable claims, people tended to take them at face value. I know I did. Her credibility was reinforced by a troubling pattern of behaviour. At times she persuaded me that I had said things I did not remember saying, or that I had imagined things she had said. She would advise me on a practical issue, only later to express dismay at my choices and question my reasoning. Over time, my trust in my own judgment eroded. If I was so forgetful, how could I rely on my perceptions? I could barely sense them through a mental fog. She had a similar effect on others. Within this fog, Julia made extreme claims about people I knew: Cathy was mistreating a pet, Daniel was ripping off his mother, Pamela was taking Julia’s belongings. I privileged Julia’s perception over my own, gradually developing distorted views of these people. Всероссийская олимпиада школьников по английскому языку 2026 г. заключительный этап стр. 6 из 8 Eventually, I learned that Julia had been discussing my health with others. Under the guise of concern, she claimed I suffered from a range of physical and mental illnesses that I had never had and did not meet criteria for. These included stigmatised conditions likely to provoke strong reactions. What she said was untrue. When I compared notes with some of her other contacts, we discovered she had set us against each other through an elaborate web of (28) … . Several relationships had broken down, extracting a painful toll from those involved. When Julia realised we were on to her, she cut ties. She never explained her behaviour, and I still do not know whether she believed her own contradictory accounts. What interests me more is how long she was believed, despite growing (29) … of her actions. Many people are now familiar with the idea of gaslighting: denying a shared reality to make someone question their senses. The most effective gaslighters I’ve met seemed more likely to be believed when they told everyday lies, with one strategy supporting the other. Who the liar is, rather than what they say, influences their success. Perceived credibility is shaped by cognitive bias, and can be gendered or racialised. It is also affected by halo errors: we expect people we like to be honest. Good looks, generosity and flattering behaviour can buy undeserved leeway. The normal desire for connection can also cloud judgment. Consider gossip, often defined in psychology as unverified personal information rather than malicious intent. Research suggests gossip can benefit social groups if the information is true, and anthropologists argue it helps forge bonds. Sharing an inside story can signal trust or belonging. The downside of increased intimacy is lowered defences, and a compelling story from a friend can be hard to resist. Overall, being lied to can damage trust in lasting ways. First, it can foster suspicion that others do not mean what they say. Although studies suggest most people tell one or two white lies a day, prolific liars are relatively rare. Second, there is the (30) … and disconcerting knowledge that even good people struggle to detect lies. Third, confidence in one’s own judgment may be lost and must be rebuilt. The best response, it seems to me, is to attend to any sense of inner division. Wordless unease should be examined rather than ignored. A balance must be struck between the dignity my grandmother showed when confronting a liar and faith in humanity. Viewing everyone skeptically offers false comfort: no liar gets through, but neither does anyone else. What helps me is knowing how much better my life has been without Julia in it. Outside her influence, optimism Всероссийская олимпиада школьников по английскому языку 2026 г. заключительный этап стр. 7 из 8 is easier – including the understanding that most people are honest, and deserve to be met as such. Questions 26-30 In some of the paragraphs a word is missing. These words in a DIFFERENT WORD FORM are listed below: false muse settle shift plausible DERIVE NEW WORDS from the given words to fill in the gaps 26-30. Use the words in the appropriate grammar form. Questions 31-35 Are the statements 31-35 true, false or not given? If a statement is true, circle A on your answer sheet. If it is false, circle B on your answer sheet. If it is not given, circle C on your answer sheet.