《2026年水木金卷高考模拟试卷精编英语》

C
The halo effect (光环效应) is an interesting cognitive bias (偏见) that significantly impacts how we understand others. This bias occurs when our overall impression of a person influences our feelings and judgments about specific qualities they possess. Essentially, if someone leaves a positive impression, it can enhance how we regard their particular characteristics. This often leads us to make baseless assumptions about their abilities and qualities based on a singular positive quality.
A typical illustration of the halo effect can be seen in our perceptions of celebrities. Famous individuals are frequently viewed as attractive, successful, and charismatic. Consequently, their public images lead many to assume that they are also intelligent, kind-hearted, and humorous. Such sweeping generalizations arise not from substantial evidence but from the overall impression formed by their fame and appearance.
The term "the halo effect" was introduced by psychologist Edward Thorndike in a 1920 publication. In his research, Thorndike explored how military officers rated various qualities in their soldiers, including leadership abilities, physical attractiveness, and intelligence. He aimed to understand the interaction between a single characteristic and the overall judgments made about other characteristics. His findings were revealing; high assessments in one area frequently correlated with high ratings in others, indicating a pattern where positive perceptions are interconnected. Conversely, negative evaluations in one characteristic tended to lower ratings in other areas as well.
This cognitive bias emerges in numerous real-world environments, one of the most common being the workplace. Experts argue that the halo effect plays a critical role in performance reviews. For instance, an employee's enthusiastic behavior or optimistic attitude may mask a lack of technical skills or knowledge. This often results in managers and coworkers rating such employees more favorably than they deserve based on their actual performance. Additionally, research has indicated that physical attractiveness not only enhances an individual's self-confidence but also positively influences their financial prospects. Attractive people may receive more attention and opportunities, leading to greater overall success.
Despite our understanding of the halo effect, completely avoiding its influence on our perceptions and decisions is exceedingly out of the question. It is only one of many cognitive biases that contribute to rapid decision-making and consequently, errors in judgment. Even with awareness, these ingrained biases can shape our thoughts and behaviors unconsciously. Thus, being mindful of the halo effect can help us strive for more objectivity in our assessments, leading to better decision-making in both personal and professional contexts.
46. Which of the following is a demonstration of the halo effect?
A. A friendly colleague gets promoted over others.
B. An attractive person also deserves high pay.
C. A skilled worker produces quality results consistently.
D. A friendly coworker is seen as an expert.
47. Why are celebrities used as an example in the passage?
A. To prove a new theory.
B. To illustrate a concept.
C. To put forward a definition.
D. To offer background information.
48. What was the purpose of Thorndike's original research?
A. To rate soldiers' leadership abilities and intelligence.
B. To determine the indirect effects of personal judgments.
C. To explore how one quality affects overall evaluations.
D. To define the characteristics of attractive individuals.
49. What can we learn from the example in Paragraph 4?
A. Unfair evaluations and chances can result from the halo effect.
B. Positive qualities always correlate with strong job performance.
C. Enthusiastic behavior always improves performance evaluations.
D. Enthusiasm and attractiveness are essential for workplace success.
50. What does the author think of avoiding the halo effect?
A. Necessary.
B. Advisable.
C. Impossible.
D. Meaningful.

答案： 46.D 推理判断题。题干意为：下列哪一项是光环效应的表现？根据第一段中“Essentially，if someone leaves a positive impression，it can enhance how we regard their particular characteristics. This often leads us to make baseless assumptions about their abilities and qualities based on a singular positive quality.”可知，光环效应的本质是：如果某人留下了积极的印象，就会增强我们对其特定品质的看法。这常常导致我们仅仅基于其单一的积极品质就对其能力和品质做出毫无根据的假设。由此可推知，“一个友好的同事被视为专家”是光环效应的体现。故选D。
47.B 推理判断题。题干意为：为什么这篇文章用名人作例子？根据第一段内容可知，第一段提出光环效应的概念及其本质；第二段中“A typical illustration of the halo effect can be seen in our perceptions of celebrities.”指出光环效应的一个典型例子就是我们对名人的看法。由此可推知，用名人作为例子是为了更好地解释“光环效应”这一概念。故选B。
48.C 细节理解题。题干意为：Thorndike的最初研究的目的是什么？根据第三段中“He aimed to understand the interaction between a single characteristic and the overall judgments made about other characteristics.”可知，Thorndike的最初研究的目的是探索一个品质如何影响整体的评价。故选C。
49.A 推理判断题。题干意为：我们可以从第四段中的例子中得知什么？根据第四段中“For instance，an employee’s enthusiastic behavior or optimistic attitude may mask a lack of technical skills or knowledge. This often results in managers and coworkers rating such employees more favorably than they deserve”可知，例子中指出员工的热情行为或乐观态度可能掩盖了技术技能或知识的缺乏，这经常会导致经理和同事对他们评价过高。由此可推知，光环效应可能导致不公平的评价和机会。故选A。
50.C 细节理解题。题干意为：作者认为避免光环效应怎么样？根据最后一段中“Despite our understanding of the halo effect，completely avoiding its influence on our perceptions and decisions is exceedingly out of the question.”可知，作者认为避免光环效应是不可能的。故选C。