Women Can’t Keep a Secret
The average woman cannot keep a secret for longer than 47 hours, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that women are overcome by a burning desire to share gossip as soon as they hear it. They will typically spill the beans to at least one other person in 47 hours and 15 minutes.
Depending on who the gossip is about, their boyfriend, husband, best friend or mother are most likely to be the initial recipients (接收者) of the information.
The study of 3,000 women aged between 18 and 65 also found that four out of ten admitted they were unable to keep a secret—no matter how personal or confidential the news was.
The study found the nation’s ladies hear three pieces of gossip a week, but end up passing it on to at least one other person.
Three in 10 admitted having the urge to reveal someone’s secret. However, two thirds end up feeling guilty after passing on secrets.
Three quarters say they are capable of keeping quiet about a secret, and 83 per cent consider themselves 100 per cent trustworthy within each group of friends. Yet, four in ten admit to gossiping to a close friend from another friendship group.
More than four in ten think it is acceptable to share a friend’s secret with someone who does not know them, with over 40 per cent saying their husband is their final one they share secrets with.
Fortunately for some though, over a quarter (27 per cent) said they forgot what they were told the following day.
44. How long can women keep a secret?
A. At least two days  B. Longer than two days.  C. Two days.  D. 47 hours and 15 minutes
45. Women will share gossip with all the following except________.
A. their boyfriend or husband   B. their best friend
C. their brother or sister        D. their mother
46. According to the study, ________ women were unable to keep a secret.
A. 1,200    B.1,800     C. 2, 400    D. 3,000
47. Which of the following is true?
A. Most women are not trustworthy
B. More than forty per cent tell secrets to their husband.
C. Few women feel guilty after passing on secrets.
D. Over a quarter think it is acceptable to share gossip.