Question 12 is based on the passage you have just heard.

Passage Two

听力原文

        (12) [Research shows that a few moments of conversation with a stranger creates a measurable improvement in mood.] But most of us are reluctant to start these conversations because we presume the opposite. In an experiment, commuters who talked to nearby strangers found their commute more enjoyable than those who didn’t. They were asked to predict whether they’d enjoy the commute more if they conversed with other people. Intriguingly, most expected the more solitary experience to be more pleasurable. Why is this? (13) [Social anxiety appears to be the problem. People’s reluctance to start conversations with nearby strangers comes partly from “underestimating others’ interest in connecting”.]

        The sad thing is that people presume that a nearby stranger doesn’t want to converse and don’t start a conversation. Only those who forced themselves to chat because it was required by the experiment found out what a pleasant experience it could be. Human beings are social animals. Those who misunderstand the impact of social interactions may not, in some context, be social enough for their own wellbeing. You should be chatting with the strangers you encounter. You may occasionally have a negative encounter that might stick in your memory. (14) [This is because the human brain is biased to dwell on negative events.] But starting conversations with strangers is still well worth the risk of rejection.

        It may surprise you that conversing with strangers will make them happier, too. (15) [The pleasure of connection seems contagious.] People who’re talked to have equally positive experiences as those who initiate a conversation.

12. What does research show about a conversation between strangers?（关于陌生人之间的对话，研究表明了什么？）

解析：C。录音开头提到，研究表明，与陌生人交谈几分钟，心情就会明显改善。C项与此内容相符，其中的improves their mood considerably是录音中a measurable improvement in mood的同义替换，故为正确答案。

错项排除：A项利用录音中的commuters进行干扰，但通勤者只是一项实验中的对象，并不是说陌生人之间的对话通常发生在通勤者之中，故A项排除。B项中的mutual understanding在录音中无依据，故排除。录音中虽然提到大多数人都不愿与陌生人交谈，但并不是说维持这样的交谈需要很大的努力，D项语义理解偏差，故排除。