Question 18 is based on the recording you have just heard.

        Qualities of a relationship such as openness, compassion and mental stimulation, are of concern to most of us, regardless of sex. But, judging from the questionnaire response, they are more important to women than to men. Asked to consider the ingredients of close friendship, women rated these qualities above all others. (16)[ Men assigned a lower priority to them, in favor of “similarity in interests”, selected by 77% of men, and “responsiveness in a crisis”, chosen by 61% of male respondents.] “Mental stimulation”—ranked third in popularity by men as well as women,—was the only area of overlap. Among men, only 28% named “openness” as an important quality; “caring” was picked by just 23%.

        (17)[ It is evident by their selections that when women speak of close friendships, they are referring to emotional factors,] while men emphasized the pleasure they find in a friend’s company. That is, when a man speaks of “a friend”, he is likely to be talking about someone he does things with—a teammate, a fellow hobbyist, a drinking buddy. These activities are the fabric of the friendship. It is a “doing” relationship in which similarity in interests is the key bond. This factor was a consideration of less than 11% of women. Women opt for a warm, emotional atmosphere where communication flows freely; activity is mere background.

        Lastly, men, as we have seen, have serious questions about each other’s loyalty. Perhaps this is why they placed such strong emphasis on responsiveness in a crisis—someone I can call on for help. Women, as their testimonies indicate, are generally more secure with each other and consequently are more likely to treat this issue lightly. In follow-up interviews, this was confirmed numerous times as woman after woman indicated that being there when needed was taken for granted. (18) [As for the hazards of friendship, more than a few relationships have been shattered because of cutthroat competition and feelings of betrayal. This applies to both men and women,] but unequally. In comparison, nearly twice as many men complained about these issues as women. Further, while competition and betrayal are the main thorns to female friendship, men are plagued in almost equal amounts by two additional issues: lack of frankness and a fear of appearing unmanly. Obviously, for a man, a good friendship is hard to find.

18. What may threaten a friendship for both men and women?（什么因素对男性和女性而言都可能会威胁到友谊？）

解析：C。录音后半部分提到，谈到友谊的隐患，很多关系都因为残酷竞争和背叛感而破裂。这一点同时适用于男性和女性，但是程度有所不同。录音中提到cutthroat competition和feelings of betrayal两个因素，而C项即为第二个因素，故正确。

错项排除：A项中的promise和D项的Loss of contact在录音中没有提及，故排除。B项在录音结尾有提及，但“不够坦诚”是男性面临的威胁友谊的主要因素，而非男性和女性都会面对的因素，故B项排除。