Snap Judgements

C2 Proficiency · Open Cloze · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

(0) ___ we like it or not, we form opinions of strangers within moments of meeting them. A face, a handshake or a tone of voice is enough to set (1) ___ motion a whole chain of judgements about someone's character, competence and trustworthiness. These snap judgements feel convincing, but they are (2) ___ from reliable. We tend to assume, for instance, that people who are good-looking must also be kind and capable, a bias (3) ___ which even experienced interviewers regularly fall prey. Worse still, once formed, first impressions are remarkably resistant (4) ___ change. We notice the evidence that confirms them and turn a blind (5) ___ to whatever contradicts them, so that a poor start can colour a relationship for years. This is not to say that our instincts are always wrong. (6) ___ occasion, a fleeting sense that something is amiss proves entirely justified. But it is worth bearing (7) ___ mind that the nervous candidate we meet on a bad day may bear little resemblance (8) ___ the person their colleagues know, and that a second impression can be every bit as revealing as the first.

Snap Judgements

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