If you start a sentence with, “If I were you...” or find yourself scratching your head over a decision when the answer is crystal-clear, there’s a scientific reason behind it. Our own decision-making abilities can become exhausted over the course of the day causing indecision or poor choices, but choosing on behalf of someone else is an enjoyable task that doesn’t suffer the same difficulties.
“The problem is decision fatigue, a psychological phenomenon that causes harm to the quality of your choices after a long day of decision making,” says Evan Polman, a leading psychologist.
Physicians on the job for several hours, for example, are more likely to prescribe antibiotics (抗生素) to patients when it’s unwise to do so. “Presumably it’s because it’s simple and easy to write a prescription and consider a patient case closed rather than investigate further,” Polman says.
But decision fatigue goes away when you are making the decision for someone else. When people imagine themselves as advisers, they feel less tired and rely less on decision shortcuts. “By taking upon the role of adviser rather than decision maker, one does not suffer the consequences of decision fatigue,” he says. “It is as if there is something fun about making someone else’s choice.”
“Getting input from others not only offers a fresh perspective and thought process, it often also includes riskier choices. While this sounds undesirable, it can be quite good. When people experience decision fatigue, when they are tired of making choices, they have a tendency to choose to go with status quo,” says Polman. “But it can be problematic since a change in the course of action can be important and lead to a positive outcome.”
To achieve a successful outcome or reward, some level of risk is almost always essential. “People who are susceptible to decision fatigue will likely choose to do nothing over something,” he says. “That’s not to say risk is always good, but it is related to taking action, whereas decision fatigue assuredly leads to inaction and the possible chagrin (懊恼) of a decision maker who might otherwise prefer a new course but is unfortunately hindered.”
“Just because you can make good choices for others doesn’t mean you’ll do the same for yourself,” Polman cautions. “Research has found that women negotiate higher salaries for others than they do for themselves,” he says, adding that people slip in and out of decision roles.
1. What does the author say about people making decisions?| A．They tend to make decisions the way they think advantageous to them. |
| B．They may become exhausted making too many decisions for themselves. |
| C．They show considerable differences in their decision-making abilities. |
| D．They are more cautious in making decisions for others than for themselves. |
| A．When they take decision shortcuts. |
| B．When they have advisers to turn to. |
| C．When they have major decisions to make. |
| D．When they help others to make decisions. |
| A．They avoid trying anything new. |
| B．They turn to physicians for advice. |
| C．They tend to make risky decisions. |
| D．They adopt a totally new perspective. |
| A．It will enable people to be more creative. |
| B．It will more often than not end in regret. |
| C．It is vital for one to reach the goal desired. |
| D．It is likely to bring about serious consequences. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】“Come on! All of us are cutting (逃课) maths. Who wants to go to take that quiz? We’re going to take a walk and get lunch instead. Let’s go!” says the coolest kid in your class. Do you do what you know is right and go to maths class, take the quiz and all? Or do you give in and go with him?
People who are at your age, like your classmates, are called peers. When they try to influence how you act and get you to do something, it’s called peer pressure. It’s something everyone has to deal with — even adults.
Peers influence your life, even if you don’t realize it, just by spending time with you. You learn from them, and they learn from you. It’s only human nature to listen to and learn from other people in your age group.
Peers can have a positive influence on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system, or you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone is reading it. Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways. For example, a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them.
It’s difficult to say “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and what is wrong can help you know what is the right thing you should do.
It can really help to have at least one other peer, or friend, who is willing to say “no” too. If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle it, talk to someone you trust — a parent, or a teacher. They can help you feel much better and prepare you for the next time you face peer pressure.
1. According to the first paragraph, what is the kid doing?| A．Encouraging other kids to cut class. |
| B．Making an announcement about a dinner party. |
| C．Planning some interesting activities after school. |
| D．Persuading kids to take a quiz with him. |
| A．For kids, peer pressure may do more harm than good. |
| B．Kids today are under greater pressure than before. |
| C．Peer pressure exists among people of all age groups. |
| D．Maths is the most difficult subject for most kids. |
| A．Learning to refuse their friends in a polite way. |
| B．Getting support from someone else if necessary. |
| C．Making more close friends while at school. |
| D．Building closer relations with their parents and teachers. |
| A．The parents. | B．The teachers. |
| C．The friends. | D．The students. |
【推荐2】We know that many animals do not stay in one place.Birds, fish and other animals move from one place to another at a certain time.They move for different reasons:most of them move to find food more easily, but others move to get away from places that are too crowded.
When cold weather comes, many birds move to warmer places to find food.Some fishes give birth in warm water and move to cold water to feed.The most famous migration (迁移) is probably the migration of the fish which is called “salmon”. This fish is born in fresh water but it travels many miles to salt water.There it spends its life.When it is old, it returns to its birthplace in fresh water.Then it gives birth and dies.In northern Europe, there is a kind of mouse.They leave their mountain homes when they become too crowded.They move down to the low land.Sometimes they move all the way to the seaside, and many of them are killed when they fall into the sea.
Recently, scientists have studied the migration of a kind of lobster (龙虾). Every year, when the season of the bad weather arrives, the lobsters get into a long line and start to walk across the floor of the ocean.Nobody knows why they do this, and nobody knows where they go.So, sometimes we know why humans and animals move from one place to another, but at other times we don’t. Maybe living things just like to travel.
1. Most animals move from one place to another at a certain time to ________.| A．give birth | B．enjoy warmer weather |
| C．find food more easily | D．find beautiful places |
| A．salt water | B．rivers |
| C．fresh water | D．its birthplace |
| A．they give birth | B．the place gets too crowded |
| C．the weather is bad | D．they haven’t enough food |
| A．Animals move to find food more easily. |
| B．The migration of the fish called “salmon” is the most famous migration. |
| C．Living things move from one place to another because they like to travel. |
| D．Sometimes we know why and how living things move from one place to another, but sometimes we don’t. |
【推荐3】Honey is not only a good source of natural sugar; it is also delicious. Most people and many animals like eating it. Unless people build beehives, however, the only way for them to get honey is to find a wild bees’ nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the bees’ honeycomb. The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, constantly waiting for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey and the wax always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know how the honey guide digests the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a local beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives.
If a person follows a honey guide to a nest, the bird is especially sure of getting a good share. Tribesmen in Africa are very grateful to the honey guide for leading them to good sources of honey, but they are also afraid of the little bird. They believe that if they do not open a bees’ nest and leave some honeycomb for the honey guide, the next time the bird cries to them through the forest, it will lead them to a snake in revenge. So they should consider the share of the honey guide seriously.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．What living habits the honey guide has. |
| B．Where the honey guide finds the honeycomb. |
| C．Why the honey guide gives a loud cry in the forest. |
| D．How the honey guide helps people and animals get honey. |
| A．curious animals often destroy the honeycomb |
| B．the honey guide often flies inside the bees’ nest |
| C．the honey guide probably has a good sense of smell |
| D．scientists did some research on the honey guide’s digestion |
| A．In punishment. | B．In reward. | C．In vain. | D．In doubt. |
Study Techniques
You should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.
Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before
beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty
of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts for a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also
improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and
deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored. |
| B．Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time. |
| C．Check the time during the exam at a certain time. |
| D．Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method. |
| A．Your study desk or table. | B．Your textbook. |
| C．Your dictionary. | D．The equipment you need. |
| A．You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test. |
| B．You will have enough energy to deal with your study and exams by eating healthy diet. |
| C．You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you. |
| D．If you feel tired during study, you can walk around for a few minutes. |
【推荐2】A growing number of families in China are able to afford a piano and lessons for their children. By2016, the number of children learning piano in China exceeded 30 million and the number has risen by 10percent every year since. The piano used to be a rare foreign import in China; now four in five are made here. Much of this can be traced back to the tiny Chinese island of Gulangyu.
After the first opium war in 1842, foreign powers forced the emperor to permit their residents to live in several “treaty ports”. One of those was Xiamen. Gulangyu, which lies just a five-minute ferry ride offshore, was an international settlement. The foreign residents popularised the piano as an everyday amusement. There was soon hardly a family on the island that did not host or go to hear an evening recital (演奏会).
For decades the island has achieved longstanding fame: the largest number of pianos per person in China. The result was a stream of outstanding musicians. The island’s most celebrated musician is YinChengzong. In 1969 he arranged an earlier revolutionary cantata into the “Yellow River Piano Concerto”. It remains China’s most famous orchestral composition.
Where once Western classical music flowed into China, pianists and their works are pouring out. Of the 50 million children learning the instrument worldwide, as many as 40 million may be Chinese. The government lavishes money on orchestras, which now number over 80, and new concert halls. Demanding parents and cool young things fill them to hear the most talented pianists-among whom, in recent decades, have been Lang Lang, Li Yundi and Yuja Wang-play some beautifully judged Bach or fiendishly hard Rachmaninov. Although reports show that about 10 percent of learners born in the 1990s rarely touch the instrument after they have finished all the exams for amateur learners, most have made it part of their life.
1. What has the island of Gulangyu been known for?| A．Its geographic location. | B．Its many outstanding musicians. |
| C．The history as an international settlement. | D．The largest number of pianos per person in China. |
| A．children | B．pianists | C．concert halls | D．musical instruments |
| A．Residents on Gulangyu hardly host or hear an evening recital |
| B．Chinese piano learners seldom play it after passing the exams. |
| C．Few talented Chinese pianists and famous pieces are coming out. |
| D．The foreigners living on Gulangyu made piano a household pastime. |
| A．How piano develops in China. | B．Where piano in China originated. |
| C．Why piano is popular in Gulangyu. | D．When piano was first brought to China. |
【推荐3】How does peer pressure affect people? Peer pressure can influence how people dress, how they talk, what music they listen to, what attitudes they adopt and how they behave. Teenagers want to be liked, to fit in and to be accepted, which means peer pressure can be powerful and hard to resist. People who are low in confidence and unsure of themselves may be more likely to seek their peers’ approval by going along with risky suggestions or choosing the “wrong” path. In one study, a student who knew the correct answer to a question actually gave the wrong answer because all the others in the class gave the wrong answer and he didn’t want to be different.
1. What sort of students are probably under peer pressure?| A．Students lacking self-confidence. | B．Students showing risky behaviour. |
| C．Students gaining in popularity. | D．Students refusing any changes. |
| A．He wanted to question authority. |
| B．He wanted to hide the right answer. |
| C．He didn’t wanted to be a different person. |
| D．He wanted to be accepted by his peers. |
