1 . Deliberation is not always the best option

Humans have developed over millions of years of evolution to respond to certain situations without thinking too hard. If your ancestors _______ movement in the undergrowth, they would run first and ask questions later. At the same time, the _______ to analyse and to plan is part of what distinguishes people from other animals.

The question of when to trust your gut(直觉)and when to test your _______—whether to think fast or slow, in the language of Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist—_______ in the office as much as it does in the savannah(大草原).

Deliberative thinking is the feature of a well-managed workplace. Strategic changes and budget discussions are built on rounds of meetings, memos, formulas and presentations. Processes are increasingly designed to _______ instinctive responses. From blind screening of job applicants to using “red-teaming” techniques to pick apart a firm’s plans, precision _______ instinct.

Yet instinct also has its place. Some decisions are more connected to emotional responses and inherently(固有的)less _______ to analysis. Does a marketing campaign capture the _______ of your company, say, or would this person work well with other people in a team? In _______ customer-service situations, intuition is often a better guide to how to behave than a script.

Gut instincts can also be ________. Plenty of research has shown that intuition becomes more unfailing with experience. In one well-known experiment, conducted in 2012, volunteers were asked to ________ whether a selection of designer handbags were fake or real. Some were instructed to operate on instinct and others to deliberate over their decision. Intuition worked better for those who owned at least three designer handbags; indeed, it ________ analysis. The more expert you become, the better your instincts tend to be.

________, the real reason to embrace fast thinking is that it is, well, fast. Instinctive decision-making is often the only way to get through the day. Researchers at Cornell University once estimated that people make over 200 decisions a day about food alone. The workplace is ________ but a succession of choices, a few big and many small: what to ________, when to intervene, whom to avoid in the lifts and, now, where to work each day.

2 . People who listen to indie bands are miserable shaggy-haired layabouts (懒惰的人) while fans of rap music are brave and full of self-confidence.

______ mere narrow-minded opinions, these are the results of an extensive psychological survey of more than 36,000 music lovers, which confirms, once and for all, that our musical tastes really do affect our personality. But the study’s most remarkable discovery is that lovers of classical music ______ a high number of personality traits with those who prefer rocking out to a heavy metal.

The research asked people worldwide to describe their personality and then to list their favourite styles of music. The results show a ______ relationship between people’s personality traits and the style of music they enjoy.

Fans of indie music, for instance, were found to have low self-esteem and little ______ but described themselves as creative. Rap enthusiasts, ______, tend to feel good about themselves and are extremely outgoing. Those who love dance music are ______ outgoing but are more likely to be unfriendly and slightly self-centred.

Professor Adrian North, who led the study, suggested that the results explain why so many people bond over music and also why some of us are very ______ about the music we listen to, since it is likely to be closely linked to the person we are.

According to Professor North, both heavy metal and classical fans are ______ by a shared ‘love of the grandiose’, which means that a Metallica fan is far more likely to listen to Mahler than an indie kid is to give reggae a try.

‘Aside from their age difference, they’re ______ the same kind of person,’ he said. ‘Lots of heavy metal fans will tell you that they also ______ Wagner, because it’s big and loud. There’s also a sense of theatre in both heavy rock and classical music, and I ______ that this is what they’re really looking to experience when they listen.’

John Gregson, 23, a classically-trained musician with a passion for heavy metal, ______. ‘As an instrumentalist out of all of the main styles of music, heavy metal and classical are the ones which require the most ______ to play — they’re technically very difficult and involve playing at inhumanly fast speeds.’ he said. ‘You feel like you’re in on a secret — you ______ it personally. It also feels like you know something that other people don’t because you ______ a style of music which is often underestimated.’

3 . I was never outgoing. During high school, I was even too shy to talk to my friends. But _______, I was crazy about acting. I started with side characters and then _______lead roles, beginning to win awards from the school’s theatre program. One would expect that I’d be among the most outgoing, confident individuals. _______, inside, I was broken.

My love for acting _______ me into college. To my surprise, lead roles in the theatre program of Illinois State University were mostly kept for theatre majors. I became rather

Then one day someone told me that an improv troupe (即兴表演剧团) would be holding auditions (试镜). Despite lack of _______, I attended one. Of course, there was severe _______ and the senior members performed very well as they _______ what we’d do during the audition. I thought I would _______. When I stepped onstage, the switch was turned on. Thanks to my great __________, I was admitted into the improv troupe.

The improv troupe kept to a strict __________: practice five hours per week, plus a two-hour show every Tuesday. When others performed, we tried to __________ “being in our heads”. This means we make decisions about how our acted scenes will evolve, and we fully __________ them. Nothing destroys a scene more quickly than stopping to __________ yourself. Similarly, my life outside of acting improved significantly when I stopped questioning myself. Gradually, I’ve got confident and my life has become less __________.

4 . When I was seven years old and my sister Amy was just five years old, we were playing on top of a bunk bed. I thought without help or any ________ from me at all, suddenly Amy disappeared off of the top of the bunk bed and   ________ with a crash on the floor. I nervously peered over the side of the bed and saw that she had landed ________ on her hands and knees on the ground. I was nervous because my parents had ________ me with making sure that we played as ________ as possible. I saw my sister’s painful face threatening to ________ from her mouth and threatening to wake up my parents. So I did the only thing my little seven-year-old ________ could think to do to change this ________. I said, “Amy, Amy, wait. Don’t cry…No human lands on all fours like that. Amy, I think this means you’re a unicorn (独角兽). “ ________, that was cheating, but there was nothing in the world my sister would want more than the unicorn. Instead of crying, instead of ________ our play, with all the negative consequences that would have waited for me, a smile ________ across her face. She climbed onto the bunk bed again with all the grace of a baby unicorn, with one ________ leg.

What we ________ unconsciously at that tender age is something called positive psychology. It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens (棱镜) through which your brain ________ the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, believe me we can change every single educational and business ________ at the same time.

5 . My first caregiving experience involved driving 180 miles every day to see my grandmother who was terminally ill. I was certainly _______ as the weeks turned into months, but the desire to _______ my grandmother in her last days was overwhelming (无法抗拒的).

Years later, my 87-year-old father required more _______ skills than I could provide. As he lived 700 miles away from me, I deeply _______ that I couldn’t take care of him myself, but I thought my nightly phone calls, filled with laughter and family news, provided him with _______ support.

Then, _______ , because of cancer, I became the one who needed _______. Friends provided meals, house cleaning, and rides to appointments. The gratitude I felt for these acts of _______ was beyond words. It was also because of their thoughtfulness that I could focus all my energy on healing (治愈) my body and mind.

Soon afterwards, in trying to find a meaningful purpose, I _______ the idea of offering assistance to other caregivers. I was ________ with both sides of the struggle, and this ________ me to pay it forward for the incredible amount of support I had received.

A(n) ________ arose when a caregiver I knew for years was unable to travel to her winter home in Florida. While recovering from surgery, she was ________ to drive. When she asked me to be the driver, I didn’t ________ , so we headed south on an adventure.

Now, due to the pandemic, I have to suspend the program, but I look forward to ________ my journey of caring for caregivers soon. I welcome the chance to lift the burden off their shoulders, even if it’s for just a minute.

6 . America’s eating habits have changed radically over the past 40 years. We consume more and more food of less and less nutritional value. The nation’s adult obesity rate is now 42.4%.

Why have our habits changed? Part of the reason is demographic (人口学的). When women moved into the workplace, _________, there was less time at home to devote to cooking. The result has been more eating out or store-bought prepared meals. _________ has played a role, too: The microwave oven _________ an industry of highly processed fools larded with fats and oils.

In Hooked, Michael Moss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, raises a question — What if the foods we’re swallowing have been designed and marketed to become addictive? While presenting his case, Mr. Moss offers an appealing tour of America’s food _________, taking side trips into biology and psychology and, not least, into the world of food compounds.

Mr. Moss begins with the science of addition. The definition of addiction he likes best —“a repetitive behavior that some people find difficult to quit”— comes from a one-time chief executive of Philip Morris.

As for the _________ that affects our food choices, Mr. Moss notes that, while it takes l0 seconds for the brain to feel the effects of cigarettes, sugar’s effects are felt 20 times faster — and salt and fat don’t take much longer than that. The difference _________ nicotine (尼古丁) needing to enter the bloodstream to reach the brain, while sugar and salt take a _________ through the taste buds (味蕾). But the tongue is _________ by the nose when it comes to driving our eating decisions. While there are 10,000 taste buds, there are 10 million olfactory receptors (嗅觉受体), and they can detect hundreds of scents. “Flavor is the combination of taste and smell,” writes Mr. Moss, “and the lion’s share of the _________ in this goes to smell.”

Or all the substances that can get us hooked, Mr. Moss says, “nothing is faster than food when it comes to __________ the brain chemistry. Certain kinds of food, that is.” The consumption of the highly processed and sweetened concoctions (调制品) that dominate the American diet: cereals, sodas, fruit juices, cookies, packaged meats, as well as salad dressing and pasta sauces delivers intense and immediate pleasure and creates a need that fits Mr. Moss’s broad definition of addiction.

Why are we only now seeing the harmful effects of the food-induced brain chemistry? Mr. Moss summarizes the thinking of one of the scientists be profiles: “We simply haven’t had the __________ we would need, in relation to evolution, to catch up with the dramatic changes in food production and our eating habits of the past forty years.”

One major theme of “Hooked” is that the food industry exploits this __________— even creates it. Mr. Moss argues that the industry’s growth has been enabled by its “manipulation of our __________ desires,” not least through marketing and sales strategies. He describes companies super-sizing their products (such as the “Double Stuf” Oreo) and creating packaging that can remain __________ (thus easing consumption while, say, driving). One byproduct of these strategies, observes Mr. Moss, is that snacks — often processed products with high convenience but low nutritional value — now account for about 25% of daily calorie consumption. Social norms have adjusted themselves __________: It has become “socially acceptable to eat anything, anywhere, anytime,” Mr. Moss writes.

7 . When Alexa couldn’t crawl, stand or walk as a baby, her mother sensed that something was wrong. ________, doctors told her not to worry — perhaps Alexa was just a “lazy baby”. After seeing a specialist, though, Alexa was ________ with a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which affects the central nervous system and the ________in the body.

Throughout Alexa’s childhood and adolescence, there were no approved medications to ________ SMA. It was a tough ________ to face as a kid. Her muscles continued to weaken over time. But as she grew she began to wonder what she could accomplish despite living with SMA.

Alexa was outgoing and loved to exercise her ________ through pretend play and performing. This ________ spirit led her to work as a child ________, appearing in movies, television shows and commercials. With hard work and determination, Alexa graduated from high school,________ home to attend college and then went on to law school, where she ________ an experimental drug for SMA that was in clinical ________. Finally she received the first-ever approved treatment to slow the ________ of her disease.       

Now, Alexa works as an entertainment lawyer for a Hollywood production company, ensuring child performers   ________ the help they need to navigate the industry. Although Alexa doesn’t let her SMA define her, it has certainly ________who she is today: optimistic, courageous and ________, leading Alexa to get as much out of life as she can.

8 . Tackling behavioral problems at school is not easy, but Dr. Terrance Newton is doing that with a _________ effective solution.

In his first year as principal of Warner Elementary School, Newton has already seen a _________ change in his at-risk students. All it took was a few quality _________ and a pair of clippers.

Newton saw the _________ as soon as he started at the school. Bullying was _________ and students were constantly being _________. He believed the best way to solve this was to build positive relationships with students. So, he _________ to set up a barbershop at school. Having cut hair before, Newton _________ the barbershop could be a safe space for students to _________. And he was right- not only has he bonded with former __________, but suspensions have dropped from 103 to 4 in the last year! Even better, bullying has all but stopped.

Kamisha Collins has seen the __________ in her 11-year-old son, Brandon Ponzo. “In the beginning of the school year, my son started off really __________ and was not getting along with Dr. Newton, but now they have built this __________-he loves him very much,” Collins said.“Dr. Newton says positive things to them while cutting their hair. And my son’s behavior and grades have improved so much.”

What a brilliant idea not to mention a __________ leader! A little love and care can make a big impact on __________ kids.

9 . I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup and sank into my sofa, trying to forget all about my troubles.________, my eyes landed on my nails. They were ugly and worn-out like my spirits. My disease had left me dependent on painkillers. I eventually conquered the________, but remained buried in debt and shame. I’d never felt so ________.

Maybe another manicure (指甲护理) would give me a little________. I went into a salon. Annie, the owner, chose a bottle of red polish, without asking me, “This is for you! Lucky Red!” She’s________my color for me? But maybe I could use some good luck for a(n)________.

While Annie was________her supplies, I found myself studying the saying on the wall Don’t look back. You’re not going that way. How I wanted to escape the prison of my ________! “But it’s hard not to look back”, I said. Annie nodded,________me to continue. Keeping my voice________, I told her all my troubles.

________lowering my fingers into the polish remover, she said, “Some things we are not meant to ________” I watched as the flecks (微粒) of the old polish floated away, imagining they were my ________.

An hour later, I________my fingers and found my nails shone. Exactly how I wanted to feel! You might owe it to Lucky Red. But I know it was Annie who________the way to my best life ever!

10 . It was a day like any other. I awoke and stretched as the summer sun lay casually ______ my sheets. This summer was going to be different— I had my ______ and my car. With my new found freedom fresh on my mind, I ______ out of bed and ran to the kitchen. My mother was bent over the sink with her phone. “Yes… I’ll be there soon,” she said, then hung up “You need to dive me to ______ my truck.” she said, turning to me.

As we ______ our way to the car dealership, my mother kept ______ me this highway was dangerous, and always ______ with rushing cars. When we drove back home, I followed ______ behind my mother. Everything was fine at first. My mother put her right ______ on, indicating that we were to the exit. The only problem was that I was one lane over and my ______ was blocked by a giant truck in the right lane. Stupidly, I sped up and ______ to pass the truck. However, I judged everything ______. The most horrifying and unimaginable ______ announced the collision, and my car began to spin off the road. There were bloody ______ up and clown my legs and arms, but everything ______ worked like it should.

Tears ______ in my mother’s eyes as she hugged me tight. Hours seemed like minutes, and ______ I knew it we were driving home in my mother’s truck. It didn’t ______ me until later that day, just how fragile life is. Sure, I could easily have been killed. In half a second, all my achievements and ambitions would mean ______. Everything I’d ever done would be all I’d ever be remembered for. Life is so fragile and deserves to be lived ______