Tricks to help you make any difficult decision

江蘇徐州七中 彭向梅

精彩導讀

人生中每天都要面臨各種選擇。面對可能會影響人生軌跡的重要決定，陷入糾結和焦慮是我們難以避免的。如何讓自己更加自信堅定地做出正確的決定？讓我們經過對前面文章的思考后，一起閱讀做困難決定時的訣竅；一起學習這些實用的方法，把自己的人生掌握在自己手中。全文共432詞，難度中等，建議用時8分鐘。

The decision-making process is never easy．No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve,you are bound to lose a little sleep over the big decisions．If you’re really struggling,here are a few ways to make the process a little easier on yourself as you work through all the possibilities．

Pretend like you’re advising a friend

The reasoning here is really simple∶your short-term emotions get in the way of decisions,and that clouds your judgment．It’s hard to break free of your emotions,but it helps to know they affect your choices．This only works in certain circumstances．

Limit the amount of information you take in

It’s a pretty common idea that the more information you have,the better decisions you can make.However,when we have too much information,we start to fill in gaps and add weight to information that doesn’t matter．Regardless,when you have too much information on the table,you’re making the decision process way more difficult．

It might sound like you’re just going to confuse yourself by adding in options that don’t matter,but in certain cases—especially something like a move or even a career change—it’s about thinking outside your comfort zone in order to make a better decision．If you need some help,Psychology Today suggests asking yourself a few simple questions∶

Reverse your assumptions

The suggestion here is simple∶if you’re making a decision between a few different options,throw in a new option that is essentially the exact opposite of what you’d normally do．Now,imagine yourself as if you’d already made that choice．

You can ask yourself a few simple questions∶List all your assumptions about your subject.

Reverse each assumption.What is its opposite?

Ask yourself how to accomplish each reversal（逆轉）.

The end result is a new viewpoint you might not have considered otherwise.You still might not go with that choice,but it can help you decide what you really want in a decision.Spreadsheet it out

A simple spreadsheet(電子表格)filled with pros,cons,qualities,rankings,and more can help give you the big picture of a decision.Everyone’s idea of what makes up a big decision and what doesn’t is different,but walking yourself through the above exercises is a way to get to a point where you’re more confident in your choice.It doesn’t matter how you do it,decisions tax your brain and your willpower,but hopefully you can make it a bit easier on yourself so you won’t regret too much in the end.

Reading check

Read the text carefully and find the correct answers.

1.What does the author think of information in making decisions?

A.The more information,the more helpful.

B.You must think outside your comfort zone.

C.Too much information adds to difficulties.

D.Short-term emotions can affectyour choices.

2.Which of the following best explains“Reverse your assumptions”in the third subtitle?

A.Considering the opposite choices.

B.Throwing in a new option.

C.Reserve each assumption.

D.Going with your choice.

3.From where is the text probably taken?

A.A research paper.

B.A practical website.

C.A biology textbook.

D.A travel brochure.

Language study

I.Words in the text

Ⅱ.Vocabulary

1．sleeve n.袖子

2．pretend v.假裝；裝作

3．reasoning n.推理；推斷

4．circumstance n.條件；情況；形勢

5．regardless adv.無論如何；不管

6．confuse v.使困惑；使混亂

7．option n.選項；選擇權

8．reverse v. （使）反向；（使）倒轉；徹底改變

9．assumption n.假定；假設

10．essentially adv.本質上；根本上

11．accomplish v.完成；實現；達到

12．viewpoint n.觀點；見解

13．ranking n.排名；名次；地位

14．willpower n.意志力；毅力

15．have sth up one’s sleeve暗中留有一招；藏有錦囊妙計

16．be bound to 注定；勢必；不得不

17．lose a little sleep over為某事擔心而到了失眠的程度

18．get in the way of妨礙；阻擋

19．break free of遠離；推翻

20．fill in gaps 填補空白

21．give a big picture of看清某事大局或重點

Ⅲ.Difficult sentences

1．這是一個相當普遍的想法∶你擁有的信息越多，你就能做出更好的決定。

_______________________the more information you have,the better decisions you can make．

【點石成金】it作為形式主語時并無實際語義，只是為滿足語法上的需要，避免句子頭重腳輕，主要用于以下句型：1．It+is/was+adj．/n．+to do sth/that從句；2．It+v．+to do sth/that從句。 另外，本例句的主語從句中包含“the+比較級，the+比較級”的句型，意為“越……，就越……”，表示一方的程度隨著另一方的變化而變化。

2．現在，想象一下，就好像你已經做出了那個選擇。

Now,imagine yourself____________you’d already made that choice．

【點石成金】表達“似乎”時，可以使用as if/though引導的從句。本句中as if從句用了虛擬語氣。當句子所述是不真實或者極不可能發生的情況時，as if/though后接的是虛擬語氣。此處從句為“已經做出選擇”的虛擬，謂語動詞用“had＋過去分詞”。但是，當句子所述是真實或極有可能發生的情況時，as if/though從句用陳述語氣。如果as if引導的從句是 “主語 +系動詞 ”結構,可省略主語和系動詞等成分,這樣as if后就只剩下名詞、不定式、形容詞(短語)或動詞-ing形式等。

He acts as if（he was） a fool．他表現得像個傻子。

He won’t even look at me as if I never existed．他看都不看我一眼，仿佛我不存在似的。