Tricks to help you make any difficult decision

江苏徐州七中 彭向梅

精彩导读

人生中每天都要面临各种选择。面对可能会影响人生轨迹的重要决定，陷入纠结和焦虑是我们难以避免的。如何让自己更加自信坚定地做出正确的决定？让我们经过对前面文章的思考后，一起阅读做困难决定时的诀窍；一起学习这些实用的方法，把自己的人生掌握在自己手中。全文共432词，难度中等，建议用时8分钟。

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（逆转）.

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(电子表格)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.假装；装作

3．reasoning n.推理；推断

4．circumstance n.条件；情况；形势

5．regardless adv.无论如何；不管

6．confuse v.使困惑；使混乱

7．option n.选项；选择权

8．reverse v. （使）反向；（使）倒转；彻底改变

9．assumption n.假定；假设

10．essentially adv.本质上；根本上

11．accomplish v.完成；实现；达到

12．viewpoint n.观点；见解

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；藏有锦囊妙计

16．be bound to 注定；势必；不得不

17．lose a little sleep over为某事担心而到了失眠的程度

18．get in the way of妨碍；阻挡

19．break free of远离；推翻

20．fill in gaps 填补空白

21．give a big picture of看清某事大局或重点

Ⅲ.Difficult sentences

1．这是一个相当普遍的想法∶你拥有的信息越多，你就能做出更好的决定。

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

【点石成金】it作为形式主语时并无实际语义，只是为满足语法上的需要，避免句子头重脚轻，主要用于以下句型：1．It+is/was+adj．/n．+to do sth/that从句；2．It+v．+to do sth/that从句。 另外，本例句的主语从句中包含“the+比较级，the+比较级”的句型，意为“越……，就越……”，表示一方的程度随着另一方的变化而变化。

2．现在，想象一下，就好像你已经做出了那个选择。

Now,imagine yourself____________you’d already made that choice．

【点石成金】表达“似乎”时，可以使用as if/though引导的从句。本句中as if从句用了虚拟语气。当句子所述是不真实或者极不可能发生的情况时，as if/though后接的是虚拟语气。此处从句为“已经做出选择”的虚拟，谓语动词用“had＋过去分词”。但是，当句子所述是真实或极有可能发生的情况时，as if/though从句用陈述语气。如果as if引导的从句是 “主语 +系动词 ”结构,可省略主语和系动词等成分,这样as if后就只剩下名词、不定式、形容词(短语)或动词-ing形式等。

He acts as if（he was） a fool．他表现得像个傻子。

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。