Directions:
In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 1-5, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks.
Anybody who has ever been inside a supermarket has encountered greater variety in five minutes than Marco Polo was exposed to in a lifetime. Hundreds of breakfast cereals stand across the aisle from as many different cookies, including enough subspecies of chocolate chip to provide the adventurous a new type each day of the month. (1) __________________
Had Marco Polo had access to a PathMark or a Safeway, he could have been a world-class explorer without traveling anywhere(For breakfast alone, he could have discovered seven kinds of Cheerios).(2) ____________
Time is only one of many hidden costs of abundance to our society, according to Swarthmore social psychologist Barry Schwartz in his intermittently brilliant sixth book, The Paradox of Choice.
As a culture, we are enamored of freedom, self-determination, and variety, and we are reluctant to give up any of our options, he writes with characteristic directness. But clinging tenaciously to all the choices available to us contributes to bad decisions, to anxiety, stress, and dissatisfaction--even to clinical depression.
(3) ________________________. But, as Schwartz ably documents, we enter an equivalent supermarket of options when deciding where we want to live, for whom we want to work, and even how we want to look. While few have complete autonomy, a combination of technological efficiency and laissez-faire morality have opened more choices to more Americans than ever before.
The report that more Americans are also more unhappy than ever before might simply be a perverse coincidence. (4) __________________
Yet, the case Schwartz makes for a correlation between our emotional state and what he calls thetyranny of choice is compelling, the implications disturbing. From unmet expectations to regret over the road not taken, the perils of living in a multiple-choice society rival in number the variety of snacks in the largest grocery store.
Driving this malaise is the problem that everything suffers from comparison.Schwartz describes a simple experiment in which people are asked whether they’d rather be given $100 outright, or gamble on winning $ 200 at the toss of a coin. That the vast majority would prefer the $100 may seem strange at first: A 50 percent chance of earning $ 200 is mathematically equivalent to a 100 percent chance of earning $100. Half the people asked ought to opt for the coin toss. (5) ____________
Economists capture this phenomenon in the law of diminishing marginal utility (and provide us the formulae to calculate that, psychologically, we’ d need winnings of $ 240 to be equally tempted by the coin toss). How, though, does this asymmetry relate to real-life choices? If losses subjectively weigh more heavily than gains, the advantages of any chocolate chip cookie or career path we select will count for less than those of the options we pass up.
[A] With so many options to choose from, the poor man would scarcely have had time to get out of town.
[B]We may even question the statistics: As the social stigma associated with depression decreases, people may be more open about their listlessness. They may even feel encouraged to consider themselves depressed as the subject receives so much attention in the media.
[C] What are we to do? Schwartz thinks he has some answers. However, while shrewdly avoiding the age-old call to turn back the hands of time, he stumbles instead headlong into the abyss of gratuitous self-help.
[D] However, the alternatives are not psychologically equivalent.. Getting twice the money is not twice as pleasurable. The distance between zero and 100 is subjectively greater than the distance between 100 and 200.
[E]But that’s just the start: The average grocery store stocks 30,000 distinct items, of which 20,000 are unceremoniously dumped and replaced annually.
[F]Schwartz’ s mistake is to assume that we need answers, an abundance of them, and that such solutions can be produced and consumed as easily as breakfast cereals.
[G] Were life limited to shopping for chocolate chip cookies and Cheerios, such a claim might seem exaggerated, if not absurd[NextPage]
难句透析
①Anybody[who has ever been inside a supermarket]has encountered greater variety in five minutes than MarcoPolo was exposed to in a lifetime.
【结构】方括号所标示的后置定语从句修饰“anybody…greater…than…”构成比较状语从句。
【释义】到过超级市场的人，在那里5分钟看到的货物品种要比马可波罗一辈子看到的还要多。
⑦Hundreds of breakfast cereals stand across the aisle from fin many different cookies，including enough subspecies of chocolate chip to provide the adventurous a new type each day of the month．
【结构】本句的主语是“Hundreds of breakfast cereals”，谓语动词是“stand”。
【释义】通道一侧的货柜上陈列着数百种早餐食品，而另一侧的货柜上陈列着数百种不同的饼干，其中还包括种类繁多的巧克力，如果尝新的人每天尝一种，足够他尝一个月了。
③But[clinging tenaciously to all the choices(available to us)]contributes”to bad decisions，”t0“’anxiety， stress,and dissatisfaction一evento clinical depression．
【结构】方括号所标示的动名词短语“clingin9…”是本句的主语，圆括号所标示的形容词短语用做后置定语修饰“hoices”。数字符号一所标示的部分是三个并列的介词短语。数字符号所标示的部分是第二个介词“to”的三个并列的宾语成分。
【释义】但是，执着地抓住我们面前的所有选择，不做任何取舍，会导致我们做出不明智的决定，导致焦虑、紧张、不满，甚至病态的消沉。
④But，ras Schwartz ably documents]，we enter an equivalent supermarket of options[when deciding where we want to live，for whom we want to work，and even how we want to look]．
【结构】在第一个方括号所标示的状语从句中，“Schwartz”是主语，“documents”是渭语动词。数字符号所标示的三个并列成分是现在分词“decidin9”的宾语。
【释义】但是，正如施瓦茨雄辩地证明的那样，当我们决定到什么地方生存，决定为谁l：作，甚至决定自己的外貌应该如何时，就相当于我们走进了一一个充满选择的超级市场。
Yet，the case ISchwartz makes for a correlation between our emotional state and(what he calls the“tyranny of choice”)]is compellin9，[the implications disturbing]．
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的部分是“case”的后置定语从句。第二个方括号所标示的部分足带逻辑主语的现在分词独立主格结构，用做补充说明状语。
【释义】施瓦茨用事例来说明我们的情感状态与他所说的“选择专制”之间的相关性。然而，他用的事例令人震撼．其含义让人不安。
⑥From unmet expectations to regret over the road[not taken]，the perils of living in a rnuhiple choice societY rival in number the variety of snacks in the largest grocery store．
【结构】本句的主语是“the perils”，谓语动词是“rival”。介词短语“From…to…”是状语成分。过去分词修饰“expectations”，后置的过去分词结构“not taken”修饰“road”。
【释义】人们的期望得不到满足，人们为走错了路而感到后悔，人们生活在充满选择的社会中，面临众多风险·其数量抵得上最大的食品杂货店中所出售的点心品种的数最。
⑦Half the people[asked]ought to opt for the coin toss．
【结构】在本句中．后置的过去分词“asked”修饰“people”。
【释义】但参加实验的人中，应该有一半选择投掷硬币。 If losses subjectively weigh me re heavily than gains，the advantages of any chocolate chip cookie or career path
we select]will count for less than those of the options [we pass up]．
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的部分是“any chocolate chip cookie or career path”的后置定语从句。第二个方括号所标示的部分是“0ptions”的后置定语从句。代词“those”指“advantages”。
【释义】从主观上说，如果我们更重视损失而不是收益的活，我们所选择的任何巧克力饼放干或者任何职业道路所带来的好处，就不如我们所放弃的选择给我们带来的好处那么蓖要了 [NextPage]
全文翻译
到过超级市场的人，在那里5分钟看到的货物品种要比马可波罗一辈子看到的还要多。通道一侧的货柜上陈列着数百种早餐食品，而另一侧的货柜上陈列着数百种不同的饼干，其中还包括种类繁多的巧克力，如果尝新的人每天尝一种，足够他尝一个月了。(1) ______
如果马可波罗能够进入帕斯马克商店或者赛威商场，不用再去别的地方他一定会成为世界级的探险家(光耳餐一项，他就能发现7种麦圈)。(2) ______
斯沃斯莫尔大学社会心理学家巴里·施瓦茨陆陆续续出版了6本内容精彩纷呈的书，在名为《选择的困惑》的第六本书中，他指出，时间仅仅是我们社会物质丰盛的诸多隐性成本之一。
他用自己标志性的方式坦陈，作为文化的主体，我们追求自由，自我决定，渴望生活多样化，同时我们很不情愿放弃任何一次选择。但是，执着地抓住我们面前的所有选择，不做任何取舍，会导致我们做出。不明智的决定，导致焦虑、紧张、不满，甚至病态的消沉。
(3) ______但是，正如施瓦茨雄辩地证明的那样，当我们决定到什么地方生存，决定为谁工作，甚至决定自己的外貌应该如何时，就相当于我们走进了一个充满选择的超级市场。当很少人能获得彻底的自主权时，技术上的效率和放任的道德观结合就为美国人提供了前所未有的更多选择。
讲述更多美国人同样比过去更不快乐的报道可能仅仅是一次非正常的偶合而已。(4) ______施瓦茨用事例来说明我们的情感状态与他所说的“选择专制”之间的相关性。然而，他用的事例令人震撼，其含义让人不安。人们的期望得不到满足，人们为走错了路而感到后悔，人们生活在充满选择的社会中，面临众多风险，其数量抵得上最大的食物杂货店中所出售的点心品种的数量。
造成这种不舒服的推动力是“所有的事情都受到相互比较之苦”的问题。施瓦茨描述了一个简单的试验，在试验中，人们被问及会爽快地接受100美元还是愿意通过掷硬币的方式赌200美元。赢得200美元50％的几率在数学上等于赚取100美元100％的几率。但参加实验的人中，应该有一半选择投掷硬币。(5) ______
经济学家通过边际效用递减规律来理解这个现象(还给我们提供公式进行计算，从心理学角度来讲，为了拒绝投掷硬币游戏的诱惑，我们需要获得240美元)。尽管如此，这种非对称如何跟真实生活中的选择相关呢?从主观上说，如果我们更重视损失而不是收益的话，我们所选择的任何巧克力饼干或者任何职业道路所带来的好处，就不如我们所放弃的选择给我们带来的好处那么重要了。
[A]当面临众多选择的时候，穷人怎么也不会有时间跑到城镇外面。
[B]我们甚至可能会对统计数字提出质疑：随着与精神萎靡紧密相连的社会污名日渐减少，人们可能会更加正视自己的颓废。他们甚至有可能有勇气将自己视为广受媒体关注的颓废对象。
[C]我们要做点什么?施瓦茨认为他有部分答案。尽管如此，在精明地避开用时间来解决问题之类的老生常谈的同时，他一步一步地阐明自我帮助才是最终答案。而自我帮助可以自由掌控。
[D]尽管如此，选择并不都是心理等效的：取得两倍的钱并不等于两倍的愉悦。主观上讲，0到100的距离要比100到200的距离要远。
[E]不过那仅仅是个开始：平均每个杂货店会存有3万件独特的物品，其中每年会有2万件被随便丢弃和替换。
[F]施瓦茨的错误在于他假定我们都需要答案，而且需要很多，他认为这种解决方案可以像早餐食品一样轻易地被消耗掉。
[G]如果生活仅局限于购买巧克力碎饼于和麦圈，这种想法即使不荒唐的话，可能看起来还是很夸张。
超纲词汇
ably adv．能干地，巧妙地
Abyss n．深渊
Aisle n．走廊，过道
Asymmetry n．不对称
autonomy n．自治
Cereal n．谷类食品，谷类
Cheerio int．好呀，加油
Coincidence n．一致，巧合
compel vt．强迫，迫使
Cookies n．饼干
Enamored adj．倾心的，被迷住的
Gratuitous adj．免费的，无理由的
headlong adv．头向前地，轻率地
Intermittently adv．间歇地
laissez—faire adj．放任主义的
listlessness n．冷漠，情绪低沉
malaise n．不舒服
outright adv．立刻地，全部地
paradox n．自相矛盾的话
perverse adj．不正当的
shrewdly adv．机灵地
snack n．小吃，快餐
stigma n．污名，耻辱
stumble v．蹒跚
subspecies n．亚种
tenaciously adv．顽强地
tyranny n．暴政，专制
unceremoniously adv．随便地
参考答案： 1．E 2．A 3．G 4．B 5．D
