Question

Don’t put it off, do it now!

Why do we spend so much time not doing the work we should do, or putting off small jobs that have piled up to create a big problem? Procrastinating, as putting things off like this is called, is in our character we have naturally since birth; we avoid dull or difficult jobs until it’s too late to do anything else.

“We often put things off although we know it will make life more stressful,” says Dr. Steel, an authority on the science of motivation. “If these tasks were fun, we’d just do them now. We put off what is difficult or unpleasant, such as the paperwork that needs doing before leaving the office or cleaning the bits of your home that people can’t see. But the fact is, the less people procrastinate, the more money they have, the better relationships they have, and the healthier they are.” This is obvious when you look at the couples who don’t argue about whether anyone has cleaned the kitchen, and the people who simply go for a run instead of endlessly rescheduling it in their heads.

Of course, there are the rest of us, who feel the small jobs piling up around us daily. “We’ve evolved to respond to the moment, and not to set our sights too far in an uncertain world,” Dr. Steel adds. “We are not set up to appreciate long-term rewards, whether it’s the benefit of a four-year degree, doing exercise or dieting. We usually feel the cost now and the reward comes much later.” According to Dr. Steel, we have two decision-making systems. They are the limbic, which is responsible for the short term, and the prefrontal cortex, which deals with the future. We bounce between long-term goals and short-term temptations, so we need goals that will translate our plans for the limbic system.

Let’s take the example of students’ writing essays. They should set themselves targets and word counts per day. These are thus turned from seemingly endless tasks into something concrete with measured progress. Dr. Steel recommends such techniques, or “pre-commitments”, adding that leaving you a month before the “deadline” makes it more likely a task will be completed. The benefit is that you’ll avoid the embarrassment of not following up on something people are expecting you to do—telling everyone you are going to take up jogging makes you more likely to do so.

Overcoming procrastination finally comes down to planning, which, if you’re not careful, becomes procrastination in itself. But it is worth making sure you have everything in place. “Successful people don’t pretend they don’t procrastinate,” Dr. Steel says. “People who pretend they have willpower are less successful.” Instead, plan for procrastination: make your work environment a temple of productivity by cutting out what stops you paying your attention, so you can really focus on moving forward.

1.What does the author say about procrastination in Paragraph 1?

A. It is something many people can’t help.

B. It is an excuse people often use in public.

C. It is caused by the technology in people’s life.

D. It is more common when people have small jobs to do.

2.In paragraph 3, Dr. Steel believes that people who procrastinate should ______.

A. attempt to overcome their natural tendencies

B. take the advice of others in the same situation

C. be aware that their problem is relatively small

D. find out more about the way they make decisions

3.Why does Dr. Steel recommend making “pre-commitments” in Paragraph 4?

A. They are an alternative to impossible goals.

B. They make challenges feel more manageable.

C. They are an effective way of impressing others.

D. They allow people to achieve their aims sooner.

4.What does the author do by saying the underlined sentence?

A. Encourage the reader to develop plans effectively.

B. Advise the reader to deal with complex tasks quickly.

C. Warn the reader against spending too long getting organized.

D. Remind the reader to take the time to focus properly on a task.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.B

4.C

【解析】

本文属于议论文，主要介绍拖延症的影响以及处理拖延症需要注意的事项。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段Procrastinating, as putting things off like this is called, is in our character we have naturally since birth; we avoid dull or difficult jobs until it’s too late to do anything else.可知，拖延症是我们出生就在我们的性格里面的东西，我们逃避一些枯燥或者困难的事情直到太晚而什么都做不了，故可知，拖延症是很多人无法摆脱的，因为天生就有，故选A.

2.推理判断题。根据第三段“We’ve evolved to respond to the moment, and not to set our sights too far in an uncertain world,” Dr. Steel adds.可知，我们进化为对当下的东西做出反应，而对未来的没有前瞻性，故可知，要克服拖延症，还必须要克服天性，故选A。

3.推理判断题。根据第四段These are thus turned from seemingly endless tasks into something concrete with measured progress. Dr. Steel recommends such techniques, or “pre-commitments”, adding that leaving you a month before the “deadline” makes it more likely a task will be completed.可知，pre-commitments就是把一些似乎无尽的任务转换成一些可以量化进步的具体事务，在截止日期前给自己一个月的时间让任务完成得可能性更高，故可知，pre-commitments会让自己的要做的事情更可控，故选B。

4.推理判断题。本句意思为，最终解决拖延症落实到了计划，但是如果不小心，计划本身就会成为拖延症的一种表现，故可知，要计划，计划之后要立即落实，故作者说这句话的意义在于警告计划不能太拖延，故选C。