Question

Taking care of unsolved issues of the past will free you to move ahead with confidence. The final step toward putting your past behind so that you can reach for what’s possible is tying up your loose ends. Loose ends are the unsolved relationships that keep you from sleeping worry free at night. 1. You have a loose end if there’s someone you don’t want to sit next to at a holiday dinner. Loose ends are distracting and have an amazing way of biting you in the bottom at the worst times.

How to Tie up Your Loose Ends

1. 2.These could be past relationships, employers, business partners, friends, family, or co–workers.

2. Contact each of these five loose ends. Invite each separately to a coffee shop or some other nonthreatening, non-alcohol environment. Tell each one that you want to apologize for allowing things to get crossways between you. Some may doubt your intentions, but tell them that you sincerely feel it’s time to clear the air. Ask those who agree to meet to write down any ways they think you wronged them, and you do the same. 3.

3. Show up on time and thank each for being forgiving enough to meet with you. Be an adult here—finger pointing only tears people apart. Remember, your experience may be—and most likely is—totally different from his. Listen to each issue each of them raises and try to see it from their perspectives (视角). 4. Seek to understand why they have bad feelings toward you. Apologize for each thing they think you did to wrong them (even if you don’t completely agree with his view of the situation).

After you tie up your first loose end, you’ll want to solve them all. This is hard to explain until you have done it; but once you do, you’ll know what I mean. 5. Most of all, I think this process helped me become a more understanding and patient friend.

A.I learned so much about myself by tying up my loose ends.

B.Tell them to bring this list to your get–together.

C.You have a loose end if there’s someone you don’t want to run into on a first date or at work.

D.Loose ends are very disturbing for everyone in our life.

E.Here is a guide on how to tie up your loose ends.

F.Don’t interrupt them when they are sharing.

G.Identify the five people with whom you have the most unsolved issues.

Answer

1.C

2.G

3.B

4.F

5.A

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章作者针对如何处理“尚未处理好的事情”这一问题，给出了自己的一些建议。

1.上文Loose ends are the unsolved relationships that keep you from sleeping worry free at night.说 尚未处理好的事情会让你晚上睡不着觉。下文You have a loose end if there’s someone you don’t want to sit next to at a holiday dinner.说如果在节日聚餐上你不想坐在某人旁边，那你就会有一个尚未处理好的事。该空承上启下，C选项“如果你不想在第一次约会或工作中遇到某人，你就会有一个尚未处理好的事”切题，故选C。

2.下文These could be past relationships, employers, business partners, friends, family, or co–workers.说这些可能是过去的关系、雇主、商业伙伴、朋友、家人或同事。该空引出下文，G选项“找出和你有最多未解决问题的五个人”切题，故选G。

3.上文Ask those who agree to meet to write down any ways they think you wronged them, and you do the same.说要求那些同意见面的人写下他们认为你冤枉他们的任何方式，你也做同样的事情。该空承接上文，B选项“告诉他们把这个清单带到你的聚会上”切题，故选B。

4.上文Listen to each issue each of them raises and try to see it from their perspectives (视角).说 倾听他们提出的每一个问题，试着从他们的角度看问题。下文Seek to understand why they have bad feelings toward you.说试着去理解为什么他们对你有不好的感觉。该空承上启下，F选项“当他们分享时不要打断他们”切题，故选F。

5.上文This is hard to explain until you have done it; but once you do, you’ll know what I mean. 说这很难解释，直到你做了;但一旦你这么做了，你就会明白我的意思。下文Most of all, I think this process helped me become a more understanding and patient friend.说最重要的是，我认为这个过程帮助我成为一个更善解人意和更有耐心的朋友。该空承上启下，A选项“我通过整理自己的尚未处理好的事对自己了解了很多”切题，故选A。