Section B: Paragraph Matching
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
Do You Know When to Quit Wisely?
A) Projects, relationships, and jobs don't always work out as planned- and it's not always clear when to give up. We've all repeatedly heard the saying that “quitters never win,” but sometimes the best decision is to cut our losses.
B) Think about that relationship you held on to even after it had run its course or the job you stayed in despite your boss making you miserable. Many of us try to hold onto the last ray of hope, thinking we can make it work, whatever “it” is. And while perseverance is generally an excellent quality, it may also incline you to over-invest in something that is no longer a good idea.
C) As an executive coach, I work with numerous passionate and hard-working leaders who don't want to “quit.” But the smartest leaders learn to discern the difference between quitting too soon and holding onto something that they shouldn’t.
D) We are all susceptible to the sunk-cost delusion, an unconscious bias that leads us to persist in an endeavor we have already invested time, effort, or money into — even when abandoning it would be more beneficial. We realize that we can't get back the resources we've given, so we persevere — investing in a project that should be halted, staying in a relationship that should be over, or finishing a book we no longer enjoy and should put down, because we're already halfway through it. If quitting is “not your thing,” you may be especially susceptible to this bias.
E) The sunk-cost delusion causes us to overly worry about what we’ll lose if we move on and not think enough about the costs of not moving on. To offset this bias, deliberately refocus your thinking on the gains so you can more objectively weigh the alternatives. Ask yourself: What might I gain by cutting my losses now? Will you be happier or have time for another (better) opportunity? Then ask yourself: What will it cost me to soldier on? For example, is it possible that you'll be throwing more good money after what you've already lost? Or that you won't have the energy to capitalize on other promising possibilities?
F) The illusion of control can also interfere with our best judgment, leading us to overestimate our ability to control events and attain a positive outcome. This bias gives us a sense of agency and can promote mental health. However, the bias can also result in escalating commitment to a losing course of action. Especially when combined with an “I'm not a quitter” mentality, feeling like we have more control over an event or person than we do puts us at risk of doubling down when we should pull out.
G) To counteract this bias, consider your situation and make a simple two-column list of what's in your control and what's not. Think rigorously. While you may be able to influence other people and various circumstances, you can’t force them to change or go your way.
H) Getting clear on what you can control and what you can't is essential to making a quality decision about whether to call it quits or persevere. With a written list in hand, you can ensure you focus on what you can control and better assess whether your continued efforts are worth the expense. Expending effort and emotion on things you can’t control can be both draining and disempowering.
I) Research indicates that people link their self-identity and social status to their commitments. And because we identify with our commitments, withdrawing from one can feel like a threat to our identity or status.
J) Take my client Ryan, a leader at a technology company. Ryan had invested two years and a lot of effort in a design project that wasn’t delivering the needed outcomes, but the thought of abandoning it after all she had put in was hard to bear. As Ryan and I explored whether she should cancel the initiative she’d been leading or continue to persevere, she stated, “The thing is, I’m not a quitter.” This singular, fixed sense of self was clouding her judgment and limiting her choices for action.
K) Our self-concept and identity are mental concepts that influence our behavior. If you strongly identify as not being a quitter, you can end up staying stuck in a course of action due to your narrow and rigid self-concept. To overcome this kind of internal obstacle, recall your other positive traits and personality characteristics. Ask yourself: What additional strengths do I have (or aspire to have) that would be helpful to employ here? For example, when I asked Ryan what other positive qualities from her personality she needed to leverage for decision making, she replied, “Discernment and bravery.”
L) Now, examine your situation through the lens of each of these facets of yourself. What does the discerning part of you say? The brave part? Considering your decision through these different characteristics will enable you to see that you have more choices. It’s also helpful to seek external sources of information, rather than relying solely on your thinking and instincts. But it's important to think through whose opinions you solicit.
M) Ideally, seek out people who are less invested in your decision than you are. If you're considering whether to shut down your entrepreneurial venture, for instance, reach out to other founders as opposed to just your business partner. Similarly, if you're looking for love advice, ask someone removed from the ups and downs of your relationship instead of relying only on your best friend. In all cases, I recommend describing your situation and following up with a question like: “How would you manage this situation?”
N) Alternately, you could also seek out hard data that illuminates your real chance of success in whatever endeavor you are contemplating. Sticking with the example of the entrepreneurial venture, numbers are your best friend. Use them to remove yourself from the love you have for this idea and consider your bum rate relative to growth plan, industry growth rates, and other factors that predict start-up success. External sources of information can help you see angles and possibilities you might not have considered.
O) When something that seemed so promising at the start doesn't turn out the way we imagined, we can become overly selfcritical. Nobody likes to feel that they’ve made a poor decision, especially if making intelligent decisions is a quality you hold in high esteem. The most effective strategy here is to give yourself a break. Practicing self-compassion increases your resilience (韧性), emotional intelligence, compassion toward others, and can boost your performance as well as help you develop a growth mindset.
P) Instead of deliberating and criticizing yourself, focus instead on what you can learn from this situation. For example, Ryan recognized she had developed various new skills and leadership capabilities from leading the design project. And despite ultimately deciding to drop it, she was still happy she had tried and grateful for what the experience taught her.
Q) Undeniably, perseverance can help us succeed. But for your wellbeing, it’s important to learn how to distinguish quitting too soon and clinging to a losing course of action. While letting go can be difficult, it will free up your time, energy, and mental space to imagine new possibilities and pursue new opportunities.
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Section B: Paragraph Matching
36. F。解析：题干意为“由于感觉自己对某事或某人的控制力超出了实际情况，人们在本该放弃时反而会对自己的追求更加执着”。定位至段落 F 最后一句 "...feeling like we have more control over an event or person than we do puts us at risk of doubling down when we should pull out."（感觉我们对某事件或某人的控制力超出了实际，这会使我们在应该撤出时面临加倍投入的风险）。"get more committed" 对应 "doubling down"（加倍投入）；"should give up" 对应 "should pull out"（应该撤出）。
37. K。解析：题干意为“如果你认为自己是一个从不放弃的人，你最终可能会被困在你的行动方案中”。定位至段落 K 第 2 句 "If you strongly identify as not being a quitter, you can end up staying stuck in a course of action..."（如果你强烈认同自己不是一个轻言放弃的人，你最终可能会由于狭隘和僵化的自我概念而困在某个行动过程中）。"regard yourself as one who never quits" 对应 "identify as not being a quitter"；"trapped in" 对应 "staying stuck in"。
38. J。解析：题干意为“作者的一位客户发现很难放弃一个设计项目，她在这个项目上投入了大量的时间和精力”。定位至段落 J 第 1-2 句 "Take my client Ryan... invested two years and a lot of effort in a design project... thought of abandoning it after all she had put in was hard to bear."（以我的客户瑞安为例...在一个设计项目上投入了两年时间和大量精力...放弃它的念头很难忍受）。"author’s clients" 对应 "my client Ryan"；"found it hard to give up" 对应 "abandoning it... was hard to bear"。
39. E。解析：题干意为“作者建议人们应该将思想转向及时放弃的好处，以便继续前进”。定位至段落 E 第 2 句 "To offset this bias, deliberately refocus your thinking on the gains so you can more objectively weigh the alternatives."（为了抵消这种偏见，请刻意将思想重新聚焦于收益上，这样你就能更客观地权衡替代方案）。"direct their thoughts to the gains" 对应 "refocus your thinking on the gains"；"move on" 在该段首句也有明确对应。
40. M。解析：题干意为“做决定时，你最好征求那些在你的决定中利益关系较小的人的意见”。定位至段落 M 第 1 句 "Ideally, seek out people who are less invested in your decision than you are."（理想情况下，寻找那些在你的决定上投入/利益相关比你少的人）。"ask for opinions" 对应 "seek out people"；"less stake in your decision" 对应 "less invested in your decision"。
41. I。解析：题干意为“对于将身份与承诺联系在一起的人来说，放弃可能会让他们觉得自己的身份受到了威胁”。定位至段落 I "Research indicates that people link their self-identity... to their commitments. And because we identify with our commitments, withdrawing from one can feel like a threat to our identity or status."（研究表明人们将自我认同与承诺联系起来...退出某项承诺会让人感觉像是对我们身份或地位的威胁）。"associating their identity with" 对应 "link their self-identity to"；"quitting" 对应 "withdrawing"。
42. O。解析：题干意为“那些高度重视做出明智决定这一品质的人，在做出糟糕决定时会感觉不好”。定位至段落 O 第 2 句 "Nobody likes to feel that they’ve made a poor decision, especially if making intelligent decisions is a quality you hold in high esteem."（没人喜欢觉得自己做了一个糟糕的决定，特别是如果你高度重视做出明智决定这一品质的话）。"regard highly" 对应 "hold in high esteem"；"feel good when they make a bad one" 对应 "feel that they’ve made a poor decision"。
43. C。解析：题干意为“最明智的领导者学会了区分过早放弃和非理性地坚持某事”。定位至段落 C 第 2 句 "But the smartest leaders learn to discern the difference between quitting too soon and holding onto something that they shouldn’t."（但最聪明的领导者学会了辨别过早放弃与执着于不该坚持的事物之间的区别）。"distinguish between" 对应 "discern the difference between"；"sticking with something irrationally" 对应 "holding onto something that they shouldn’t"。
44. N。解析：题干意为“当人们考虑一项努力/尝试时，他们应该挖掘出可靠的数据来告诉他们成功的可能性有多大”。定位至段落 N 第 1 句 "Alternately, you could also seek out hard data that illuminates your real chance of success in whatever endeavor you are contemplating."（另外，你也可以寻找硬数据，来阐明你在考虑的任何尝试中真正的成功机会）。"dig out reliable data" 对应 "seek out hard data"；"how likely they are to succeed" 对应 "your real chance of success"。
45. H。解析：题干意为“清楚地了解什么是你能控制的，什么是你不能控制的，这对于决定是放弃还是坚持下去至关重要”。定位至段落 H 第 1 句 "Getting clear on what you can control and what you can't is essential to making a quality decision about whether to call it quits or persevere."（弄清楚你能控制什么和不能控制什么，对于做出是放弃还是坚持的高质量决定至关重要）。"Having a clear view" 对应 "Getting clear"；"vital" 对应 "essential"；"give up or stick it out" 对应 "call it quits or persevere"。
【核心同义替换归纳】
get more committed <=> doubling down (加倍投入，更加执着) [36 - F]
trapped in <=> staying stuck in (被困在...中) [37 - K]
found it hard to give up <=> abandoning it... was hard to bear (发现很难放弃) [38 - J]
direct their thoughts to the gains <=> refocus your thinking on the gains (将思想重新聚焦于收益) [39 - E]
less stake <=> less invested (利益关系较小，投入较少) [40 - M]
associating <=> link (将...联系起来) [41 - I]
regard highly <=> hold in high esteem (高度重视) [42 - O]
distinguish <=> discern the difference (区分，辨别) [43 - C]
dig out reliable data <=> seek out hard data (寻找确凿/可靠的数据) [44 - N]
give up or stick it out <=> call it quits or persevere (放弃还是坚持下去) [45 - H]