Unit6sectionA

Part IV— (Paras. 10-12)
Part IV suggests how we can balance our lives by reducing u_n_n_e_c_e_s_s_a_r_y_o_p_t_io_n_s.
such as prohibition of overbooking , trying to lessen the load, remembering the lessons of _d_o_o_r _c_lo_s_e_r_s__ like Xiang Yu, and keeping those activities e_n_r_i_ch__in_g__o_u_r _li_ve__s.
According to Dr. Ariely’s book, Predictably Irrational, what might be a weakness of human beings? (Para.4)
Tips
His experiment shows that people just couldn’t bear to see their options vanish though they knew it would benefit them to let go.
Less is More
Text Reading B
Lead-in A
CONTENTS
C
Text Understanding
Theme
E
Exploration
D Summary
Tell the story “Smashing the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats” (破釜沉舟) to your classmates and discuss its message.
In the text, what does Dr. Ariely suggest in order to balance our life? (Paras.10-12)
Tips
People should: •prohibit overbooking, •reduce options, •delegate tasks to others, •give away ideas to others to pursue.
Why did General Xiang Yu order his troops to crush their cooking pots and burn their sailing ships when crossinBaidu Nhomakorabea the Zhang River?(Para.3)
Tips
•to impose on his troops a necessary sacrifice to achieve victory over their opponents.
What’s the significance of doing the experiments? (Para.5)
Tips
The experiment enabled people to see why it’s always so hard for them to say “NO” to any opportunity that came to them. In everyday life, people just give excuses to keep options open.
This story indicates that while closing the door for doing something, people may open the _w_i_n_d_o_w_ for achieving something more significant. Through conducting an experiment on human’s i_r_ra_t_io_n__a_l behavior, Dr. Ariely, found that many students in his experiment just couldn’t bear to see their options _v_a_n_is_h__ though they knew it would benefit them to _l_e_t _g_o_. He then emphasizes that in life the doors are actually closing slowly and we don’t see the future vanishing away.
In the late years of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝, 221 - 206BC), Xiang Yu (项羽) launched a rebellion. After crossing the Zhang River (漳河), Xiang Yu ordered his soldiers to sink all the boats and break their cooking pots, leaving only a three-day supply of food for each soldier. He warned them that there was no way to retreat; the only thing they could do to survive was to advance and fight. Xiang Yu’s boat burning strategy gave his men no choice but to go forward to fight with skill and passion. After nine furious war, the Qin army was finally defeated.
Part II — (Para. 4)
Part I serves as a transition from the ancient story of Xiang Yu to the _m_o_d_e_r_n_s_t_o_ry of the students at MIT. Through conducting an experiment on human’s_i_rr_a_ti_o_n_a_l _b_e_h_a_vior, Dr. Ariely found that people just couldn’t bear to see their options vanish though they knew it would benefit them to let go.
How did students loss money because of their irrational efforts to keep the vanishing doors open? (Para.7)
Tips
In the game, any door left un-clicked for a short while would vanish. Instead of ignoring the vanishing doors, the students rushed to click on them before they vanished, so they lost money in the end.
• Less is More
2
Unit 6 Section A
Door closer, are you?
FOREIGH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH PRESS AIR FORCE ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY
Tips
The text starts with a question about what Xiang Yu, a Chinese imperial general, would do when facing __ri_v_a_l o_p_t_i_o_n_s.(Para.1)
Part III — (Paras. 5- _9_)
Part III mainly focuses on the experiment conducted by Dr. Ariely. He first explains the p_u_rp_o_s_e_a_n_d__si_g_n_ifi_c_a_n_ce__ of the experiment, and the process of the students l_o_si_n_g_m_o_n_e_y. Then he points out the real cause of the students’_i_rr_a_ti_o_n_al_b_e_h_a_v_io_r__. Finally he emphasizes that in life the doors are actually closing slowly and we don’t see the future _va_n_i_sh_i_n_g_a_w_a_y__.
Part V — (Paras. 13-14)
Part III concludes the essay, and meanwhile it raises the question if _m_o_r_e_i_s_b_e_tt_e_r_t_h_an__le_s_s_ . We should close certain doors in order to allow the right windows of opportunity and happiness to open.
•to inspire the soldiers be more determined and concentrated on the battles.
Part I — (Paras. 1- _3_)
Part I introduces a story of closing doors to open _w_in_d_o_w__s_o_f_o_p_p_o_r_tu_n_i_ty_ about Xiang Yu. Facing choices of rival options, he made an unusual decision - ordering his troops to crush cooking pots and burn their sailing ships. By doing this, he closed the door for retreating from the enemy’s territory but opened the window for _w_in_n_i_n_g_t_h_e_b_a_t_tl_e.
What is the message the author wants to send out from this text? (Paras.13-14)
Tips
People can obtain pleasure and satisfaction by focusing their energy and attention in a more concentrated fashion. They will have more with fewer but carefully chosen options.
Door closer, are you? When faced with _ri_v_a_l options, XiangYu proved to a wonderful decision-maker. He took his troops making a _r_a_id__ into enemy territory. To his troops’a_s_t_o_n_i_s_h_m_e_n_t, he ordered their cooking pots crushed and their sailing ships burned, which gave his troops only one _o_p_ti_o_n__: to win the battle. The battle turned out to be a great success on his side.
What’s the winning strategy when playing the computer game? (Para.6)
Tips
Students should quickly check all the doors and keep clicking on the one with the highest cash. They should absolutely ignore the vanishing doors.