Reading 2 Take abt›ut twu minutes to skim the article to get a general idea ‹if what it is about

Arc these statements true her ¿u«? With a partncr

answer y‹’s or N‹› tu each of them.

Reading

2 Take abt›ut twu minutes to skim the article to get a

general idea ‹if what it is about.

@ abrnn 60t) words

86 UN IT 1 $

A

Barry Schwartz did not expect to feel inspired on a clothes-shopping trip. ’I avoid buying jeans; I wear one pair until it falls apart.’ says Schwartz, an American psychology professor. ‘The last time I had bought a pair there had been just one style. But recently I was asked if I wanted this fit or that fit. or this coI?ur or that I intended to be out shopping for five minutes but it took an hour and I beean to feel more and more dissatisfied.’ This trip made him think: did more choice always mean greater satisfaction? ‘I’d always believed that choice was good, and more choice was better. My experience got me thinking: how many others felt like me?'

B

The result was a widely discussed study that challenged the idea that more is always better. Drawing on the psychology of economics, which looks at how people choose what to buy, Schwartz designed a questionnaire to show the differences between what he termed ‘maximisers’ and ‘satisficers’. Broadly speaking, maximisers are keen to make the best possible choices, and often spend time researching to ensure that their purchases cannot be bettered.

Satisficers are the easy-going people, delighted with items that are simply acceptable.

c

Schwartz puts forward the view, which contrasts with what politicians and salesmen would have people believe, that the unstoppable growth in choice is in danger of ruining lives. ‘I’m not saying no choice is good. But the average person makes at least 200 decisions every day, and I don’t think there’s room for any more.' His study may help to explain the peculiar paradox of the wealthy West — psychologists and economists are puzzled by the fact that people have not become happier as they have become richer. In fact, the ability to demand whatever is wanted whenever it is wanted has instead led to rising expectations.

D

The search for perfection can be found in every area of life from buying soap powder to selecting a career. Certain decisions may automatically close off other choices, and some people are then upset by the thought of what else might have been. Schwartz says, ‘If you make a decision and it’s disappointing, don’t worry about it, it may actually have been a good decision, just not as good as you had hoped,

One fact that governments need to think about is that people seem more inclined to buy something if there are fewer, not more, choices. If that’s true for jeans, then it is probably true for cars, schools and pension funds. ’If there are few options, the world doesn’t expect you to make the perfect decision. But when there are thousands it’s hard not to think there's a perfect one out there, and that you’ll find it if you look hard enough.’

If you think that Internet shopping will help, think again: ’You want to buy something and you look at three websites. How long will it take to look at one more? Two minutes? It’s only a click. Before you know it you’ve spent three hours trying to decide which £10 item to buy. It’s crazy. You’ve used another evening that you could have spent with your friends.’

y

Schwartz, who describes himself as a natural satisficer, says that trying to stop our tendency to be maximisers will make us happier. ‘The most important recommendation I can give is to lower personal expectations,' he says. ‘But no one wants to hear this because they all believe that perfection awaits the wise decision maker. Life isn’t necessarily like that.’

3 Questions 1-7

The reading passage has seven paragraphs labelled A—G. Which paragraph contains the following information (1-7)?

/¥B You may use any letter more than once.

Example.”

Look at question 1. The type of information and the topic of

the information which you have to find has been underlined.

The answer is A. See the underlined words, where the writer talks about his shopping trip to buy a pair of )eans. Note that in this type of task the questions are not in the same order as the relevant information in the passage.

1. 
   an account of a personal experience
   
2. 
   why some advice may be rejected
   
3. 
   a finding that confuses experts
   
4. 
   the emotional effect of the result of making a choice
   
5. 
   information about how Schwartz’s research was
   

undertaken

6. 
   how a lack of choice affects decision making
   
7. 
   a definition of two types of personality
   

Questions 8 and 9

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

8. 
   Which phrase best describes Barry Schwartz’s reaction to buying jeans?
   
   1. 
      annoyance at having spent more money than he
      

intended to

2. 
   delight at being able to find exactly what he was
   

looking for

3. 
   acceptance of the amount of time he needed to
   

spend shopping

1. 
   irritation at the end of his shopping trip
   
1. 
   A suitable title for this article would be A When to make that decision
   

2. 
   Too much choice
   
3. 
   Decision making for the indecisive D A psychologist’s choice
   

Vocabulary coPocations with adverbs

4 Adverbs are frequently used in academic writing;

for example, a widely discussed study.

Complete each sentence with an adverb from the box.

ill)Xiously firmly hardly highly hugely justly totally widely

The psychologist was ..,. ,. tli‹iught of by

his students.

2. 
   The Government ............................„. believes that choice has an inn Portant role to play in people’s lives.
   
3. 
   ’the shopping trip was successful —
   

i bought three pairs of jeans.

2. 
   Pict was waiting to hear if he had
   

got a place at university.

2. 
   ’l’hey were wrong in their
   

9YSui ipllon.s.

2. 
   "these trainers :ire ............................. il1'iMliI IC lii the USA.
   

7 The class were ..„..................,. proud of the

questionnaires they hall written.

8 1 ............................... recognised Tim when he came intti the rotim — he had changed so much.

c no i c r s ⁸₇

Grammar conditionals

- You arc going to hear four short extracts, where people talk about choices.

Which speaker (A—D) is talking about ...

1. 
   something that always happens?
   
2. 
   something that will probably happen?
   
3. 
   something thal is unlikely io happen?
   
4. 
   
   
   something that could have happened in the past, but didn’t?
   

! Listen again. Which i/sentence does each person tise?

A If ....................................................................................................................

B lf ..................,.......................................................................,.........................

C lf ....................................................................................................................

D If .......................................,.,...........................................................,..............

Note• If can begin a sentence, or it can begin the second part of the sentence.

J"here are other words that can be used instead of if.

• 
  as long as is used to make conditions
  

You inn to the course as long as you huve the required grades. -- You can do the course if you have the required grades.

• 
  unless —— if . not
  

i’Jf go ^sh_•Pp'^ing with you tomorrow, unless ii’s

3. 
   Match sentences 1—10 with their endings a—j.
   

I I w‹›ulcT leave huu¿ht a faster car,

2. 
   II” Marisa wcrc uohayyy,
   
3. 
   It I sold nay bike,
   
4. 
   If there is a fire,
   
5. 
   We can take thc train,
   
6. 
   Unless you take more cxcrcisc,
   
7. 
   It’ you inherited some money,
   
8. 
   II’ ytiu had studied law,
   
9. 
   I’ll get a new coat,
   
10. 
    I’ll ring you straight away,
    

a if the flight cost, two much.

b you shOUld ring the emergency services. c you won’t feel 1›ctter.

d 1 w‹›uldii’t _j et iiiuch for it. e would you give any away?

6. 
   as l‹›ng as 1 can find a bargain.
   
7. 
   ytiu wt›uldn’t have been any happier. h if 1 have any prt›blems.
   

i if 1 had had a choice. j she’d say so.

3. 
   With a partner, discuss how you could finish these
   

sentences.

1 Unless y‹iu wear something smart, you ... 2 1 w‹›uld have bought a new CU ...

3. 
   If! wcrc you, ...
   
4. 
   lf 1 had had the chance, ...
   
5. 
   As long as ytiu let me cho‹ise the film, 1 .
   
6. 
   If 1 had tt› choose between studying at ht›mc and studying aliroad, I ...
   
7. 
   1 won I go _Shopping unless ...
   
8. 
   I’ll buy ... if ...
   

The following scntences show common errors that IEL'S candidates have made with conditionals.

Correct the errors.

1. 
   li be best if the children were in bed when we g‹i
   

tout t‹›night.

2. 
   You will not go wr‹›ng if ytiu chose her 1or y‹›ur
   

3. 
   lt’ 1 ever will have money, I will be spend it wisely.
   
4. 
   What w‹iuld happen if the cheque would go
   

missing?

5. 
   If you would choose to live in the town centre, you'd need to pay more.
   
6. 
   Unless we will hurry, we will be late.
   
7. 
   I would appreciate it if you w‹iuld have written
   

back to me.

8. 
   l would be grateful if yt›u reply as st›‹›n as possil›lc.
   

raining. o shopping with you tomorrow if it

isn’t raining.

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