Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
People in business often make decisions based on their own personal feelings or instincts. It is quite horrifying to see people being guided by some unknown fore. But how wise is it, really, to let your instincts drive your decisions?
In the decision-making process, relying on instincts only makes sense when you have a vast experience to support you. simply “feeling" that something is right or should be done is highly subjective and can drown you.
On the other hand, there is a more rational approach to making decisions. Data and analysis have long been associated with informed decisions. These reduce the likelihood of errors and increase the chances of success. Big, systematic data is mostly the foundation of most of our decisions, personal and business alike. But with its extreme usability comes a complication: what do you do if you strongly feel something should not be done, even if the data insists that it should?
This seemingly easy question is what drives the need to understand the relationship between instincts and data in the decision-making process. Without making things complicated, the solution to this dilemma is using data and instincts in conjunction to arrive at the best possible decisions.
Instinctive decisions are always backed by previous experiences or information, which acknowledges that instinctive decisions have worked in the past. Decisions are not about making the choice and braving the consequences because you want to blindly trust your instincts. They are about combining your inner wisdom with the knowledge of systematic data to make the best decisions.
Sometimes, rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain situations. Absence of definitive criteria, and time and resource constraints, and novel situations are instances which limit the practicality of data. The only feasible option is to rely on what your instincts tell you. In these situations, instincts can help you make effective and quick decisions.
Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well rounded decisions. It reduces the chances of making mistakes, and has increasingly become a favorite approach to decision-making among leaders of today.
51. What does the author say businesspeople often do?
A) Strive to make sense of some unknown forces.
C) Draw on a vast wealth of past experience.
B) avoid being driven by their own feeling.
D) Rely on instincts in decision-making.
52. What should we take into account in order to make informed decisions?
A) The likelihood of errors. C) The complexity of circumstances.
B) Systematic data and analysis. D) Personal feelings and business strategies.
53. What should people do in a decision-making process if instincts disagree with data?
A) Resolve the dilemma with previous experience. C) Combine the two together.
B) figure out which of the two is more reliable. D) Prioritize instincts over data.
54. What should we do when facing various factors that limit the practicality of data?
A) Make a rational and systematic analysis. C) Resort to our inner wisdom.
B) explore the most feasible options. D) apply definitive criteria.
55. What does it take for decisions to become the best according to the author?
A) Applying instincts and data in conjunction. C) Recalling what has actually worked in the past.
B) Assessing all factors when making a choice. D) Refraining from trusting instincts arbitrarily.
答案解析：
51. 由题干中的关键词“businesspeople often do”定位到第一段第一句“People in business often make decisions based on their own personal feelings or instincts.”，即商界人士经常根据自己的个人感受或直觉做决定。所以选D。
52. 由题干中的关键词“make informed decisions”定位到第三段第二句“Data and analysis have long been associated with informed decisions.”，即数据和分析长期以来都与明智的决策相关联。所以为了做出明智的决策，我们应该考虑系统的数据和分析，选B。
53. 由题干中的关键词“instincts disagree with data”定位到第四段最后一句“the solution to this dilemma is using data and instincts in conjunction to arrive at the best possible decisions.”，即解决这个困境的方法是结合使用数据和直觉，以得出最佳决策。所以当直觉与数据不一致时，人们应该将两者结合起来，选C。
54. 由题干中的关键词“limit the practicality of data”定位到第六段。第六段提到“Sometimes, rational analysis and data are impractical to be employed in certain situations...The only feasible option is to rely on what your instincts tell you.”，即在某些情况下，理性的分析和数据是不切实际的……唯一可行的选择是依靠你的直觉告诉你什么。所以当面临各种限制数据实用性的因素时，我们应该依靠我们的内在智慧，选C。
55. 由题干中的关键词“decisions to become the best”定位到最后一段第一句“Combining instinctive and rational analysis produces well rounded decisions.”，即结合直觉和理性分析可以产生全面的决策。以及前文提到的结合数据和直觉做决策，所以根据作者的说法，要使决策成为最佳，需要同时运用直觉和数据，选A。
