We bought a microwave last week. This may not seem like big ___16___ 
but we’ ve never owned one before. In a New York City kitchen with small counter space, a cubic foot is far too ___17___ to deserve occupation by a single appliance. But the convenience of heating food ___18___ finally outweighed the convenience of space.
So this is a better ___19___ for us.
I have ___20___ that there are different types of choices we get in life. The first is the good vs. good variety. That is, both choices will ___21___ us. Which flavor of ice cream tastes better? Which car do you ___22___? Whichever option we select, the worst outcome is that our ___23___ isn’t optimized (使最优化). Not a problem.
Next up is good vs. bad. These choices are either ___24___ or incredibly hard.
Often we need to choose between short-term pleasure and long-term good. What feels the best today may be ___25___ five years from now, and what’s the hardest at the moment may be what’s optimal for the future. Good vs. bad choices ___26___ insight (洞察力) and sticking to our ___27___ .
Finally there’s the least-worst option situation, where every possibility is ___28___ , and we have to ___29___ which is least harmful. Do we choose the dangerous operation or likely ___30___ ? In which poor neighborhood do we raise our kids? Sometimes we have to face many ___31___ of this sort and we must make a choice.
My microwave purchase ___32___ falls in the good vs. good category ___33___ I had the privilege of weighing one convenience against another and making a choice. Though I now work around the monster presence in my mini-kitchen, I ___34___ the benefits it offers. Facing inconvenience is not a problem; how you behave ___35___ .
16. A. news B. change C. loss D. trouble
17. A. common B. spacious C. precious D. hard
18. A. freely B. effectively C. quietly D. quickly
19. A. chance B. choice C. plan D. life
20. A. noticed B. agreed C. doubted D. admitted
21. A. affect B. confuse C. benefit D. inspire
22. A. hate B. prefer C. accept D. make
23. A. pleasure B. experience C. time D. fund
24. A. reasonable B. effortless C. right D. wise
25. A. comfortable B. harmful C. dangerous D. important
26. A. turn over B. put on C. call for D. take up
27. A. routines B. dreams C. habits D. values
28. A. painful B. useless C. helpful D. unnecessary
29. A. explain B. show C. decide D. guess
30. A. death B. recovery C. survival D. injury
31. A. opportunities B. debates C. dilemmas D. barriers
32. A. hopefully B. finally C. nearly D. clearly
33. A. but B. if C. although D. because
34. A. stress B. enjoy C. ignore D. predict
35. A. works B. succeeds C. fails D. matters
【答案】16. A 17. C 18. D 19. B 20. A 21. C 22. B 23. A 24. B 25. B 26. C 27. D 28. A 29. C 30. A 31. C 32. D 33. D 34. B 35. D
