2025 年 12 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 1 套）

People tend to want as many choices as possible. They believe this will maximize their ___26___ of making the best decision. But research shows that, when it comes to actually making a ___27___ from all of these choices, people can become ___28___ and avoid making a decision altogether. Even worse, when people finally do decide, they are generally less satisfied with their decision and feel more regretful over whatever choice they made.

Why does this happen? Research shows that when people choose from many options, they ___29___ more in the decision, but feel less confident in their ability to decide well. In other words, when we are ___30___ with more choices, making the "right" or "correct" decision begins to feel more ___31___ and, at the same time, more difficult to do. This may contribute to the deep fear that we will make the wrong decision.

How can we solve this problem? I believe this fear could be tempered by putting decisions into perspective. It might help to remember that many of the choices you make, such as what to have for lunch, will not ___32___ much in the future and that, even more important choices, like accepting a new job, can ___33___ be changed. It could also help to ___34___ these situations with clear guidelines and ideas of what you want from the ___35___ of options, which can narrow the possible choices, and also make you more confident about your ability to make the right decision.

All living organisms on Earth are exposed to a 24-hour day-night cycle. This cycle is the reason why people rest at night and are active during the day. Consequently, all human body functions also follow this daily rhythm, and the timing of behaviors like exercise or food intake can significantly influence your health. For example, eating at night can lead to weight gain over time because food intake at night leads to increased fat storage.

Many drug targets in the body follow a 24-hour cycle, too. This means that the specific proteins a drug is designed to modify can react differently to the medicine over the course of a 24-hour time period. Because how the body responds to a drug can differ depending on the time it is taken, it logically follows that taking medicines at specific times could help increase their effectiveness and reduce unwanted side effects.

When doctors prescribe medicine for people, they rarely consider the best time to take it. There are two main reasons for that oversight. First, many physicians are not aware that some drugs work better during a specific time of the day. And second, most drugs have not been studied for possible different effects during a 24-hour cycle. Therefore, patients are directed to take most drugs during the morning or evening primarily to ensure compliance.

Over 50 years ago, researchers found that the cholesterol drug simvastatin is more effective at lowering cholesterol levels when taken at night rather than during the day. This is because the liver enzyme (酶) these drugs target is more active at night.

Taking medicine at the wrong time can even cause harm. My colleagues and I wondered whether midazolam, the most common sedative (镇静剂) used in surgical procedures worldwide, might interfere with the internal clock that protects the heart at night. Currently, there are no guidelines regarding when midazolam should be administered.

More research is needed to determine the best times to administer treatments for different diseases. I believe taking drug timing into account could help make treatments more effective and help more people worldwide.

Katharine Abraham, an economics professor, was chatting with her hairdresser (理发师) about retirement plans. The economist said she plans to continue working because she wants to. The hairdresser agreed but for a different reason: She needs the money.

Both scenarios (情况) are contributing to a big increase in the number of people in the US working into their 70s. Over the past 20 years, the share of Americans working in their 70s has risen from less than 10% to nearly 15%.

In addition to people being healthier and living much longer, economists say that a combination of financial considerations such as years of slow rise in real wages and a shift away from traditional pensions in the private sector are some of the reasons people delay retirement. The decline of manufacturing and the increase in the number of people working in less labor-intensive occupations also has contributed to the trend, says Abraham, who researches work and retirement decisions of older Americans.

"Which matters more depends on what your history up until that point has been in the type of work you're doing," Abraham says.

The overall trend is hitting Americans of all different levels of educational attainment, although the percentages vary by category. The share of Americans with bachelor's degrees who were working into their 70s reached nearly 20% in 2018. For those with a high school degree or less, the proportion of those working in their 70s had risen to around 10%, while those with some college education were in the middle at around 15%.

Martin Neil Baily, an economist who is leading a research project on retirement security, notes that quitting a career can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, particularly for men. He suggests that many college-educated workers are choosing to stay in the labor force more for social benefits than for financial reasons. They're also more likely to be in professional occupations where they tend to enjoy their work more.

Workers in more physical jobs, meanwhile, may be more likely to look forward to retiring, Baily says, suggesting those who stay on are more likely doing so for financial reasons.