The goal of this book is to make the case for digital minimalism, including a detailed exploration of what it asks and why it works, and then to teach you how to adopt this philosophy if you decide it’s right for you.

To do so, I divided the book into two parts. In part one, I describe the philosophical foundations of digital minimalism, starting with an examination of the forces that are making so many people’s digital lives increasingly intolerable, before moving on to a detailed discussion of the digital minimalism philosophy.

Part one concludes by introducing my suggested method for adopting this philosophy: the digital declutter. This process requires you to step away from optional online activities for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days, you will then add back a small number of carefully chosen online activities that you believe will provide massive benefits to the things you value.

In the final chapter of part one, I’ll guide you through carrying out your own digital declutter. In doing so, I’ll draw on an experiment I ran in 2018 in which over 1,600 people agreed to perform a digital declutter. You’ll hear these participants’ stories and learn what strategies worked well for them, and what traps they encountered that you should avoid.

The second part of this book takes a closer look at some ideas that will help you cultivate (培养) a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle. In these chapters, I examine issues such as the importance of solitude (独处) and the necessity of cultivating high-quality leisure to replace the time most now spend on mindless device use. Each chapter concludes with a collection of practices, which are designed to help you act on the big ideas of the chapter. You can view these practices as a toolbox meant to aid your efforts to build a minimalist lifestyle that words for your particular circumstances.

28. What is the book aimed at?

A. Teaching critical thinking skills. B. Advocating a simple digital lifestyle.

C. Solving philosophical problems. D. Promoting the use of a digital device.

29. What does the underlined word “declutter” in paragraph 3 mean?

A. Clear-up. B. Add-on. C. Check-in. D. Take-over.

30. What is presented in the final chapter of part one?

A. Theoretical models. B. Statistical methods.

C. Practical examples. D. Historical analyses.

31. What does the author suggest readers do with the practices offered in part two?

A. Use them as needed. B. Recommend them to friends.

C. Evaluate their effects. D. Identify the ideas behind them.

D

On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.

This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.

But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist (转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.

In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates? Did they follow those least willing to change their minds? This happened some of the time, but it wasn’t the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together.” Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.

32. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?

A. The methods of estimation. B. The underlying logic of the effect.

C. The causes of people’s errors. D. The design of Galton’s experiment.

33. Navajas’ study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ________.

A. the crowds were relatively small B. there were occasional underestimates

C. individuals did not communicate D. estimates were not fully independent

34. What did the follow-up study focus on?

A. The size of the groups. B. The dominant members.

C. The discussion process. D. The individual estimates.

35. What is the author’s attitude toward Navajas’ studies?

A. Unclear. B. Dismissive. C. Doubtful. D. Approving.

第二节 ( 共 5 小题 ; 每小题 2.5 分，满分 12.5 分 )

阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Personal Forgiveness

Taking responsibility for mistakes is a positive step, but don’t beat yourself up about them. To err (犯错) is human. ____36____ You can use the following writing exercise to help you do this.

In a journal or on a piece of paper, put the heading “Personal strengths.” ____37____ Are you caring? Creative? Generous? A good listener? Fun to be around? They don’t have to be world-changing, just aspects of your personality that you’re proud of.

At the top of a second page, put the heading “Acts of kindness.” On this one, list all the positive things you’ve done for others. It might be the time when you helped a friend with their homework, when you did the ironing without being asked, or when you baked cookies after the family had had a tiring day. ____38____

You could ask a friend or family member to help add to your list. ____39____ That way, you could exchange thoughts on what makes each of you special and the aspects of your personality that shine through. In fact, don’t wait until you’ve made a mistake to try this — it’s a great way to boost self-confidence at any time.

It’s something of a cliché (陈词滥调) that most people learn not from their successes but their mistakes. The thing is, it’s true. ____40____ We’ re all changing and learning all the time and mistakes are a positive way to develop and grow.