托福口语练习 集体思维

Explain groupthink and its effects. Using the example of the computer company.

请解释一下什么是集体思维，以及集体思维的作用。请举一些电脑公司的例子。

Now read the passage about Groupthink. You will have 45 seconds to read the passage. Begin reading now.

现在，请阅读一篇关于集体思维的文章。你一共有45秒的时间阅读这篇文章，计时开始。

Now listen to part of a lecture on this topic in a business management class.

现在，请听某商业管理课上关于该话题的部分讲课内容。

Male professor: So, let me tell you about my own experiences when I was working for a computer company a couple of years ago.

那么，现在让我来说说自己的一些经历吧。几年前，我供职于一家电脑公司。

So, one day a co-worker and I suggested we should give our computers a design make-over: make them look more up-to-date¹.

所以呢，有一天我的一位同事和我建议应该对电脑外观重新整改设计：让它们更加具有时代的气息。

Market research was showing that new customers said they would be more interested in buying our computers if they looked cooler.

市场调查显示：如果我们的电脑看起来更炫酷的话，新顾客会更加有兴趣，会更加愿意购买。

Our technology was advanced but the outside design looked really old-fashioned².

我们的技术是进步了，但是电脑的外部设计看起来真是落后。

At first, more than half the group supported us.

起初呢，组里有超过一半的人是支持我们的。

There were a few senior managers there though who didn't support the design change.

但有一些高级经理不支持设计的变动。

One of the senior manager said, "Our focus has always been on technology, changing the look is an unnecessary cost."

其中一位高级经理说：“我们的重心永远是要放在技术上，改变外观是不必要的花费。”

Almost immediately, some of our supporters changed their minds! Even my co-worker changed his mind!

基本上就在那一瞬间，我们的一些支持者们就改变主意了。甚至我那位同事都改变想法了！

When I asked him why after the meeting, he told me he didn't want to make a bad impression on the senior managers.

散会后，我问他为什么呀，他说自己不想给高级经理留下坏印象。

He thought that disagreeing with them might jeopardize³ his chances of getting a promotion⁴ by not looking like a team-player.

他觉得和他们意见不统一，会影响到自己的升迁机会，因为持反对意见的话会让自己看起来不善于团队合作。

What about me? I hate to admit it, but, after a few hours of discussion⁵,

那么我是怎么想的呢？我很讨厌承认这一点，但是，经过几个小时的讨论后，

I started wondering if it was worth everyone's time to argue about this?

我开始怀疑大家是否值得花时间去讨论这件事？

As more people sided with the senior management, I started to feel that I was the only one holding up the vote.

随着越来越多的人站在高级经理那边，我开始觉得只有自己一个人支持整改设计的投票。

Everyone else seemed to think change wasn't necessary. So I voted against my own idea in the end.

似乎大家都觉得没有改变的必要。所以，最后我投了反对票，反对了自己的观点。

So we unanimously⁶ decided⁷ to stay with the current old-looking design.

所以呢，我们全体一致认为要保持现有的老外观设计。

But this decision ended up costing us a lot of money.

但是这个决定让我们付出了惨痛的代价，让公司损失了很多钱。

That same year, our competitor came out with a new design that attracted some of our customers

就在同一年，我们的竞争对手推出了新设计，吸引了我们的一些客户，

and prevented us from profiting on potential new customers.

也让我们失去了从潜在客户获利的机会。

1 up-to-date   

adj.现代化的，最新的；跟上时代的

参考例句：

• The car is a beauty and quite up-to-date.那辆车子很漂亮是最新款的。
• He bought an up-to-date textbook.他买了一本最新的教科书。

2 old-fashioned   

adj.旧式的，保守的，挑剔的

参考例句：

• Why do you still dress in an old-fashioned mode?你为什么还穿款式陈旧的衣服？
• Here is an old-fashioned pump for drawing water from a well.这里有一个旧式水泵可从井里抽水。

3 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

4 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

5 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

6 unanimously   

ad.一致同意地

参考例句：

• Three judges unanimously upheld the sentence. 三名法官一致维持这个判决。
• Following discussion, the annual report was accepted unanimously. 经过讨论，年度报告获一致通过。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。