Turning uncertainty into opportunity

如何化不确定性为机遇

常速 | 五级（偏易）| 350词 | 2min7s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. According to the text, what does improving things in life often require?  

A. Radical changes in lifestyle.  

B. Facing uncertainty in various situations.  

C. Avoiding negative assumptions about others.  

D. Establishing positive social relationships.  

Q2. What can be inferred about the relationship between uncertainty and personal growth?  

A. Uncertainty hinders personal growth by creating fear.  

B. Uncertainty can lead to growth if approached positively.  

C. Uncertainty has no impact on personal development.  

D. Uncertainty is only beneficial in professional settings.  

Q3. What can help people view uncertainty as less of a threat?  

A. Reducing the number of challenges they face.  

B. Building relationships with new people.  

C. Having faith in their own abilities.  

D. Avoiding situations that involve change.  

Q4. What does Alexandre Bonvin emphasize for building resilience in business?  

A. Avoiding uncertain situations.  

B. Increasing flexibility in decision-making.  

C. Taking on large-scale tasks.  

D. Creating a cash buffer.  

Q5. What is the main idea of the text?  

A. How uncertainty can be turned into opportunities for growth.  

B. The importance of building resilience in uncertain situations.  

C. The challenges of facing uncertainty in professional life.  

D. Strategies for overcoming fear of the unknown.  

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Turning uncertainty into opportunity 如何化不确定性为机遇

Starting a new job, moving house, quitting your job to start a new business – all of these can be great opportunities, but all of them can lead to uncertainty. We can’t know for sure that they will turn out well. Could this fear of the unknown be holding us back?

(Q1) Improving things in your life often requires some uncertainty, whether that’s making time to learn something new, or moving to a new area. And It’s not just about radical change. We often make negative assumptions about people we don’t know, but if we go through the uncertainty of getting to know someone new, we can establish positive social or working relationships.

radical adj. 激进的，彻底的  

So, how can we learn to make the most of uncertainty? First, it can help to adjust the way we think about not knowing what will happen. (Q2) Being curious about a new job can help us grow, while being afraid of any negative changes can stop us taking advantage of new opportunities. It can be helpful to see threats as challenges that can be overcome.

(Q3) One thing that can help with this is having faith in your own abilities. When assessing an uncertain future situation, consider your own capability in being able to mitigate any issues that come up. If you know that you have the skills, knowledge or flexibility required to address unforeseen problems, then uncertainty can seem like less of a threat.

mitigate v. 缓解，减轻  

unforeseen adj. 意料之外的；未预料到的  

Believing in yourself is one way to build resilience. (Q4) E-commerce entrepreneur Alexandre Bonvin highlights the importance of building up a cash buffer in business. Another way to build your resilience can be to take on small tasks that have some uncertainty and reflecting on how you deal with each one.

resilience n. 恢复力，适应力  

entrepreneur n. 企业家，创业者  

buffer n. 缓冲物，缓冲  

A positive mindset and building up our own personal resilience can help us use uncertainty as an opportunity for growth.

mindset n. 心态，思维模式

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。根据“Improving things in your life often requires some uncertainty, whether that’s making time to learn something new, or moving to a new area.”，可知改善生活通常需要面对一些不确定性。因此正确答案为B。

Q2. B.【解析】推理题。根据“Being curious about a new job can help us grow, while being afraid of any negative changes can stop us taking advantage of new opportunities.”，可知对新工作的好奇可以帮助我们成长，而害怕任何负面变化会阻止我们利用新机会。由此可以推断，如果以积极的态度面对未知，不确定性就可以促进个人成长。因此正确答案为B。

Q3.C.【解析】细节题。根据“One thing that can help with this is having faith in your own abilities... uncertainty can seem like less of a threat.”，可知相信自己的能力可以帮助应对这一问题，能让人们不再把不确定性视作巨大威胁。因此正确答案为C。

Q4. D.【解析】细节题。根据“E-commerce entrepreneur Alexandre Bonvin highlights the importance of building up a cash buffer in business.”，可知电子商务企业家Alexandre Bonvin强调了在经商中要建立现金缓冲资金的重要性。因此正确答案为D。

Q5. A.【解析】主旨题。整篇文章的核心内容是讨论如何将不确定性转化为机遇，并提供了具体方法，例如调整思维方式、建立自信和增强韧性。因此正确答案为A。

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