So there are four of them in this car heading north from Coleman in the heart of Texas to the town of Abilene (阿比林), some 53 miles away. It is a hot day, and the drive is dusty and boring. Someone has had the bright idea to interrupt a nice family game of dominoes (多米诺) to go on a four-hour round-trip to eat at a really not very good restaurant.
When they are back home again, one family member admits that she hasn’t enjoyed herself all that much. One by one they all confess that they would rather have stayed at home. “I only went along with it because I thought the rest of you wanted to go,” says everyone. No one wanted to go to Abilene. It had just happened.
This story was first told by Professor Jerry Harvey in an article published in 1974 called The Abilene Paradox (悖论) and other meditations on management. It offers a wonderful insight into the way that decisions can sometimes just emerge, without ever being consciously “made”.
Whether they mean to or not, groups exert a pressure to conform (顺从). A senior management team can find itself a long way down the track to a bad decision without realizing that the idea has very little support around the table.
Close-knit (组织严密的) teams are easily influenced by the pull of groupthink. The late Professor Janis suggested several ways in which teams can avoid it. Two key steps are to invite experts from outside into meetings, and to appoint at least one person to the role of “devil’s advocate” — a role that should be played by different people in different meetings.
【小题1】The four family members have decided to go on a four-hour round-trip to the town of Abilene because .A．they really like the restaurant they are going toB．they are tired of the game they have been playingC．they have not been to Abilene for a long timeD．everyone thinks all the other family members want to go【小题2】When they are back home, they find that .A．they have not really trusted each otherB．they have all enjoyed the trip except one family memberC．they would have had a better time if they had stayed at homeD．they have all had a good time although none of them wanted to go【小题3】A senior management team can make a bad decision because .A．the idea has the support of everyone around the tableB．everyone on the team is too tired to think clearlyC．the group puts a pressure to conformD．they understand what each member means【小题4】According to Professor Janis, at least one person should be appointed to the role of “devil’s advocate ” at each meeting so that .A．the pull of groupthink can be avoidedB．each member will play a different roleC．team members can agree with each other more easilyD．experts from the outside can be invited into meetingsD
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(答案→)D
解析：文章通过对一家人为了替别人着想而进行了一次不愉快的旅行的描述，说明集体的决定对个人产生的影响。
【小题1】细节题，由第二段I only went along with it because I thought the rest of you wanted to go,” says everyone.可知选D。
【小题2】细节题，由第二段One by one they all confess that they would rather have stayed at home.可知他们在家会更好。故选C。
【小题3】细节题，由第四段Whether they mean to or not, groups exert a pressure to conform (顺从).可知团队的压力会使他们服从，故选C。
【小题4】细节题，由最后一段The late Professor Janis suggested several ways in which teams can avoid it. ...appoint at least one person to the role of “devil’s advocate” — a role that should be played by different people in different meetings.可知选A。