A new idea called “business at the speed of thought” is quite popular in our business world. It makes quick marketing progress, but it also presents a terribly dangerous way to run a company. Here’re the main points: The businesses today that will succeed are those able to jump around in high spirits. Chances must be seized immediately and decisions made quickly. Everyone needs more immediate answers, and the window of expected response to any questions has dropped from weeks to days even to hours.

The problem with this way of thinking is that too often such quickness comes at the expense of properly understanding the details of a situation. Sure, the networked society allows us to gather information within a short time, but does it really speed up our ability to make better decisions? How do you balance the need for speed with sharp and correct thinking? That’s the puzzler on the minds of a lot of people these days, including Future Shock author, Alvin Toffler, who studies the idea in our cover story. It’s also a subject of a new study by Kepner Tregoe. It reports that 77 percent of managers believe that during the past three years the number of decisions they made each workday has increased. But 85 percent of those same people say the time given to making those decisions has either decreased or stayed the same. Result: Speed kills. Different opinions are not shared. Other choices are dismissed too easily. Aims never seem to be clear. On the contrary, good records aren’t kept about how successful decisions are made. If your company really does well, the Kepner report suggests taking apart the decision-making process and figuring out what you did right. Study your successes, as well as your failures. Fast decision-making is a necessity sometimes-no question about that. But decisions are only as good as the brains that go into them. By that measure, many of today’s decisions are weak and could cut some companies off at the knees. Business may be keeping the quickness of thought, but it’s going to be torn to pieces if managers are not thinking with great care and patience.

1．The underlined word “window” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _________.

       A．a period of time (during which an activity can or must take place)

       B．means (of observing and learning about people)

       C．opening (in the wall or roof of a building, car)

       D．screen (on which a film is shown)

2．The Kepner report shows that _________.

       A．managers should make efforts to pay attention to the weaknesses of fast decision-making

       B．when mangers make a decision, they should make full use of their brains

       C．if mangers don’t think quickly, business may be torn to bits

       D．managers should make records of successful decisions

3．What is the author’s attitude towards quick decision-making?

       A．Quick decision-making has proved of great help in marketing.

       B．The fact of quick decision-making does business much good.

       C．Quick decision-making makes some managers work harder.

       D．The idea of quick decision-making has some disadvantages.