Sometimes, deciding which tasks to focus on first is not that easy. That is why we are here to help. Even when you know what needs doing, you still need to think about the order. Try the 3-3-3 method.

This method is from Oliver Burkeman, who wrote Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. He suggests planning your workday using a 3-3-3 method. First, spend three hours working deeply on your most important projects. Then, deal with three other urgent (紧急的) tasks that don’t need three hours of attention. Lastly, do three not-so-important tasks like cleaning, replying to emails, or making plans.

What’s special about this method is the first three hours of focused work. Starting with them means you’ll be fresh and ready to perform a task without distractions. Try to keep those three hours free from emails, texts, chats, or other less important things, as much as you can. (Learn more about deep work here.)

Deep work leads to a lot of productivity. You’ll achieve a lot if you commit to it, but you can’t keep at it forever. You’ll lose focus after about three hours, so it’s a good idea to have those other three smaller tasks ready to go. This way, you can stay productive even when turning to less demanding tasks.

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1.According to Oliver, the first three hours should be spent on ______.

A scheduling

B urgent things

C the most important tasks

D no-so-important things

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第二段“First, spend three hours working deeply on your most important projects.”可知，前三个小时应该花在最重要的事情上。故选C。

2.What does the underlined word “distractions” mean?

A Bother.

B Problems.

C Memories.

D Shame.

解析：选A。A词义猜测题。根据划线部分后文的“Try to keep those three hours free from emails...”可知，要保持这三个小时远离邮件等，即这三个小时里，不受“打扰”。故选A。

3.Deciding which work to do first is ______.

A different

B interesting

C easy

D difficult

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第一段第一句“deciding which tasks to focus on first is not that easy”可知，决定先做哪件事并不总是那么容易。由此可知，决定先做哪件事有点困难。故选D。

4.Why can’t we keep deep work forever?

A We don’t have enough energy.

B We can’t do two things at once.

C Smaller tasks take no energy.

D Deep work makes good results.

解析：选A。A推理判断题。根据最后一段“You’ll lose focus after about three hours”可知，一般三小时后我们就会失去注意力，由此可知，我们的注意力并不总是那么高度集中，即我们精力有限。故选A。

5.Where can we read the passage?

A In a newspaper.

B On the Internet.

C In a magazine.

D In a travel book.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第三段“(Learn more about deep work here.)”可知，本文最有可能出现在网上。故选B。