The Paper Chase
1. "Running a house is lot like running a business." says Stephanie Denton, a professional organizer based in Cincinnati, Ohio, who specializes in both residential and commercial paperwork and record keeping. To get a successful grip on organizing documents, bills, and other materials, Denton suggests the following tips:
2. Create a space in which you can always do your paperwork. This is perhaps the most important element of a successful system. If you can't devote an entire desk to the task, at least invest in a rolling file cart to store active paperwork and a two-drawer file cabinet for family records. Store the rolling file cart wherever it is most convenient and comfortable to do your work. whether that is the kitchen, office, or family room.
3. When in doubt, throw it out, the first step to implementing a workable filling system is to eliminate paper you don't use, don't need, or that you could easily access again elsewhere. Throw out duplicate statements, old catalogs, and all of the coupons, mailings, or offerings you'll never have an opportunity to use or even read.
4. Set aside two days a month to pay bills, if a monthly due date doesn't fit into your cycle, call up the creditor and suggest a more convenient date, keep two manila folders at the front of your system for current bills — one to correspond with each bill-paying day — and file all incoming bills. Keep a list in the front of each folder of what needs to be paid in case the invoice never arrives or gets misplaces.
5. Think of your filling system not as a rigid tool, but as a living, breathing system that can accommodate your changing needs. A good filling system is both mentally and physically flexible, everyone's needs are different, says Denton, but when devising a filling system, ask yourself: "Where would I look for this?" Create main headings for your filling system, such as investments, Taxes, Children, and so forth, and file individual folders under the main headings. Never overstuff your files.
詞匯：
paperwork 文書工作 incoming 將要或正要進來的
overstuff 把……塞得過滿 creditor 債權人
statement 賬目 misplace 把……放錯地方
duplicate 復制的 invoice 發(fā)票
correspond 與……一致、和……和諧或相配
mailing 郵件 heading 標題 rigid 呆板的，僵硬的
注釋：
1.running a house：打理一所房子。run在這里是“管理”的意思。又如：He's been running a testaurant since he left school
2.base…in…：在……為……設立基礎、提供基礎。又如：They based the new company in Portland
3.get a grip on：抓住，控制，掌握。又如：getting a grip on the new technique
4.family room：家庭游藝室，指用于家庭成員娛樂的房間
5.manila folders：馬尼拉折疊夾
6.in case：萬一。又如：Take a hat with you in case the sun is very hot.
詞匯：
paperwork 文書工作 incoming 將要或正要進來的
overstuff 把……塞得過滿 creditor 債權人
statement 賬目 misplace 把……放錯地方
duplicate 復制的 invoice 發(fā)票
correspond 與……一致、和……和諧或相配
mailing 郵件 heading 標題 rigid 呆板的，僵硬的
注釋：
1.running a house：打理一所房子。run在這里是“管理”的意思。又如：He's been running a testaurant since he left school
2.base…in…：在……為……設立基礎、提供基礎。又如：They based the new company in Portland
3.get a grip on：抓住，控制，掌握。又如：getting a grip on the new technique
4.family room：家庭游藝室，指用于家庭成員娛樂的房間
5.manila folders：馬尼拉折疊夾
6.in case：萬一。又如：Take a hat with you in case the sun is very hot.
答案與題解：
1.A 這段的第一句是主題句，講的是要為整理文件找到工作空間。
2.E 這段談及的是，沒有用的文件如各種復件、舊索引、優(yōu)待券等，要及時扔掉。
3.F 這一段講的是如何處理賬單。
4.C 這段講的是一個好的檔案系統(tǒng)應具備的兩個條件：既要靈活又要調理清晰。
5. B Stephanie Denton非常擅長整理檔案，所以B是答案。雖然F在語法上講得過去，但優(yōu)待券不是可進行投資的東西，所以也就不存在是否擅長做此事的問題。
6. C 文中提到，檔案車放在什么地方都可以，前提是使用方便。
7. A 文章說，優(yōu)待券沒什么用，所以應該扔掉。
8. D 文章的最后一段談到，好的檔案系統(tǒng)要有心理和身體兩個方面的靈活性，接下去又說，每個人的需要都是不同的。所以答案是D。
譯文：文件整理
Stephanie Denton是俄亥俄州辛辛那提地區(qū)的職業(yè)籌劃人，專門負責居民和商業(yè)部分的文書和 記錄工作。他說，“打理房子更像做生意”。如何成功地組織文件、賬單和其他材料，Denton提供 了如下建議：
創(chuàng)造一個可以一直做文書工作的空間。這或許是一個成功機制的最重要的部分。如果你沒有 整張桌子的話，至少要有一個可以移動的小車來儲存那些經常使用的文書，還要有一個帶兩個抽 屜的柜子來存放家庭記錄。把這個可移動的小車放在你工作最方便、最舒適的地方，無論是廚房、 辦公室還是家庭游藝室。
當有懷疑的時候，就把它扔出來。建立一個可行的檔案系統(tǒng)，首先要把那些你不用、不需要 或者你可以在其他地方輕易得到的文件扔掉。扔掉那些復件、舊索引和所有你永遠不會有機會使 用甚至閱讀的優(yōu)待券、郵件和禮券。
每個月留出兩天時間付賬單。如果每個月的結賬日期不適合你，打電話給你的債權人并建議 換一個更方便的日期。建立一個與每個結賬日相對應的賬單系統(tǒng)，在你當前的賬單系統(tǒng)前放兩個 馬尼拉折疊夾來整理所有進來的賬單。在每個需要付賬的文件夾前列一個清單以防發(fā)票沒到或者 放錯了地方。
你的檔案系統(tǒng)不是一個嚴格的工具，而是一個活生生的、能夠呼吸的、能適應你不斷變化需 要的系統(tǒng)。一個好的檔案系統(tǒng)要有心理和身體兩個方面的靈活性。Denton說，每個人的需要都是 不同的，但是在設計檔案系統(tǒng)前問問自己，“我要到哪兒去找它呢?”為你的檔案系統(tǒng)加上主要的 標題，比如投資、稅務、孩子等，然后將文件夾分類放在標題下。不要把你的文件夾塞得過滿。
