Putting it Off! Your big exams are just (0) the corner and you have only two or three days left to do some
serious revision. You have to commit to memory the history of (13) about Industrial Revolution - so
what (14) you doing organising the kitchen cupboards? Ordinarily, it is (15) a task that you
would choose to do unless you really had to, but suddenly you feel the time is right to pay particular
attention (16) this area of the house and get it looking spotless. The books upstairs can wait.
Such behaviour is known (17) procrastination - a deliberate attempt to avoid something which
really needs to be (18) , but which you can't be bothered to do. Other examples of (19) sort
of behaviour include browsing the Internet or watching television when the kitchen sink is full dirty
dishes, or going off to get tea and coffee at the office (20) of finishing the work you've been
given.
In short, procrastination is the art of putting off (21) tomorrow what should be done today. More
often (22) not, the real reason why a procrastinator delays a job is that they have a vague hope
that (23) else might just do it (24) them.