In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom or phrase.\n\n"To make up one's mind".

Introduction / Context:
This idiom based question asks you to interpret the phrase to make up one's mind. It is a very common expression in everyday English, used to talk about the act of deciding between choices. Many idioms use simple verbs and objects but have settled meanings that differ slightly from the literal picture. Here, you must select the option that captures the standard sense used in conversations, stories, and exam passages.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Idiom: to make up one's mind.
• Options discuss preparing for bad outcomes, deciding, overcoming grief, and mentally encouraging oneself.
• We assume the idiom is used in its usual sense, not in a specialised or technical context.

Concept / Approach:
To make up one's mind simply means to decide or reach a conclusion after considering options. For example, if someone is choosing between two jobs or two dishes at a restaurant, a friend might say Make up your mind. It does not inherently suggest dealing with grief, preparing for failure, or engaging in motivational self talk. Therefore, the correct meaning is the one that mentions making a decision.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that to make up your mind is an everyday phrase for finally deciding something. Step 2: Examine option B: To make a decision; decide, which directly states that meaning. Step 3: Examine option A: To be prepared for unfavourable outcomes, which relates to risk management, not deciding. Step 4: Examine option C: To overcome intense grief, which describes recovery from sadness and is unrelated to choosing between alternatives. Step 5: Examine option D: To psyche oneself into believing that the task at hand is not impossible, which describes motivation, not decision making.

Verification / Alternative check:
Use the idiom in an example: He could not make up his mind about whether to move to another city. If we replace the idiom with option B, He could not decide whether to move to another city, the meaning remains exactly the same. Substituting any of the other options makes the sentence illogical or changes its sense completely, proving that they are incorrect interpretations.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, being prepared for unfavourable outcomes, is about planning and acceptance, not about choosing between options. Option C, overcoming intense grief, is about emotional recovery and healing, which is entirely different. Option D, psyching oneself up, is about building confidence to attempt a task, not about selecting that task or another. None of these describe the core idea of reaching a decision.

Common Pitfalls:
Because make up can also mean invent or fabricate, some learners may confuse to make up a story with to make up one's mind. It is important to remember that make up is a phrasal verb with several meanings, and context plus the object (story, mind, bed, for lost time) tells you which meaning is in use. Learning phrasal verbs and idioms through grouped example sentences can greatly improve accuracy on such questions.

Final Answer:
The idiom to make up one's mind means to make a decision; decide.