“Creativity is the key to a brighter future,” say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.
If Dick had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as of great importance: a new type of tape. Dick worked for the Minnesota Mining Company. At work he developed a kind of material strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to think more about the idea. Finally, using his own time, Dick improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking about and developing new ideas.
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a character of high intelligence. The fact that a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.
Unfortunately, schools have not tried to encourage creativity. With strong attention to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can’t recognize ways to use it in new situation. They may know the rules correctly but they are unable to use them to Work out practical problems.
It is important to give children choices. From the earlier age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money. This is because the most important character of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.What did the company where Dick once worked learn from its mistake?
| A．They encouraged people to work a longer time. |
| B．They discouraged people to think freely. |
| C．They asked people to spend all their work time developing new ideas. |
| D．They encouraged people to spend some of their work time considering and improving new ideas. |
Creativity is something __
| A．that people are born with |
| B．that depends on intelligence |
| C．that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problems |
| D．that is not important at all |
Why don’t schools try to encourage creativity?
| A．They don’t understand the importance of education. |
| B．They don’t want their students to make mistakes. |
| C．They pay too much attention to exam marks, language and mathematical skills. |
| D．They think it more important to remember some information. |
What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money?
| A．Try to help them as much as possible. | B．Take no notice of whatever they do. |
| C．Leave them as they are. | D．Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much.. |
The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research．Recent studies have found positive effects．A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example，discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime．In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants．
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT） have taken it a step further ﹣ changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions．These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater．"We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day，" explained Michael Strano，a professor of chemical engineering at MIT．
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow（发光） in experiments using some common vegetables．Strano's team found that they could create a faint light for three﹣and﹣a﹣half hours．The light，about one﹣thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start．The technology，Strano said，could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self﹣powered street lamps．
In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a on﹣off treatment that would last the plant's lifetime．The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off "switch" where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight．
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US．Since lighting is often far removed from the power source（电源） ﹣ such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway ﹣ a lot of energy is lost during transmission（传输）．Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy．
（1）What is the first paragraph mainly about？
| A． |
A new study of different plants． |
| B． |
A big fall in crime rates． |
| C． |
Employees from various workplaces． |
| D． |
Benefits from green plants． |
（2）What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineers？
| A． |
To detect plants' lack of water． |
| B． |
To change compositions of plants． |
| C． |
To make the life of plants longer． |
| D． |
To test chemicals in plants． |
（3）What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future？
| A． |
They will speed up energy production． |
| B． |
They may transmit electricity to the home． |
| C． |
They might help reduce energy consumption． |
| D． |
They could take the place of power plants． |
（4）Which of the following can be the best title for the text？
| A． |
Can we grow more glowing plants？ |
| B． |
How do we live with glowing plants？ |
| C． |
Could glowing plants replace lamps？ |
| D． |
How are glowing plants made pollution﹣free？ |
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running，research shows，while most likely contributing to fewer injuries．It does，however，have its own problem．
Race walkers are conditioned athletes．The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50﹣kilometer race walk，which is about five miles longer than the marathon．But the sport's rules require that a race walker's knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact（接触）with the ground at all times．It's this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity，however，says Jaclyn Norberg，an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem，Mass．
Like running，race walking is physically demanding，she says．According to most calculations，race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories（卡路里）per hour，which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking，although fewer than running，which would probably burn about 1，000 or more calories per hour．
However，race walking does not pound the body as much as running does，Dr． Norberg says．According to her research，runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step，while race walkers，who do not leave the ground，create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step．
As a result，she says，some of the injuries associated with running，such as runner's knee，are uncommon among race walkers．But the sport's strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips，so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport．In fact，anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique，she says．It takes some practice．
（1）Why are race walkers conditioned athletes？
| A． |
They must run long distances． |
| B． |
They are qualified for the marathon． |
| C． |
They have to follow special rules． |
| D． |
They are good at swinging their legs． |
（2）What advantage does race walking have over running？
| A． |
It's more popular at the Olympics． |
| B． |
It's less challenging physically． |
| C． |
It's more effective in body building． |
| D． |
It's less likely to cause knee injuries． |
（3）What is Dr． Norberg's suggestion for someone trying race walking？
| A． |
Getting experts' opinions． |
| B． |
Having a medical checkup． |
| C． |
Hiring an experienced coach． |
| D． |
Doing regular exercises． |
（4）Which word best describes the author's attitude to race walking？
| A． |
Skeptical． |
| B． |
Objective． |
| C． |
Tolerant． |
| D． |
Conservative． |
Returning to a book you've read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend．There's a welcome familarity ﹣but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both，and thus the relationship．But books don't change，people do．And that's what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative．
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register．It's true，the older I get，the more I feel time has wings．But with reading，it's all about the present．It's about the now and what one contributes to the now，because reading is a give and take between author and reader．Each has to pull their own weight．
There are three books I reread annually．The first，which I take to reading every spring，is Ernest Hemingway'sA Moveable Feast．Published in 1964，it's his classic memoir of 1920s Paris．The language is almost intoxicating（令人陶醉的），an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time．Another is Annie Dillard's Holy the Firm，her poetic 1975 ramble（随笔）about everything and nothing．The third book is Julio Cortázar's Save Twilight：Selected Poems，because poetry．And because Cortázar．
While I tend to buy a lot of books，these three were given to me as gifts，which might add to the meaning I attach to them．But I imagine that，while money is indeed wonderful and necessary，rereading an author's work is the highest currencya reader can pay them．The best books are the ones that open further as time passes．But remember，it's you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends．
（1）Why does the author like rereading？
| A． |
It evaluates the writer﹣reader relationship． |
| B． |
It's a window to a whole new world． |
| C． |
It's a substitute for drinking with a friend． |
| D． |
It extends the understanding of oneself． |
（2）What do we know about the book A Moveable Feast？
| A． |
It's a brief account of a trip． |
| B． |
It's about Hemingway's life as a young man． |
| C． |
It's a record of a historic event． |
| D． |
It's about Hemingway's friends in Paris． |
（3）What does the underlined word "currency" in paragraph 4 refer to？
| A． |
Debt． |
| B． |
Reward． |
| C． |
Allowance． |
| D． |
Face value． |
（4）What can we infer about the author from the text？
| A． |
He loves poetry． |
| B． |
He's an editor． |
| C． |
He's very ambitious． |
| D． |
He teaches reading． |
Train Information
All customers travelling on TransLink services must be in possession of a valid ticket before boarding．For ticket information，please ask at your local station or call 131230．
While Queensland Rail makes every effort to ensure trains run as scheduled，there can be no guarantee of connections between trains or between train services and bus services．
Lost property（失物招领）
Call Lost Property on 13 16 17 during business hours for items lost on Queensland Rail services．The lost property office is open Monday to Friday 7：30 am to 5：00 pm and is located （位于）at Roma Street station．
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Many stations have wheelchair access from the car park or entrance to the station platforms．For assistance，please call Queensland Rail on 13 16 17．
Guardian trains（outbound）
|
Depart |
Origin |
Destination |
Arrive |
|
6：42pm |
Altandi |
Varsity Lakes |
7：37pm |
|
7：29pm |
Central |
Varsity Lakes |
8：52pm |
|
8：57pm |
Fortitude Valley |
Varsity Lakes |
9：52pm |
|
11：02pm |
Roma Street |
Varsity Lakes |
12：22am |
（1）What would you do to get ticket information？
| A． |
Call 13 16 17． |
| B． |
Visit translink．com．au． |
| C． |
Ask at the local station． |
| D． |
Check the train schedule． |
（2）At which station can you find the lost property office？
| A． |
Altandi． |
| B． |
Roma Street． |
| C． |
Varsity Lakes． |
| D． |
Fortitude Valley． |
（3）Which train would you take if you go from Central to Varsity Lakes？
| A． |
6：42 pm． |
| B． |
7：29 pm． |
| C． |
8：57 pm． |
| D． |
11：02 pm． |
I was in the middle of the Amazon （亚马逊） with my wife，who was there as a medical researcher．We flew on a small plane to a faraway village．We did not speak the local language，did not know the customs，and more often than not，did not entirely recognize the food．We could not have felt more foreign．
We were raised on books and computers，highways and cell phones，but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity．It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood．
Then one perfect Amazonian evening，with monkeys calling from beyond the village green，we played soccer．I am not good at soccer，but that evening it was wonderful．Everyone knew the rules．We all spoke the same language of passes and shots．We understood one another perfectly．As darkness came over the field and the match ended，the goal keeper，Juan，walked over to me and said in a matter﹣of﹣fact way，"In your home，do you have a moon too？" I was surprised．
After I explained to Juan that yes，we did have a moon and yes，it was very similar to his，I felt a sort of awe（敬畏） at the possibilities that existed in his world．In Juan's world，each village could have its own moon．In Juan's world，the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous．Anything was possible．
In our society，we know that Earth has only one moon．We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find．I can，from my computer at home，pull up satellite images of Juan's village．There are no more continents and no more moons to search for，little left to discover．At least it seems that way．
Yet，as I thought about Juan's question，I was not sure how much more we could really rule out．I am，in part，an ant biologist，so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown．How much，though？ How ignorant （无知的） are we？The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me．
I began collecting newspaper articles about new species，new monkey，new spider…，and on and on they appear．My drawer quickly filled．I began a second drawer for more general discoveries：new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species，four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach．The second drawer began to fill and as it did，I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there，not just species，but life that depends on things thought to be useless，life even without DNA．I started a third drawer for these big discoveries．It fills more slowly，but all the same，it fills．
In looking into the stories of biological discovery，I also began to find something else，a collection of scientists，usually brilliant，occasionally half﹣mad，who made the discoveries．Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see，but they pay more attention to them，and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion（穷尽），and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers．In looking for the stories of discovery，I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world．
We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover．We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms （生物），and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters．Yet，when something new turns up，more often than not，we do not even know its name．
（1）How did the author feel on his arrival in the Amazon？
| A． |
Out of place． |
| B． |
Full of joy． |
| C． |
Sleepy． |
| D． |
Regretful． |
（2）What made that Amazonian evening wonderful？
| A． |
He learned more about the local language． |
| B． |
They had a nice conversation with each other． |
| C． |
They understood each other while playing． |
| D． |
He won the soccer game with the goal keeper． |
（3）Why was the author surprised at Juan's question about the moon？
| A． |
The question was too straightforward． |
| B． |
Juan knew so little about the world． |
| C． |
The author didn't know how to answer． |
| D． |
The author didn't think Juan was sincere． |
（4）What was the author's initial purpose of collecting newspaper articles？
| A． |
To sort out what we have known． |
| B． |
To deepen his research into Amazonians． |
| C． |
To improve his reputation as a biologist． |
| D． |
To learn more about local cultures． |
（5）How did those brilliant scientists make great discoveries？
| A． |
They shifted their viewpoints frequently． |
| B． |
They followed other scientists closely． |
| C． |
They often criticized their fellow scientists． |
| D． |
They conducted in﹣depth and close studies． |
（6）What could be the most suitable title for the passage？
| A． |
The Possible and the Impossible |
| B． |
The Known and the Unknown |
| C． |
The Civilized and the Uncivilized |
| D． |
The Ignorant and the Intelligent |