I once had my Chinese MBA students brainstorming on “two-hour business plans”. I separated them into six groups and gave them an example: a restaurant chain. The more original their idea, the better, I said. Finally, five of the six groups presented plans for restaurant chains. The sixth proposed a catering service. Though I admitted the time limit had been difficult, I expressed my disappointment.
My students were middle managers, financial analysts and financiers from state owned enterprises and global companies. They were not without talent or opinions, but they had been shaped by an educational system that rarely stressed or rewarded critical thinking or inventiveness. The scene I just described came in different forms during my two years’ teaching at the school. Papers were often copied from the Web and the Harvard Business Review. Case study debates were written up and just memorized. Students frequently said that copying is a superior business strategy, better than inventing and creating.
In China, every product you can imagine has been made and sold. But so few well developed marketing and management minds have been raised that it will be a long time before most people in the world can name a Chinese brand.
With this problem in mind, partnerships with institutions like Yale and MIT have been established. And then there’s the “thousand talent scheme”: this new government program is intended to improve technological modernization by attracting top foreign trained scientists to the mainland with big money. But there are worries about China’s research environment. It’s hardly known for producing independent thinking and openness, and even big salary offers may not be attractive enough to overcome this.
At last, for China, becoming a major world creator is not just about setting up partnerships with top Western universities. Nor is it about gathering a group of well-educated people and telling them to think creatively. It’s about establishing a rich learning environment for young minds. It’s not that simple.Why does the author feel disappointed at his students?
| A．Because there is one group presenting a catering service. |
| B．Because the six groups made projects for restaurant chains. |
| C．Because all the students copied a case for the difficult topic. |
| D．Because the students’ ideas were lacking in creativeness. |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．China can make and sell any product all over the world |
| B．high pay may not solve the problem of China’s research environment |
| C．cooperation with institutions has been set up to make a Chinese brand |
| D．the new government program are aimed at encouraging imagination |
Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．Look for a New Way of Learning. | B．Reward Creative Thinking. |
| C．How to Become a Creator. | D．Establish a technical Environment. |
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.
By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (逻辑) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”
Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain from now.
Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.
Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.
Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．A Way on How to Write. |
| B．Increase Your Brain Power through Writing. |
| C．Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing. |
| D．How to Start Your Writing. |
According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.
| A．the increase of your brain power |
| B．the ability to remember |
| C．the development of your interest in study |
| D．the better understanding of a topic |
If a writer writes something, it means that he or she ______.
| A．has understood it very well |
| B．needs to understand it better |
| C．wants to remember it in his or her mind |
| D．is exercising his or her “explain power” |
The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies
that ______.
| A．you are already successful |
| B．you still need to work hard |
| C．writing can help you walk half way |
| D．writing is important to solve problems |
What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?
| A．To advise readers to start their writing. |
| B．To explain the importance of writing. |
| C．To persuade readers to become writers. |
| D．To increase readers’ brain power. |
When is the right time to get kids involved in teamwork and what does it mean to be part of a team? There are many great ways to introduce kids to team building. Use team building games and activities to get kids to understand the meaning of being in a team.
Try to find some games that have kids work together on some kind of problem solving. Children naturally have a shorter attention span (一段时间) than adults so present it in a funny way. Create a reward system for teams that are able to work together in order to reach a common goal. When they solve the problem and receive a reward, it gives them initiative to keep working hard and cooperating with others. The best games are those that require direct communication between team members.
Organize a game of 20 questions for the kids to play while building a team. Draw up a series of cards with different questions on each. Have each child select a card and then ask another question on it casually. It’s a great way for the kids to share and discover common interests. Kids need to be entertained and social when in a large group. This will lighten the mood greatly and help the quieter team members to come out of their shells.
Have the kids sit in a circle or around a table and share their favorite things. Start with something like movies or books and move on to anything from toys to animals. Sharing interests creates discussion. When you share interests with someone, it is easier to relate to them. Kids finally want to be friends with most other kids. Encouraging them to get along socially is always positive. By sharing interests they can form valuable bonds that will serve them as both individuals and as a team.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．How to be active in a game. |
| B．How to share common interests with others. |
| C．A game for the kids to play |
| D．Ways to get kids to understand the meaning of being a team. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Children have a shorter attention spa
n than adults.
B. The game of 20 questions requires kids to answer questions in turn.
The best team game is having the kids sit in a circle.
A reward is the most important part in team activities.Who is the passage meant for?
| A．Teenagers. | B．Parents. | C．Teachers. | D．Managers. |
There are many famous writers in the English world, among whom Jane Austen (1775—1817) has been popular with all ages. But then Jane Austen wrote her novels in England, she was writing about a world that most of us would not recognize.
But today Austen’s books are in greater demand than ever. In the last ten years, five of the six novels have been made into Hollywood films, while her books continue to be bestsellers. So why is Austen still popular?
Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English at Oxford University, argues that her novels still appeal to people because they focus on issues that are as relevant today as they were when she wrote them. Her novels are about women trying to find a perfect husband, but also explore issues surrounding marriage, friendship and the family. “The plots are fairly timeless stories about human interaction which are familiar to us,” Jenkyns says.
The most famous book Austen wrote is Pride and Prejudice, a love story between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. At first the two characters do not get on. They finally fall in love, but still have to overcome opposition (反对) to their relationship from their families.
All of Austen’s books are easy to read, making them popular with children and adults, but they work on different levels so people can take what they need from them, author Kate Henry says.
Austen is often praised as the greatest romance writer in the English language, so it is surprising she remained unmarried. “Maybe she was too much of a romantic, waiting for a perfect man,” Henry says.Which of the following can NOT explain why Austen is still popular?
| A．Her novels are all about love and marriage. |
| B．Her novels still make sense to today’s people. |
| C．All her novels are easy to read. |
| D．Her novels benefit people of different reading levels. |
The underlined word “relevant” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
| A．strange | B．related | C．funny | D．unimportant |
According to Henry, Austen remained unmarried because ______.
| A．she was used to the life of being single |
| B．the perfect man didn’t appears in her life |
| C．she was too busy to think of marriage |
| D．she was afraid of marriage |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．More and more people like reading Austen’s novels. |
| B．Austen died when she was 42 years old. |
| C．Pride and Prejudice is a novel about love. |
| D．Austen is often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. |
People in China, as in other parts of the world, are waiting to see how U.S. President-elect Barack Obama will deal with global problems such as the current economic slowdown once he takes office. As Sam Beattie reports from Beijing, there is widespread hope for closer U.S.-Chinese cooperation.
For many students in Beijing, Mr. Obama symbolizes all that is possible in the United States. He’s a popular winner here, seen as a self-made man who has made it to the top.
"I think he is very charming, and a president who can create a new era," said Zhang Wei, a university student. "I like him very much and most of my friends do too." Ni Weibo, another university student, agrees. "Sino-U.S. relations still need more cooperation," she said. "I think he will help take it to a new era."
China’s President Hu Jintao congratulated Mr. Obama within hours of his victory, saying he hoped bilateral ties could be made stronger.
Political analysts here say China will be looking for the incoming president to avoid contentious issues such as Taiwan’s independence, human rights and Tibet.
Instead, they say Beijing would like Mr. Obama to focus on solving the global economic crisis, and to help China’s slowing economy by opening up U.S. markets.
But trade relations might be a sticking point, says Renmin University’s Professor of International Studies, Shi Yinhong.
He warns, "There is a possibility that President Obama will take some protectionist measures which China will not accept, then trade disputes could develop to a degree that we have not seen ever before."
Despite making the headlines, Mr. Obama faces some tough challenges in managing the U.S. relationship with China. China is now a stronger and more confident country than the China his
predecessors dealt with. And in this time of economic uncertainty, analysts say it’s a country with which Mr. Obama will want to maintain a good relationship.What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?
| A．Mr. Obama was popular with many students in Beijing mostly because he will take office soon. |
| B．Economic slowdown is the big problem that the world is facing and looking forward to solve except US |
| C．China’s President Hu Jintao congratulated Obama on his victory within hours. |
| D．Through Obama’s being elected, we can see all is possible in US and a new relationship may come. |
What is not mentioned in this passage?
| A．What Barack Obama is expected to do in dealing with the US-China relationship. |
| B．Why Barack Obama will maintain a good relationship with China. |
| C．How Barack Obama will deal with the current economic slowdown. |
| D．What image Barack Obama has given to Chinese people. |
What does “ a sticking point”( in para.7 ) mean?
| A．a twist point | B．a disputed point | C．a good beginning | D．a understanding point |
What is the best title for this report?
| A．US-Chinese Cooperation Under the Current Economic Slowdown |
| B．Obama, Seen As A Popular Winner In China |
| C．Chinese Want Stronger Ties With US Under Obama Administration |
| D．The Current Economic Problem faces China As Well As US |
Birds that are half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert and the other sleeping—control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in internal spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg.” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.According to the passage, birds often half sleep because ______.
| A．they have to watch out for possible attacks |
| B．their brain hemispheres take turns to rest |
| C．the two halves of their brain are differently structured |
| D．they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions |
What is implied about the example of a bird’s sleeping in front of a mirror?
| A．An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security. |
| B．Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security. |
| C．The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread. |
| D．A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror. |
While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to ______.
| A．alert themselves to the approaching enemy |
| B．emerge from water now and then to breathe |
| C．be sensitive to the ever-changing environment |
| D．avoid being swept away by rapid currents |
By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that ______.
| A．half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather |
| B．the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved |
| C．most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers |
| D．half-brain sleep may exist among other species |