Boredom and Creativity
Most of us think of being bored at work as a negative experience, but a new study suggests it can have positive results including an increase in creativity because it gives us time to daydream.
That is the finding of Dr. Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire. Dr. Mann conducted two studies. In the first experiment, 40 people were asked to carry out a boring task. They were told to copy numbers out of a telephone directory for 15 minutes. After that they were asked to complete another task. A pair of cups were given to each of them. Everyone tried to come up with different uses of the cups, and was given a chance to display their creativity. Meanwhile, another group of 40 people were just asked to come up with uses for the cups without doing any boring tasks before. It turned out that the 40 people who had first copied out the telephone numbers were more creative than the control group(对照组).
To see if daydreaming was a factor in this effect, a second boring task was introduced that allowed even more daydreaming than the boring writing task. This second study saw 30 people copying out the numbers as before, but also included a second group of 30 reading rather than writing them.
Again the researchers found that the people in the control group were least creative, but the people who had just read the names were more creative than those who had to write them out. This suggests that more passive boring activities, like reading or perhaps attending meetings, can lead to more creativity. Compared with reading, writing reduced the scope(范围) for daydreaming. As a result, it reduces the effects of boredom on creativity.
Dr. Mann says: “Boredom at work has always been seen as something to be avoided, but perhaps we should accept it in order to promote our creativity. What we want to do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work--or do they go home and write novels?”Who proved to be the most creative in the two studies?
| A．The people who attended meetings. |
| B．The people who invented uses for cups. |
| C．The people who did the reading task |
| D．The people who copied telephone numbers. |
The studies conducted by Dr. Mann indicate that creativity results from _______.
| A．creative tasks |
| B．the range of daydreaming |
| C．controlled activities |
| D．reading and writing ability |
What is Dr. Mann’s attitude towards boredom at work?
| A．Subjective | B．Skeptical |
| C．Positive | D．Disapproving |
What will Dr. Mann probably continue to research in their study?
| A．The actual use of boredom. |
| B．The real causes of creativity. |
| C．The practical reasons of boredom. |
| D．The writing ability improved by boredom. |
A green roof is a roof of a building that is covered with vegetation over a waterproof membrane (防水膜). It is a proper method of growing plants on the roof and does not refer to the mere green color of the roof. People benefit a lot from these green roofing systems, and they are gaining popularity day by day.
Human beings have occupied major areas of land and transformed them into huge buildings, which has severely affected the environment and the natural habitat of bird and insects. Green roofing compensates for that. It creates a natural habitat for creatures like bees, grasshoppers and other insects.
Modern roofs need a lot of energy to control the temperatures in winter and summer. However, green roofs reduce the amount of energy required for controlling temperatures, thus making them energy-efficient. As green roofing is highly energy-efficient, it can act as a encouragement for people who are interested in green roofing systems and their benefits. It will increase the market value of the building and fetch the owner a great share of profit.
As the vegetation requires a water supply, there is a inbuilt water preservation layer in the green roof system. This layer helps to keep the rainwater. It makes full use of the rainwater and prevents wastage. During heavy rains, the water runs off the flat roof. The green roof prevents this overflow by slowing down the volume of running water.
Green roofs can compensate for the lost greenery in urban areas and increase the artistic value of an area. Your building will look beautiful, coated with green vegetation. Green roofs can serve as local community garden and create a natural atmosphere, giving physical and psychological benefits like reducing stress levels in people and keeping them physically fit. Besides, people can start their own small-scale cultivation (栽培)and experience the pleasure
of gardening.What do we know about a green roof?
| A．It is painted green for a specific purpose |
| B．It uses solar energy to produce electricity |
| C．it is designed for kids to enjoy themselves |
| D．it is covered with grass, flowers or other plants |
Mr. Black who owns two buildings is interested in the green roofing system probably because_____.
| A．it can solve the problem of air pollution |
| B．it produces more energy to power the buildings |
| C．it creates natural habitats for birds and insects |
| D．it can save him spending a lot of money on energy |
How do the plants on green roofs get watered?
| A．Rainwater is often kept in the green roof system for later use |
| B．They mainly make use of the wasted water in people’s lives |
| C．The plants on green roofs usually need little water |
| D．People have to water the plants from time to time |
According to the last paragraph, a green roof is a place _____.
| A．where people can get close to nature |
| B．where people can relax and enjoy gardening |
| C．where people can hold all kinds of activities |
| D．where people can stay away from the city life |
The Knowledge Society
According to American economist Peter Drucker, every few hundred years in Western history a sharp transformation takes place in which society rearranges itself. One such period happened between 1455 and 1517, beginning with the invention of the printing press, and included the Renaissance, the European discovery of America, a reawakening of science, and the Protestant Reformation. All these events had significant effects on the development of Western society. The next period lasted from the American Revolution and the Perfection of the steam engine in 1776 until Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. During this time, the Industrial Revolution took place, public schools systems were established on a large scale, the first modern university was founded in Berlin in 1809, and both capitalism and communism emerged as economic and political ideologies. Again, society had been altered.Drucker suggested that another services to them.Those are the events which happened between 1455 and 1517 EXCEPT __________.
| A．the Industrial Revolution |
| B．the invention of the printing press. |
| C．the European discovery of America. |
| D．a reawakening of science and the Protestant Reformation. |
What is the major characteristic of the new society today ?
| A．Labor will be the basis of wealth. |
| B．Class conflict will appear. |
| C．Knowledge will be used as an economic resource. |
| D．People who provide various types of services must be socially and economically disadvantaged. |
Mr. Sankaram, a physics teacher, was known for his antics(滑稽动作)in his classroom to make the dull lessons in physics lively and interesting. Mixing different chemical drugs in the lab to become new substances in chemistry makes students excited. While studying botany or zoology, students can visit a garden or zoo. But physics limits students to listening to the boring lectures which are hard to understand. For example, why an apple dropping from a tree travels downwards but not upwards. But Mr. Sankaram’s classroom antics to cause students to listen to topics such as how sound travels in air or why light travels faster than sound made him stand out from the rest of the teachers.
At that time, most students in our school attended the college to please their parents, and some parents were proud of their children for simply attending a college, no-matter whether they benefited or not. They didn’t study hard. But a few students were diligent and they wanted to study pre-medical courses to gain admission into the medical school. The schooling of pre-medical courses was very expensive. The college was next to the medical school. The wall separating them was about four feet high. Few tried to jump over the wall to get free pre-medical courses. Doing this was at risk of injuries and the climbing was forbidden.
The college where Mr. Sankaram taught was known for unruly and naughty students. The unruly students usually sat at the back of the classroom. When a student from the back of the classroom tried to disrupt the class, Mr. Sankaram would say, “Dare you go ahead to make noise? Can you jump over the four-foot wall to get into the medical school?” The student’s face went red and he became silent. In the physics class . I sat in the first row to escape from the troublemakers at the back. One day during the class. Mr. Sankaram unexpectedly asked me, “Can you jump over the four-foot wall?” I shook my head and answered, “No, sir, I couldn’t jump over a one-foot wall, let alone a four-foot wall.” Mr. Sankaram wasn’t satisfied with my reply but waved his hand for me to sit down. He looked at me in the eyes hard and said, “If you can. Believe in yourself!”
There were stories about Mr. Sankaram’s past history. As a student at same college years ago, he went into much depression for some time when he couldn’t get into the medical school. In fact he could have been admitted by the school by his ability of studying. Because his family couldn’t afford his pre-medical courses and he didn’t dare to climb the wall, he often walked back and forth along the four-foot wall talking to himself and sometimes cried over his failure. Whether this story was true or false it was passed on from year to year. So Mr. Sankaram had a nickname “four-foot.” It was true that he left his dream to his students and he began challenging the students’ ability to jump over the four-foot wall to get into the medical school.
As a student I failed at my attempt to get admission into the medical school. In fact not all students wanted to be a doctor. And years later I ended up as a chemistry teacher at the same college. I thank Mr. Sankaram for his encouragement to me, and I am determined to follow his example to make my class interesting. Mr. Sankaram passed away years ago. He will always be remembered for his wonderful teaching techniques such as dancing movements and his encouraging words.Which subject was boring in the author’s opinion?
| A．Botany | B．Physics | C．Chemistry | D．zoology |
Most of the author’s schoolmates went to college to _____.
| A．make their parents happy |
| B．learn a skill of making a living |
| C．study abroad after graduation |
| D．find a good job after graduation |
Why wasn’t Mr. Sankaram satisfied with the author’s reply?
| A．He didn’t think the author was diligent. |
| B．He thought the author lacked confidence. |
| C．The author didn’t know what he meant |
| D．The author was shy while answering it. |
Mr. Sankaram’s failing to get into the medical school______.
| A．resulted in getting his nickname “four-foot” |
| B．caused him to be forever depressed and to cry every day |
| C．made him work hard to let his students realize his dream |
| D．made him complain the life was unfair and he was not lucky |
We can infer from this passage that the author_____.
| A．wanted to become a doctor very much in fact |
| B．regretted that he didn’t respect Mr. Sankaram |
| C．was born in a rich family and once a good student |
| D．is a good teacher in the college where he once studied |
Many people believe that all ice cubes are created equal, but they are not. At least that’s what the folks at California’s Glace Luxury Ice Company would like us to believe. The Davisbased company says that the ice cubes they make are healthier and last longer than the ones that we throw into our drinks on a daily basis. What’s more, the company also says that their ice cubes do mot leave behind an aftertaste(余味)in drinks, like regular ones do.
In order to create these unique ice cubes, Glace Luxury begins with water that has been rid of the hazardous impurities(杂质)that the company says can lead to cancer and exist in regular ice. They then freeze it in large blocks. Once ready, the ice is carved into perfect cubes and each cube measures 2.5 inches across. Besides being healthier, these ice cubes apparently also take longer to melt. The company says that each ice cube can last up to 30 minutes.
Of course, those ice cubes do not come cheap. Those that wish to have a taste of this “tasteless” frozen perfection will have to pay $325USD for a bag of 50 ice cubes. That comes to $6.50USD for a single cube of ice!
The unique product is the brainchild of Robert Sequeira, a former business school lecturer who said that he wanted to establish a profitable business that could be easily scaled. Given that he can make as mush Glace Luxury ice as he needs for as little as $0.12USD per cube, he thinks that the idea certainly meets the standard. Now, if he can find that the few people can afford to buy this Glace Luxury ice, life would be great!People at California’s Glace Luxury Ice Company probably want consumers to believe that _____.
| A．ice cubes are healthy for people to use |
| B．their ice cubes add tastes to drinks |
| C．all ice cubes are created the same |
| D．their ice cubes are different |
What does the underlined word “hazardous” in paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Active | B．Regular | C．Dangerous | D．Powerful |
Compared with regular ice cubes, the ice cubes created by Glace Luxury Ice Company_____.
| A．taste much bette |
| B．look much more beautiful |
| C．have more different shapes |
| D．are healthier and melt more slowly |
What does the author think of the ice cubes created by Glace Luxury Ice Company?
| A．They will be a big success |
| B．They are too costly to make. |
| C．They are just regular ice cubes. |
| D．They are too expensive for consumers |
If you and your friends wish to share a secret, you can write it in code, and no one else will be able to read it. Codes are one way of writing in secret Ciphers(暗码)are another. In a code each word is written as a secret code word or a code number. In a cipher each letter is changed.
Codes and ciphers have played an important role in the history of the world. Julius Caesar, the Roman ruler who defeated almost all the countries in Europe about 2,000 years ago, used a cipher when he sent secret messages to his troops. During the American Revolution, George Washington’s spies used a kind of code to send his information about the enemy before his military action. In World War Ⅱ. the Americans ”broke” or figured out Japan’s most important navy codes and got enough information to destroy a powerful Japanese fleet.
Storekeepers use codes to mark their goods. The codes show how much is paid for the goods or when they are added to the stock. Businessmen use codes to hide plans from their business enemies. Sometimes personal letters or diaries are written in code. Many people enjoy figuring out codes and ciphers simply as a hobby.
In the 16th century, codes and ciphers Were very popular among scientists. They wrote messages to each other in code so that no one else would learn their secrets. Geronimo Gardano, all Italian astrologer(占星家), mathematician, and doctor, invented the trellis cipher.
He took two sheets of paper and cut exactly the same holes in each one. Then he sent one sheet, which he called a trellis, to a friend and kept the other for himself. Whenever he wanted to write a message. he put his trellis over a clean sheet of paper and wrote the secret message through the holes. There he removed the trellis and filled the rest of the paper with words that would make sense. When his friend received it, he put his trellis over the writing and read the secret message.The best title of this passage would be _______.
| A．Codes and Ciphers |
| B．Differences between Codes and Ciphers |
| C．History of Codes and Ciphers |
| D．Inventors of Codes and Ciphers |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Ciphers can be broken or figured out more easily than codes. |
| B．You could read some words in Geronimo’s letter without his trellis. |
| C．The first person who ever used a cipher in history was Julius Caesar. |
| D．Fondness of using codes was the hobby of the scientists in the 1600s. |
According to Geronimo Gardano, a trellis is _____________.
| A．a piece of paper with many small holes |
| B．a secret message with a lot of small holes |
| C．a letter with unreadable words and sentences |
| D．a sheet of paper with groups of Arabic figures |
It is NOT mentioned in the passage that codes and ciphers are used for the purpose of _________.
| A．military affairs | B．commercial secrets |
| C．scientific achievements | D．personal enjoyment |