The Purpose of Boredom Being bored can encourage people's creativity-partly to escape the horrible，frustrated．And meaningless feeling of boredom-recent studies find．It could even be true at work．
Psychologists at the University of Central Lancashire had participants copy numbers out of the telephone book for 15 minutes，while others went straight into a standard creativity task．
Both groups were asked to come up with as many different uses as they could for a plastic cup．The group that felt more bored came up with more uses．
Dr．Sandi Mann，one of the study's authors said．" Boredom at work has always been seen as something to he removed．hut perhaps we should be welcoming it in order to encourage our creativity．What we want LO 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？"
In a later study，Dr．Sandi Mann found that creativity was reduced when people were still bored but didn't have the chance to daydream．
While we tend to think of boredom as something；that certainly leads to trouble-drinking，gambling．and antisocial behavior，this research suggests different possibilities．
More than anything，the feeling of boredom is a 8trong signal that we are stuck in some kind of rut and we need to seek out new goals．In the study above，this research led participants to new ideas．
Usually people will do anything to avoid being bored．as it's such an aversive experience．But creative people，like writers，sometimes talk about seeking out boredom．
Here is the comedy writer Graham Linehan talking about boredom Lo The Cuardian．"I have to use all these programs that cut off the Internet，force me to be bored，because being bored is an essential part of writing，and the Internet has made it very hard to be bored．The creative process requires a period of boredom ，of being stuck．That's actually a very uncomfortable period that a lot of people mistake for writer's block，but it's actually just part of a long process．"
So，when you start to feel bored ，instead of g7ancing at your smartphone．，try being bored for a bit．Who knows what creative thought might come of it？
From the study of Dr．Sandi Mann，we can learn that________．
| A．boring tasks make people creative |
| B．daydreaming may increase creativity |
| C．plastic cups can be used very creatively |
| D．copying numbers might be very interesting |
The underlined word "aversive" in Paragraph 8 probably means________
| A．common | B．unpleasant |
| C．unusual | D．personal |
According to Craham Linehan________．
| A．glancing at a smartphone is a solution． |
| B．he is forced to feel bored by the Internet |
| C．the boredom period is a block for writers |
| D．being stuck for a period benefits him a lot |
What is the author's attitude towards boredom？
| A．Critical | B．Cautious |
| C．Positive | D．Unclear |
He is talent and charm(魅力) have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.
Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.
Lang Lang’s charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent（代表）China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.
Now in China children are learning Chopin(肖邦) and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export（出口）its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.
Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world?
| A．He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer. |
| B．He has as many as 5 billions fans in China. |
| C．He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras. |
| D．He plays the piano so well and has a good international image. |
The underlined word “debut” in the second paragraph probably means____.
| A．first class | B．first performance | C．first plan | D．first choice |
Which of the following statements about Lang is true?
| A．He has 36 million Chinese students in China. |
| B．He is touring China giving concerts. |
| C．He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries. |
| D．He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra. |
From the last paragraph we can infer _____.
| A．Lang didn’t like his father when he was little |
| B．he was happy to practice the piano everyday |
| C．his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood |
| D．he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago |
In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays, our rituals and our family gatherings. The food eaten at holiday time has made the deepest impact on our culture and memories. Different holidays bring different types of food. Much of the food we eat during the holidays comes from old traditions handed down for hundreds of years.
New Year's Eve always brings parties and get-togethers, but where you live in the world may determine what food graces your table. In the southern US, partiers eat black eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck and prosperity(繁荣). The Japanese also eat food for good luck on New Year's, but their choice is red snapper, the color red being considered good luck in Japan. The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid, Spain the last minutes of the New Year are counted down with the popping of grapes into the mouth. A pet is a cake prepared by the Greek with a coin baked into it. The person who gets the slice of cake with the coin in it should have good luck in the upcoming year.
In the United States, a typical Christmas feast can contain a variety of foods ranging from turkey to chicken, from ham to goose, but other countries celebrate this holiday differently. Perhaps these choices have been taken from the traditions of our heritage(遗产). In Denmark, a traditional Christmas meal is roast goose, Greece, leg of lamb. Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is a picnic eaten on the beach.
Though holidays around the world are celebrated in different ways, it is food, feast and family that bring us together.According to the passage, in different holidays people usually ______.
| A．have different kinds of food to eat |
| B．recall the interesting life when they were young |
| C．have a wide variety of parties. |
| D．get together to play games. |
All the following can bring people good luck except_____.
| A．a cake with a coin |
| B．red snapper |
| C．black eyed peas |
| D．apples dipped in honey. |
We can know from the third paragraph that ______.
| A．roast goose is American’s favorite food during Christmas |
| B．people in Denmark and Greece share the same food during Christmas |
| C．Italians don’t have meat during Christmas |
| D．people in New Zealand like playing games on the beach |
Which of the following can be the main idea of the passage?
| A．Holiday foods vary from culture to culture. |
| B．Different countries have different cultures. |
| C．People have a good appetite during holiday. |
| D．Different foods are served during Christmas. |
At 21，Ricardo Semler became boss of his father's business in Brazil，Semco，which sold parts for ships. Semler Junior worked like a mad man，from 7：30 am，until midnight every day. One afternoon，while touring a factory in New York，he broke down. The doctor who treated him said，"There's nothing wrong with you. But if you continue like this, you'll find a new home in our hospital. "Semler got the message. He changed the way he worked. In fact，he changed the ways his employees worked too.
He let his workers take more responsibility so that they would be the ones worrying when things went wrong. He allowed them to set their own salaries，and he cut all the jobs he thought were unnecessary，like receptionists and secretaries. This saved money and brought more equality(平等）to the company. "Everyone at Semco，even top managers，meets guests in reception，does the photocopying，sends faxes，types letters and dials the phone."
He completely reorganized the office：instead of walls，they have plants at Semco，so bosses can't shut themselves away from everyone else. And the workers are free to decorate their workspace as they want. As for uniforms，some people wear suits and others wear T-shirts.
Semco has flexible （灵活的）working hours：the employees decide when they need to arrive at work. Also，Semco lets its workers use the company's machines for their own projects，and makes them take holidays for at least thirty days a year.
It sounds perfect，but does it work? The answer is in the numbers：in the last six years，Semco's revenues （收入）have gone from $35 million to $212 million. The company has grown from eight hundred employees to 3，000. Why?
Semler says it's because of "peer pressure". Peer pressure makes employees work hard for everyone else. If someone isn't doing his job well，the other workers will not allow the situation to continue. In other words，Ricardo Semler treats his workers like adults rather than children, and expects them to act like responsible adults. And they do.Why did Semler change the way he and his employees worked?
| A．Because he went crazy because of overwork. |
| B．Because he had to receive treatment in hospital. |
| C．Because his father asked him to. |
| D．Because the doctor warned him of the danger of overwork. |
Semler made a variety of changes in his company Except that__________.
| A．the number of the employees is reduced to save money |
| B．the employees can take only 30 days off for holiday every year. |
| C．flexible working hours were introduced |
| D．the employees enjoyed a lot of freedom |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph five?
| A．Ricardo Semler’s new management method succeeded. |
| B．Ricardo Semler’s idea sounded perfect but not practical. |
| C．The company earned a lot of money. |
| D．The reason for his success. |
In his company, what does Ricardo Semler value most?
| A．freedom | B．rules | C．responsibility | D．hard work |
For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.” Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ______.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches | B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem | D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that ______.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusics. |
Imagination and fantasy can play an important role in achieving the things we fear. Children know this very well. Fred Epstein, in his book If I Make It to Five, tells a story he heard from one of his friends about Tom, a four-year-old boy with a cancer in his back bone. He came through several operations and a lot of pain by mastering his imagination.
Tom loved to pretend, and he particularly loved to play superheroes. Dr. Epstein explained that it was actually a brilliant way for his young mind to handle the terrifying and painful life he led.
The day before his third trip to the operating room, Tom was terribly afraid. “Maybe I could go as Superman,” he whispered to his mom. Hearing this, the mother hesitated for a while. She had avoided buying the expensive costume (戏装), but finally she agreed.
The next day Tom appeared as the powerful Superman, showing off through the hospital halls and coolly waving his hand to the people greeting him along the way. And Tom, with the strength of his fantasy, successfully made it through the operation.
The power of imagination need not be reserved for children only. We all have the power to use our fantasies to attempt things we never thought possible, to go through those things that seem impossible, and to achieve what we never believed we could. Just as Dr. Epstein puts it, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
It doesn’t mean that you should dress as a superhero for your next job interview. But, next time you are tested in a way that seems impossible, imagine what it would take to overcome it. Become the person you need to become to win over your challenge (挑战) and do it in your mind first. So, let your imagination run wild, and dare to dream.What do we know about Tom?
| A．He was seriously ill |
| B．He was a dishonest boy. |
| C．He was crazy about magic. |
| D．He was Dr. Epstein’s patient. |
What can be inferred about Tom’s mother?
| A．She was a rich lady. |
| B．She wanted to get Tom through the pain. |
| C．She wanted Tom to be a superhero. |
| D．She refused Tom’s request. |
In the last paragraph, you are advised ______.
| A．to go through some difficult tests |
| B．to wake up from your wild dreams |
| C．to become a powerful person in your mind |
| D．to wear expensive clothes for job interviews |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To tell us an interesting story. |
| B．To help us make right decisions. |
| C．To advise us to care about children. |
| D．To encourage us to use our imagination. |