In 1910, the Los Angeles Times ran a story about a boy who was charged with opening a valve (阀门) on a water pump powered by a steam engine to release the built-up pressure. His whole job consisted of staring at these machines all day, which was incredibly boring. The “ lazy ” boy then invented a release for the pump to run just as it should and won his freedom. The first automatic steam engine was born.
This story may be fictional, but the boy’s behavior reflects a deeper truth. When we are feeling lazy, we often search for an easier way, trying to update the process and save time and effort. In other words, laziness can drive innovation.
In recent years, some psychologists and business leaders have wised up to this insight, changing our perspective of what laziness really means. Both Bill Gates and Walter Chrysler have been credited with a quote: “ I always choose a lazy person to do a hard job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it. ”
Our brains are born for laziness. Compared with our ancestors who had to conserve energy to compete for food, flee from predators, and fight, we now don’t take survival as a daily issue. It seems natural that we would choose to be “lazier” , but the opposite has occurred. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans sleep less and work more than we used to; productivity per worker has gone up 400 percent since 1950. Our culture teaches us that our worth depends on how industrious we are, so we work even harder to produce even more.
But there’s one big paradox (悖论), sad but true: The harder we work, the less productive we are. When demand increases, we tend to push harder. Yet the trouble is that, without any refresh and recharge, we are less efficient, make more mistakes, and get less engaged with what we’re doing.
Therefore, how can we make our labor more meaningful and our lives more fulfilling? Current research in psychology and neuroscience points to a new understanding of the value of the wandering mind. Taking breaks and allowing your thoughts to drift can help your brain retain information, refocus, and gain fresh perspective.
Here’s the core problem: When the time finally comes to put our feet up, we often don’t know how. We have little training in how to be idle. But at least give it a shot. Maybe this week, notice some downtime in your day, some white space in your calendar. Instead of filling the space with more work, just sit in the sofa, and be, in the words of poet Mary Oliver, “ idle and blessed. ”
11. The author tells the story in paragraph 1 to prove ______.
A.the kid needs punishing | B.boredom enhances productivity |
C.creativity contributes to laziness | D.laziness inspires new ideas |
12. How did the author support his opinion in the third paragraph?
A.By listing some numbers of being lazy. |
B.By quoting some great figures’ words. |
C.By making a comparison between two great figures. |
D.By giving examples of how to be creative. |
13. What can we infer from paragraph 4?
A.People nowadays don’t have to face poverty. | B.Modern society honors creativity. |
C.Americans lives a poorer life than before. | D.Ancestors consider industry as a value. |
14. Which of the following idea will the author probably agree with?
A.Working 24 -7 with a tight schedule. |
B.Taking three part-time jobs to fill weekends. |
C.Watching a stand-up comedy after a busy weekday. |
D.Attending a formal dinner with business purpose. |
15. The author writes this passage to ______.
A.compare the previous understanding of idleness to the new |
B.persuade people to give up the value of hard work |
C.criticize the irresponsible attitude towards life |
D.encourage people to keep refreshed for better work and life |