Why You’re More Creative in Coffee Shops
Some of the most successful people in history have done their best work in coffee shops.
Some of us stick in our ear buds (耳塞) as soon as we sit down to work in a public setting. But scientists have known for years that background noise can benefit our creative thinking. A study showed that a modest level of surrounding noise in a place like a cafeteria can actually promote your creative output. The idea is that if you’re very slightly distracted from the task at hand by surroundings, it raises your abstract thinking ability.
Air of informality (非正式)
The typical coffee-shop user might be a lone worker struggling with a creative effort.
Visual variety
| A．A sweet spot of noise and crowds |
| B．The birthplace of countless great works |
| C．Therefore, this can lead to more creative idea generation |
| D．Not all kinds of noisy surroundings are bad for your creativity |
| E．However, experts say the cafe settings can benefit work groups who are creative |
| F．Whatever their careers are, they have tapped into their creativity when working there |
| G．One thing that makes working at home or office boring is the visual environment |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials will help strengthen the related knowledge and skills.
In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.
The multiplication tables (乘法口诀表) are also an exception to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.
The law of overlearning explains why cramming for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one’s future development.
1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?| A．People remember well what they learned in childhood. |
| B．Children have a better memory than grown-ups. |
| C．Poem reading is a good way to learn words. |
| D．Stories for children are easy to remember. |
| A．presenting research findings | B．analysing statistics |
| C．making a comparison | D．using examples |
| A．a result of overlearning |
| B．a special case of cramming |
| C．a skill to deal with math problems |
| D．a basic step towards advanced studies |
| A．A way which leads to failure in college exams. |
| B．A study method only helpful in a limited way. |
| C．A way that will result in good memory. |
| D．An approach to increasing students’ learning interest. |
【推荐2】Everyone wants love, money, success and so on in life. Yet too many people fail to achieve their goals, and nearly all of them are for the same reason. Generally speaking, getting what you really want out of life is just a matter of the following simple steps.
You have to decide what it is you want the most. But do not make a list of wishes.
Other goals will require a bit more thought. Some will really get you lost without a clue of how to get there.
The final step is to carry it out.
| A．Do what you have planned. |
| B．Hold a right attitude to what you’ve achieved. |
| C．Never give up the goal. |
| D．Try to focus on one thing at a time. |
| E．Not to worry, though, books can be of great help. |
| F．Form a good habit, whatever the result may be. |
【推荐3】It’s school time again! You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while. Let’s find out more about going to a new school.
Most teachers kick off the new school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you’ll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class, too. When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules and school rules so you’ll know what’s allowed and what’s not. Please pay close attention!
You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day, but it’s a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don’t. Make the first move and you’ll be glad you did, and so will your new friend!
Seeing friends you haven’t seen during vacation can make the first day a good one. You can make the day feel special by wearing clothes that you really like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on one of your vacations, or a pair of sneakers（运动鞋）. It also can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the things you need, such as pencils, folders（文件夹）, and whatever else you’ll be needing. But make sure that you pack them the night before in case you don’t have time in the morning.
1. The underlined phrase “kick off” in the second paragraph probably means “_____”.| A．start | B．study | C．find | D．teach |
| A．what to know about a new school | B．how to prepare for a new school |
| C．what to do on your first day of school | D．how to spend your first day of school |
| A．introduce yourself | B．learn about the school rules |
| C．make new friends | D．go over your new lessons |
【推荐1】If you make a list of the world’s top ten most challenging jobs, chances are that being a teacher will not make the cut. But think about the discouraging task millions of educators face each day as they try to shape a group of often badtempered, wild kids into intelligent, wellrounded individuals. That surely has to be the toughest job in the world, especially given that there is no promotion or bonus awaiting them even if they are wildly successful!
What if these all important individuals that we often take for granted disappear from our lives? That was what Project Ed and Participant Media’s Teach campaign asked filmmakers of all ages to imagine in their recentlyheld competition. Entitled “A World Without Teachers”, its purpose was to inspire more young people to become teachers. However, the 62 amazing video submissions also serve as a reminder of how horrible things would be if we didn’t have these selfless individuals guiding us through life. What was interesting is that even the youngest participants did not appear to be happy at the idea of not having anybody telling them what to do.
Highschool student Savannah Wakefield reflected if art as we know it today would have been different without teachers. Would Monet have discovered his talent for impressionism? Los Angelesbased Miles Horst, who won the 1, 000 USD prize for the best adult submission imagines a world where teachers are replaced by a “brain box” in his fun lively entry.
Youth category winner Marina Barham’s video represents a fact we all know but often forget. Teachers don’t just teach, they inspire something that no electronic device, no matter how smart, can do! So the next time you think your teacher is being “mean” for trying to channel you in the right direction, imagine a life without him/her. We have a feeling it will not appear as rosy!
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The significance of teachers. |
| B．The campaign to promote teachers’ status. |
| C．A survey of people’s views about teachers. |
| D．A competition to win the prize for the best teacher. |
| A．teaching naughty kids is a very discouraging task |
| B．being a teacher is one of the most challenging jobs in the world |
| C．a successful teacher has the greatest chance to be promoted |
| D．teachers have little influence on kids’ individual development |
| A．To attract kids to submit more videos of their teachers. |
| B．To encourage more people to go into teaching career. |
| C．To expect teachers to devote themselves to their jobs. |
| D．To remind students to appreciate teachers’ hard work. |
【推荐2】Master Gardener Volunteers Wanted
What is a Master Gardener?
A master gardener is a citizen that is interested in gardening and can fulfill the training and volunteer hours necessary. Requirements vary by county and state,and the course is tailored for that specific region. You will receive special education on the soils in your area,the types of native plants，insect and disease issues，basic botany，and other information pertinent(相关的)to your gardening zone.
The educational opportunity to learn specifics about where you garden will not only help you be-come a better gardener but is then passed along to the general public in lectures,clinics,and through newsletters.
What Qualifications Must You Meet?
Anyone can apply to be a Master Gardener——you don’t need to be an expert or have a degree. You do, however, need to:
●Have certain experience or know a little about gardening or landscape management.
●Be willing to share horticulture(园艺学)information with others.
●Be willing to attend a training program and can devote time to volunteering and continuing education.
Besides,to become a Master Gardener volunteer, each applicant needs to complete an application,prepare background screening paperwork and schedule an interview with Extension staff.
What Does the Training Involve?
Training sessions are offered one day a week over a three-month period and are led by expert educators in the region. Approximately 60 hours of classroom instruction and field study and 50 hours of volunteer internship(实习)work are required to complete the program and become certified. In order to remain a certified Master Gardener,30 hours of volunteer work and 10 hours of continuing education or advanced training are required each year.
1. What does a Master Gardener do?| A．Promote gardening practices abroad. |
| B．Train volunteers to help with agriculture. |
| C．Teach the youth about diets and agriculture. |
| D．Donate time to the local gardening extension. |
| A．Having some relevant knowledge. | B．Acquiring excellent teaching skills. |
| C．Completing given training sessions. | D．Obtaining rich volunteer experience. |
| A．About 40 hours. | B．Three months. | C．About 150 hours. | D．About 110 hours. |
【推荐3】Good time management allows an individual to complete more in a shorter period of time, lowers the amount of stress, and leads to career success. The amount and quality of what you achieve are crucially dependent on how effectively you manage your time.
Make a plan
Sometimes it is difficult not to feel puzzled.
Beware of distractions
Take a long, hard look at your relationship with e-mall and social media. Although they are vital to everyday communication, they can claim much more attention than they deserve.
Many business leaders put a lot of their success down to simply saying "no". That is, they prioritize their efforts in the few areas that really matter and have the courage to say no to everything else.
Give yourself a break
| A．Try your best |
| B．Learn to say "no" |
| C．Taking breaks is good for your brain |
| D．Here is some advice on how to better manage your time |
| E．Try to distinguish between things that would be nice to have |
| F．The best way to achieve success and have a clear mind is to make a plan |
| G．Consider shutting them off completely as you work on a task that requires your full attention |
