In the history of creativity, great ideas often come when we're least expecting them. Consider Mozart, who described how new melodies would arrive while he was eating in a restaurant or getting ready for sleep at night. "It seems to me impossible to say when they come to me and how they arrive; what is certain is that I cannot make them come when I wish," he wrote.
Psychologists would seem to agree, with strong evidence that creative ideas are much more likely to occur after a period of incubation — in which you focus on something entirely different from the job at hand, while your brain works away behind the scenes. This could include taking a walk, doing housework or having a shower. Even our procrastination (拖延症) at work, such as watching funny YouTube videos, may be helpful for our problem solving, provided it is done properly.
Facing a coming deadline, we may fear taking any time away from the task at hand. But this will be counterproductive, and there should be no guilt about spending a few moments of pleasant distraction, or leaving the task altogether as we allow a solution to surfacing suddenly.
There are many reasons why a period of incubation could lead to new insights. According to one of the leading theories, it depends on the power of the unconscious mind. When we leave our task, the brain continues to look for solutions below awareness, until a solution comes out suddenly. Just as importantly, a period of incubation allows us to gain some psychological distance from our task. It would help you to widen your mental focus so that you can make connections and come back to the problem with a new perspective. Interestingly, incubation may work best when your mind is distracted with a relatively easy task, so that it is given just enough room to wander freely.
1. Why is Mozart mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To stress the importance of relaxation. |
| B．To explain his love for music composition. |
| C．To praise the effectiveness of his creativity. |
| D．To provide an illustration of unexpected creation. |
| A．The lack of courage. | B．The act of distracting. |
| C．The trend of laziness. | D．The sign of delaying. |
| A．It is beneficial. | B．It is risky. |
| C．It is time-consuming. | D．It is harmful. |
| A．Constant practice makes perfect. |
| B．Success involves a lot of mistakes. |
| C．Temporary stop sometimes helps fuel creativity. |
| D．Watching and playing online games ease our brain. |
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The Sixth Extinction (灭绝)
Extinctions, where entire species are wiped out, are not unusual in our Earth’s history. In fact, over 90 percent of all species that ever lived are now extinct. In the last 500 million years, there have been five times when life on Earth has almost ended. These include the third mass extinction, known as the “Great Dying”, which killed 90% to 96% of all species. And the fifth event, which occurred 66 million years ago, caused the death of the dinosaurs. The reasons for extinctions are varied. According to scientists, they include volcanic eruptions, asteroids (小行星) hitting the Earth from space, changes in sea levels, the decrease of the oxygen content of the sea and global warming. Many scientists say we are now entering the Earth’s sixth mass extinction. This time, human activity will be to blame.
Although it is not unusual for species to die out naturally, the rate at which this is now happening is cause for concern. A 2015 study by scientists who were based at Brown University and Duke University in the US, looked at how quickly species die out due to natural causes, that is, the “background extinction rate”. They found that human activity is causing species to die out 1, 000 times faster than normal. There is a long list of reasons why so many species are dying out: air and water pollution, forests being destroyed, factory farming and overfishing. It is clear that human activity has negatively affected all other species on Earth, including animals and plants.
If a sixth mass extinction occurs, scientists who have studied the issue believe that up to three quarters of all species on Earth could die out. Of course, as we humans depend on so many species for our survival, we would also be at risk of dying out. Our world and our lives depend on the balance in nature between animals and plants. Without forests, we would have no air to breathe and without clean water we would be unable to survive.
Can a sixth extinction be avoided? Experts say that it is not yet too late, if we take action now. If we want to survive, we need to stop destroying the planet that we live on and start to protect it.
1. What are the reasons for extinction in the history?2. Why does the writer believe we will probably die out if 3/4 of the Earth’s species die out?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
It is not unusual for species to die out naturally, so we human beings are not to blame.
4. What actions can we take to avoid the sixth extinction? (In about 40 words)
【推荐2】When I am feeling down, I listen to uplifting music to lift my spirits. When I want to calm down, I listen to Indian classical instrumental music. Many times, I look at contemporary Indian art — either in real art galleries or in virtual art galleries on the Web to improve my mood. I particularly like the paintings with vibrant colors or ones which present a calm landscape using gentle colors.
Art therapy uses the creation or viewing of art to help people discover and express their feelings. Unlike art for art’s sake, which focuses on the finished piece, art therapy focuses on the process of creation itself. Art therapists believe that the act of making a piece of art triggers internal activity that contributes to physical, emotional and spiritual healing. For people who are not able or ready to create art, going to an art museum or looking through art books or virtual art galleries can also be helpful. Simply viewing art refreshes the spirit and promotes relaxation.
Art therapy is helpful in healing in various ways. The aesthetic quality of the work produced can lift a person’s mood, boost self-awareness, improve self-esteem and increase self-confidence. Also, research shows that physiological functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, become slow when people are deeply involved in an activity they enjoy.
Because art therapy uses a language other than words, it is often employed in treating patients with physical or emotional illnesses who have difficulty talking about their fears or hopes, or about their anger and other strong emotions. The creation of art helps people get in touch with thoughts and feelings that are often hidden from the conscious mind.
Stress reduction is also a significant benefit. Studies have shown that repressing strong feelings can lead to a buildup of stress, and that stress can intensify pain and the symptoms of various diseases. Because art therapy helps people access their unconscious mind and release pent-up emotions, it has been found to be very useful in treating those suffering from stress and stress-related illnesses.
1. How does the author start the passage?| A．By describing his own experiences. | B．By explaining a certain term. |
| C．By presenting a certain fact. | D．By giving figures. |
| A．ignores | B．causes | C．decreases | D．prevents |
| A．going to an art museum | B．surfing on the Internet |
| C．going to the virtual art galleries | D．reading art books |
| A．It lets them forget about their fears. | B．It helps improve their social skills. |
| C．It helps them release their hidden feelings. | D．It helps them hide their feelings. |
【推荐3】Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease often struggle to remember recently learned information, meaning they forget things like important appointments or where they left their keys. But it seems that these memories are not lost. They are still filed away in the brain somewhere; they just can’t be easily accessed.
Now, researchers at MIT have developed a means of getting back memories in mice suffering from Alzheimer’s. The method relies on a technique that uses light to control genetically modified neurons (转基因神经元). Currently it is too early to be used in human trials as it involves inserting light emitting (发光) equipment into the subjects’ brains, but the same principles still apply, the researchers said.
“The important point is that this is evidence of concept. That is, even if a memory seems to be gone, it is still there. It’s a matter of how to get it back,” said senior researcher Susumu Tonegawa.
The team took two groups of mice, one genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s and one healthy. They then placed them into a room and gave them a mild electric shock. All of the mice showed fear when put back in an hour later. When placed in the room a third time several days later, the Alzheimer’s mice acted normally. They had forgotten the shock.
The researchers were then able to bring back the memory of the shock by activating (激活) the cells in which the memories were stored. Even when the mice were put into an unfamiliar room, they showed fear when the cells associated with the shock were activated.
“Short-term memory seems to be normal, on the order of hours. But for long-term memory, these early-Alzheimer’s mice seem to be damaged,” said lead researcher Dheeraj Roy. “Directly activating the cells that we believe are holding the memory helps them get it back. This suggests that it is indeed an access problem to the information, not that they’re unable to learn or store this memory.”
1. What can we learn about the researchers at MIT?| A．They are the pioneers of brain research. |
| B．They have used the method in human trials. |
| C．They can cure Alzheimer’s using the new method. |
| D．They can get back memories in mice with Alzheimer’s. |
| A．They failed to remember the electric shock. |
| B．They were accustomed to the situation. |
| C．They managed to overcome the fear. |
| D．They activated the association. |
| A．can activate their blood cells |
| B．can’t learn new tricks well |
| C．can easily get back their memory |
| D．can’t access the information stored |
| A．introduce a method of a research |
| B．report the latest discovery about a disease |
| C．give advice on how to improve memory |
| D．explain how our brain stores information |
【推荐1】When you feel a sneeze or a cough coming on, covering your mouth prevents the spread of infectious germs(细菌). You probably knew that. But the way you cover up also matters, and there are plenty of people who haven’t yet heard the advice from health officials: If no tissue is available, you should aim into your elbow(肘部), not your hand. Even if that means breaking a long-held habit.
If somebody sneezes into their hands, that creates an opportunity for those germs to be passed on to other people, or pollute other objects that people touch, said Dr. Vincent Hill, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). Germs are most commonly spread by the respiratory droplets(呼吸道飞沫) produced from sneezing and coughing. These troublemakers are a real headache. When they land on your hands, they’re passed on to things like door knobs(把手), lift buttons and other surfaces the people around you are likely to also touch.
“You or your co-workers might be forgiven for not knowing that. The CDC guidance has become official only in the last 10 to 15 years,” Dr. Hill said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said he began hearing the suggestion more often about 10 years ago. That means that adults may have missed the advice. Children, however, are frequently taught in school the proper way to cough or sneeze. Mary Anne, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, traced the suggestion to sneeze into your arm to 2003, when SARS fears were widespread.
To be clear, the method doesn’t get rid of all risk. Studies have shown that even masks can’t prevent all droplets from floating in the air. A drum that can never be beaten enough: Make sure you pay more visits to your bathroom sink and make your hands clean, Dr. Jackson suggested.
1. According to Paragraph 1, what is the advice from health officials?| A．Keep tissue at hand. |
| B．Sneeze into your arm. |
| C．Avoid coughing in front of other people. |
| D．Cover your mouth with a hand when coughing. |
| A．Bad habits. | B．Polluted objects. |
| C．Sneezing and coughing. | D．The respiratory droplets. |
| A．It was made official in 2003. | B．It was an idea of a SARS patient. |
| C．It is relatively new to the public. | D．It is hard to practice in schools. |
【推荐2】Animal keepers use the term enrichment to describe the introduction of environmental stimuli into the surroundings of caged animals. In recent years, “environmental enrichment” also known as behavioral enrichment, providing animals with challenges, opportunities, and stimulation that are species-appropriate, has grown more popular in zoos and aquariums. A latest study does, however, identify potential to “diversify the enrichment types being supplied and the species being examined.”
The study conducted by the University of Exeter and Sparsholt College, Hampshire, looked into whether zoo enrichment is based on evidence of what each species requires. It was discovered that this was true for specific animals as well as certain forms of enrichment, but the quantities of both could be larger, especially the samples of certain species of animals. “Based on our findings, we would encourage zoos to continue enrichment, but with a stronger emphasis on using available knowledge on what works for each species. Keepers should also consider what behaviors are being taught and whether there is evidence that this behavior is normal and good in the long run.” stated University of Exeter’s Dr. Paul Rose.
The research looked at a database of peer-reviewed works as well as two magazines for zoo workers. Almost 77 percent of the enrichment articles identified focused on mammals, with 11 percent on birds, 6 percent on considerable species, 4 percent on reptiles, and only a few on some other species. This emphasis on popular species may result in greater and higher-quality enrichment for some species than others. What’s more, in the case of mammals, the application of biological evidence to inform this enrichment was inconsistent.
There are many ways to enrich an animal’s surroundings such as adjusting animal care, forming social groups, and enhancing sensory stimulation. The purpose of any enrichment program should be to generate ideas for providing a species-appropriate stimulating environment that encourages positive behaviors while keeping in mind that both species and individuals will have varied demands.
1. What does the latest study mentioned in the passage want to figure out?| A．The real situation of zoo enrichment. | B．The final evidence of zoo enrichment. |
| C．The possible future of zoo enrichment. | D．The original purpose of zoo enrichment. |
| A．By giving a database. | B．By doing persuasion. |
| C．By discussing the data. | D．By presenting an example. |
| A．The lasting challenges and opportunities. |
| B．The space of the zoos and the keepers’ knowledge. |
| C．The enrichment types, the animal species and numbers. |
| D．The stimuli the keepers give and the articles the keepers write. |
| A．More Zoo Keepers Should Be Developed | B．Enrichment of Zoos Could Be Expanded |
| C．Articles on Enrichment Could Be Published | D．Environmental Enrichment Should Be Encouraged |
【推荐3】Devotees of Stump-town Coffee, a high-end roastery with fewer than 10 total locations in four select cities, pride themselves on avoiding mainstream coffee chains. What they are probably unaware of, however, as they sip their mochas and cold brews, is that their favorite spot of individuality may soon be just another chain in the Phoenix airport. What they might suspect even less is that they will have a different shopping experience in the coffee shop.
Stump-town, the iconic small-scale brand, was recently acquired by Peet’s, a chain with a couple hundred locations. Peet’s has been in the news for taking over Intelligentsia, another well-loved and self-consciously indie coffee brand. Stump-town’s sale to Peet’s exemplifies an economic phenomenon not limited to the world of craft coffee. Stump-town joins the ranks of a number of popular brands that went from independent to corporate - then Italian San Pellegrino, now owned by the Swiss giant Nestle (along with its main competitor Perrier), the originally Quaker-owned chocolate-bar maker, Cad-bury, acquired by the U. S. corporation formerly known as Kraft, and The Body Shop, the cosmetics brand synonymous with ethical sourcing, bought by the French behemoth L’Oreal, to name a few.
Stump-town’s story is typical of an innovative young venture becoming a victim of its own success. Founded in 1999 by Duane Sorenson in his native Oregon, it turned into a national phenomenon and was at the forefront of the small-scale retailers that positioned coffee - making, and coffee-drinking, as a kind of art form. Stump-town’s business model rested on providing an intensely personal experience. Coffee-drinkers were treated with top-notch beans and unique brews crafted in Stump-town’s “coffee labs,” But these personal touches don’t fit well in the assembly lines of large-scale operations.
The arithmetic of the “bigger is better” paradigm(范例), or what economist call “economies of scale,” is simple enough. The larger the machine, the more lattes it can spew out. Most of all, scale translates into standardization: the conversion of an unpredictable creative process into a precise and highly economical algorithm(算法)of production. All of this means more profits.
But, based on studies of human behavior in places ranging from blood banks to daycare centers, academics now recognize that the calculus is more complex: People act more responsibly in the context of personal relationships that are meaningful to them than in strictly commercial deals, Loyal customers don’t mind going that extra mile to get the perfect cup of coffee.
Smaller institutions have much to offer - not just sentimentally, but also in terms of pure economics. The idea goes back to the 20th century British economist E. F. Schumacher’s declaration that “Small is beautiful,” a notion fashionable again in the era of institutions “too big to fail.” Since the logic of scale is more attuned to quantity than quality, workers (whose wages are usually driven down), consumers (who enjoy lower prices, but usually get a worse product) and the landscape of the economy (which shows signs of marked decreases in diversity) all suffer from growth that is too rapid. Size is the traditional measurement of a company’s success, but when stability is pursued as passionately as profit, less may truly be more.
1. Which of the following statements about Stump-town Coffee is NOT true?| A．The brand of Stump-town used to highlight individuality. |
| B．The loyal consumers of Stump-town are aware of its intention for business expansion. |
| C．It was Stump-town’s own success that drew the attention of a large-scale corporation. |
| D．Stump-town’s acquisition case reflects a worldwide trend of independent brands going corporate. |
| A．It means bigger companies ensure a better relationship between the brand and its consumers. |
| B．It means economic returns increase with the rise of the cost. |
| C．It means standardized scale is the working model for big companies. |
| D．It means the precisely calculated process of mass production is the profitable model. |
| A．Blood banks offered valid proof for the idea “The bigger, the better.” |
| B．Loyalty of the customers is the central issue in the success of smaller businesses. |
| C．Smaller businesses make people feel emotional attachment, but they will ultimately fail because of their size. |
| D．Smaller companies stand a chance to succeed if they can ensure stability. |
| A．How Badly Hurting Are Those Acquisition Cases? |
| B．Should Every Business Scale Up? |
| C．How Long Will Uniformity Go in Globalization? |
| D．Will Stump-town Coffee Regain Its Identity? |
