1 . In 1970s, a psychologist named J. P. Guilford conducted a famous study of creativity known as the nine-dot puzzle (九点谜题). He challenged research subjects to connect all nine dots using just four straight lines without lifting their pencils from the page. All the participants limited the possible solutions to those within the imaginary square. Only 20 percent managed to break out of the confinement (束缚) and continue their lines in the white space surrounding the dots.

The fact that 80 percent of the participants were effectively blinded by the boundaries of the square led Guilford to jump to the sweeping conclusion that creativity requires you to go outside the box. The idea went viral. Overnight, it seemed that creativity experts everywhere were teaching managers how to think outside the box. The concept enjoyed such strong popularity that no one bothered to check the facts. No one, that is, before two different research teams-Clarke Burnham with Kenneth Davis, and Joseph Alba with Robert Weisberg-ran another experiment.

Both teams followed the same way of dividing participants into two groups. The first group was given the same instructions as the participants in Guilford’s experiment. The second group was told that the solution required the lines to be drawn outside the imaginary box. Guess what? Only 25 percent solved the puzzle. In statistical terms, this 5 percent improvement is insignificant as this could be called sampling error.

Let’s look a little more closely at the surprising result. Solving this problem requires people to literally think outside the box. Yet participants’ performance was not improved even when they were given specific instructions to do so. That is, direct and clear instructions to think outside the box did not help. That this advice is useless should effectively have killed off the much widely spread — and therefore, much more dangerous — metaphor (比喻) that out-of-the-box thinking boosts creativity. After all, with one simple yet brilliant experiment, researchers had proven that the conceptual link between thinking outside the box and creativity was a misunderstanding.

1. What did the nine-dot puzzle study focus on?

A．Visual perception.

B．Thinking patterns.

C．Practical experience.

D．Theoretical knowledge.

2. Why did the two research teams run the follow-up experiment?

A．To test the catchy concept.

B．To contradict the initial idea.

C．To collect supporting evidence

D．To identify the underlying logic.

3. Which of the following best describes the follow-up experiment?

A．Groundless.

B．Inspiring.

C．Fruitless.

D．Revealing.

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Puzzle Solving: A Key To Creativity

B．Thinking Outside the Box: A Misguided Idea

C．Nine-Dot Puzzle: A Magic Test

D．Creative Thinking: We Fell For The Trap

2 . The motivation for his invention came to Aarrav Anil last year when he saw his uncle Arjun, who has Parkinson’s disease, struggle to eat. Some food spilled (溢出) out of his mouth, the rest splattered (溅) on his clothes. Arjun attempted to keep his dignity but the frustration forced him to give up and call his helper to feed him.

The sight of his uncle’s shaking the spoon so violently inspired Aarrav, 17, from Bengaluru, south India, to turn to robotics. He locked himself in his room with microcontrollers, sensors, motors, and a 3D printer. What emerged was a prototype (原型) of a smart spoon that is now undergoing trials at the RV College of Physiotherapy in Bengaluru.

The sensors in the battery-operated spoon detect shaking on one side and activate movement on the other, effectively cancelling out shaking to keep the spoon stable.

“I’ve been fine tuning the design based on the college’s feedback-that it needs to be waterproof so that it can be washed without damaging all the electronics inside; that it must be removable so it can be cleaned and replaced by a fork, ” Aarrav says.

For Aarrav it is the peak of a 10-year interest in mechanics that began when his mother bought him a Lego set. He has now represented India at more than 20 robotics competitions across the world.

When the blueprint for the smart spoon won first prize in the future innovators category at last year’s World Robot Olympiad in Germany, Aarrav felt encouraged to make the prototype.

More than 7 million people in India are estimated to have Parkinson’s disease, a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged and which mainly affects people over the age of 50. Symptoms (症状) include involuntary shaking and stiff muscles. As the disease progresses, eating can become more difficult, forcing people to rely on help from others.

Aarrav’s ambition is that every family that has someone with Parkinson’s will have the smart spoon. He says his uncle Arjun’s words keep echoing (回响) in his mind: “Who would have thought such a small thing could mean the difference between dignity and indignity?”

1. What can Aarrav’s invention help people with Parkinson’s do?

A．Control their physical balance.	B．Boost their mood and relieve stress.
C．Maintain a good range of movement.	D．Feed themselves more independently.

2. What does the underlined part “fine tuning” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Overturning.	B．Reconsidering.
C．Conducting a study of.	D．Making minor changes to.

3. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Parkinson’s in India?

A．To show prospects of Aarrav’s invention.

B．To reveal the nation’s poor health situation.

C．To popularize general knowledge of the disease.

D．To convince people to volunteer for social causes.

4. What can be learned about Aarrav from the text?

A．He enjoys being alone.	B．He has an innovative mind.
C．He used to be a health worker.	D．He longed to be a businessman.

3 . 阅读下而材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

As a single mother, I’ve never doubted my daughter Jane’s dream to be a singer on the stage. At an early age, she was crazy about singing. Whenever she had a chance, she would sing to her heart’s content. Her sweet and charming voice tended to get people around attracted to her songs.

Living in a small city, I took several odd jobs, determined to do everything in my power to support her. Soon after Jane attended school, her music teacher Mary noticed her talent by chance and volunteered to give her some guidance on how to sing. Jane practiced so hard that before long she made great progress in singing.

Unfortunately, one noon a year later, Jane was crossing the street when a careless driver knocked her down. She was rushed to hospital. When I hurried there, the doctor told me that my daughter would probably not stand on her own feet. I froze with shock, feeling as if I had been thrown into a dark world. Weak and dizzy, I was about to fall to the ground when someone took hold of me.

It was Mary, who got the news and raced here. She comforted me, saying firmly, “Grace, Jane needs you. You must stay calm and strong.” I nodded. Having calmed down, I entered the ward with Mary.

That night, Jane recovered her consciousness (知觉) and opened her eyes. Holding her hand, I said, “My dear, everything would be fine.” Mary comforted her gently, “I know you are a strong girl, Jane. Don’t worry. We’ll be standing by you.” I was heartbroken to see tears streaming down Jane’s cheeks.

After two months, we returned home from hospital. Her teachers and friends frequently visited her. Jane eventually accepted the fact that she would have to get around in a wheelchair. Never did she refer to the subject of singing again. I knew she was a nice and understanding girl, who was afraid that talking about her original dream would upset the two of us.

注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

One day, however, Mary came with good news.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When the host announced it was Jane’s turn, she was wheeled onto the stage.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Most of us would like to be more creative, but we assume there is little we can do about it. Psychology professor K. Anders Ericsson claims that with enough practice, any of us can become experts. However, he is quick to add that this requires a specific kind of practice that Ericsson calls ‘deliberate practice’: that is, pushing beyond one’s comfort zone and setting goals that are above one’s current level of performance. He says he has yet to find the limits on being successful and he doesn’t believe them to be real.

Ericsson has looked primarily at artistic and athletic skills, but can these findings apply to creativity? Most experts agree that even if most people cannot hope to become creative geniuses, they can learn to become more creative through practice. Psychologists claim that there are actually two levels of creativity, which they refer to as’Big C’ and ‘small c’. Big C creativity applies to breakthrough ideas, ones that may change the course of a field or even history. Small c creativity refers to everyday creative problem solving, like creating a new recipe or improving a process, which psychologists subdivide further into similar and different thinking. Similar thinking involves examining all the facts and arriving at a single solution. In contrast, different thinking involves coming up with many possible solutions. What most people think of as creativity generally involves different thinking and can be taught, practised and learnt.

Even with practice, different thinking alone cannot make one creative, however. Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive psychologist, says that most creative people share one personality quality: openness to new experience. Since this quality and these processes have been identified, less creative people can try to emulate them. Normally, we tend to reproduce what we already know because creative ideas move us into unfamiliar territory involving risks and following the usual behaviors is comfortable.

Moving outside of our comfort zone, engaging indeliberate practice and tolerating contradictory ideas, risk and failure are all things we can learn to do better. It is unlikely that doing so will transform any of us into creative geniuses, but it does have the potential to increase our level of creativity.

1. Why does Ericsson think he can’t find the limits?

A．No restrictions exist.	B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Each one can succeed.	D．The goal is ambitious.

2. Which of the following is an example of ‘small c’?

A．Settling in outer space.

B．Building a plastic doghouse.

C．Developing robots to look after the old.

D．Explaining the theory of evolution in class.

3. What does the underlined word “emulate” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Justify.

B．Limit.

C．Copy.

D．Assess.

4. What message does the author seem to convey in the text?

A．We can learn to be more creative.

B．Life is full of various challenges.

C．It’s better to take deliberate practice.

D．Most can become creative geniuses.

6 . Active listening is a valuable skill in which the listener makes a conscious effort to understand the speaker’s entire message. Below are five benefits of active listening and what they can do for you at work.

Active listening can help achieve understanding. The conflict resolution skills of different people vary.     1     Very often we only hear what we want to hear. However, being able to understand another point of view completely can avoid many potentially negative outcomes.

Active listening can resolve conflict. People involved in conflict often feel misunderstood.     2     If you aim to resolve conflicts at work, and encourage others to do the same, you must begin by listening to the opposing point of view objectively.

Active listening is an essential part of learning.     3     Active listening is a skill that allows you to acquire the knowledge which could lead your company into a better future.

    4     Listening to the whole message means you’re engaging on a deeper level with the speaker. It allows you to absorb more precise details from the conversation itself. If you’re receiving instructions or training, you will be able to recall details more easily.

Active listening can help you become a good leader. As a leader, when you listen to what your followers have to say, you understand them better.     5     You’ll be able to work out with colleagues or employees about where improvements can be made for the benefit of all involved.

A．Active listening can help in dealing with emergencies.

B．In turn, your workplace communication skills will improve.

C．Leaders should always be open to exploring something new.

D．Active listening will help avoid missing important information.

E．Some people naturally know how to step into someone else’s shoes.

F．The reason they argue is that they don’t fully know each other’s positions.

G．It’s easy to become distracted when someone is speaking to us in a workplace.

7 . Michael and his wife, new residents in a San Francisco apartment, learned about their neighbor Jeff Dunan’s volunteer work for Bangladesh Relief, an organization that provides food, clothing and essential supplies for disadvantaged people in northern Bangladesh. Inspired, Michael donated $150 to Dunan’s GoFundMe campaign. However, a credit card notification alerted him to an unintended $15,041 charge.

When he saw the five-figure number, he was confused. Soon, it all made sense. Michael’s credit card number started with four and one. Clearly, he accidentally began typing his credit card information while his cursor (光标) was still in the donation box.

Michael planned to call Dunan to explain, but before he had the chance to do that, he started receiving Facebook messages from Shohag Chandra, the charity’s Bangladesh-based program manager, thanking him for his generous donation. After he looked through the photos of people holding thank-you signs that read his name, Michael’s heart sank. He felt terrible that he had to withdraw his handsome donation. Once his original contribution was refunded, he decided to donate $1,500.

Although Michael had told his family and friends about the tale, he decided to share it publicly on social media, after Dunan told him the organization was desperately in need of funds. “The least I could do was take the time to post this story online and see if I could inspire other people to donate to the cause,” Michael said.

Little did he know, though, that the story would be seen far and wide, ending up raising more than $120,000 for Bangladesh Relief in the span of only a few weeks—about eight times Michael’s mistaken donation. According to Dunan, more than 3,700 people have contributed because of Michael’s post. Michael has been stunned (震惊) by the ongoing outpouring of support. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this reaction,” he said. “People can be amazing when they come together for something like this.”

1. How did Michael make the large donation?

A．He input an incorrect amount.	B．He encountered a system error.
C．He was greatly inspired by Dunan.	D．He entered wrong credit card details.

2. Why did Michael’s heart sink according to Paragraph 3?

A．He saw people in despair.	B．He failed to offer enough money.
C．He didn’t receive the full refund.	D．He realized the scale of his mistake.

3. What motivated Michael to share the story on social media?

A．Dunan’s request for publicity.	B．A desire for personal recognition.
C．The organization’s urgent need for funds.	D．Pressure from his family and friends.

4. What message does the story convey?

A．Actions speak louder than words.	B．Many hands make light work.
C．Always prepare for a rainy day.	D．A good beginning is half of victory.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chinese calligraphy (书法) is an art form that    1    (involve) the skilled and deliberate use of brush and ink to create beautiful and expressive characters.

The origins of Chinese calligraphy can be traced back thousands of years to the Shang Dynasty, making it one of the     2     (old) continuous artistic traditions in the world. Its evolution is accompanied with the development of the Chinese writing system,     3     consists of thousands of characters, each with its own artistic structure and stroke order (笔顺).

Calligraphy in China    4    (regard) as one of the highest forms of artistic expression. It is not only a means of communication     5     a way to develop one’s character, discipline, and spirituality. The practice of calligraphy requires     6    (patient), concentration, and a deep understanding of the balance between empty space and solid forms.

Different styles of calligraphy have emerged throughout history, each with its own distinct characteristics and artistic conventions. The most famous    7    (style) include regular script (kaishu), running script (xingshu), cursive script (caoshu), and seal script (zhuanshu).

Chinese calligraphy has a profound influence     8     other art forms, such as     9    (paint), poetry, and seal carving. It is often considered as an important part of the Chinese traditional culture, where scholars and artists would gather in a     10    (culture) salon to appreciate and discuss calligraphic works.

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1. What is special about United Travel company?

A．It provides one-stop complete tourism.	B．It supplies the best flight and hotels.
C．It offers transfer service.	D．Its guides speak various languages.

2. What can you do with your luggage before travelling?

A．Send it to your destination directly.	B．Carry it by yourself.
C．Keep it as light as possible.	D．Hand it to Luggage Concierge.

3. What’s the purpose of the text?

A．To diversify the economy.	B．To attract tourists.
C．To conserve the environment.	D．To entertain readers.

10 . During World War II, Duchess Nina Douglas-Hamilton played a vital role in looking after animals.

As the war broke out, the government issued orders for the mass killing livestock (家畜) to prevent them from being captured or destroyed by the enemy. Duchess Nina launched a campaign to save as many animals as possible, and soon became known as the “animal heroine” for her efforts.

Duchess Nina worked with local farmers and animal owners to relocate animals to safer areas, such as the Scottish Highlands. She also established a network of volunteers who helped to care for animals during the war. She organized feeding programs, medical care and transportation, ensuring that animals were well looked after even during the most difficult times. The most challenging aspect of her work was the shortage of food during the war. So she established a vegetable garden and used leftovers to create nutritious meals for animals. She also reached out to the public for donations of food and supplies, and was able to secure enough resources to keep animals healthy and fed.

In addition to her work with domestic animals, Duchess Nina was also a strong advocate for wildlife conservation. She established a center for wild animals Scotland, where she provided a safe place for deer, foxes and other animals that were threatened by the war. She also worked with local protection groups to protect natural habitats.

Duchess Nina’s work during World War II was not without its risks. She frequently risked her life to save animals, often driving through perilous areas.

Sadly, some people saw her efforts as a distraction from the war effort. However, she continued to work tirelessly for animals. After the war, Duchess Nina’s work was recognized by the government and she got an important award for her services to animals.

1. How did Duchess Nina probably feel when she heard the government’s orders?

A．Calm.

B．Worried.

C．Excited.

D．Encouraged.

2. What was the biggest problem that Duchess Nina faced?

A．Nobody gave her any donations.

B．She couldn’t find enough volunteers.

C．The animals didn’t have enough food to eat.

D．Local farmers didn’t give her enough support.

3. Why did Duchess Nina start the center in Scotland?

A．To keep domestic animals there.

B．To attract local protection groups.

C．To provide a home for wild animals.

D．To offer a safe place to animal owners.

4. What does the underlined word “perilous” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Dangerous.

B．Urban.

C．Faraway.

D．Poor.