Question

Creativity is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this important skill in children.

If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have an important product: a new type of tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Mining Company. At work he developed a kind of material strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to think more about the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his old company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas.

Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a character of high intelligence (智慧). Just because a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.

Unluckily, schools have not tried to encourage creativity. With strong attention to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can’t recognize ways to use it in new situations. They may know the rules correctly, but they are unable to use them to work out practical problems.

It is important to give children choices. From the earliest age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two kinds of food for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision. The child may have a hard time, but that is all right. This is because the most important character of creative people is a very strong desire (欲望) to find a way out of trouble.

1.What did the company where Dick Drew work learn from its mistake?

A. They encouraged people to work a longer time.

B. They discouraged (阻碍) people to think freely.

C. They asked people to spend all their work time developing new ideas.

D. They encouraged people to spend some of their work time thinking and improving new ideas.

2.Why don’t schools try to encourage creativity?

A. They don’t understand the importance of education.

B. They don’t want their students to make mistakes.

C. They pay too much attention to examination marks and language skills.

D. They think it more important to remember some information.

3.What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money?

A. Try to help them as much as possible

B. Take no notice of whatever they do

C. Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much

D. Leave them as they are

4.The best title for the passage can be ______.

A. The importance of creativity

B. What is creativity?

C. The history of creativity 

D. How can we develop creativity?

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：短文介绍了创造力的重要性，它是一个人拥有更光明未来的关键。创造性并非与生俱来的，需要后天的培养。有些学校过分注重考试成绩和对阅读、写作、计算技能的培养,而忽视了对学生创造力的培养，在孩子的成长过程中,父母应让他们自己作决定,即使他们犯错,父母也不要过多干预,因为这有利于孩子创造力的培养。

1.D细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句"Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas." Drew在上班时间研发一种新型胶带，被老板警告。尔后他利用自己的时间将该胶带研制成功。于是该公司决定其员工可将15%的上班时间用于发明创造。可知D项切题。

2.C细节理解题。推理判断题。根据第四段前两句可知,学校过分注重考试成绩和对阅读、写作、计算技能的培养,而忽视了对创造力的培养。答案为C。

3.C细节理解题。根据短文中的句子“As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money, but not help them too much if they make the wrong decision.” 可知,在孩子的成长过程中,父母应让他们自己作决定,即使他们犯错,父母也不要过多干预, 父母应该让孩子决定怎么花钱。故C项正确。

4.主旨大意题。短文介绍了创造力的重要性，它是一个人拥有更光明未来的关键。答案为A。

考点：教育类短文阅读。