“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 had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as of great importance: a new type of tape. Dick 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, Dick improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking about and developing new ideas.
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a character of high intelligence. The fact that 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.
Unfortunately, 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 situation. 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 earlier age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two food items 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. This is because the most important character of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.
1.What did the company where Dick once worked learn from its mistake?
A. They encouraged people to work a longer time.
B. They discouraged 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 considering and improving new ideas.
2.Creativity is something __
A. that people are born with
B. that depends on intelligence
C. that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problems
D. that is not important at all
3.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 exam marks, language and mathematical skills.
D. They think it more important to remember some information.
4. 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. Leave them as they are.
D. Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much.
New York State has passed the USA’s first state law banning motorists talking on hand-held cell phones. The ban will begin November 1st, although drivers caught using hand-held cell phones will be given only warnings during the first month.
First-time violators（违法者）will face a ＄100 fine. A second time call for a ＄200 fine and every violation after that will cost＄500.
At least a dozen localities（地方）have established bans, starting in 1999; and 40 states have had bans proposed but not passed. At least 23 countries, including the Great Britain, Italy, Israel and Japan, ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones.
There are about 115 million cell phones in use in the United States and more than 6 million in New York State.
“To think that I’m not going to use cell phone when at the same time I can still use my laptop(膝上电脑), I still can read a paper, I can still change my trousers while driving 65 mph. I think there’s just something wrong,” an official said.
Other critics noted that other things like eating, drinking coffee and applying make up while driving caused at least as much of a concern. They suggested that the ban include a broader range of things.
1. How much fine will a hand-held cell phone user receive if he has been caught using it four times while driving after November？
A.＄500. B.＄1000. C.＄1200. D.＄1300.
2.. We can see from this passage that ____.
A. the ban has been put into effect in most states in the U. S.
B. many of the developed countries forbid drivers using hand-held cell phones
C. over fifty localities or states ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones
D. more people in the U. S. are against the ban than for it
3.The official mentioned in this passage ____.
A. does not agree with this ban
B. doesn’t believe using hand-held cell phones while driving will cause any danger
C. doesn’t understand why hand-held cell phones alone should be banned among many others
D. believes changing pants while driving will cause greater danger
4.The writer intends to tell us in the last paragraph that ______.
A. it is not fair to have this ban passed
B. the ban will never be passed in the whole country
C. more activities of the same kind should also be banned
D. the ban will meet with more criticism
According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That’s not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These ‘nurturing moments’ are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child’s make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door.
These times are not merely a luxury (奢侈), they’re a necessity. It’s during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image.
Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together:
Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day.
Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun.
Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby.
Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life.
1.Present-day parents are different from those in the past mainly because________.
A．they need more time to spend on their children
B．they pay more attention to their children’s health
C．they are much busier with their work
D．the role they play in bringing up children is different
2.Which of the following is closest in meaning to ‘nurturing moment’?
A．The time between work and everyday activities.
B．The time when you are busy with your work.
C．The time when you play with children.
D．The time when you show your care for your child．
3.．We can infer that “visiting your child’s make-believe world” ________.
A．is a luxury for parents
B．is a necessity for parents
C．is good to the imagination of the children
D．benefits the healthy growth of the children
4.The purpose of the author in writing this article is________.
A．to persuade and advise B．to argue and instruct
C．to amuse and interest D．to explain and comment
It tastes just like chicken
Away from home, eating is more than just a way to keep your stomach full．It is a language all its own, and no words can say, "Glad to meet you ．．．glad to be doing business with you ．．．" quite like sharing a meal offered by your host．
Clearly, mealtime is not the time for you to say, "Thanks, but no thanks．" Acceptance of the food on your plate means acceptance of host, country, and company．So, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, swallow it．Or, as one experienced traveler says, "Travel with a cast-iron stomach and eat everything everywhere．"
Often, the food offered represents proudly your host country's eating culture．What would Ataiericans think of a French person who refused to take a bite of homemade apple pie ? Our discomfort comes not so much from the thing itself; it comes from our umamiliarity with it．After all, an oyster has remarkably the same look as a sheep's eye; and a first look at a lobster would remind almost anybody of a creature from a science fiction movie, not something you dip in butter and eat．By the way, in Saudi Arabia sheep's eyes are a famous dish and in parts of China it's bear's paw soup．
Can you refuse such food without being rude? Most experienced business travelers say no, at least not before taking at least a few bites．It helps, though, to cut any item very thin．This way, you minimize the taste and the reminder of where it came from．Or, " Swallow it quickly, " as one traveler recommends．"I still can't tell you what sheep's eyeballs taste like．" As for dealing with taste, the old line that "it tastes just like chicken" is often thankfully true．Even when the "it" is really rat or snake．
Another useful piece of advice is not knowing what you are eating．What's for dinner? Don't ask． Avoid glancing into the kitchen or looking at English-language menus．Your host will be pleased that you are eating the food he offers, and who knows? Maybe it really is chicken in that soup．
1.The purpose of the article is to ____．
A．introduce unfamiliar food
B．share the writer's personal experiences
C．suggest ways to overcome a cultural barrier
D．advise on how to politely refuse to eat foreign food
2.According to the writer, people hesitate at strange food mainly due to ____．
A．the way it looks
B．safety worries
C．lack of information about it
D．the unfamiliar atmosphere
3.From the article we can infer that ____．
A．an American may feel comfortable with sirloin
B．one should refuse strange food after a few bites
C．English-language menus are not always dependable
D．one needs a cast-iron stomach to travel in other cultures
4.One may say "It tastes just like chicken．" when ____．
A．showing respect for chicken-loving nations
B．greeting people with different dieting habits
C．evaluating chefs at an international food festival
D．getting someone to try a visually unpleasant meal
Once Dr.Mellinkoff invited me to join him at the hospital to discuss interesting cases with his students．The case at hand was a Guatemalan man, aged 34, who had a fever and many other medical problems．His condition was not improving, and there was not much hope he would live．
Dr.Mellinkoff asked to see the patient．He introduced himself in Spanish and, in a very gentle voice, asked how he felt．The patient smiled and said everything was all right．Then the doctor asked if he was able to eat．The patient said that he had no desire to eat．
"Are you getting food you like?"
The patient said nothing．
"Do you get the kind of food you have at home?"
The answer was no．
The doctor put his hand on the man's shoulder and his voice was very soft．
"If; you had food that you liked, would you eat it?"
"Yes, yes," the patient said．
The change in the patient's appearance couldn't have been more obvious．Nothing was said, but it was easy to tell that a message had been sent and! had also been received．
Later, the doctor asked why the Guatemalan man wasn't getting food he could eat．One of the students said, "We all know how difficult it is to get the kitchen to make special meals．"
"Suppose," the doctor replied, "you felt a certain medicine was absolutely necessary but that our hospital didn't carry it, would you accept defeat or would you insist the hospital meet your request?"
"I would probably insist," the student said．
"Very well," the doctor said．"You might want to try the same method in the kitchen．It won't be easy, but I can help you．Meanwhile, let's get some food inside this man as fast as possible, and stay with it．Or he'll be killed by hunger．By the way, there must be someone among you who can speak Spanish．If we want to make real progress, we need to be able to talk with him．"
Three weeks later, Doctor Mellinkoff told me that the Guatemalan man had left the hospital under his own power．It takes more than medicine to help sick people; you also have to talk to them and make them comfortable．
1.The patient had no desire to eat because .
A．he was not hungry B．he was seriously ill
C．he was given special meals D．he was not satisfied with the food
2.According to the passage, we can conclude that .
A．the patient’s native language was Spanish
B．the patient’s illness was caused by hunger
C．Dr. Mellinkoff performed an operation on the patient
D．the hospital failed to provide the right medicine for the patient
3.Which of the following words can be used to describe Dr. Mellinkoff?
A．Cold. B．Considerate.C．Curious. D．Careless.
4.What do you think Dr. Mellinkoff wanted to tell his students in this case?
A．Doctors should be good at foreign languages.
B．Doctors should know their patients’ real problems.
C．Doctors should try to improve their medical skills.
D．Doctors should have a good relationship with their patients.
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36-55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Night after night, as was often the case, she’d lean down and push my long hair out of the 36 ,then kiss my forehead.
I don’t remember when it first started 37 me. But it did. Finally one night, I shouted out as her, “Don’t do that any more – your hands are too 38 ！” She didn’t say anything in reply. But never again did my mother 39 my day with that familiar 40 of her love.
With the years passing, my thoughts 41 to that night, when I missed my mother’s hands, missed her goodnight 42 on my forehead. Sometimes the incident seemed very 43 , while sometimes far away. But always it was hidden in the back of my 44 . Now Mom is in her seventies, and those hands that I 45 thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my 46 . And now my own children are grown and gone. One Thanksgiving Eve, 47 I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a 48 hand hesitantly run across my face to 49 the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so 50 , touched my brow.
In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night and my young voice 51 . “Don’t do that any more – your hands are too rough!” 52 , I caught Mom’s hand in hand, saying how 53 I was for that night. I thought she’d remember, as I did. But Mom didn’t know 54 I was talking about. She had forgotten, and forgiven long ago.
That night, I fell asleep with a new 55 for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.
1.A．place B．way C．order D．shape
2.A．pleasing B．frightening C．satisfying D．annoying
3.A．sweet B．tough C．ugly D．rough
4.A．take up B．give up C．end up D．break up
5.A．expressionB．symbol C．promise D．experience
6.A．remained B．returned C．occurred D．missed
7.A．story B．greeting C．kiss D．song
8.A．close B．serious C．different D．unusual
9.A．brain B．mind C．spirit D．heart
10.A．once B．even C．still D．always
11.A．husband B．children C．family D．father
12.A．as B．before C．although D．since
13.A．rough B．reliable C．thin D．familiar
14.A．tidy B．touch C．brush D．wiped
15.A．gently B．friendly C．closely D．weakly
16.A．wept B．whispered C．complained D．struggled
17.A．On time B．All at once C．Once again D．As usual
18.A．grateful B．anxious C．sorry D．excited
19.A．where B．why C．what D．whom
20.A．memory B．sense C．pleasure D．appreciation
