A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany．
The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Visual and mental clutter（阻塞） forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.
Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious（声名狼藉的） for their untidy desks.
“Messy desks may not be as detrimental（有害的） as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving,” say the authors.
“Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity,” writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments.”
“However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind.”
The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.
The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.
“They categorized （分类） products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices.” said the researchers. The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that _____．
| A．A messy desk cannot contribute to clearer thinking |
| B．People thought more clearly about a messy desk and a shop front |
| C．People will feel confused when all around are chaos |
| D．People manage to simplify the tasks in messy environments |
Why does the author take Albert Einstein as an example?
| A．to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment． |
| B．to tell the fact that Einstein was known for his untidy desks． |
| C．to stop us from learning from Albert Einstein． |
| D．to call on us to develop a good habit． |
How do people look at messy environment according to the conventional wisdom?
| A．Messy environment will create clearer thinking． |
| B．Messy environment will simplify one' s judgment． |
| C．Messy environment can promote work efficiency． |
| D．Messy environment can block one' s mind． |
What does the last paragraph imply?
| A．People believe messy environment creates clearer thinking． |
| B．People sought more simplicity in the choices． |
| C．People were not willing to choose those complicated products． |
| D．Not all the people accept messy environment and complicated things |
Mr Smith was the manager of a hotel in Springfield. One weekend all of the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. Late in the evening three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr Smith explained that because of the meeting, there were no rooms ready for use. The men were very unhappy because they had no place to stay in.
Mr Smith wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 414, a very small room, was empty. He asked them if they would share a room. The three men agreed. Mr Smith told them that the room would cost $30: $10 for each. Each of them gave Mr Smith $10, and they went up to the room.
Mr Smith soon began to feel sorry. “Thirty dollars is too much for that small room,” he thought. He called one of his men over and said, “Here is $ 5. Bring it to the man in Room 414. I’ve asked too much money for their room.”
The worker took the money from his manager. While he was on his way to Room 414, he started to think, “How can I divide $5? Well, I’ll give each of them only $1 and I keep $2. The men will be happy to get anything back. I’ll make a little money and Mr Smith will never know.” So he returned $1 to each man.
You see, there come a problem, each man had at first paid $10. After the worker returned them $1 each, each man had paid 9. There were three men, $9 x 3 =" $27." The worker kept $2 —$27+$2="29." Where is the missing dollar?
Which of the following is True?
| A．The large meeting was held in this hotel. | B．The three men stayed together in one room. |
| C．Each of the three men got a small room. | D．Room 414 was the office for Mr Smith. |
Where was the missing dollar?
| A．There wasn’t any missing dollar at all. | B．It was taken by the worker too. |
| C．It was taken by the manager Mr Simith. | D．It was taken by the three men themselves. |
Put the following sentences in correct order.
a. Three men went into the hotel for a room.
b. Mr Smith felt sorry to have asked for too much.
c. They paid 30 dollars altogether for one room.
d. The worker gave one dollar back to each of them.
e. Mr Smith thought of a small room, still empty.
f. The worker was given 5 dollar to return to them.
| A．c→b→e→a→d→f | B．c→d→f→e→a→b |
| C．a→c→b→e→f→d | D．a→e→c→b→f→d |
What is the best title of this text?
| A．The Kind Manager. | B．Three Men Came to the Hotel |
| C．A Strange Maths Problem | D．$27 + $2 = $29 |
Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition (营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”(燃料). Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein, like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you will feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality (个性). Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise makes the body strong and and prevents you from putting on weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命). Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on, are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.
In order to keep good health, ________.
A. we should eat a lot of sweets B. one needs a large amount of fat
C. people should eat according to the foods nutrition
D we must try to sleep now and then
Eating more and sleeping less ________.
| A．can keep healthy | B．are no good for you |
| C．gets you more energy | D．will keep your personality |
The title of the article should be ________.
| A．Eating and Exercising | B．How Vitamins Work in Man's Body |
| C．How to Stay Healthy | D．Sleeping Well |
The passage is probably taken from ________.
| A．an advertisement | B．a travel journal | C．an English dictionary | D．a magazine |
There is an English saying:“ laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter had similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial .
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain .
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that ____ .
| A．smiling does good to health |
| B．laughter can be tolerated |
| C．there is a way to reduce pain |
| D．laughter can work the muscles in the feet |
.The main idea of the passage is .
| A．laughter and physical exercise have similar effects on the human body |
| B．smile can produce the same effects as laughter |
| C．pain can be reduced by laughter |
| D．laughter is the best medicine |
The students who ___ tolerated the pain for the longest time .
| A．listened to different radio programs |
| B．slept in the room |
| C．don’t have stress of pain |
| D．listened to a funny program |
The underlined word “diminish” is similar to _____ .
| A．test | B．stop | C．reduce | D．find |
Doctors hold laughter clinics _________.
| A．to give better condition to their patients |
| B．in order to improve patients’ health |
| C．to make patients smile |
| D．to prove smile and laughter have the same effect |
Hamsters are lovely small animals which are similar to mice，and some people 1ike to keep them as pets．They need to eat a balanced diet，or they can become very sick．That’s why hamsters should be fed healthy foods．
Most pet stores sell hamster mix．This is a combination of foods that are just right for hamsters．Some hamsters are picky eaters．They don’t eat anything they don’t like，so you have to find a hamster mix that your hamster will like．Most hamsters only eat a few tablespoons a day．You should feed them at the same time every day，or you can just keep your hamster’s bowl full．Remember to clean the bowl at least once a week．Hamsters also drink a lot of water，so be sure to keep the water supply full and fresh．
Just like people，hamsters like treats．Besides the hamster mix，you can sometimes feed your hamster seeds，nuts，and some other people food．You should never feed your hamster anything unless you are sure that it is safe for hamsters．
Feed your hamster carefully，and always take good care of your pet !
If hamsters don’t have a balanced diet，they will ．
| A．become sick | B．drink water | C．store food | D．feel fresh |
What does the underlined sentence “some hamsters are picky eaters” mean?
| A．They pick food with tools． | B．They mix food once a week． |
| C．They find their food in stores． | D．They only eat the food they like． |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Where to keep hamsters． | B．When to buy hamsters． |
| C．What to feed hamsters． | D．Why to raise hamsters． |
Jenny was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw a circle of white pearls（珍珠） in a box. “Oh please, Mommy .Can I have them? Please, mommy, please!”
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little box and said ,” That’s almost $2.00. If you really like them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.”
Then Jenny began doing more chores at home and did housework for neighbors. On her birthday, Grandma gave her another new dollar bill and she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. She wore them everywhere, even to bed.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.”
“Then give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my Princess.”
“That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night. ”And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny’s daddy asked for the pearls again. And Jenny refused him again.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. As he came close, he noticed one silent tear rolling down her cheek.
“What is it, Jenny? What’s the matter?”
Jenny didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little necklace. She finally said, “Here, Daddy. It’s for you.”
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand to reach into his pocket and pull out a blue case with real pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the real treasure.What does the underlined word “Princess” mean?
| A．It may be the daughter of the king . |
| B．It may be one of her toy girls. |
| C．It may mean Jenny`s teacher. |
| D．It may mean another necklace. |
Why did tears come down when Jenny offered her necklace to her father?
| A．Jenny felt sorry because she would lose her favorite. |
| B．Jenny felt excited because her father would give her a new necklace. |
| C．Jenny felt sad because the necklace she had bought was expensive. |
| D．Jenny `s father spent too much money on the necklace. |
What’s the best title?
| A．The Necklace | B．Father | C．Mother | D．Daughter |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号