Creativity(创造性)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 a product that we now think of as very important: 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 former pany 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 an indicator of high intelligence. Just 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 paid 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 an early 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, 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 characteristic of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.
【小题1】What did the pany where Dick Drew worked learn from its mistake?A．They encouraged people to work longer. 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 andimproving new ideas.
【小题2】Creativity is something .A．that people are born with B．that depends on intelligenceC．that is a way of using what one has learnt to work out new problemsD．that is not important【小题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 examination marks and language skills.D．They think it more important to remember information.【小题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．Help them if their decision is wrong, but not too much.D．Leave them as they are.D
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(答案→)D
解析：
【小题1】从文章的第二段的：Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas. “现在他们鼓励人们花15%的时间思考新的想法。选D。
【小题2】从文章的第三段的内容：Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.可以看出创造力是用学过的东西创造新的东西。
选C。
【小题3】从第四段的：With strong attention paid to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers.看出学校把注意力放在阅读水平，数学技能上，选C。
【小题4】C. 从最后一段的：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.看出孩子如果犯了错，父母应该帮助但不该太多。