"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 the product that we now think of as great importance: a new type of tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing 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 company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their working 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 gain 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' choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should try to let them 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.

【小题1】What did the company where Drew once worked learn from its mistake?

A．It should encourage people to work a longer time.

B．People should be discouraged to think freely.

C．People will do better if they spend most of their working time developing new ideas.

D．It is necessary for people to spend some of their working time considering and developing new ideas.

【小题2】We can know from the passage that creativity _________.

A．something that most people are born with

B．something that has nothing to do with intelligence at all

C．a way of using what one has learned to work out new problems

D．something that is not important to the life in the future at all

【小题3】Why don't schools try to encourage creativity？

A．They don't attach importance to creativity education.

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

C．They pay no attention to examination marks.

D．They think it impossible to develop creativity in class.

【小题4】What should the parents do when their children decide how to spend their money？

A．Allow them to have a try.

B．Try to help them as much as possible.

C．Take no notice of whatever they do.

D．Order them to spend the least money.

When Joshua Blue, a head teacher at the Kennedy, hosts a lecture for his students, he wears a light violet-colored tie. "You don't want so many bright colors that the kids will get distracted," said Blue. Colors give off very specific signals, and different tie colors stand for very different impacts. Wondering what color tie to wear to your next meeting? Here's how to choose the perfect color tie for every occasion:
All powerful reds
It's not a coincidence（巧合）that many politicians wear red-colored ties with light shirts and darker suits. "Red is the powerful color," said Mark Woodman, a trend analyst who studies color in Laurel, Maryland. "There’s something about red that always comes back to strength and passion.” But the tone of your reds matters, too. Darker reds can help build trust, while lighter red and pink ties can be more of a statement about your personal style and be associated with creativity. When you want to convey a sense of ambition, consider a shiny red.
Royal purples
Ross Znavor, an executive in financial services in New York, wears purple ties rather than red to business meetings because the color shows a bit of self-confidence and helps him create lasting first impressions. Purple, traditionally a sign of royalty and wealth is becoming more acceptable in the workplace.
Black affairs
"While you might not wear them to meetings on a regular basis, wearing black ties to a cocktail party or even a dinner is unique and attractive," said Zyla. But remember: the formal black color can feel aggressive in many situations. "Avoid it if you are a green-hand at work," Zyla said.
Right blues
Afraid of sending the wrong message with your tie color? Consider blue as the all-purpose tie. Blue ties are a good investment because the color reminds people of the sky and ocean. "Blue is the safest color to wear," Lindsay said.
【小题1】Why do many politicians prefer red-colored ties?

A．Because they often wear light shirts and darker suits.

B．Because they want to get promoted.

C．Because red is related to strength and passion.

D．Because red gets their message across easily.

【小题2】Who will probably choose the purple ties?

A．Politicians.	B．Businessmen.
C．Artists.	D．Head teachers.

【小题3】What color tie will you consider if you are a green-hand at work?

A．Red.	B．Purple.
C．Black.	D．Blue.

短文改错

Some people think that they will get ill if they will use their brains too much. It is not truly. Through many studies，scientists show us that the less you use your brains，the better they will be，but the cleverer you will become. Of course，if you want to keep your mind clear and active，you must take proper rest and study properly. To the teenagers，use their brains in the morning is good for your health.

There are various ways to rest. One of them is a peaceful rest. Sleep is a perfect example. As we all know，lack of sleep can do great damage for our health. Another is an active rest. For example，take a walk outdoors，and do more exercises every day. In everyday life，eating some eggs，meat，fresh vegetables and fruit are also good for the brains.

   We all know that we need some degree of smarts to make it in the business world. The measure of this " smarts" is IQ. You were born with your IQ and it stays relatively the same throughout life. So it is pretty hard to become an Einstein if you were born with an average IQ. People often associate someone's IQ with his or her ability to be successful. While important to you, IQ becomes less important as you grow in your career. Actually, there are other ingredients that are important to ensure career or business success, which account for about 80% of adult success.

EQ is one of the key ingredients. Your EQ is really about soft skills. It means being able to relate to others and make things happen. According to Susan Dunn, the EQ coach, “The higher up you go in your career, the more EQ matters. Eventually you'll find yourself in a playing field where everyone has skills as good as yours, and then what makes you stand out? It's how you handle yourself and others , your leadership and communication skills and other emotional intelligence competencies （能力）. ” The great news about EQ is that you can improve it. Unlike IQ, you can work on different EQ competencies so that you can increase your EQ score.

But to succeed, combining a high EQ and IQ is not enough. You also need to think about your RQ. The term RQ was coined by Dr. Charles who found the most successful companies all have one thing in common - strong reputations or high RQs. But RQ is not just for companies. We as individuals can combine it with our IQ and EQ to ensure career success. To succeed you need to be known for something. You must stand out from countless （无数的） others with similar skills and experience. Like EQ, your RQ can be improved with personal work. Understanding, building and communicating your personal brand will help you increase your RQ and your ability to take control of your career.

【小题1】What does the underlined word “ingredients”in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Scores.	B．Factors.
C．Careers.	D．Measures.

【小题2】According to the passage, which cannot be improved?

A．IQ.	B．EQ.
C．RQ.	D．Not mentioned.

【小题3】____________ if you want to move up in your career.

A．You will have to spend more time on your working field

B．Little importance should be attached to the matter of IQ

C．You are supposed to apply more soft skills to your career

D．You don't have to take communication skills seriously

【小题4】Which of the following can be learned from the passage?

A．A high EQ and IQ will certainly guarantee your success.

B．All the most successful companies have average reputations.

C．You need to make your skills and experience advertised.

D．To succeed you need a winning combination of IQ, EQ and RQ.

   We all know the keys to living longer：eating healthily，exercising daily，and avoiding bad lifestyle habits，but do you know that practicing these simple steps when you’re 50 and older can add more years to your life？

According to a new research conducted by Harvard University scientists，adults who follow five healthy habits which include never smoking，maintaining a body mass index（BMI）（体重指数）below 30，exercising for at least 30 minutes a day，drinking alcohol only reasonably，and following a well-balanced diet，can add a decade or more to their lifespan.

The study，published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation，suggests that men over age 50 who follow these five lifestyle habits can add up to 12 years to their lives while women who follow these healthy habits can add 14 years to their lifespan. While the method of living a longer and healthier life hasn’t changed much over the years，this new information regarding the benefits of working out and eating healthily later in life is a bit of a breakthrough in terms of how we look at aging.

Modern medicine often treats the elderly with a more reactive approach，focusing on discovering and creating medicines and therapies to combat（防止）life-threatening illnesses like cancer and especially heart disease. According to scientists who conducted this study，the focus should be on preventative（预防的）measures，making sure aging adults are adapting healthy habits before they reach a stage in life when health issues normally arise.

It is very important to put prevention through diet and lifestyle changes first. Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States，while heart disease in particular can arise because of certain lifestyle habits. One of those habits is smoking，which scientists said was the biggest determining factor in a person’s lifespan. Researchers found that there was a direct connection between an adult’s risk of early death and his lifestyle habits，with those following all five of the healthy habits enjoying significantly longer lives.

【小题1】What is the question in the first paragraph intended to do?

A．To provide some advice for readers.

B．To predict the following paragraphs.

C．To introduce the topic of discussion.

D．To offer some background information.

【小题2】What is the most important in fighting against life-threatening illnesses?

A．Developing new therapies.

B．Discovering new medicines.

C．Applying effective prevention.

D．Following a well-balanced diet.

【小题3】Which of the following is the biggest threat to a person’s lifespan?

A．Smoking.	B．Lack of exercise.
C．Drinking heavily.	D．Unbalanced diets.

【小题4】What is the text mainly talking about?

A．A healthy lifestyle determines humans’health.

B．Healthy lifestyles help the older lengthen their lifespan.

C．How to live a healthy lifestyle.

D．Bad lifestyles increase people’s risk of early death.