英语四级(CET4)阅读理解练习题:创造力的根源_大学英语阅读

英语四级(CET4)阅读理解练习题:创造力的根源

　　WHERE do good ideas come from? For centuries, all credit for these mysterious gifts went to faith, fortune and some fair muses. But to assume creativity is some lofty trait enjoyed by the few is both foolish and unproductive, argues Jonah Lehrer in Imagine, a smart new book about how creativity works. Drawing from a wide array of scientific and sociological researchand everything from the poetry of W.H. Auden to the films of Pixarhe makes a convincing case that innovation cannot only be studied and measured, but also nurtured and encouraged.

　　Just outside St Paul, Minnesota, sits the sprawling corporate headquarters of 3M. The company sells more than 55,000 products, from streetlights to computer touch-screens, and is ranked as the third-most innovative in the world. But when Mr Lehrer visits, he finds employees engaged in all sorts of frivolous activities, such as playing pinball and wandering about the campus. These workers are actually pushed to take regular breaks, as time away from a problem can help spark a moment of insight. This is because interrupting work with a relaxing activity lets the mind turn inward, where it can subconsciously puzzle over subtle meanings and connections (the brain is incredibly busy when daydreaming). Thats why so many insights happen during warm showers, says Joydeep Bhattacharya, a psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London.

　　But this is just one reason for 3Ms creative output (and 3M is just one example of many in this book). The company also encourages its employees to take risks, not only by spending masses on research (nearly 8% of gross revenue), but also by expecting workers to spend around 15% of their time pursuing speculative ideas. Most of these efforts will fail, but some, such as masking tape, an early 3M concept, will generate real profit for the company. The reason why this approach worksand why it has been imitated by other crafty companies such as Googleis because many breakthroughs come when people venture beyond their area of expertise. Often it takes an outsider to ask the kind of dumb questions that may yield an unconventional solution.