Question

If you are looking for a creative solution to a piece of work or a school assignment，don’t lock yourself up in a quiet room.

A new study suggests that moderate background noise is a better spur(動力) to creative thinking than the sound of silence，Time magazine reported.

A paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research says that the perfect working environment should buzz(嗡嗡作響)with a little noise.

Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels，the level one might find in a busy coffee shop.

A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction.

The researchers asked 65 students at the University of British Columbia，Canada，to perform various creative tasks while noises recorded at a roadside restaurant were played in the background.

In one experiment，scientists asked participants to brainstorm ideas for a new type of mattress(氣墊). Test subjects had the most successful discussions when the noise in the background was noticeable but not too loud.

While a quiet environment may make it easier to read a book. the authors of the study say that moderate background noise creates just enough of a distraction to force people to think more imaginatively, without breaking their focus so completely that they can’t think at all.

Should we all head for Starbucks to get creative? Not necessarily.

Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity.

Equally, working in a care environment isn’t good for everybody. The productivity boost was most obvious among those who were naturally creative to begin with.

1.The recommended level of background noise is__________.

A. 50 decibels B. 65 decibels

C. 70 decibels D. 85 decibels

2.Why is moderate background noise good for creativity?

A. It relaxes people and stops them from getting bored.

B. It can help people to focus on a subject.

C. It can absorb sudden noises that cause distraction.

D. It pushes people to use their imagination but doesn’t reach a level that disturbs them.

3.According to the last three paragraphs，___________.

A. the low—level noise of a coffeehouse may be too loud for some people to work with

B. if a person is not a creative type, then background noise may not be of so much help to them

C. a person’s own creative ability is as important as the environment they are in

D. working in a coffeehouse is effective for most people

4.Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?

A. Negative. B. Objective.

C. Enthusiastic. D. Doubtful.

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.B

【解析】

試題分析：文章通過描寫大量的研究闡明了處于適度噪音環境下工作對一個人創造力，想象力的激發有幫助作用。

1.細節理解題。由第四段Researchers found that test subjects were at their most creative when background noise was measured at 70 decibels，the level one might find in a busy coffee shop. 可知合適的噪音是70 decibels。選C。

2.推斷分析題。從第五段A nearly silent environment(50 decibels)was too quiet. Turning up the volume to 85 decibels (a jackhammer tearing up the pavement outside your building) was counterproductive-the noise became a distraction. 一個幾乎無聲的環境 （50 分貝） 太安靜了。至于音量調至 85 分貝 （像手提鉆在你大樓外面的人行道上刺耳地在工作一樣），是達不到預期目標的——噪聲已經成為一種干擾。可以推斷出適度的噪聲可以激發人的想象力而且不會干擾人的工作。故選D。

3.推斷分析題。可以采用排除法。從倒數第二段Researchers found limited work time surrounded by the low-level noise of a coffeehouse is what really stimulates creativity. 可知在有少量噪音的咖啡館里真的能刺激人的創造性。故A項不正確。而選項C,D并不能從最后三段中得出，所以也可以排除掉。B項意思是如果一個人不是很有創造力的類型，那么背景噪音可能不會對他們有太多的幫助。可知其是正確的。故選B。

4.

考點：考察科普說明文閱讀