单选题
Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine. "Net choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd," William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word "habit" carries a negative implication. So it seems paradoxical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation. But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try—the more we step outside our comfort zone—the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives. But don't bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they're there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old reads. "The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder," says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind. "But we are taught instead to 'decide', just as our president calls himself 'the Decider'." She adds, however, that "to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities." All of us work through problems in ways of which we're unaware, she says. Researchers in the late 1960a discovered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, relationally (or collaboratively) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that capacity, preserving only those modes of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life. The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought. "This breaks the major rule in the American belief system — that anyone can do anything," explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will... and Ms. Markova's business partner. "That's a lie that we have perpetuated, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you're good at and doing even more of it creates excellence." This is where developing new habits comes in.
单选题
In Wordsworth's view, "habits" is characterized by being ______. A. casual B. familiar C. mechanical D. changeable
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】本题问的是：根据Wordsworth的观点，习惯是怎么样的?各选项的意思分别是：A．随意的，偶然的， B．熟悉的，常见的；C．机械的；D．可改变的。文章第一段提到“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting herd”，William Wordsworth said．注意此句话中“but”后面的内容，“习惯驾驭着没有头脑的羊群”。Mechanical可以说是对unreflecting的替换。此外我们还可以从整体上把握这一段话的内容。Wordsworth的观点与本段话的整体内容是保持一致的。本段第二句话“We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine.”也可以看出习惯在我们无意识的状态下就可以形成，习惯是无意识的、是自动的。由此可以看出习惯是一种无意识状态下的机械活动。故选项C是正确答案。选项A，B和D的意思在文中没有体现，是错误答案。
单选题
Brain researchers have discovered that the formation of new habits can be ______. A. predicted B. regulated C. traced D. guided
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题问的是：大脑研究人员已经发现新习惯的形成可以被怎么样?各选项的意思分别是：A．预知； B．调整，调节；C．追踪；D．引导。第二段第二句话“But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits,... innovative tracks.”指出研究人员已经发现当我们有意识的形成新的习惯时，我们的大脑就会生成平行的神经元突触路径．甚至还会创造出全新的脑细胞，这就可以让我们思维的列车行驶到全新的、富有创意的轨道上。实际上我们可以通过有意识地开发新习惯来引导我们自己思维的变化，使大脑更具备创造性。由此可见研究人员认为新习惯的形成是可以被引导的。故选项D是正确答案。选项A，B和C的意思在文中没有体现，是错误答案。
单选题
The word "ruts" (Line 1, Paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to ______. A. tracks B. series C. characteristics D. connections
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】本题问的是：第四段第一行单词“ruts”的意思最贴近于什么?各选项的意思分别是：A．轨迹，轨道；B．系列，序列；C．特性，特征；D．连接，联系。要想知道“ruts”的词义，必须从上下文中加以理解。文章第四段首先提到：“But don't bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they're there to stay.”在这里可以知道不要费力地去摆脱旧习惯。一旦这个过程的“ruts”进入大脑，它们就会停留在那里。接着由“the new habits create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads”我们可以看出新习惯创造的路径可以绕过那些旧习惯在大脑中形成的路径。ruts与pathways、reads应该是同意替换的，因此选项A是正确答案。选项B，C和D的意思与“ruts”要表达的意思不符，是错误答案。
单选题
Dawns Murkova would most probably agree that ______. A. ideas are born of a relaxing mind B. innovativeness could be taught C. decisiveness derives from fantastic ideas D. curiosity activates creative minds
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】本题问的是：多娜·马科娃最有可能认同什么?各选项的意思分别是；A．观点来源于放松的大脑， B．创新能够被传授；C．果断来自于奇特的想法；D．好奇心可以激活创新的头脑。由第五段“The first thing needed for innovation is a fascination with wonder,”可以看出多娜·马科娃认为创新最需要的就是要有好奇心。因此选项D是正确答案。选项A是利用文章第一段出现的单词relaxing编出的一个干扰项。另外根据常识，我们也可以知道创新思维很难被传授，它是个人具备的一种内在的能力。选项C在文中查无实据，故也排除B、C选项。
单选题
Ryan's comments suggest that the practice of standardized testing ______. A. prevents new habits from being formed B. no longer emphasizes commonness C. maintains the inherent American thinking mode D. complies with the American belief system