Question

There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .

Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant’s（康德）daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .

It may be true that work on the assembly line（流水线）dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .

People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child’s ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom .

1. It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that __________ .

A. great minds hate to live colorful lives

B. Einstein worked out his theory in a university

C. Kant only took the same walk on rainy and sunny days

D. Kant might pass Konigsberg every day at the same time

2.How does the author feel about his repetitive work by the water ?

A. It made his mind empty .

B. It was well-paid but too demanding .

C. It worked well with his active mind .

D. It was too interesting to think of anything else .

3.The reasons why youngsters dislike dull work include the following EXCEPT that they __________ .

A. are not mature enough

B. think themselves smart

C. often complain about others

D. don’t know how to spend spare time

4.What is the purpose of the passage ?

A. To argue for the benefits of dull work .

B. To present some facts about dull work .

C. To share his own dull working experience .

D. To persuade young people to live a dull life .

Answer 1