A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany．
The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Visual and mental clutter（阻塞） forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.
Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious（声名狼藉的） for their untidy desks.
“Messy desks may not be as detrimental（有害的） as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving,” say the authors.
“Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity,” writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments.”
“However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind.”
The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.
The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.
“They categorized （分类） products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices.” said the researchers.
【小题1】 The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that _____．

A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany．

The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.

Visual and mental clutter（阻塞） forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.

Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious（声名狼藉的） for their untidy desks.

“Messy desks may not be as detrimental（有害的） as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving,” say the authors.

“Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity,” writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

“This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments.”

“However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind.”

The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.

The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.

“They categorized （分类） products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices.” said the researchers.

1. The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that _____．

A．A messy desk cannot contribute to clearer thinking

B．People thought more clearly about a messy desk and a shop front

C．People will feel confused when all around are chaos

D．People manage to simplify the tasks in messy environments

2. Why does the author take Albert Einstein as an example?

A．to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment．

B．to tell the fact that Einstein was known for his untidy desks．

C．to stop us from learning from Albert Einstein．

D．to call on us to develop a good habit．

3.How do people look at messy environment according to the conventional wisdom?

A．Messy environment will create clearer thinking．

B．Messy environment will simplify one' s judgment．

C．Messy environment can promote work efficiency．

D．Messy environment can block one' s mind．

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．People believe messy environment creates clearer thinking．

B．People sought more simplicity in the choices．

C．People were not willing to choose those complicated products．

D．Not all the people accept messy environment and complicated things

A messy desk can actually lead people towards clearer thinking, say researchers from Germany．
The researchers found in a series of linked studies - using a messy desk and a messy shop front - that people actually thought more clearly when all around was chaos, as they sought to simplify the tasks at hand.
Visual and mental clutter（阻塞） forces human beings to focus and think more clearly.
Famous thinkers and writers such as Albert Einstein and Roald Dahl have been notorious（声名狼藉的） for their untidy desks.
“Messy desks may not be as detrimental（有害的） as they appear to be, as the problem-solving approaches they seem to cause can improve work efficiency or increase employees' creativity in problem solving,” say the authors.
“Business and government managers often promote 'clean desk' policies to avoid disorganized offices and messy desks, for the purpose of boosting work efficiency and productivity,” writes lead researcher Jia Liu of the University of Groningen in a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
“This practice is based on the conventional wisdom that a disorganized and messy environment can clutter one's mind and complicate one's judgments.”
“However, not all evidence supports this conventional link between a messy environment and a messy mind.”
The scientists tested people's response in various 'messy' environments - including a messy shop front, a disorganized desk, and even a work environment where a language task 'reminded' people of messiness.
The authors found in the series of six studies people tended towards simplicity in their thinking.
“They categorized （分类） products in a simpler manner, were willing to pay more for a T-shirt that shows a simple-looking picture, and sought less variety in their choices.” said the researchers

1. 1.

   The purpose of the first two paragraphs is to show that _____．

   1. A.
      A messy desk cannot contribute to clearer thinking
   2. B.
      People thought more clearly about a messy desk and a shop front
   3. C.
      People will feel confused when all around are chaos
   4. D.
      People manage to simplify the tasks in messy environments
2. 2.

   Why does the author take Albert Einstein as an example?

   1. A.
      to support the idea that clearer thinking comes from messy environment．
   2. B.
      to tell the fact that Einstein was known for his untidy desks．
   3. C.
      to stop us from learning from Albert Einstein．
   4. D.
      to call on us to develop a good habit．
3. 3.

   How do people look at messy environment according to the conventional wisdom?

   1. A.
      Messy environment will create clearer thinking．
   2. B.
      Messy environment will simplify one' s judgment．
   3. C.
      Messy environment can promote work efficiency．
   4. D.
      Messy environment can block one' s mind．
4. 4.

   What does the last paragraph imply?

   1. A.
      People believe messy environment creates clearer thinking．
   2. B.
      People sought more simplicity in the choices．
   3. C.
      People were not willing to choose those complicated products．
   4. D.
      Not all the people accept messy environment and complicated things

Have you ever wished that you could make your little sister’s teddy bear talk to her? Or have you ever wanted to bring a puppet (木偶) to life? If so, you may be interested in learning the art of ventriloquism (腹语术). A ventriloquist can make an ordinary object seem to be alive by giving it a personality, movement, and speech.
Your object can be a puppet, or a doll. Give your new “friend” a name, and then decide on the personality that he will have. The next step is to give your friend movements that agree with the personality you have chosen.
Now you can learn to make your “friend” talk. A ventriloquist will control his mouth and lips so that it will appear that his voice is coming from the object he is using. This will take practice, but you can do it.
First, decide on a voice that is different from your own. It could be higher or lower than yours, or could even have a special accent. Then, find a clean teaspoon and hold the handle between your front teeth. Now, using the voice you created for your friend and holding the handle of the teaspoon tightly between your teeth, look into a mirror and talk. Practicing with the spoon in your mouth will help you learn to keep your mouth from moving. Now try telling a joke in your normal voice and have your friend speak in his voice. Practice those words until you can say them without your lips moving at all.
Ventriloquism is fun. It also requires hard work to become good at it. The most important thing to do is practice. But if you are willing to take the time to give your friend an interesting personality, to practice lively movements, and to work on good mouth control, then you will be well on your way to becoming a ventriloquist!
【小题1】According to the text, a ventriloquist           .

Have you ever wished that you could make your little sister’s teddy bear talk to her? Or have you ever wanted to bring a puppet (木偶) to life? If so, you may be interested in learning the art of ventriloquism (腹语术). A ventriloquist can make an ordinary object seem to be alive by giving it a personality, movement, and speech.

Your object can be a puppet, or a doll. Give your new “friend” a name, and then decide on the personality that he will have. The next step is to give your friend movements that agree with the personality you have chosen.

Now you can learn to make your “friend” talk. A ventriloquist will control his mouth and lips so that it will appear that his voice is coming from the object he is using. This will take practice, but you can do it.

First, decide on a voice that is different from your own. It could be higher or lower than yours, or could even have a special accent. Then, find a clean teaspoon and hold the handle between your front teeth. Now, using the voice you created for your friend and holding the handle of the teaspoon tightly between your teeth, look into a mirror and talk. Practicing with the spoon in your mouth will help you learn to keep your mouth from moving. Now try telling a joke in your normal voice and have your friend speak in his voice. Practice those words until you can say them without your lips moving at all.

Ventriloquism is fun. It also requires hard work to become good at it. The most important thing to do is practice. But if you are willing to take the time to give your friend an interesting personality, to practice lively movements, and to work on good mouth control, then you will be well on your way to becoming a ventriloquist!

1.According to the text, a ventriloquist           .

   A. is a person who can make puppets

   B. needs to work with another person

   C. can speak without using his mouth

   D. can make an object seem to speak

2.You need to hold the handle of a teaspoon between your front teeth so that           .

   A. your voice will change

   B. your mouth won’t move

   C. you can look humorous

   D. you can feel your mouth’s movements

3.If you want to be good at ventriloquism, you          .

   A. need to spend much time practicing

   B. must learn from famous ventriloquists

   C. should learn at least one special accent

   D. must have a great doll to practice with 

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A. How to tell jokes             

B. How to make puppets

C. Secrets of ventriloquism       

D. Tips on making friends