16．Want More Innovation？Get More Diversity（多样性）
Research by my colleague and I suggests that university administrators who do not work hard to attract and retain African-American teaching staff may well be missing out on an important benefit：Academic departments that are more diverse may produce more creative ideas and work．
A mathematical model has been developed to study the effects of diversity．And we discovered a simple truth：More diverse groups may do better because they are less conformist（墨守成规的）．
Picture it：You're brainstorming with your best friend of 30years．You grew up in the same neighborhood，went to the same school，and stood up for each other at your weddings．When a crazy idea crosses your mind，you immediately see all the reasons why he may dismiss it．On the other hand，you know what ideas he is receptive to-so why not start with those？
Now suppose you're brainstorming with someone who grew up with a different perspective and who has very different experiences from you．Would you be more willing to share your crazy idea with her？After all，you have no clue what ideas she is open to-so why not try it out？
Something like this may be going on in the academic workplace．We often don't realize it，but we constantly think about how people around us will react to us．In itself，this is not a bad thing．If we didn't put ourselves into other people's shoes，we'd experience even more disagreements and misunderstandings than we already do．
But our research suggests that a little unpredictability may not be a bad thing．In fact，a little more unpredictability may be what we need to make us all a little less conformist and a little more open to trying new things．
Extensive data suggest that more diverse teams outperform homogeneous（同质的） teams when it is crucial to be innovative，which agrees with our mathematical model．
So if diverse groups outperform more homogeneous ones，why do university administrators not choose to hire more African-Americans？There are many possible reasons，but one is that people have a tendency to hire people like themselves．Interacting with people like ourselves allows us to stay within our comfort zones．It is certainly easier to find common ground with one's friend of 30years than with a stranger．Yet given the increasing emphasis on innovation and creativity in today's economy，it pays for universities to actively pursue a more racially and ethnically diverse teaching staff．So，stop hiring people who look like you．
（Note：Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS．）
78．Research by the writer and his colleague indicates that the more diverse academic apartments are，the more creative ideas and work they may produce．
79．According to the writer，showing ready comprehension of others'situation will contribute to（experiencing）fewer disagreements and misunderstandings．
80．As is suggested in the research，what can make us more open to diversity？A little more unpredictability．
81．Why is a university administrator more likely to hire people like him？（Because）it makes him stay in hisc omfort zone．
分析 本文通过分析为什么多样性更有可能带来创造性，建议大学行政人员应该多招聘非洲裔美国教师．
解答 第78题 the more creative ideas and work they may produce 细节理解题．可以在第一段最后一句Academic departments that are more diverse may produce more creative ideas and work．找到答案，教学部门人员的多样性会带来学术观点的创造性．可以提炼出答案，注意字数的控制．
第79题 （experiencing） fewer disagreements and misunderstandings 细节理解题．题目问的是理解别人的情况会导致什么，可以在第四段最后一句找到答案，put oneself into other people's shoes和题目里的show ready comprehension of others'situation 同义．转换难度比较大．
第80题 A little more unpredictability．细节概括题．先用open to diversity 进行定位，答案在第六段最后一句，little more unpredictability may be what we need to make us all a little less conformist and a little more open to trying new things．更多的不可预见性会导致更能尝试新事物．
第81题 （Because） it makes him stay in his comfort zone．/（Because） it's easier to find common ground．细节概括题．这题的答案在最后一段，It is certainly easier to find common ground with one's friend of 30years than with a stranger大学行政人员之所以更倾向聘用和他们相似的老师在于双方有共同点，也更易相处．关键词为comfort zone，common ground．
点评 本文是说明类阅读表达，要求学生在阅读理解的基础上，根据短文后的题目，在文中找到相关的内容，并用简洁、准确的句子，将理解的内容，书面表达出来．做题时，注意表达的内容不要超出规定的字数．
