In golf, we talk about handicaps. The lower the handicap, the better the golfer. A golfer with a handicap of 12 tends to play better than one with a handicap of 20. It means that for a golf course that normally takes a professional 72 strokes (击球) over 18 holes to play, a 12-handicap golfer would complete his full game with a score of 84 strokes.

When it comes to creative thinking, is there such a handicap system? Can we describe a person as a 12-handicap in his creative thinking ability? Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no such system yet for creative thinking. But we all suffer from a handicap when it comes to creative thinking. Some of us are better players at such an activity, with ideas flowing freely. Some of us are average or green hands at such thinking, failing often and feeling very frustrated. But don’t fear. Creative thinkers can be like golfers striving to reduce their handicaps. It takes learning and practice, and re-learning and re-practice until you become better at it.

How do you learn to be a creative thinker? Just like the game of golf, you need to have an interest. Is your interest purely social, business or personal? Do you have a desire to improve?

Most golfers challenge themselves to reduce their handicaps for personal satisfaction and enjoyment, so do you have this burning desire to be a better creative thinker?

Next comes the learning process. Some golfers are self-taught. They learn from watching golf tournaments live or on TV. They watch videotapes of golf professionals. They read golf books.

To self-teach yourself in creative thinking, you can buy books on the subject or borrow books from community and university libraries. Some creative books list a bibliography (书目) of other useful reference books on the same subject. If you are resourceful, you can visit as many schools, colleges, universities, or community libraries as possible.

You need to think about what you read. Study the different creative thinking processes and methods, and experiment with them on your own or among friends. Practice makes you remember better. Practice also makes perfect, as the saying goes.

Many golfers take up lessons from teaching professionals rather than learning from friends who might not teach correctly. If you can, sign up for creative-thinking lessons offered by famous companies.

Don’t just attend the creative-thinking courses. Be a committed student, always following up on what you have learned and exploring more. Although I train teams in creativity and innovation, I am still reading widely on the subject, reflecting on my company’s methods, improving on the teaching of methods, and experimenting with and adapting to new techniques.

The greatest handicap is yourself, your own mind. If you have been brought up to believe that you are not creative and you keep telling yourself or people that you are not creative, then you are not helping yourself. A golfer who has a negative self-image is also ruining himself and his game. Cancel the negative self-image from your mind. Each time the negative thought flashes in your mind, replace it with a positive self-image, such as "I have the capacity to be very creative. I can be a creative thinker." Then affirm (肯定) this new image daily, several times a day. It might help if you write down such affirmative statements and paste them in places to remind you several times each day.

Focus on this creative image of yourself daily. Twice a day if possible, even if it is only 10 minutes each time. Focus and imagine yourself being creative in your studies, work, meetings, at home, and in different situations.

　 Then train yourself to succeed as you have imagined. It means actually thinking and experimenting with different creative techniques on practical cases. It also means reading to enrich your mind daily, even if it is but half an hour a day. Keep on learning, practicing, reviewing, re-learning and re-practicing, and I am confident that you can bring down your creative thinking handicap.

72. Creative thinking is different from golf in that ______.

A. there is no handicap system for creative thinking　 B.creative thinkers suffer from no handicap

C. creative thinkers have to deal with more obstacles D. creative thinking has nothing to do with personal satisfaction

73. The underlined word "handicap" (Para. 4) can best be replaced by ______.

A. disadvantage　　　　 B. uncertainty 　　　　　　　C. inconvenience 　　　　　 D. Discomfort

74. According to the passage, ______ is the greatest barrier for creative thinking.

A. lack of the interest in exploring more　　　　　

B. lack of self-confidence

C. not attending the creative thinking course　　　

D. having no interest in reading books on creativity

75. What kind of writing technique is employed by the author to make his point clear?

A. Description. 　　　　　　 B. Definition. 　　　　　 C. Comparison.　　　 D. Explanation.

　 In golf, we talk about handicaps. The lower the handicap, the better the golfer. A golfer with a handicap of 12 tends to play better than one with a handicap of 20.

It means that for a golf course that normally takes a professional 72 strokes (击球) over 18 holes to play, a 12-handicap golfer would complete his full game with a score of 84 strokes.

When it comes to creative thinking, is there such a handicap system? Can we describe a person as a 12-handicap in his creative thinking ability?

Fortunately or unfortunately, there is no such system yet for creative thinking. But we all suffer from a handicap when it comes to creative thinking. Some of us are better players at such an activity, with ideas flowing freely. Some of us are average or green hands at such thinking, failing often and feeling very frustrated.

But don’t fear. Creative thinkers can be like golfers striving to reduce their handicaps. It takes learning and practice, and re-learning and re-practice until you become better at it.

How do you learn to be a creative thinker? Just like the game of golf, you need to have an interest. Is your interest purely social, business or personal? Do you have a desire to improve?

Most golfers challenge themselves to reduce their handicaps for personal satisfaction and enjoyment, so do you have this burning desire to be a better creative thinker?

Next comes the learning process. Some golfers are self-taught. They learn from watching golf tournaments live or on TV. They watch videotapes of golf professionals. They read golf books.

To self-teach yourself in creative thinking, you can buy books on the subject or borrow books from community and university libraries. Some creative books list a bibliography (书目) of other useful reference books on the same subject. If you are resourceful, you can visit as many schools, colleges, universities, or community libraries as possible.

You need to think about what you read. Study the different creative thinking processes and methods, and experiment with them on your own or among friends. Practice makes you remember better. Practice also makes perfect, as the saying goes.

Many golfers take up lessons from teaching professionals rather than learning from friends who might not teach correctly. If you can, sign up for creative-thinking lessons offered by famous companies.

Don’t just attend the creative-thinking courses. Be a committed student, always following up on what you have learned and exploring more. Although I train teams in creativity and innovation, I am still reading widely on the subject, reflecting on my company’s methods, improving on the teaching of methods, and experimenting with and adapting to new techniques.

The greatest handicap is yourself, your own mind. If you have been brought up to believe that you are not creative and you keep telling yourself or people that you are not creative, then you are not helping yourself. A golfer who has a negative self-image is also ruining himself and his game.

Cancel the negative self-image from your mind. Each time the negative thought flashes in your mind, replace it with a positive self-image, such as "I have the capacity to be very creative. I can be a creative thinker." Then affirm (肯定) this new image daily, several times a day. It might help if you write down such affirmative statements and paste them in places to remind you several times each day.

Focus on this creative image of yourself daily. Twice a day if possible, even if it is only 10 minutes each time. Focus and imagine yourself being creative in your studies, work, meetings, at home, and in different situations.

Then train yourself to succeed as you have imagined. It means actually thinking and experimenting with different creative techniques on practical cases. It also means reading to enrich your mind daily, even if it is but half an hour a day.

　 Keep on learning, practicing, reviewing, re-learning and re-practicing, and I am confident that you can bring down your creative thinking handicap.

55. Creative thinking is different from golf in that ______.

A. creative thinkers suffer from no handicap

B. there is no handicap system for creative thinking

C. creative thinkers have to deal with more obstacles

D. creative thinking has nothing to do with personal satisfaction

56. The underlined word "handicap" (Para. 4) can best be replaced by ______.

A. uncertainty　　　　　 B. disadvantage　　　　　　 C. inconvenience　　　　　 D. discomfort

57. According to the passage, ______ is the greatest barrier for creative thinking.

A. lack of self-confidence

B. lack of the interest in exploring more

C. not attending the creative thinking course

D. having no interest in reading books on creativity

58. To cancel the negative self-image from your mind, you have to ______.

A. borrow books every day

B. attend courses on creativity

C. assure yourself that you are creative

D. experiment with different techniques on practical cases

59. What kind of writing technique is employed by the author to make his point clear?

A. Comparison.　　　　 B. Definition. 　　　　　　 C. Description.　　　　　　 D. Explanation.

60. The article is written to ______.

A. provide information 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. share a story

C. express feelings D. encourage people

The $ 11 billion self – help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “ I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."

Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.

The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

       A．It is a highly profitable industry.

       B．It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

       C．It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

       D．It has yielded positive results.

What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?

       A．Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.

       B．There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

       C．Unhappy people cannot think positively.

       D．The power of positive thinking is limited.

What does the author mean by "you're just underlining his faults" in the third paragraph?

       A．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.

       B．You are pointing out the errors he has committed.

       C．You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.

       D．You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.

It can be inferred from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic that        .

       A．it is important for people to continually keep their self - esteem

       B．self – affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood

       C．forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self - esteem

       D．people with low self – esteem seldom write down their true feelings

The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like "I never do anything right" into positive ones like "I can succeed." But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."

Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.

The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A. It is a highly profitable industry.

B. It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

C. It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

D. It has yielded positive results.

What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?

A. Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.

B. There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

C. Unhappy people cannot think positively.

D. The power of positive thinking is limited.

What does the author mean by "… you're just underlining his faults" (Line 4, Para. 3)?

A. You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.

B. You are pointing out the errors he has committed.

C. You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.

D. You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.

What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?

A. It is important for people to continually boost their self-esteem.

B. Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one's mood.

C. Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.

D. People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings.

Section C.

Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading that you do not need. （请注意题号，将答案填涂在答题卡相应的位置）

The $ 11 billion self – help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “ I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.
The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your dim friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."
Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation (静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.
【小题1】What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A．It is a highly profitable industry.

B．It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

C．It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

D．It has yielded positive results.

【小题2】What is the finding of the Canadian researchers?

A．Encouraging positive thinking many do more harm than good.

B．There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

C．Unhappy people cannot think positively.

D．The power of positive thinking is limited.

【小题3】What does the author mean by "you're just underlining his faults" in the third paragraph?

A．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.

B．You are pointing out the errors he has committed.

C．You are emphasizing the fact that he is not intelligent.

D．You are trying to make him feel better about his faults.

【小题4】It can be inferred from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic that        .

A．it is important for people to continually keep their self - esteem

B．self – affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood

C．forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self - esteem

D．people with low self – esteem seldom write down their true feelings