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

“Just take a deep breath.” “Don’t think about it.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”
But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.
“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.
The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.
【小题1】By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.

Could a grizzly bear move to your neighborhood? If you live in the U.S. West, the answer may be yes. People and grizzly bears are living closer together now.

The grizzly bear is one of the largest meat-eating land animals in North America. In the early 1800s, about 50,000 grizzly bears lived there. Today there’re far fewer bears. Settlers built cities and roads where bears lived. Many bears were hunted and killed. Now only 1,200 to 1,400 grizzly bears have remained.

In and around Yellowstone National Park, grizzly bears have been making a comeback because of people’s efforts to protect them. Some bears are moving to areas where people live. People are also moving into grizzly countries.

People there have to learn how to live with their new, furry (毛皮的) neighbors peacefully. If someone leaves their barbecue grill（烤肉架）out overnight, or leaves their pet food or rubbish where a bear can get it, the bear will learn to come to their house for food. Grizzly bears that learn to eat people’s food can become dangerous, and they often have to be killed or moved. Also, it’s important not to surprise a grizzly. Besides, if you are hiking in a grizzly country, you should go with others and make a noise to make bears hear your coming and get out of the way. You may not want to invite grizzly bears to your next neighborhood party, but with a little effort, grizzly bears and people can live together peacefully.

1.Why does the number of grizzly bears get smaller, according to the text?

A. Settlers’ buildings break the balance of their living environment.  

B. Land for them to live on is limited and they are hunted in large numbers.

C. Yellowstone National Park wants to control the number of them.

D. Living closer to humans makes them die from serious diseases.

2. How many suggestions are made for people to live with bears peacefully？

A. One.         B. Two.         C. Three.           D. Four.

3. Compared with the early 1800s, the number of grizzly bears has got smaller by ______.

A. exactly 26﹪            B. over 36﹪   C. nearly 64﹪   D. about 96﹪

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Grizzly bears are always friendly to the people living in grizzly countries.

B. It is certain that grizzly bears and people can live together peacefully.

C. Grizzly bears are protected only in and around Yellowstone National Park.

D. The grizzly bear is one of the largest meat-eating animals in North America.

5. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A. How to protect yourself from grizzly bears.

B. How to get grizzly bears out of your way.

C. How to invite grizzly bears to your party.

D. How to live with grizzly bears peacefully.

Nowadays, a cellphone service is available to everyone, everywhere. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I'm going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning.

The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite(无限的） applications. Virtually in any public space.

Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will take approximately one hour, because a person can't walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost.

So, a cellphone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don't dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the topic and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to avoid.

For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business:

"Yes, I'm glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What's that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there."

Be engaged in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, point to your phone, shrug and move on.

Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching (用手捏) unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you'd be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is.

One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. "So I don't need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news."

And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrmg! Brrrrrmg! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. "What is the matter with this thing?" I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear.

"Hello? Are you still there?"  Oops.

1.According to the passage Fake Foning is _______________________.

A．a strategy to avoid people                 B．a device newly produced

C．a service provided everywhere             D．a skill of communication

2.In the author's opinion, in order to make fake foning look real one has to__________________.

A．talk about interesting matters              B．behave politely to people passing by

C．hold the phone while walking              D．appear absorbed in conversation

3.What does the last example show?

A．One effective way is to fake fone one's doctor.

B．One has to be careful while fake foning.

C．Fake foning may not cheat people.

D．Fake foning is always quite successful.

4.After his phone suddenly began ringing, the author___________________.

A．immediately started talking to the caller

B．immediately started talking to his colleague

C．put the phone away and stopped talking

D．continued with his fake conversation

5.What is the tone of the passage?

A．Critical.           B．Humorous.         C．Serious.           D．Unclear.