Ⅲ. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

Most people believe they don’t have much imagination. They are ___50___. Everyone has imagination, but most of us, once we become adults, forget how to ___51___ it. Creativity isn’t always ___52___ with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time ___53___ think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve, a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you.

Making connections This technique involves taking ___54___ ideas and trying to find links between them. First, think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image, word, idea or object, for example, a candle. Write down all the idea/words ___55___ with candles: light, fire, matches, wax, night, silence, etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the ___56___ to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original ___57___; you could buy him tickets to match or take him out for the night.

NO limits! Imagine that normal limitations don’t ___58___. You have as much time/space/money, etc. as you want. Think about your goal and the new ___59___. If your goal is to learn to ski, ___60___, you can now practise skiing every day of your life（because you have the time and the money）. Now ___61___ this to reality. Maybe you can practise skiing ever day in December, or every Monday in January.

Be someone else! Look at the situation from a ___62___ point of view. Good businessmen use this technique in trade, and so do writes. Fiction writers often imagine they are the ___63___ in their books. They ask questions: What does this character want? Why can’t she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? If your goal involves other people, put yourself in their ___64___. The best fishermen think like fish!

50. A. wrong B. unbelievable C. reasonable D. realistic

51. A. put up with B. catch up with C. make use of D. keep track of

52. A. equipped B. compared C. covered D. connected

53. A. skillfully B. routinely C. vividly D. deeply

54. A. familiar B. unrelated C. creative D. imaginary

55. A. presented B. marked C. lit D. associated

56. A. ideas B. ambitions C. achievement D. technique

57. A. experience B. service C. present D. object

58. A. work B. last C. exist D. change

59. A. possibilities B. limitations C. tendency D. practice

60. A. in fact B. in particular C. as a whole D. for example

61. A. devote B. adapt C. lead D. keep

62. A. private B. global C. different D. practical

63. A. features B. themes C. creatures D. characters

64. A. positions B. dreams C. images D. directions