Question

It was Friedrich Nietzsche who wrote "Against boredom the gods themselves fight in vain". Although the words of the German philosopher will certainly have no effect on the millions of schoolchildren over the Easter holiday, their parents can find comfort in his words as they struggle to keep their kids entertained for a fortnight.

An academic has set out to prove that boredom-far from being a bad things-is a naturally occurring emotion that should not be suppressed （壓抑）. Dr Richard Ralley, a psychology lecturer at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk, Lancashire, has conducted a study of boredom.

He said, "Boredom can be a good thing. In psychology we think of emotions as being functional. Fear, anger and jealousy all serve a purpose but they’re painted in a bad light even though they exist for a reason. It’s the same with boredom, which also has a bad name. We get bored because we get fed up when we have nothing to do and feel the need to be productive. We ,feel bad when we’re not productive and that’s what boredom is associated with. Boredom is something, it’s not just switching off. It can be useful. When there’s nothing rewarding going on we keep energy, so that when we want to do it again we can. It may be better to leave children to their own devices and let them recover from their last term at school."

Dr Ralley, 35, thought of the study, titled Boredom, in 1999 but has only recently started collecting ease studies. To date, he has received information from more than 300 young adults who have written about boredom. He hopes to present his findings in the summer.

"Come the holidays, parents needn’t sacrifice kids’ free time on activities. Instead get them involved with something you’re doing. You can handle boredom in a way that can get them to do something challenging. Boredom is natural, so let’s deal with it."

1. The text is probably taken from ______

A. a newspaper report              B. a research essay

C. an advertisement                D. a philosophy textbook

2. In Dr Richard Ralley’s opinion, boredom is ______

A. harmful       B. useful         C. reliable       D. changeable

3. Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. Boredom as well as fear, anger and jealousy ever has a good name.

B. We get excited when we have nothing to do and we are not productive.

C. Dr Ralley’s findings about boredom have been presented to the public.

D. Kids should be encouraged to spend free time doing something challenging.

4. The underlined phrase "leave children to their own devices" in Paragraph 3 most probably means______

A. let them design a tool            B. let them repair a machine

C. leave them as they are           D. leave them playing with a toy

5. What’s the main idea of the text?

A. Boredom could be good for children.

B. Keep the kids entertained over holiday.

C. Dr Ralley conducted a study of boredom.

D. Don’t sacrifice kids’ free time.

Answer 1

ABDCA