首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Real innovation is a dying art. It’s true that creativity—the business of thinking up new ideas—is far from dead, but it’s getti
Real innovation is a dying art. It’s true that creativity—the business of thinking up new ideas—is far from dead, but it’s getti
admin
2017-01-15
26
问题
Real innovation is a dying art. It’s true that creativity—the business of thinking up new ideas—is far from dead, but it’s getting harder and harder to get new concepts applied in design, manufacturing or business. It costs thousands of pounds to get a new idea into the marketplace, and there is very little support for anything from most companies or government. A lot of people don’t want to know.
I’ve always been interested in new ideas. I was trained as an engineer and went to work for an automotive components company, and almost from the first day I was asking why things were done in this way and not that. I thought up my first invention at 19—then I discovered someone else had got there first. I’ve been inventive all my life. I’ve got 14 patents to my name.
Invention is what happens when you come across a problem, and look for a solution. It could be at work or at home in the garden—like a better way of mowing the lawn, say. But these days creativity is being stifled because there are so many hoops to go through. You have a brilliant idea for a left-handed widget but you still have to ask yourself; Is it new? Has it already been protected? Is there a market for it? Is the investment worth it?
Only 4 percent of granted patents reach the market place. Part of the problem is that manufacturing industry and government are obsessed with complex technology like bioengineering. There is no interest in low technology or simple ideas that are equivalent to the invention of the paperclip. Inventors still come up with simple devices, but it’s difficult to get anyone interested.
But it’s also a very British problem. Inventions from Britain are often taken up overseas, because most British companies tend not to look outside their own factory gates. My own personal theory is that it’s a legacy of the Empire, when Britain had a captive audience and little competition, so industries didn’t need to market their products. Nowadays, companies from other leading economies have to make what the consumer wants in order to ensure their profits, so they are always ready to innovate. And many British manufacturers have never caught up.
Plus, British schoolchildren aren’t embracing vocational training subjects such as metalwork, woodwork, or design and technology. As a result university engineering departments are closing. Tomorrow’s World used to be on the TV, but where is that now? The whole lack of interest in creativity and invention is a symptom of the class system, too—there’s a kind of snobbishness in Britain about cleverness and originality. The only inventors you see in the media are people like Sir Clive Sinclair and Trevor Bayliss who come across like mad scientists.
Which of the following is NOT the problem that hinders the real invention?
选项
A、There’s a kind of snobbishness in Britain about cleverness and originality.
B、Most British companies tend not to look outside their own factory gates.
C、There is no interest in low technology or simple ideas.
D、New inventions can be put into use.
答案
D
解析
从第四段中的Only 4 percent of granted patents reach the market place.可以看出,并不是所有的发明都能投入市场,所以选[D]。[A]、[B]、[C]都可以在倒数第二段找到对应句。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/QVJK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
Theconceptofpersonalchoiceinrelationtohealthbehaviorsisanimportantone.Anestimated90percentofallillnessmayb
Toooftenyoungpeoplegetthemselvesemployedquitebyaccident,notknowing【C1】______liesinthewayofopportunityforpromot
Toooftenyoungpeoplegetthemselvesemployedquitebyaccident,notknowing【C1】______liesinthewayofopportunityforpromot
Itisoftensaidthatpolitenesscostsnothing.Infact,itseemsthatalittlemorecourtesycould【C1】______businesses£5bil
Thefollowingareallcorrectresponsesto"Jackhasanewdictionary."EXCEPT______.
Formanyyears,wehavebeenledtobelievethataperson’sintellectualintelligenceisthegreatestpredictorofsuccess.Soci
Oneofthemostcommonhumanfearsisscarcity.Manypeopleareafraidofnothavingenoughofwhattheyneedorwant,andsoth
Jimmyearnshislivingby______worksofartinthemuseum.
Ahugestormthat【D1】______partofacliffonIsrael’scentralcoastledtothe【D2】______ofastatuedatingbacktotheRomanpe
AnexhibitionofCarletonWatkins’sphotographsofYosemitetakeninthe1860shasjustopenedatNewYork’sMetropolitanMuseum
随机试题
柏拉图的美育观
在组织或尿沉淀细胞核内观察到猫眼状包涵体,有助于诊断的疾病是
患者,女,47岁。既往有胆道结石病史,今天出现持续性明显腹痛,放射到腰背部,伴呕吐。查体:上腹部肌紧张,明显压痛伴反跳痛,肠鸣音减弱。诊断应考虑
为取代苯甲酸衍生物,分子中含有一个手性碳,S—异构体的活性大于R—异构体,在体内代谢迅速,作为餐时血糖调节剂的降血糖药物是
(2010年国家司法考试真题)甲公司因与乙公司合同纠纷申请仲裁,要求解除合同。某仲裁委员会经审理裁决解除双方合同,还裁决乙公司赔偿甲公司损失6万元。关于本案的仲裁裁决,下列哪些表述是正确的?()
无损检测人员中()可编制一般的无损检测程序。
凭证式债券的形式是债权人认购债券的一种收款凭证,而不是债券发行人制定的标准格式的债券。()
西周时期的市场并非是面向大众的场所,而是专为官员设置,并不对所有居民开放,谓“官市”,且规模较小。但是到了春秋战国时期,“官市”不能再适应时代要求,出现了满足各阶层居民交换需求的场所,真正为大众服务。“市”的变化主要体现了()
我国财政支农的比重一直偏低,进入20世纪90年代以来,呈下降趋势,1991—1997年分别为10.3%、10.0%、9.5%、9.2%、8.4%、8.8%、8.3%。……进入20世纪90年代以来,我国财政支农的比重()。
上级人民检察院与下级人民检察院的关系是()。
最新回复
(
0
)