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  3. Some believe that in the age of identikit computer games, mass entertainment and conformity on the supermarket shelves, truly in

Some believe that in the age of identikit computer games, mass entertainment and conformity on the supermarket shelves, truly in

admin2013-09-23  68
问题     Some believe that in the age of identikit computer games, mass entertainment and conformity on the supermarket shelves, truly inspired thinking has gone out of the window. But, there are others who hold the view that there is still plenty of scope for innovation, lateral thought and creative solutions. Despite the standardisation of modern life, there is an unabated appetite for great ideas, visionary thinking and inspired debate. In the first of a series of monthly debates on contemporary issues, we ask two original thinkers to discuss the nature of creativity. Here is the first one.
    Yes. Absolutely. Since I started working as an inventor 10 or 12 years ago, I’ve seen a big change in attitudes to creativity and invention. Back then, there was hardly any support for inventors, apart from the national organisation the Institute of Patentees and Inventors. Today, there are lots of little inventors’ clubs popping up all over the place, my last count was 19 nationally and growing. These non-profit clubs, run by inventors for inventors, are an indication that people are once again interested in invention.
    I’ve been a project leader, a croupier, an IT consultant and I’ve written a motor manual. I spent my teens under a 1950s two-tone Riley RME car, learning to put it together. Back in the Sixties, kids like me were always out doing things, making go-karts, riding bicycles or exploring. We learned to overcome challenges and solve problems. We weren’t just sitting at a PlayStation, like many kids do today.
    But I think, and hope, things are shifting back. There’s a lot more interest in design and creativity and such talents are getting a much higher profile in the media. It’s evident with TV programmes such as Channel 4’s Scrapheap Challenge or BBC 2’s The Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, where people are given a task to solve or face the challenge of selling their idea to a panel.
And, thankfully, the image of the mad scientist with electrified hair working in the garden shed is long gone—although, there are still a few exceptions!
    That’s not to say there aren’t problems. With the decline in manufacturing we are losing the ability to know how to make things. There’s a real skills gap developing. In my opinion, the government does little or nothing to help innovation at the lone-inventor or small or medium enterprise level. I would love to see more money spent on teaching our school kids how to be inventive. But, despite everything, if you have a good idea and real determination, you can still do very well.
    My own specialist area is packaging closures—almost every product needs it. I got the idea for Squeezeopen after looking at an old tin of boot polish when my mother complained she couldn’t get the lid off. If you can do something cheaper, better, and you are 100 percent committed, there is a chance it will be a success.
    I see a fantastic amount of innovation and opportunities out there. People don’t realise how much is going on. New materials are coming out all the time and the space programme and scientific research are producing a variety of spin-offs. Innovation doesn’t have to be high-tech: creativity and inventing is about finding the right solution to a problem, whatever it is. There’s a lot of talent out there and, thankfully, some of the nore progressive companies are suddenly realising they don’t want to miss out—it’s an exciting time.
What’s the central idea of the last paragraph?
选项 A、We should miss out the exciting time.
B、A variety of spin-offs are produced by the scientific researea.
C、What the nature of innovation is.
D、What the nature of talent is.
答案C
解析 主旨题.在文章最后一段中被采访的人说出了自己对革新的本质的看法，即“creativity and inventing is about finding the right solution to a problem…”。所以[C]”革新的本质是什么”为正确答案。
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