There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .
Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant’s(康德)daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .
It may be true that work on the assembly line(流水线)dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .
People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child’s ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom .
It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that __________ .
A.great minds hate to live colorful lives |
B.Einstein worked out his theory in a university |
C.Kant only took the same walk on rainy and sunny days |
D.Kant might pass Konigsberg every day at the same time |
How does the author feel about his repetitive work by the water ?
A.It made his mind empty . |
B.It was well-paid but too demanding . |
C.It worked well with his active mind . |
D.It was too interesting to think of anything else . |
The reasons why youngsters dislike dull work include the following EXCEPT that they __________ .
A.are not mature enough |
B.think themselves smart |
C.often complain about others |
D.don’t know how to spend spare time |
What is the purpose of the passage ?
A.To argue for the benefits of dull work . |
B.To present some facts about dull work . |
C.To share his own dull working experience . |
D.To persuade young people to live a dull life . |