Waiting for Godot is written by ( ) A.Samuel Beckett B.James Joyce
NP and ( ) are essential components of a sentence.
The Cooperative Principle is proposed by ( ).
-It was an interesting exhibition, wasn′t it?-No, it was very uninteresting.Which maxim of the Politeness Principle that above example violates?( )
The semantic triangle holds that the meaning of a word ( )
Which of the fllowing is not included in the design features of language?( )
“X buys something from Y” and“Y sells something to X” are in a relation of ( )
The vowel ( ) is a low back vowel.
With thunderclouds looming over the trans-Atlantic economy, it was easy to miss a bright piece of news last weekend from the other crucible of world trade, the Pacific Rim. In Honolulu, where Barack Obama hosted a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, Canada, Japan and Mexico expressed interest in joining nine countries (America, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam) in discussing a free-trade pact. Altogether, the possible members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) produce 40% of world GDP—far more than the European Union. Regional trade deals are not always a good idea. If they distract policymakers from global trade liberalization, they are to be discouraged. But with the Doha round of global trade talks showing no flicker of life, there is little danger that the TPP will derail a broader agreement; and by cutting barriers, strengthening intellectual-property protections and going beyond a web of existing trade deals, it should boost world trade. The creation of a wider TPP is still some way off. For it to come into being its architects—Mr. Obama, who faces a tough election battle next year, and Japan’s Yoshihiko Noda, who faces crony politics laced with passionate protectionism-need to show more leadership. Mr. Noda’s announcement on November 11th that Japan was interested in joining the TPP negotiations was an exceedingly bold move. Signing up would mean dramatic changes in Japan, a country which has 800%tariffs on rice and exports 65 vehicles to America for every one that is sent to Japan. Mr. Noda’s move could also transform the prospects of the TPP, most obviously by uniting two of the world’s leading three economies but also by galvanizing others. Until he expressed an interest, Canada and Mexico had also remained on the sidelines. Unwittingly or not, Mr. Noda has thrust mercantilist Japan into a central position on a trade treaty in which free movement of everything except labor is on the table. Immense obstacles loom for Mr. Noda. He came into office in September casting himself as a conciliator of Japan’s warring political factions. Many of those groups are opposed to the TPP. Farm co-operatives, which feather many a politician’s nest, argue that it would rob Japan of its rice heritage. Doctors warn of the risks to Japan’s cherished health system. Socialists see the TPP as a Washington-led sideswipe at China, which had hoped to build an East Asian trade orbit including Japan. Mr. Nora will have to contend not just with opposition from rival parties but also with a split on the issue inside his Democratic Party of Japan. Since Honolulu, Mr. Noda has already pandered to protectionists by watering down his message. Having beamed next to Mr. Obama in a summit photo, he then protested that the White House had overstated his intention to put all goods and services up for negotiation. Polls, however, suggest the Japanese are crying out for Leadership on the issue, not pusillanimity. More support the idea of entering TPP negotiations than oppose it. On their behalf Mr. Noda should lead Japan forthrightly into the discussions, confident that the country can bargain well enough to give its sacred industries such as farming and health care time to adjust. It is also a test for Mr. Obama’s new strategy of coping with China’s rise by “pivoting” American foreign policy more towards Asia. He must stand up to the unions in the car industry which have long bellyached about the imbalance of trade with Japan. He should energetically promote the potential gains for jobs of his pro-Asia strategy-both at home and abroad. America should also stress that the TPP is meant to engage and incorporate China, rather than constrain it. Such steps would help win support in Japan, while costing America little. And in joining the TPP, Japan would be forced to reform hidebound parts of its economy, such as services, which would stimulate growth. A revitalized Japan would add to the dynamism of a more liberalized Asia-Pacific region. That is surely something worth fighting for. Which of the following main messages was conveyed in this passage?
With thunderclouds looming over the trans-Atlantic economy, it was easy to miss a bright piece of news last weekend from the other crucible of world trade, the Pacific Rim. In Honolulu, where Barack Obama hosted a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, Canada, Japan and Mexico expressed interest in joining nine countries (America, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam) in discussing a free-trade pact. Altogether, the possible members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP) produce 40% of world GDP—far more than the European Union. Regional trade deals are not always a good idea. If they distract policymakers from global trade liberalization, they are to be discouraged. But with the Doha round of global trade talks showing no flicker of life, there is little danger that the TPP will derail a broader agreement; and by cutting barriers, strengthening intellectual-property protections and going beyond a web of existing trade deals, it should boost world trade. The creation of a wider TPP is still some way off. For it to come into being its architects—Mr. Obama, who faces a tough election battle next year, and Japan’s Yoshihiko Noda, who faces crony politics laced with passionate protectionism-need to show more leadership. Mr. Noda’s announcement on November 11th that Japan was interested in joining the TPP negotiations was an exceedingly bold move. Signing up would mean dramatic changes in Japan, a country which has 800%tariffs on rice and exports 65 vehicles to America for every one that is sent to Japan. Mr. Noda’s move could also transform the prospects of the TPP, most obviously by uniting two of the world’s leading three economies but also by galvanizing others. Until he expressed an interest, Canada and Mexico had also remained on the sidelines. Unwittingly or not, Mr. Noda has thrust mercantilist Japan into a central position on a trade treaty in which free movement of everything except labor is on the table. Immense obstacles loom for Mr. Noda. He came into office in September casting himself as a conciliator of Japan’s warring political factions. Many of those groups are opposed to the TPP. Farm co-operatives, which feather many a politician’s nest, argue that it would rob Japan of its rice heritage. Doctors warn of the risks to Japan’s cherished health system. Socialists see the TPP as a Washington-led sideswipe at China, which had hoped to build an East Asian trade orbit including Japan. Mr. Nora will have to contend not just with opposition from rival parties but also with a split on the issue inside his Democratic Party of Japan. Since Honolulu, Mr. Noda has already pandered to protectionists by watering down his message. Having beamed next to Mr. Obama in a summit photo, he then protested that the White House had overstated his intention to put all goods and services up for negotiation. Polls, however, suggest the Japanese are crying out for Leadership on the issue, not pusillanimity. More support the idea of entering TPP negotiations than oppose it. On their behalf Mr. Noda should lead Japan forthrightly into the discussions, confident that the country can bargain well enough to give its sacred industries such as farming and health care time to adjust. It is also a test for Mr. Obama’s new strategy of coping with China’s rise by “pivoting” American foreign policy more towards Asia. He must stand up to the unions in the car industry which have long bellyached about the imbalance of trade with Japan. He should energetically promote the potential gains for jobs of his pro-Asia strategy-both at home and abroad. America should also stress that the TPP is meant to engage and incorporate China, rather than constrain it. Such steps would help win support in Japan, while costing America little. And in joining the TPP, Japan would be forced to reform hidebound parts of its economy, such as services, which would stimulate growth. A revitalized Japan would add to the dynamism of a more liberalized Asia-Pacific region. That is surely something worth fighting for. Which of the following could NOT be true as the possible consequences of Japan’s joining the TPP?
I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood and year-round sun. You may think people in such a glamorous, fun-filled p lace are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness. Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper more abiding emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends. I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fan. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness. Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he’s honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in tact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features. Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness. They can dine out ever they want and sleep as late as they want. Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those rich and glamorous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all. In the author’s opinion, marriage _____.
I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood and year-round sun. You may think people in such a glamorous, fun-filled p lace are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness. Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper more abiding emotion. Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends. I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fan. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”. But in memoir after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness. Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he’s honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in tact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features. Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness. They can dine out ever they want and sleep as late as they want. Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three-day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those rich and glamorous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all. Couples having infant children _____.
In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-ventilated factories and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not whole heartedly participate in his work and that he is bored with it. In fact, the blue-and white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management. The worker and employee are anxious, not only because they might find themselves out of a job; they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings. Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again—by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness. Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities—those of love and of reason—are the aims of all social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man. The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employees is that _____.
Australia’s frogs are having trouble finding love. Traffic noise and other sounds of city life, such as air conditioners and construction noise, are drowning out the mating calls of male frogs in urban areas, 1eading to a sharp drop in frog populations. But, in the first study of its kind, Parris, a scientist at the University of Melbourne has found that some frogs have figured out a way to compensate for human interference in their love lives. A male southern brown tree frog sends out a mating call when he’s looking for a date. It is music to the ears of a female southern brown tree frog. But, add the sounds of nearby traffic and the message just is not going out. Parris spent seven years studying frogs around Melbourne. She says some frogs have come up with an interesting strategy for making themselves heard. “We found that it’s changing the pitch of its call, so going higher up, up the frequency spectrum, being higher and squeakier, further away from the traffic noise and this increases the distance over which it can be for heard,” Parris said. The old call is lower in pitch. The new one is higher in pitch. Now, that may sound like a pretty simple solution. But, changing their calls to cope with a noisy environment is actually quite extraordinary for frogs. And while the males have figured out how to make themselves heard above the noise, Parris says it may not be what the females are looking for. “When females have a choice between two males calling, they tend to select the one that calls at a lower frequency because, in frogs, the frequency of a call is related to body size. So, the bigger frogs tend to call lower,” she explained. “And so they also tend to be the older frogs, the guys perhaps with more experience, they know what they’re doing and the women are attracted to those.” Frog populations in Melbourne have dropped considerably since Parris began her research, but it is not just because of noise. Much of Australia has been locked in a 10-year drought, leaving frogs fewer and fewer ponds to go looking for that special someone. Parris is the first person who made study for _____
Australia’s frogs are having trouble finding love. Traffic noise and other sounds of city life, such as air conditioners and construction noise, are drowning out the mating calls of male frogs in urban areas, 1eading to a sharp drop in frog populations. But, in the first study of its kind, Parris, a scientist at the University of Melbourne has found that some frogs have figured out a way to compensate for human interference in their love lives. A male southern brown tree frog sends out a mating call when he’s looking for a date. It is music to the ears of a female southern brown tree frog. But, add the sounds of nearby traffic and the message just is not going out. Parris spent seven years studying frogs around Melbourne. She says some frogs have come up with an interesting strategy for making themselves heard. “We found that it’s changing the pitch of its call, so going higher up, up the frequency spectrum, being higher and squeakier, further away from the traffic noise and this increases the distance over which it can be for heard,” Parris said. The old call is lower in pitch. The new one is higher in pitch. Now, that may sound like a pretty simple solution. But, changing their calls to cope with a noisy environment is actually quite extraordinary for frogs. And while the males have figured out how to make themselves heard above the noise, Parris says it may not be what the females are looking for. “When females have a choice between two males calling, they tend to select the one that calls at a lower frequency because, in frogs, the frequency of a call is related to body size. So, the bigger frogs tend to call lower,” she explained. “And so they also tend to be the older frogs, the guys perhaps with more experience, they know what they’re doing and the women are attracted to those.” Frog populations in Melbourne have dropped considerably since Parris began her research, but it is not just because of noise. Much of Australia has been locked in a 10-year drought, leaving frogs fewer and fewer ponds to go looking for that special someone. According to Parris, what are the reasons for the dropping of the frog’s population in Melbourne?
A closer observer of the small screen once called it a “vast wasteland of violence, sadism and murder, private eyes, gangsters and more violence - and cartoons.” That is how Newton Minow, a US television regulator, described it in 1961. Since than television language has become more colourful, violence more explicit and sex more prevalent.?Lady Chatterley’s Lover has moved from the banned book shelf to a classic BBC serial. Concern over such changing standards has shaped our view of television—and masked its broader influence in developing countries. To illustrate its effects, Kenny cites the case of Brazil. When television there began to show a steady diet of local soaps in the 1970s, Brazilian women typically had five or more children and were trapped in poverty. As the popularity of the soaps grew, birth rates fell According to researchers, 72% of the leading female characters in the main soaps had no children and only 7% had more than one. One study calculated that such soaps had the same effect on fertility rates as keeping girls in school for five years more than normal. It is not just birth rates that are affected. Kenny notes: “Kids who watch TV out of school, according to a World Bank survey of young people in the shanty towns of Fortaleza in Brazil, are considerably less likely to consume drugs.” Television appears to have more power to reduce youth drug use than the strictures of an educated mother and Brazilian soaps presenting educated urban woman running their own businesses are thought to be compelling role models. Television can also improve health, In Ghana a soap opera line that warned mothers they were feeding their children “more than just rice” if they did not wash their hands after defecating was followed by a seemingly permanent improvement in personal hygiene. Why do such changes happen? Simple, says Kenny: soap operas, whether local versions of Ugly Betty or vintage imports of Baywatch, open up new horizons. “Some hours could he better spout planting trees, helping old ladies across the road or playing cricket,” he said. “But watching TV exposes people to new ideas and different people. With that will come greater opportunity, growing equality and a better understanding of the world. Not bad.” Why does the anther mention Lady Chatterley’s Lover?
Students of United States history, seeking to identify the circumstances that encouraged the emergence of feminist movements, have thoroughly investigated the mid-nineteenth-century American economic and social conditions that affected the status of women. These historians, however, have analyzed less fully the development of specifically feminist ideas and activities during the same period. Furthermore, the ideological origins of feminism in the United States have been obscured because, even when historians did take into account those feminist ideas and activities occurring within the United States, they failed to recognize that feminism was then a truly international movement actually centered in Europe. American feminist activists who have been described as “solitary” and “individual theorists” were in reality connected to a movement —utopian socialism—which was already popularizing feminist ideas in Europe during the two decades that cachinnated in the first women’s rights conference held at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Thus, a complete understanding of the origins and development of nineteenth-century feminism in the United States requires that the geographical focus be widened to include Europe and that the detailed study already made of social conditions be expanded to include the ideological development of feminism. The earliest and most popular of the utopian socialists were the Saint-Simonians. The specifically feminist part of Saint-Simonianism has, however, been less studied than the group’s contribution to early socialism. This is regrettable on two accounts. By 1832 feminism was the central concern of Saint-Simonianism and entirely absorbed its adherents’ energy; hence, by ignoring its feminism, European historians have misunderstood Saint-Simonianism. Moreover, since many feminist ideas can be traced to Saint-Simonianism, European historians’ appreciation of later feminism in France and the United States remained limited. Saint-Simon’s followers, many of whom were women, based their feminism on an interpretation of his project to reorganize the globe by replacing brute force with the rule of spiritual powers. The new world order would be ruled together by a male, to represent reflection, and a female, to represent sentiment. This complementarity reflects the fact that, while the Saint-Simonians did not reject the belief that there were innate differences between men and women, they nevertheless foresaw an equally important social and political role for both sexes in their Utopia. Only a few Saint-Simonians opposed a definition of sexual equality based on gender distinction. This minority believed that individuals of both sexes were born similar in capacity and character, and they ascribed male-female differences to socialization and education. The envisioned result of both currents of thought, however, was that women would enter public life in the new age and that sexual equality would reward men as well as women with an improved way of life. According to the passage, which of the following is true of the Seneca Falls conference on women’s rights?
Students of United States history, seeking to identify the circumstances that encouraged the emergence of feminist movements, have thoroughly investigated the mid-nineteenth-century American economic and social conditions that affected the status of women. These historians, however, have analyzed less fully the development of specifically feminist ideas and activities during the same period. Furthermore, the ideological origins of feminism in the United States have been obscured because, even when historians did take into account those feminist ideas and activities occurring within the United States, they failed to recognize that feminism was then a truly international movement actually centered in Europe. American feminist activists who have been described as “solitary” and “individual theorists” were in reality connected to a movement —utopian socialism—which was already popularizing feminist ideas in Europe during the two decades that cachinnated in the first women’s rights conference held at Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Thus, a complete understanding of the origins and development of nineteenth-century feminism in the United States requires that the geographical focus be widened to include Europe and that the detailed study already made of social conditions be expanded to include the ideological development of feminism. The earliest and most popular of the utopian socialists were the Saint-Simonians. The specifically feminist part of Saint-Simonianism has, however, been less studied than the group’s contribution to early socialism. This is regrettable on two accounts. By 1832 feminism was the central concern of Saint-Simonianism and entirely absorbed its adherents’ energy; hence, by ignoring its feminism, European historians have misunderstood Saint-Simonianism. Moreover, since many feminist ideas can be traced to Saint-Simonianism, European historians’ appreciation of later feminism in France and the United States remained limited. Saint-Simon’s followers, many of whom were women, based their feminism on an interpretation of his project to reorganize the globe by replacing brute force with the rule of spiritual powers. The new world order would be ruled together by a male, to represent reflection, and a female, to represent sentiment. This complementarity reflects the fact that, while the Saint-Simonians did not reject the belief that there were innate differences between men and women, they nevertheless foresaw an equally important social and political role for both sexes in their Utopia. Only a few Saint-Simonians opposed a definition of sexual equality based on gender distinction. This minority believed that individuals of both sexes were born similar in capacity and character, and they ascribed male-female differences to socialization and education. The envisioned result of both currents of thought, however, was that women would enter public life in the new age and that sexual equality would reward men as well as women with an improved way of life. The author’s attitude toward most European historians who have studied the Saint-Simonians is primarily one of _____.
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 standardization 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 organization 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 mandrel. I spent my teens under a 1950s two-tone Riley RME ear, 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 internl in design and creativity and such talents are getting a much higher profile in the media. It’s evident with TV programmes such as Channe14’s?Scrapheap Challenge?or BBC2’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 more progressive companies are suddenly realizing they don’t want to miss out—it’s an exciting time. Which of the following is NOT true about the kids in the sixties?
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 standardization 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 organization 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 mandrel. I spent my teens under a 1950s two-tone Riley RME ear, 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 internl in design and creativity and such talents are getting a much higher profile in the media. It’s evident with TV programmes such as Channe14’s?Scrapheap Challenge?or BBC2’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 more progressive companies are suddenly realizing they don’t want to miss out—it’s an exciting time. What’s the central idea of the last paragraph?